Wichita eagle., 1889-03-14
DECLINE OF CLIPPERS.
Old-Time American Ships and
Yankee Sailors
How Men Were Impressed for Saltwater
Voyages in Former Days-Ocean
Tramps Taking the Place OF
Trim Canvas Bearing Craft.

Tramps Taking the Place OF
Trim Canvas Bearing Craft.
[Chicago News.l
"Sailors are nearly played out" re-
marked the first officer Of big American
ship. ~ don't believe there will be any
left to speak Of in fifteen years. Certainly
no American foc's'le men. The time has
gone by when big American clippers rank
as sea queens. There will be no more ships
like the Flying Scud, Two Brothers,
America and fifty others that used to 60
from New York to San Francisco in
ninety five days. And the old Boston
sea clippers-they were ships! There
were good sailors in them, too. Every
man jack was a 'spiicer,' and the men
who commanded them could handle ship
just as though she was a dingy. They
carried canvas and knew how to use it.
Why, those fellows would hold to roy ais
until gale OF wind was right on top of
them. Then the muslin would disappear
like smoke. Royals, top-gallant sails,
upper top -sails-every thing down by the
run. They had to make passage and
did it. Big crews, too. Everywhere from
ten to twenty men in watch, and all
sailors.
II was royal boy In the old America
and learnt all my practical seamanship
in her rigging. Travele Well, you can
count on that have seen her log twelve
knots an hour on q bowline for thirty
hours at stretch, Those were the days
the American ship beat the Englishman
worse than tho Mayfower did the Galatea.
You could tell an American as far as you
could see her top-sails. Tall, clean spars,
long trucks, double topsais and cloth like
snow. You see American ships used COT
ton canvas, while English and European
vessels used hemp. In the sun one looks
bright and white, while the other looks
brown and dingy.
"There were some hard cases afioat.
have heard of a master who was said
never to be satisfied unless there was
blood on his decks. But that was long
time ago. Captain Clark of the Sunrise
was terror at one time. 1t is said he
used to shoot men from his yard arms
and chase men aloft with handspikes.
He got mate once that was more than
enough for him. One lday a tall, we'll
built, sailor-looking man applied for the
berth. Clark looked him over carefully
and said:
$50 you want to ship with me, do
you:'
"'That's what came aboard for was
the answer.
"'Wen,' said Clark, Il ain'st got any
room on this hooker for sea dan dies, and
Pm horse; you know me. If you think
you're man enough, bring your bag
aboard
"'All right said the mate, 'I'll chance
it,
"The next day in the forenoon the mate
reported himself aboard and the old man
came out to have a talk with him. The
man had on a silk hat, nice new kid
gloves and a big pair of spurs on his heels.
Clark looked at him a moment and then
broke out:
"'Why, you long-legged swab, what
dye mean by boarding this ship in that
rig?'
'Mean?' said the mate, why, you said
as how you were a horse, and thought
I'd come abroad and ride you clean into
the fore peak
"With that they went at it, and Clark
got one Of the worst thrashings a man
ever had. The mate sailed with him,
though, and staid on the ship three years,
and between the two Jack had a hard time
oft.
Probably the best sailors that ever
went to see were the Western ocean
men. They were hard cases, but sailors
from truck to keelson. The Black Ball
line and the old Cope Brothers ships were
good samples. They seldom used
a royal and, in spite of their
bluff bows, used to make passages
in twenty to thirty days Every thing
was done with a shanty. They wouldn't
pull unless they had song. There was
always good shanty man aboard. He
was generally light, short fellow with
tenor voice, good sailor, but soldier
By soldier mean a man who could
make a little job last through the watch
and keep up a show of work all the time.
He could always paint well and do fancy
knotting, so that he generally had a soft
job. He never used holystone.
81 think some of the old ships are still
afloat. They called them Western ocean
~ suppose even yet the land sharks and
house men beat the sailors, but
not as they used to. Captains don't pay
sailors as well as they used to and the
awyers are always ready to take hold Of
heir cases.
'Shaug gharing-i. e., shipping men who
ire not sailors and who are drugged or
about played out In the old
cotton tdays that was a great practice. |
The master of ship would go to board
ng house keeper and tell him he must |
lave crew of SO many by such |
/ date. When the day came it was very !
probable that the requisite number of |
ailors could not be had. Then the |
house man would take a gang OF |
unners and 60 out on the levee and catch |
he first man he saw. 1t didn't make any |
Inference who or what he was. The |
master of the ship paid the boarding. !
iouse man five dollars for every man |
hipped, and deducted that amount from |
be mans wages at the end of the voy-
.ge. If anv resistance was offered, the |
elbow would be knocked on the head. |
and put on the ship, bound
nd gagged. Why, / have known priests,
awyers and doctors 10 be piled into the
orecastle, drugged, only to be reused by |
lows when the ship was outside. OF /
curse. the captain OF the ship would re-
use to believe any stories, and the only
hing was to work as well as possible so
5 to keep out of the way of the mates,
rho didn't waste any words In several
ases dead men were pat aboard outward
ound ships. The boarding master would