Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1890-02-05


down decks. IN operation which will tax 4
the already exhausted resources Of an
empty stomach until breakfast time at
O'clock The mates have their fragrant
cabin coffee" and biscuit served them
on the brass capstan aft; we can smell
ito aroma, but nothing warm can get
into our stomachs for over two long
hours Of work The basic idea in this
regular washing down decks at sea seems
to be that Of keeping men busy for the
sake Of keeping them busy The top OF
every deck plank must be scrubbed with
a care and scrutiny BETTING the labors
Of diamond polisher on his gems, while
the under side may he dripping with
fo,,lness. az it sometimes is ! had the
post Of honor in scrubbing the quarter
deck That was the drawing of water
in a canvas bucket from the mizzen
chains to wash over that deck. The
remaining five boys would push
YEARLY about with their brOoms.
hand brushes. squads and squilgees. su-
perintended by our extraordinary fourth
mate always to me an object of interest,
from the fact of the secret carefully
boarded in my breast that had pulled
him into the New York dock) who. with
a microscopic eye, inspected each crack
and seam after the boys labors, in search
of atomic particles of dirt, and called
them back with all the dignity Of com.
mand. and a small amount of command
ing personality behind it, whenever he
deemed he had discovered any. When
-. Z. La e., I l1y
go exhausted as to have no appetite for
breakfast. But u sailors stomach is not
presumed to be at all sensitive under
any conditions And above all. hoy"
IA boy belonging to a squad Of boys
who about once day were encouraged
and enthused to exertion and maritime
ambition by the assurance conveyed them
by one OF the mates that they weren't
worth their salt" - what business
had a boys stomach to put ON
airs at sea? Most landsmen. il
ralle,lup at 4 o'clock on a muggy morn
ing and worked like mules for couple
Of hours ON a digestive vacuum, would
probably at the breakfast hour feel more
the need of food than the appetite to par
take of it.
Though followed the sea nearly two
wears. am no sailor The net result of
my maritime experience ia capacity for
tying bow line or square knot and
positive knowledge and conviction con-
corning which end of the ship goes first.
| also know enough not to throw hot
ashes to windward.
But on a yard could never do much
else but hold on. The foolhardy men
about me would lie out fiat OH their
stomachs amid the darkness and storm,
and expose themselves to the risk of
pitching hcadlony into the sea in tie
most reckless manner while trying to
"spill the wind" out of t'gallant sail
But l never emulated them. l never
lived up to the maritime maxim Of lone
hand for yourself and the other for the
owners" | kept both hands for myself,
and that kept me from going overheard
What would the owners have cared had
| gone overheard? Nothing. Such an
occurrence twenty-five odd years ago
would. weeks afterward, have been re-
ported in the marine news this way:
Common sailor. very common sailor,
lei kIOItI Au>IIlI 'tId OAA NAPS AAOA ~
and lost"
The owner would have secretly re-
joice,l. as he bought his Christmas toys
for his children that the t'gallant yard
had not gone with the sailor No: on n
yard in storm believed and lived up
to the maxim: "Hold fast to that which
is good" The yard was good. Yet was
ambitious when a boy before the mast
on the clipper which brought me to Cal
ifornia was quick to get into the rig
ging when there was anything to dc
aloft But once in the rigging ! was OF
little utility
The first time went up at night to
loose one of the royals. thought
should never stop climbing. The deck
soon vanished in the darkness of very
black tropical night. tho mastheads
were likewise lost in q Zimmerman Oh
security whatever that is. At last
found the yard. wasn't quite sure
whether it was the right one or not
didn't know cxausly what to do knew
had to unite something somewhere
But where: Meantime the savage Scotch
second mate was believing. as it Their
! seemed. mile below me. ! knew tht
below was for me. | had to do some
thing. and ! commenced doing. | did
know. or rather guessed. enough to cast
off the lee and weather gasAet>. or lines
WHICH bind the sail when furlcd to the
yard. and then | made them up into {:
most slnvenly knot. l'u, the bunt gas
ket (thr line binding the Riddle and
most bulky portion Of the saiD bothcrc,
me. coul,!ut unite it, picked away
at it desperately. t,rc my nails and skin
ming my knucklrs
The lciiowiny from below continued
as frrcely as ever. which. though no;
intelii sibic as to words, was certainly
exhovtng me. and nae only to vigilance
Then the watch Sot tired wailin:; for me
Thinking the sail oseu, they began
hoising They boosted the yard 10 lis
pro.cr plac" and ne with it. chung o,
and went up higher That, By the way
always comes of holding fast Ia that
which is good. Then a man = head came
hobbing up out OF tn" darkness. 1t was
that Of good naturcsl Nantucket boy
whose rau,e Of course wGs Coffin, Ht