Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1886-12-04
CLASSES OF SEAMEN.
EACH MAN, WHEN HE SHIPS, is AL
LOWED TO RATE HIMSELF.

The Unpleasant Results to the Sailor
who Overrates Hinself-Abie Seamen,
the Latter.
An ordinary ships crew may be divided
into three classes-able scamen, ordinary sea
men and boys, which latter term signifies any
seafaring novice, irrespective Of age or size.
Each man, when he ships, rates himself, in
fuenced by nothing but his own conscience,
or, rather, reason. And yet, with all this free
dom, it is a rarity for any take advantage Of
the license by fraudulently shipping higher
rate for higher pay. 1t should also be said
that if found out after clearing from port
and they are certain to be so-they find no
sympathy fore or aft. 1t is not only deceiv-
! ing the captain and officers, but also, and even
more so, the men, who find their number, al
ready small enough, reduced by ono and fur
Their burdened by his share of the work. SO
well are the consequences understood that
sailors prefer undertaking themselves rather
than stand the risk Of mourning them.
! Formerly, a sailor in want Of ship came
! to the docks, where he made his choice, much
to the advantage Of both himself aud the cap
tain. Now he is required to present himself
before the shipping commissioner Of tho
port, where he Joins Ship that lies per-
haps three miles Off, and which he has
never seen. A captain comes down with
his chief officer. They select their com
! plement Of men from among the crowd stand
| ing outside the Office, who are then brought
before the commissioner, by whose side the
captain takes seat, while the articles are
read to the crew in a loud voice, which they
are afterward compelled to sign, giving at
the same time their name, residence and
place of birth
SIGNING FOR A VOYAGE.
1t is customary to sign articles for a voy-
age out and home not exceeding three years.
When signing his nanae he is asked whether
he wishes for any advance, to which he re-
plies in the affirmative, and gets one months
wages in the shape of an advance note rep
resenting yalde only after the ship
has sailed, but which he gets dis
counted at usurious rates. If joining a
ship through the shipping Office breeds
ultimate dissatisfaction aboard, the advance
note system is enswerable for half the casual
ties and crimes which take place on leaving
Tho d1le prior TO sailing. Thanks to it,
whol gritd aboard dead drunk,
who show te5 INST signs of life by lioting,
and sometimes by ihutiny As for the plea
that sailor requires his advance note to
buy clothing WITH it is a fallacy. A
respectable seaman, when paid off from a
voyage of average duration, has more than
enough not only to renew his outfit but to
spend a few comfortable weeks ashore.
Beside this, some regularly put by their
savings, of which n tidy balance very often
remains after settling for all expenses. The
writer met at Congress street wharf a little
colored seaman who had thus accumulated
500 in the Brooklyn Savings bank.
! In able seaman must be equal to any eIleI-
! gency aboard ship. He is expected to be able
/! to hand reef and steer and do work upon the
| rigging neatly. By the term "a good sea-
| man" sailors mean smart hand at working
on the rigging. Ordinary seamen are those
who have not the experience qualifying them
| as A. b. The third of crew is generally
| formed of ordinary seamen. They are ex-
pected TO hand reef and steer and do small
repairs on the rigging. The ordinary seamen
in each watch take turn about in fetching the
food from the galley to the forcastle, washing
up the plates and cleaning out the forecastle;
they also help the apprentices or boys to sweep
up the decks of an evening.
APPRENTICES OR BOYS.
Next come the apprentices or boys. Almost
all "blue water" ships carry them. Formerly,
in the British service apprenticeship was
forced upon all lads going to sea indiscrim-
| inately now the privilege, as it is called, is
| reserved for those whose parents can afford
TO pay premium ranging from thirty to
sixty guineas, and even more, for term of
| years, generally four. The whole thing is a
farce. The only advantage gained-if so it
can be caled-is living apart from the crew.
Directly he steps aboard his ship he is a "boy, y
no matter what his age may be- for four
years, and he must do boys worlk-an I'M
happy disappointment to many genteel
Z youth fresh from the outhtters, in his dark
blue suit and gilt buttons, not forgetting the
badge on the cap, "brass bound and copper
fastened as sailors say. OF course, this lions
skin is soon "doussd" and packed away in his
chip chest, being replaced by those articles
for which he was the least thankful at the
outfitter's-a coarse wooden singlet and shirt
blue serge pants and jumper and Scotch cap
His fast job is invariably to sweep up the
mud on deck and shovel it overheard
) ! Whether a British "appreAJice' or an Ameri
| can hoy" it make3 no difference in the
| treatment-all the most mental duties fall L
} | him. They have to clean all the lamps ABOARD
; | and trim them every day, the side Light
being particularly dirty joh No distinc
ton is is made aboard ship between an ap
J prentice and n forecytstle boy; their duties ar
identical,ali their food the same; in fact, Oh,
| latter would learn his profession quicker
g ! being continually with the men. The only
difficulty with lad who first goes to sea IN {
, fotecastle is his getting out OF it. Although
e with good education perhaps, if not yer,
steady, he finds his ambition to rise soon di,
out under the influence Of his shipmates.-
Cor. Brooklyn Eagle.