Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-01-01

With all the safeguards thrown around the nav
igation of the present day, we hear OF little or no
abatement in the high rates charged The light
houses OF the United states, and OF the world
have improved in few years, hundred fold
Steam tugs, beacoDs, signals are every hand.
The means of signalling in distress. csutionary
storm signals from the signal service Of the gov
eminent patent logs, patent levels i'm
proved machinery for handling anchors and
chains, better pumps and double topsails, should
oil go to make Insurance light, but on the contra
ry il IL burden. Then another hardship is the
way the charges for ships Of different nations are
distributed. Our shi,s have 10 pay their proper
ton of the expep' OF maintaining the Lighthouses
Of most other COZ ntr es, while support ours by
our own governn cnt, and charge foreigners moth
ing. Many Of the pot dues charged to our YES
sells abroad are et charged to foreigners when
they come here. 4 I'd we might 60 on through
the category. Ali these little things help to swell
our disbursement accounts; and finally are slowly
and surely doing the work of driving our naviga-
ton from the high seas. 1t is in the power OF our
government to change all this some time, and
when we begin again, let us begin at the founda-
ton, or else we begin in vain.
In concluding these observations, let US take o
walk down to pier 10, East River, and witness the
sailing of one of our fine ships, 1--WE havnt great
one OF our fleet, clipper Of fifteen hundred tons.
Her lofty bow heads up the wharf, and our atten-
ton is drawn to the fine figure Of an Indian prin-
cess, who, from her position and style on the
prov seems to keep watch, and point the way Ger
oceans vast domain. She holds in her hand a
horn of plenty from which flows fabulous wealth
lin a horn and good luck for the gallant vessel.
The symmetry Of the spars from the ponderous mast
to the tiny shysa yard Is such as can be seen no.
where but on board an American ship. She is la
den with everything that yankee ingenuity can
devise, from areaping machine for far OFT Oregon,
Or a piano for Santa Barbara, to stoves clocks
and cradles the first thing man needs, and coffns
the last. The matches have been caulked down,
ha,I hrva nA %ho
Pilot, the last connecting link that binds that lit
tie world the ship, to the big one she is so soon
to leave behind, is already taking his hurried
strides up and down the quarter deck, while things
are being made ready. favorable point in the
tide Is the time appointed for sailing. The crew
are being mustered, their landlords having got
two months advance wages out Of each of them
have brought them down. The shipping officer 10
there to see they answer to their signatures. The
cook is firing up in his galley, the steward 10 at
at their duty several days, and in a hurried man
ner the beings who to handle the ship Gre bus
tied on board. AS rule their looks are not pre-
possessing. They have been on shore just long
enough to get rid of all the money they got from
the last ship and now they are off again. 1t would
take too long to describe them. About all of them
are foreigners Of the worst kind. How they have
spent the time on shore is difficult to say. Jack
may nave left the ship in Brooklyn where she ar
rived, with the honest intention Of doing as near
right as he knew how. He probably swore . hum
bred times last voyage that he would never go
with sailor boarding house keeper again. Per-
haps he wandered up the heights in view of some
fine mansion, and looking in through the windows
we have described before. saw fair form that car
Iied him back to the days of his mother and sister
long since left behind. A thousand thronging men,
cries perhaps came rushing through his mind, and
he wished, oh how he longed that the comforts of
home might be his. But no kindly helping hand
was put out 10 save him, and if the bright eyes in
side caught CLEAN of the shadow by the lamp
post it was only that of sailor, and the poor fe
low passed on, and on, and at last hand was
put out to him, not so pure as the one on the
heights perhaps, but human hand pulsing with
the life blood of our common race, and Jack seized
it, longing for something to get hold of. 1t was
the hand Of the syren, and she lured him with her
wiles inside, and Jack knew no more till be was in
the hands of his inveterate enemy, the land shark
And such, kind reader, is the story Of most Of the
sailors that find themselves ready for sea. 1t Is
not pleasant, is it but nevertheless it is true.
Many a hungry heart is waiting for the helping
hand, and it is not put out. oh, God, that human
ity should be so cheap While we are watching
the crew lots of small stores are being passed on
board by the stevedores, men, and slowed away for
the voyage, a few pigs and hens for live stock,
with cat, and perhaps dog. The mate assisted
by the stevedores is busting about giving Off or
ders, and great crowd is collecting on the
wharf. The cooks wife has come down to see her
husband Off and is bidding him good bye. "You
will be trne TO me won't you John I" she says.
"Ies till death Mary" he replies. The steward
is bidding adieu to his sweetheart. The mates
have said their farcwells at home long before,
and the captain has gone through the same trying
scene. That morning he could cat no breakfast
at home, the great tears would come to his eyes.
and the emotions of his heart would come up and
choke him as he bid his wife and little ones ten
der though manly goodbye. He now takes
mp his position as master, but is called out
on the wharf. carriage has just drove
down and landed passenger with his friends
and his trunks, and an elderly gentle
man accosts him thus. care you the cap
passage with you." The captain looks from faith
err to son and sees an odsh young man that doesn't
look just right. The father takes him aside and
says Captain, my son has been unfortunate.
He is very smart and intelligent, but,-but six
years ago. his wife and child were taken with dip
iberia and died in one day. He never got over 1t.
He was in the wholesale liquor business and took
to drink. The surroundings were bad and it was
more than he could Withstand. We are obliged
to send him where he can never see'it We had
an idea captain that he would Ike this voyage and
90 with you round the world. Now, ! am quite
wealthy and able to pay his bills, but want him
to get everyt thing through your hands. Anything
in reason that he wants buy for him. Draw on me
but don't let him have any money himself. Ihope
captain you won't find this too much trouble and
you will have pleasant voyage. Do you know
Messrs. So and So in San. Franciscos They are
my friends and will gladly do anything for you"
Captain THINKS 10 nlmSelI. tnal Is one way 10
get rid of son. But he has no time for rehec-
ton. A gentleman and lady come up to him fol-
lowed by youth Of seventeen or eighteen years.
The captain has seen the gentleman before, and
the boy, his son, going to sea in the ship. The
poor mother with a searching look, that none but
a mother can give, says: Captain, thought
must come down and see you" She tries to smile
through her tears and says, "This is our Eddie he
has determined to go to sea and we have tried in
vain to stop him. He is our youngest, my baby,
you know. ] hops you viii try to make It easy
for him. I have heard, dear sir, that you were
kind, christian gentleman and would take an in
terest in our boy and bring him back TO us. We
have done everything we could to give him good
outfit he has plenty Of clothes and q nice feather
bed. If he should need anything more, would
you kindly let him have it. | suppose he can get
his plate and knife and fork in the ship" Here
the skipper smiles and takes the father one side,
and says "Look here sir are you determined to let
your son go to seaP p "Why yes, sir, we thought
that voyage might cure him and he would never
want to go again" "Well sir, you had better take
him home and bury him. For his bed will bs
soft plank, and his plate tin pan, with an iron
spoon" And as he thinks Of his own early years
al sea he says. ~ will do all l can for him; but
he must suffer more than you can ever think of
before ever you see him again" The mother
takes her boy by the arm and holds him of SO she
ran look at him in a limo last paze. She Drinta