Cheyenne transporter. [volume] (Darlington, Indian Terr.) 1879-1886, 1885-12-21
Mariners OH the Great Lakes.

CONC ITce anu easy SblOIo, pirates OT
captain, give ear. This ideal picture
of the wheelman is all mist. | didn't
notice in the pilot-house n single novel
or lazy back chair. But did notice
that if q wheelman was wanted, the
mate did not scruple to rouse HIM out
of his bunk, even at / o'clock in the
morning, no matter if it was very cold
on the outsde and also noticed that
the man said nothing about "Yes, sir,
I'll be there in n minute" or 'wait till
| finish this nap" He came right out,
and taking his partners place, held it
for six weary hours amid silence that
would chill one. SO my boy, when
YOU pack up your possessions in a red
handkerchief and steal out of the back
window of dark night to run away
to the lakes to become rich and fa-
nous, like "Billie, the Boy Whaler or
the King of the Quarter Deck" don't
! try wheeling.
Cabin boy? The lake steamers car
ry no cabin boys; the cook is the best
they can afford in this line. But then
there are the sailors, the men with
pretty blue blouses, with anchors at
the shoulders, they who wear jaunty
hats over one ear. "lay out on the
yard-arm," who sleep in hammocks,
and who sing:
am Jolly tar am J.
| AS free as an ocean bird.
There are these men, Surelyp No,
my son; on the great lakes these noble
men are scarcer than mountains in the
Sahara desert. There may be a few
sailors of this stamp on the stage, but
that's the only place you'll find 'em.
The lakes are sadly deficient Those
who correspond nearest to sailors ona
steamship are the deck-hands, who
are a sorry lot. All the deck-hands l
ever saw looked pretty much alike
an old pair of trousers, one suspender,
an old hat and n shirt. And as for
work. hate to say so-but the cap
tain or mate never seemed quite con-
tented unless he had these ideal fell
lows sticking their hand in tar-buckets
or paint-pots, or making them scrape
down masts, tar down rigging or such
like inviting tasks. The deck hands
of the lakes are coal-heavers and cargo
handlers, and are, as n rule, driven to
work and watched like children, who
seldom keep n place over one trip, and
who have been known to come aboard
steamer, eat couple of hearty
meals and then run away.
But there are the mates? Correct,
there are. Mates are men who have
sailed years and years, and who, for
being steady and principled, have
been rewarded with a place of impor-
tance, to be sure, but one having in it
all the tedious work of n deck hand
and the responsibility of a'captain. A
mate, beside standing watch, has the
immediate supervision of this mean,
todiouS work aforesaid and in MANY
cases its performance also.
J But, after all, it is the captain of the
lake vessel who fares the hardest. He
must be up, day or night, coming
through the rivers and wherever there
J is the least difficult navigation. He
has sometimes to be up fifty hours on
watch. He has to see out every
: piece of bad weather if it lasts a day or
} week. This is part of his response
bility. Then, perhaps, he has twenty
odd lives on his hands, a $3.50, 900
J steamship and q valuable 2,000-ton-
cargo. Or if he has tow he
may have the care of a hundred lives
and Il mlllion-odd dollars of property.
Besides, he must keep track of the in
ternal workings of his ship, and If any
one has a tendency to shirk duty he
must know it. So occasionally he will
need lend Il helping hand in painting
and scrubbing, especially if his men
are awkward or clumsy or need direc-
tions. On all steamers captains, no
matter what their age or dignity, are
called the "old man" or the "skip-
per-"
So, my boy, any time you get dis
satisfied with three meals n day and q
| home that COmDoiS Won TO SDlit the