News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1883-10-18
POOR JACK AT SEA.
TIE BEST MEN FOR SAILORS,
Some Salty Talk from an Old Mariner Who
hHsH Prejudice and Makes it Known.
from the New York Tribune

eyes, " said the mate, ''we have most |
all kinds O men aboard at times. We |
never gets the same crew two voyages |
an one way an another we !
picks up chaps from all countries. An
which nation do [ think makes the best |
sailors ?" he asked, echoing the report |
er's query; ''welI I amt going to say as |
any nation makes the best sailor. There's |
bad an there's good of all kinds, an it |
don't follow COS a chaps got one kind |
of a skin as he's a good sailor, nor 1t |
don't follow COS he's got another he's n |
bad one. Not but that there may be |
more good ones among some kinds II
among others, an | won't deny as I've |
got prejudice in favor of NOrwegians. |
Those two fellows sittin' aft with the
queer pipes in their mouths and their
eyes fixed away on the skyline are both
Norwegians. They'll sit side by side
like that for hours together when there
amt no call for EN- to work. They
don't speak, an I don't know as they
think, but they just set and smoke an
mighty poor 'bacca it is they smoke, too
an seem perfectly cOntented. An
Norwegians is all alike. There amt no
more difference between 'em N there is
between so many ropes ends. They
amt never no trouble when they're off,
but, rs soon there's work to be done
they're as spry as a porpoise with 'poOn
in him, and works well. That's what /
meant when I said [ had a prejudice i'll
favor of Norwegians.
Here there was a short pause during
which the mate and the reporter kept
their eyes fixed on dog which was try
ing to balance itself up plank from the
pier to the side Of a small schooner. 1t
got half way up when the plank began
to rock. Then it stood still and shiv-
cred, whined, slipped and with yelp
dropped on to the pier and away it went
in cloud of dust. The mate made no
comment but quietly resumed his mar
rative.
''Now, with Italians I'm prejudiced all
the other way. [ never l1nowed an ItaI-
ian as I could be shipmates with,
though I've met a many in my time. As
Il general rule, hOws ever, they seem to
keep more to their own ships n any
other nation. That brig there's an I-tal-
ian craft, and from mornin' to night
they never stops jabbering. They don't
seem to make no rule agin it on their
boats, but Just let 'em jabber away all
boat they find it different and don't like
havin' to keep their mouths shut. Con-
sequence is they never gets on with the
| officers nor the officers with them, an
they mostly quarrel with the men, too,
from what I can see. And there s
| Trenches they're much the same and
talks deal more'n they work. An
that's how it Is we usually keeps to Nor
wegians and Americans-an' I'm natu-
rally preiudiced in favor of Americans,
an there amt many others left 'cept
these ere Manillies, with whom I've
shipped once or twice, but is queer lub-
berly kind O. thick-heads ut best. o.
course there's the Irish-but no one as
L ever knew, unless he was a crank,
shipped an Irishman when he could get
anybody else. I haven't had an Irish
man aboard O this craft for nigh on to
eight years now, an l don't mean to,
neither. They may do well enough for
what you call a politician or for driving
a hack; but they won't never be equal
to sailOrin', not a man among 'Cm. Yes,
I'm mortal preiudiced agin Irishmen,
too; Almost as much-well. no, not as
much-as I am agin Englishmen. They
turns out good sailors, too, does English
men, but they Amino good unless they re
allowed to boss. We had an English
man aboard along o. that last Irishman
eight years ago, and they was allus fight
in, them two. Sometimes the English
man would cry out God save the Queen,
and then the Irishman would swear, and
they'd fight. And then agin the Irish
man would sing out, Erin go bragh T
or some such like, and the EngIishmau
would swear, and they'd fight. Some
times one would begin and sometimes
the other, but they usually fixed up a
fight somehow.
eve had more EngIishmen arter that
one, too, but l only git more prciudiced
agin 'em. See this scar over my eye
Well, that come nigh on to KILN me
and did more to prejudice me n any
thin else against Englishmen. It were
bout six years ago this October, if
don't dsrememDGr, as we were into
Wilmington, North Carolina, and the
Englishman III question weren't never
much better n a savage-he came from
Shields, an [ hear they're all savages
thereabouts. Well, ne couldn't beal
bein' interfcred with, an I've know
him to larrup a chap for Offerin' him 6
light for his pipe. Well, [ knOwe6
this and never offered to help him at
nothing until this time down to VII,
mington, when [ came along one night
an found Il constable taIlin' him off tc
the station for making Il row III Il drink.
in place COS a stranger wanted to pay
for his drink. So l up and told the
officer if he'd let him go I'd see hin
safe home and not let him ashore agir
till we sailed. Which the officer die
after bit O. parIey. But this 'cr,
Englishman never said nothin' till We
got into Il dark street and then he outs
with his knife If I'll only lnowet
what he was arter afore he started
wouldn't a bin there when he began cut
ting. But l hadn't time to run or dc
anythin'. Luckily some chaps cam,
along and saved my life, though I wa
insensibIe and pretty nigh dead, and Ii,
was locked up arter all. The ship, hows'
ever, sailed afore the trial came on an
guess he was acquitted. But, as I say
that did more to prejudice me agin Eng
lishmen II anything else, an L haven
shipped another since then. No, I don
know as any nations better n another
COS there's good and bad of all, as
say. But I'm strongly prejudiced in ia
vor of Americans an Norwegians, an
you'll find most mates are o my way =
thinking"