Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1885-07-23

To my surprise this Scotch savage in au-
thority took fancy t. me in his rough way,
and a. night would call me an to his station
On the quarter-deck and gam familiarly
with me
Despite risk of such mates, its a good dis
cirline ior boy II - 70 make one sea voy.
age before the mast Six months of such
life may teach him the value of things as be
may never .. taught on shore He may
then realize that the coffee his mother &
carefully prepares for him, the clean sheets
H. sleeps III, the warm rolls for breakfast,
the fresh butter and milk, the careful ma
terEal hand always ready to patch or mend
his torn clothes, are not things which fall
from the clouds into boys mouths in every
CLINE and latitude He learns also the diff
ference between the few chores he may be
called upon to do, and does, perhaps, so un-
willingly, about the house and the work he
must do with a savage second mate growl
ing at his heels
And if mothers would get some Of this
prejudice out Of their heads about sailors
being such dreadful creatures "a associates,
and not raise such bedam about the boys
going wuen he gets the sea fever on him and
let him 90, they might in many cases find
more willing and thoughtful 10y on his re
turn from the voyage. Because the associa-
tions of the forecastle may not be half &C
demoralizing a. those Of the country grocery
or saloon. In my experience, they were far
better. The ''old salts would countenance
neither vulgarity nor coarseness from the
boys. Especially were those who had served
in the navy particular in exacting from The
boys those signs Of outward respect, which
on shore seem now 20 generally lacking siN'm
the young 70 tie old. A boy on shipboSrd
i required TO say Sir when addresse,. oy
an officer, and when any order is given him.
he Is expected to acknowledge that be hears
IL by tie reply, AYE, aye, sirln instead ot
marching of in that dogged, surly silence
which characterizes the manner Of 80 many
unfortunate youths On shore when spoken
TO by their elders. Indeed. ii seems that now
il is only on a vessels deck there fingers the
last vestiges Of ''old school manners for the
young.
The old sailor is often a confirmed gam
bier, and calls his dogs life.n don't
think its a hard life as that Of the factory
hands compelled 70 tell from or in the
morning until . at night, breathing all
the while impure air and denied sunshine.
don't think its as hard even as that Of the
common laborer on our city streets. The
sailor, on a long voyage. Is sure Of his three
meals day He is freed from all anxiety
or responsibility in the matter of procuring
food. He j. on duty four hours at time
His work a. compared with that Of shore
laborers and farm hands is light. The harder
il blows, the les has be to do after the can
vas j. slowed away. The less it blows and
the calmer il j., the more he has 70 do If ON
a merchantman. for il is then that every sail
must be spread that may catch a capful Of
wind, aud "a the wind slackens or freshens
or shifts a point or two, so may sail have to
be taken or shook out "a the case may be.
Rigging out studdlng sails on "a square-rigged
vessels at such times is often most yexatious
work for the hands.
Here you are on a Sunday, perhaps, in
the tropics Sunday il the sailors leisure
day. But any leisure day must give way to
the call Of winds and sails. SO just after
dinner comes the order to rig out studding
sails. II j. al least an hours job to get out
those great extra sheets of canvas from the
mainyard up to the ROYALS Studding-sail
gear, yards. ropes, blocks and all must be
rugged out for the occasion, and taken down
when that occasion is over. The booms re-
quire from half dozen to a dozen men to
lift from their lashings ON deck, and when a
ship is rolling, il is especially dangerous
TO stagger along on the uncertain deck bear
ing yonr share of piece cf timber weighing
four or five hundred pounds When the
work j. all done, booms and "hoist-
set and dra wing the VIM may shift and all
these tons Of timber, canvas and rope must
come down. perhaps, from one side Of the
vessel, and he sent up on the other This,
maybe, without intermission all the hot
tropic afternoon-the afternoon set apart in
the foremast mans mind for an extra nap
or a comfortable Sunday overhauling Of bis
chest, books and letters. That's the kind Of
exercise that makes the sailor emphatically
profane and declare that he never sailed in
such an etc, etc, vessel 10 have his soul
case worked off him. As a rule the vessel
your old sailor i now on is the worst he ever
sailed in, commanded by the most incom-
petent captain, giving tue poorest grub
and handled in the most inefficient manner.
When on his next ship he brags Of the last
as being superior in all these previous men,
toned particulars.
Poor fellows. Few on shore realizs how
little these sons OF the sea know of the TO
us) many familiar aspects Of life. You will
hear one who, possibly sent an errand
TO the merchants house in some foreign
port. has been asked to step inside and, per-
haps. treated 10 glass Of wine. Jack for
the rest Of his days keeps the recital of his
mansion and the hospitality he there re
ceived for choice occasions, and when SUPER
latives fail him in the endeavor TO convey
an idea Of the splendor he saw there, he has
recourse Of his well-worn stock Of profane
expletives Jack on sho7e NAV have little
opportunity 10 get farther than the CRIME
and squalor Of the sailors boarding house,
Nv son. when YOU 20 to sea make yourself
serviceable to the older sailors you may find
in the forecastle. The men are often there
who have themselves been officers at some
period. and who could officer or possibly
command the vessel as well a. those in au-
thCrity, could they while ashore let rum
alone Afioat and unable to Get it, they are
men Within hailing distance Of a tavern
they are sots. These old sailors viii soon
take to q boy who shows willingness to
oblige them. Don't be above doing little er-