West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1884-11-14
On Sea Stories.

As man who went to sea in the
merchant service at the age of th rteen
aud haH, and who stuck to the calling
to the age of twenty, who for seven and
hait years ate bad pork and beef.
scrubbed decks. slu5hcd masts and un.
derwcnt the whole routine, from furling
the mIlZen royal TO helping TO pass the
weather main tOpsail earring in DAYS
When topsllls were single sails, ! claim
right to complain with some bitter
ness OF soul OF those writer's VINO, know
ing nothing about the sea, write marine
stories in one, two or three volumes.
and so go on sinking the maritime lit
erature OF this country by another and
yet another stone fastened To 10. Girls
may read OF captains singing out TO
vast pumping, while the carpenter
peers with one eye down the well TO sec
how high the water stands in il: Girls
may read OF such things, | say. and
consider with the author that the we'll
OF a ship is like the well i'm n back ward:
and they may a'sU read OF the lyinO
JibboOm having been furled during n
squali, and OF n spare ruddcr having
been got out Of the maintop when the
ship struck and flung the man AT the
wheel down the forehatch: and they
can prettily wonder how men can be
found willing 10 enter into such a dan
gcrous calling as the ocean. But blum
ders OF this nature become very iniuri.
Gus in course Of time Most circles
have nautical friends the current sea
books are talked about, are cruelty
laughed at and lung 20 the boys. who
become critical, too, and absolutely dis
dainiul, rs ! once saw lad toss aside
one Of the late Mr. Kingston's books.
because of some errors i'm that gentle
man description Of a sea fight. th nix
it was. SO that my fear comes 10 this.
That II sea nOvelists will not make up
their minds to 20 to sea as sailors and
learn to- be correct, by pulling and haul.
ing and going aloft and the like. even
the little boys will give us up. and the
end OF u must be that the greatest
maritime Nat on in the world will have
no other marine literature but the
novels Of Marryat and one or two
others; for We must remember that
Cooper, Dana and Melville belong to
the Americans Whether the stock of
novels we pos ess. so far rs the navy is
concerned, will suffice. IL is difficult 10
conjecture. Our naval changes since
the days Oi Marryat are so great that
know OF no condition OF the Cd life
such a. he wrote about that still lin.
gers Another Marryat would seem TO
be wanted for this iron age; only, were
such another 10 arise, what will be his
materials? II must be- admitted that
there is very little romance 20 be found
m the Royal Navy now q days. All the
old scamaulikc conditions which one
expected TO find ON the quarter deck
have change their character. sud must
now be sought in Che engine room.
Mancuve are effected by propellers.
not by ta"ks and sheets aud braces.
And, rs ii there were not enough 10 ac-
centuatc and utterly confirm the change
that has been worked bv ahe marine
engine. you have as great proportion
OF state hips the worry uglicst vessels
that wcrc ever In alnchod since the dave
Of Noahs Ark. Besides there never
can bee any more Sighting as in the
days Of old C0ntcmp0r0rg ReUicU.
The Amalgamatcd Society OF Csr.
pcn'crs and JO.ners was organized sl