The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1890-07-18
JACK TAR At WORK.
Jsst whst ealles Ilas to no Each {
% Shlp. Beard.


Jsst wAst . ssalsr Ilas to no Each Day
o. Shlp.DeAfsl.
Tho mate Of . sQuarc-rigEcd MGR.
chairman thus described tho lifo OF an
ablc-bodicd seaman ON . long voyage
to . New York Times reporter. A
sailor may DO said to begin his days
work with tho "morning watch" at four
o'clock, when no must turn out OF his
narrow bunk in tho "fo'castlc' and tum-
bio up ON deck prepared to scrub and
wash down decks, which arc always
moro OF less badly stained with salt
watcr and iron rust. Plenty OF water
for cleaning purposes is always near at
hand, and with tho aid of buckets and
ordinary br0oms. brushes OF 'squcgccs"
Jack usually succeeds In making things
tolerably clean. i
but II tho ship is coming into port and
tho captain wishes the decks to look
particularly white, Jack must go down
on his hands and knees and scour tho
docks with all the vigor Of charWoman
with certain articles called '.holy-
stOnes." Now. holystones arc not treas
ured fragments of some classical shrine,
but communicating pieces OF sandstone
about tho size Of . brick. and IL
is not too much to, say that poetry
asandOns tho nautical mind when
tho holystoning process becomes nes,es-
sary. Tho operation Is always long and
laborious, and the only respite Jack has
from this ol:ous task IL in polishing tar
nished brasswOrk Or being ordered sloft
to attend to some troublesome sail or
bit of running gear. Consequently, by
eight O'clock, when he is relieved by the
forenoon" watch he has had sufficient
exercise to get up an appetite for break.
fast such Us is rarely cquulcd or sur
passed by any thing human.
This mcal, year in and out, consists Of
libcral supply OF u hot, black, bcvcr-
age called coffee, which is stcwcd to
distraction, and swcctencl, IL ut all,
with molasscs. Then, thcrc ia q ships
broad, porridgc, or "hurgoo," and a
species of hash called "lobscoursc,' -
which nobody but . hungry sailor was
ever known to successfully digest.
Jack. however, is providcntially no cpl
cure. but a gastronomic genius who dis
patches every thing to satisfy an organic
craving with goatsikc facility and relish.
lilo then fi.s his pipo, spins yarns, or
returns to his unan. b.Us;al bunk for q
nap, whi.c his sh;pma,es, the "forenoon
watch, arc busy making things snug on
deck and aioft. Indeed, it wO,.:d be
difficult to say what tho forenoon
watch" will not find to do. for much dc.
ponds upon tho state Of tho weather.
But yards must 10 constantly trimmed,
according to tho direction Of tho wind,
sails furlcd and running.gcar looked
after, and, in addition to scaman's
regular duties OF setting and shortening
sail. there is always plenty oi sail
mend:ng, rope-sp:ic:ng. spar.scrapins.
oiiing, vanishing and painting to do, to
say nothing Of the dirty work Of tarring
tho standing rigging and ropes occa-
sionasly. TLen every man must take
| his turn or trick" at tho wheel, which
is always monotonous and extremely
dangerous duty in bad weather.
Well, at 1880 tho men who composed
tho morning watch" are called to a
dinner Of hot pea soup, boiled pork and
pancfui piece Oi meat tnat no argu-
mcnt will ever convince Jack is any
thing but army tau.c or horse which has
died q natural death. ''Salt horse is,
therefore, tho name bestowed by him on
this tougi-picklcd substance, and no
thinks himself lucky whom IL is followed
by plumduif or '.stickiaw pudding"
This sumptuous rcpast Is then washed
, down with cUpious draughts Of coffee,
and after filing and smoking tho inov-
table pipo once moro Jack feels invig.
Grated and happy. and goes on deck as
ono of tho Afternoon WATCH" which re-
licvcs tho "forenoon watch" ut twelve.
Tho ''aftcrnooA WATCH" we will sup
pose, for brcvity's sake, is employed on
deck with duties Of tho same nature as
engaged tho forenoon watch," and ut
four o'clock this watch is again changed.
So you sec that, generally speaking, tho
mon have four hours on duty and four
hours of. hut II this took p!arc with
Underwriting regularity, it is evident
that ono set of men would always be on
I duty during tho best part Of the night
on arrangement that would bc MANIFEST
ly unfair. In order, therefore, that ono
watch should not have tho long nights
/ duty thcro ar0 what We sailors call tho
dog Watches" These watches arc tho
hours between four o'clock in tho after.
noon and eight o'clock in tho evening.
Tho .'aftcrnoon watch accordingly go
below ut four o'clock and and como on
deck ut six, when thcy havo two hours
dog watch. At eight o'clock they go be-
low again, and thus by means Of these
dog watches tho crow Of ship got al
tcrnatc nights Of duty on deck.
I Jack lives on floating house of busi-
! ness, which is continually carrying him
into unexpected lal,ors. However, in
moderate weather every thing is usual
ly made snug a;oft between six and
eight o'clock in tho evening, when
Jacks work is finished for tho day. lilo
may then smoke his Pipe and sing his
favorite song or ''shanty" to his hearts
content. lsut II during tho next few
hours or in the course Of tho night tho
barometer goes down and the weather
looks olninous of gao 70 windwarti, no
has to turn out Of his snug corner in
the forccastlc at moments notice
whom no hears the boatswain shout:
"An hands shorten sa:l!' Now. this is
one Of tho worst features Of Jacks life.
for nine chances oIt of ten it is blowing
great guns when he gropcs his way up
on deck and crawls up the shrouds, and
you can form no idea Of the pcri.Ous
momentum Of vessels pitch until you
ha.o been on her upper yards or jib-
boom trying 70 reef or furl sails in a
heavy sea.
/ A Coiisctioa Of c,overs.
James Z. l'cnnypackcr, Of l'hiladcl-