Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-07-03
DESERET EVENING NEWS
Thursday, - IuIy /. tsoo
JACK TAR AT IVORY
lust WHAT a SAILOR HAS TO DO
EACH DAY on sIiIP.RDARD

H@sAr
JUST WHAT A SAILOR HAS no N,
EACH DAY on SHIP .RoARp.
Inc mate OF a Square-rigged mer-
chantInan thus described the life of
AN able-bOdied seaman on a long
voyage 10 4 New York Times re-
porter. N sailor may be said TO be-
gin his days work with the ..morp-
ing watch" at . O'Clock, when he
must turn out OF his narrow bunk
10 the 'fo'castle" and tumble up on
deck prepared 10 scrub and wash
down decks, which are aiways more
or less badly stained with salt water
anu iron rust. Plenty Of water for
cleaning purposes is always near al
hand, ANA with the aid OF buckets
anu ordinary brooms, brushes or
"squegees" Jack usually succeeds
in making things tOlerably clean.
But q the ships coming into port
anu the captain wishes the decks 10
look particularly white. Jack must
50 down on ms hands and knees
and scOur the decks with All the
Nigor Of a charwOman with certain
articles called ''holystoues., Now,
hOiystones are not some treasured
fragments OF some classical shrine
but communicating pieces Of sand
stone about the size Of brick, and
II Is not too much 10 say that poetry
abandoDs the nautical mind when
the holysiOniug process becomes
necessary. The operation is always
long ana labOriOu-, aud the only re-
spite Jacl. has from this OdiOus task
Is in polishing taruisheti brasswOrR
or being ordered alOft To attend to
some Troublesome sail OF bit OF run
ming gear. Consequently, 10y eight
o'clock when lac Is relieved 10y the
forenoon" watch, he has had sUffi-
cient exercise 10 get Up an appetite
for breakfast such n j. rarely
yqualed or surpassed by anything
human.
TINS meal, year in aud year out,
consists Of q liberal supply of hot,
Olack beverage called coffee, which
Is stewed TO distraction, and sweet
ened, if at all, with mOlasses. Then,
there is a ships bread, pOrridge, or
''burgOo, y and species VI hash
called ''iUbseOunse, which nobody
but hungry sailor was ever known
TO successfully digest. Jack, how
ever, Is prOvidentially no spicure,
but a gastric genius who dispatches
everything TO satisfy on organic
craving with goat like facility and
relish. He then fills his pipe, spins
yarns, or returns to his uuamGrOsial
Junk for a nap, while hisshipmates,
the forenoon watch, T" are busy
making things snug Un deck anu
sloit. Indeed, it would be difficult
to say what the forenoon watch
will not find 10 do, for much de-
ponds upon the state Of the weather.
but yards must be constantly
trimmed according 10 the Girec'
ZION OF The wind, sails furled and
running gear looked after, and, in
addition to a seaman's regul II duties
vi sitting and shortening sail, there
is always plenty of ssil-mcnding,
sUpe-splIeing, spar scrGping, Oiling,
vanishing and PAINTING TO do, e
say nothing Of the dirty work OI
tarring the standing riggings and
ropes occasionally. Then every
man must take his tgTn or trick" n
the wheel, which Is always mono
tnunus and extremely dangerOu.
duty in bad weather.
" ell, at 1880 the men who com
posed the morning watch" ar,
called to = dinner Of hot pea soup
noiied pork and baneful piece o
meat that no argument will ever con
vince jack is anything but army
mule or horse which has died ;
| natural death. ''Sall hurse'' j:
therefore the name bestowed 10y
him on this tough picKled sub
stance, and lac thinks himself lucky
when il is followed 10y pluubuf 81
.,stickjaw pudding.'' This sumFtu
Gus repas; is then washed dow
with copious drlughis ofcofte, ant
after filling and smoking the in
svitlble pipe once more Jack feel
invigorated and happy, and goes OF
ieck as one Of the afternoon
watch,.' which relieves the ''fOrc
noon watch" attwelve.
The "ait.rnOOn watch, " We vii
suppose, for brevity's sake. i em
pl0yed on deck with duties Of tn,
same nature "a engaged the ''fUre
noon WATCH" and a. four o'ciOcl
this watch Is again changcd. :,
you see that, generally Speaking, thu
men have four hours on duty an,
| four hours of. But If this tool
place with undertaking regularity
ii j. evident that one set OF mel
would always he on duty during tn
Uest part % the Elght-an arrange
meug that would b. Hnuifestiy Un
fair. Ia Orier, therefore. that on,
watch should not have the Ion;
nights duty there are what y,
sailors call the ''dog watches.
These watches are the hours between
four O'Clock in the afternoon an
eight O'Clock in the evening. TIT
aft moon watch accordingly g
below at four O'Clock and come OF
deck at six. when they nave tw,
hours' dog watch. AT eight o'clocl
they 20 below again, and thus by
means OF these dog watches tn,
crew Of a ship get alternate night
Of duty on deck.
JACK lives on a floating house o
business. which is continually carry
ing him into unexpected labOns
However. i'm moderate weather
everything il usually made snul
alOft between six and eight O'ClOcl
in the evening, when Jacks worl
is finished for the day. He may
then smoke his pipe and sing hi,
favOrite song or ''shanty" to hi.
hearts content. But If during tn.
next few hours or i'm the course o
the night the barometer goes down
and the weather looks ominOus Of :
gale 10 windwaui, he has 10 turn
out Of his snug corner in the fore,
castle at a moments notice when he
hears the bUatswain shout: Sal
hangs shorten sail,'' Now, this is
one Of the worst features of Jacks
life, for hine chances out Of ten il
is blowing great guns when he
: grOpes his way up on deck and crawlS
up the shrOuds, and you can form
no idea Of the peTilous momentum
Il a vessels pitch until you have
been on her upper yards or jibboom
irving TO reef OF furl sails in a heavy
sea.-EJ.