The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1891-06-20
JACK TAR AT WORK.



ablo-bodiod seaman on n long voyage
10 New York Times reporter. a
sailor may be said to begin his days
wori. with tho ''morning watch" at four
O'Clock, when he must turn out of his
narrow bunk In tho "fo'castlo" and tum-
bio up on deck prepared 10 scrub and
wash down decks, which arc always
moro or less badly stained with salt
water and iron rust. Plenty OF water
for cleaning purpDses Is always near at
hand, and with tho aid of buckets and
ordinary brooni, brgshc, or ''squcgocs"
Jack usually succeeds in making things
toicrably clean.
Iiur IL tho ship u coming into port and
the captain wishes tho deck, 10 look
particularly white, Jacl. must 20 down
on his hands and knees and srour the
decks with all tao ylG0r Of eaar~oman
with crr;gll articles called holy
stones" now, hplystonra aFo not treas
urrd fragment, Of 8nmo ella zeal ahrlnc,
bu, communicating plcceIut aandsionc
about tho Bizc OF - brick, ard it
is not too much % say that poetry
abaniUas tho nautical MAD when
tho hoiyatonin: process becomes n"ccs-
ssry. Tho operation i, always long and
lsborious, and the only respite Jack has
from ihiI oIions tack - Ia polishing tar
nIshsi braa,wors or being ordered aloft
To attend u some tsvLL.eso,nc sail or
bit of running gr.T. Cons qucnt!y, by
cigh, O'Clock. VIXEN he 10 relieved by tho
forenoon watch hp has bal sufficient
exercise to g,'t 90 an appetite for break
fast such Il, Ia rar,.y .iua.cd OF sur
passed hy gny thing human.
tbs meal. year ~ and out, consists of
liberal supply Of bot, black, bcsor-
age called coffee, which h Sicw"i Ia
distraction. and uNorl"n-L, II a. all.
with moil,sca. Thea, there IL ships
bread, p1sfilFc, or "l-rFSo," and a
specie, of hash called "l1''Srours", Z"
which nobody but a hungry h..l.oF va,
ever knosa 10 sucr.raia!iy digest
Jack. however, l. ptoVld'uJlsllY NO cpl
cufr, but gasiE"n"mi; genius who dis
patches cScry tAirg ~ alt;t'Y .n "r..nir
craving WISH su4i..4r t., !,!iy .Hl r-'.lsh.
lie ,nrn h..s lis r.i". sI.sa ys-n,, or
returns to L.a Gn4H hnss.zI LlHk for a
nap, wts,- h.n tL.ln.ai'',, thu "iuF'.n ION
s..ch, arr b.hy Eiag.Hs th!rEs ,H'..' On
deck EEL aIui,. Indeed. u would br
dis'ieuii % a4y what the "iuFvnSoa
watch" will not lui 10 do, isF tnurt de-
pchi. upon the state Of itC wc.tHgr,
lat ards must L. epns;sat.y ;F.Amcd
according TO the iirvciion 81 iHc Wind.
sails iurlcd and TsaRIn,-scar looked
after. and. Ia addition - r sr-uan',
scrI!.r Jaiics OF sitting and shortening
sail. ,noro II a:uays plenty OF sail
moni!ns, rppc.l:.r.Es, spar sEaplns.
oiliag, vanishing AMI painting - do. 10
say nothing II lao dry gpfs ~ tag:in.
IN. standing risa.Hf AMI rDtr, t-'rs-
s!on.lly, TLen cSvfy msu must iasn
hi, ,4rn aE '',s.cs" a. tho wheel, which
l, Away, q mpHo,1uull anL extremely
dangerous duty Ia is,I pp.thcr.
Well. at iiss.1 tlU ulrn Nhp rnnpossi
the ''Inosuin. watch" are called Ia a
dinner Of hot r.. soup. boiled PORK and
a i,sn-fgi piece 81 meat that M arEg'
mcn, wiiI osor convince jack II aay
thing but array mu'c ct hNrsr which has
died . natural ir,jh. salt hgrsS" 10.
,hcrripgu. t.,1 aaEa bestowed - hiti ON
,hi. Isugh.piclsigI Auiai.g-r. snI he
Py'"rnsi.iS4a sT'ryss r i'i'ing-'
This sump;uuus r'pss, Ia then wasted
dean with uupipu. draushts 81 coffee.
and after n!.las aai buiVk3ns. u" in-s.
liable pipe once faoFr JsrA feels ius.s-
Grated sGi tsrpY. and s'~s on deck a.
one of tho afternoon watch. AL!ch ~.
ii-s.s the forenoon s..ieA' ~ INC.sc.
III" ''afIVrnuah watch" ~ vi! sup.
pose, Tor hrC,ily'. axe, u ,tgpipyrsi on
deck With iui.rs ~ tho sausr H.gLsU a,
eng aged the forenoon watch. aui a,
four O'clock isNa,rh Ia a. lin changed.
~ yog 49, that, gruura.iy Speaking. ih.
m.n have four huuTs "n dIty aud four
h"grs oft. l:at u ih,s tssE l:aer With
undertaking regularity. 10 - evident
that on" 80 Il uca "0g!I alWays L. on
duty during ihP ts-si vsrs u Iar n!.:bt-
an arrangement iiIat 5. pu3I L. manifest
iy unfair. IN order. ;hUfviur0. that one
watch should NOT have iav bong nights
duty thcru ar" VIA, ~ sailor. call the
dog Ns;chrs." Tb-sr Waichrs Hrr tho
hours bctN-cu four o'clock IN the after.
noon and -t;hi O'Clock In the evening.
The ''sit"fnvpa watch" accordingly SO
below ~ four O'Clock aud and cSH.- ON
deck =, six. when ihoy have tao hpurs'
dog watch. ~ eight o'elprl. they 60 h..
low again. and thus hy hraHr Of these
dos watches tho crrw Of a ship got al
,cruatc nights 81 duty on deck.
Jack lives Oh iloatins hous" Of husi.
meas, which it continually carrying him
into unexpected lsburs. However. in
moderate Weather every thing is usual.
iy made saug a;oi, bctNc-n dix and
eight o'clock in ;hp evening. when
Jacks work h finished Tor tn" day. lilo
may then smoke his Pipe and sing his
fayositn cong or ''.ianty" 10 his hearts
content. l;ui II during the next few
hour or In tn, course Of the nigh; .hn
barometer Foes down aud the weather
looks uminous uf a ra;c 20 winlwari. he
has to turn out Ut his snug corner In
the fOFrra>tlc a. iprtgrnt's notice
VIXEN he hears the bostswsin shout.
All hands shorten saiIl'' Now. tails is
ono of tho wort features Of Jacks life.
for nine chances uUt of tUn IL H. blowing
great guns when hO Groics his way up
on deck and cr..s : w the shrouls. and
You can fora 10 flea Of the rcriIJus
momentum Of vessels pitch until YOU
have boon on her uppcr yarls or jib.
boom trying to reef or fUrl sails in a
heavy a"a.
Collector 90 Cin,cr,.
Iauira l.. T. nnYf4si.rr. Of Ebflalcl