Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1888-02-15
The New Hand.

He was sitting on pile of spars at
Herrishe's ship-yard when pointed
out to me by one Of the workmen-a
eather-beaten, sinewy, down-east
skipper, who looked we'll able to take
care of himself and anything else
that happened to fall in his line OF
duty.
l took a good look at him without
his noticing me, and made up my
mind that the way to approach him
was not to introduce myself as rep
resentative of the press, but to make
his acquaintance as plain fellow
citizen. Some of these unsophisticat-
ed children of natureAseem unreason-
ably shy of the interviewer.
So l loafed about the yard, looking
at everything in it and talking with
half dozen different people before /
spoke to him. Even then did not
venture to address him, and while l
was casting about for pretext for
tune favored me.
young man." he said gravely,
shave you got match ?"
replied by handing him pocket
case from which he took a match,
lighted his pipe, then deliberately
distracted half the remaining matches
and put them in his vest pocket.
"Help YOURSELF" said l. There's
more where those came FROM"
There was humorous twinkle in
his gray eye as he pulled away at the
blackened briarwood, but he said
nothing for full minute. Them
81 reckoned you wouldn't mind.
Fact is, there amt match left about
the Polly Ann there, and / know'd
I'd want some tonight"
you're welcome" said l. Then
we sat still for while watching the
work that was going on aboard the
said Polly Ann, "a coasting schoon-
er, which lay alongside the yard wharf
with both her masts broken off few
feet above the deck, and with a SEEM
ingly inextricable snarl Of rigging,
spars and sails all over her.
Seems to have had it pretty bad,
whatever it was" / ventured to say
at length, indicating the dismantled
schooner.
ON! guess you'd thought so if
you'd seen them sticks 60"
Then we drifted off into a long
series of questions and answers re-
lating to the rigger's business and the
method of getting the stumps of the
masts unstepped, and the cost of new
spars, until the six o'clock whistles
blew, and the men knocked off work,
leaving the lately busy yard silent I'M
der the light of the sinking sun, with
long shadows of chimneys, derricks
and lumber piles reaching across the
chipstrewn ground.
BY this time my skipper friend had
become somewhat communicative and
friendly, and invited me to come
aboard the "Polly" and see how he
lived so we stepped from the wharf
to the rail, and picking his way over
the debris that covered the deck, he
led the way aft to the cabin-door.
1t was neat little room eight or ten
feet square, with four small rooms
fitted with hunks opening from it at
the sides, table, some rolls of charts
overhead, a spy-glass within reach
from the companion-way on the for
ward bulkhead. AS we entered, his
clock began striking, and told off two
double strokes, four in all, while the
hands marked six o'clock.
"Goes lame, hey ?" said /, looking
at my watch.
"No, sir. She struck four bells,
didn't she 2-and it's six o'clock ain't
itY
Eyes" said l, rather puzzled.
"Young man." said the skipper
"you hain't never been to sea, have
you ?"
NO." admitted, rather reluctant
ly, for l have inherited, from priv.
altering ancestors not always sue
cessfully concealed desire to appear
somewhat knowing in nautical mat
tiers. "No," and then it occurred to
me that the clock was made to strike
the "bells" instead of the hours. Sc
l retired in good order, admitting my
landsmanlike ignorance.
After showing me the compact ar.
rangements of his floating home, the
skipper asked me to eat supper with
him, and |, nothing loath. accordingl,
partook of his bread, doughnuts, sal
pork and tea, guessing that socia
meal would loose the shippers tongue
and enable me to get what was after
Supper over, ! helped my enter
tainer wash up his dishes, after which
we went on deck, and / made motion
as if to depart, but looking over thu
deck, turned back aud remarked care