Telegram-herald., 1890-04-14

o. New Ioxk 1iues reporter
sAiisx uaay es s1ld - b<gla hss sAys
woxk with tAs morning wStch a. toar
e'e1oczs s6ea BE must s1ra ou' q LA
nzrrSs bunk "A TIE '-fo'csst-e af2d Nm
be pp On eecz prepared - soEae Sna
w4sh down decks. which ars always
Eore or less bsdly stained Sito A@ls
water snd irou res. Plenty 81 water
for cleaning purposes Is slssys near al
hand. snd viii tas ali of buckets and
ordinary bEOols. brushes or - o0Sees
JSck Usually succeeds - making sA4ngs
tOleEsbly clean
But II tie ship Is coming into port and
the captain wishes the decks 10 look
particularly white. Jack must 20 down
o. his hands and knees and Scoar the
deciks with al the Vlgor Of = ehsr~enan
with certain articles called holy
stones" Now, holystones are not treas
ured fragments Of sotne classical shrine.
but eOmron-looking pieces Of sandstone
about the size OF brick, and IL
is not too much 10 cay that poetry
abandons ths nautical mind when
the hOlystoning process becomes neces-
sary. Ihe operation Is always long and
laborious, aad the oniy respite jack hss
from this Oiious task Is Ia polishing tar
.nished brasswork or being ordered Alott
20 attend 70 some troublesome sail or
BIT Of running gear. Consequently, by
eight o'clock, when be Is relieved by the
forenoon" watch be has had sufficient
exercise 70 get up an appetite for break
FAST such as is rarely oqualsd or sur
passed by any thing human.
This meal, yea IN AID out, consists OF
liberal supply Of a hot, black, bever-
age called coffee, which IS stewed 70
distraction, and swootened, II at al,
with moiasses. Then. there IS ships
bread, porridge, or "burgoo," and
species of hash called ''lObscoUrse,
which nobody but q hungry sailor Was
ever known TO successfully digest
Jack, however, is providentially no cpl
cure, but gastronomic genius who dis
patches every thing 10 satisfy an organic
craving with goatlike facility and relish.
de then fills his pipe, spins yarns, or
returns 10 his unambrosial bunk for a
nap, while his shipmates. the forenoon
watch" are busy making things snug on
deck and aloft. Indeed, it would be
difficult to say what the forenoon
watch" will not find to do, for much de-
pends upon the state of tho weather.
But yards must be constantly trimmed,
according to the direction OF the wind,
sails furled and running-gear looked
after, and, in addition TO a seaman's
regular duties OF setting and shortening
sail, there is always plenty Of sail
mending, roPe-splicing, spar-scraping,
oilirg, vanishing and painting to do, to
say nothing of the dirty work OF tarring
the standing rigging and ropes ocoa-
sionally. Then every man must take
his turn or trick" at the wheel, which
is always a monotOnous and extremely
dangerous duty in bad weather.
Well, at 1850 the men who composed
the morning watch" are called to a
dinner of hot pea soup, boiled pork and
baneful piece OF meat that no argu-
ment will ever convince Jack is any
thing bat army mule or horse which has
died natural death. "Salt horse" is,
therefore, the name bestowed by him on
this tough-pickled substance, and he
thinks himself lucky when 1T is followed
by plumduf or "stickjaw pudding"
This sumptuous repast is then washed
down with copious draughts Of coffee,
and after filling and smoking the iney-
table pipe once mcre Jack feels invig-
grated and happy, and goes on deck as
one of the afternoon watch" which re-
heves the forenoon watch" at twelve.
The afternoon watch" We will sup
pose, for brevity's sake, is employed on
deck with duties of the same nature as
engaged tho forenoon watch" and at
four o'clock this watch is again changed.
So you sec that, generally speaking, the
men have four hours on duty and four
hours off. But If this took place with
undertaking regularity, it Is evident
that ono set of men would always be on
duty during the best part Of the night
on arrangement that would be manifest
" unfair. In order, therefore, that ono
watch should not have the long nights
duty there are what we sailors call the
dog watchos." These watches are the
hours between four o'clock in the after
noon and eigh. o'clock in the evening.
Tho afternoon watch" accordingly go
below at four o'clock and and como on
deck at six, when they have two hours
dog watch. At eight o'clock they 60 be-
low again, and thus by means OF these
dog watches the crew OF ship get al
tcrnate nights of duty on deck.
Jaol. lives on a floating house OF busi-
ness, which IS continually carrying him
into unexpected labcrs. However, in
moderate weather every thing is usual
l. made snug aloft between six and
eight o'clock in the evening. when
Jacks work is finished FOR the day. He
may then smoke his Pipe and sing his
fayOrite song or ''shanty to his heart's s
content. But If daring tho next few
hours or in tho course Of the night the
barometer goes down and the weather
looks oninous OF a gale to windward. he
has - turn out Of his snug corner in
the forcosstle at a moments notice
when be hears tho boatswain shout.
"All hands shorten SAIL Now. this IA
one OF the worst features of Jacks lifo.
for nine chances out Of ten IL is blowing
great guns when he gropos bis N'ay up
On deck and eravlsup the shroUds. and
Jon can form TO idea q the perlous
momentum of vessels pitch until yol
have been on her upper yards CT jib=
hooa trying 20 reef OF fu7l sails in =
heavy sea
A Collection of Clovers.
James T. Pennypacksr. of Phiisdol-
rAia - a rl-r-c--s Col lIrrt-r- ~ rLarn-s