Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1891-03-09
A SAILORS LIFE.
How They Occupy Themselves When Not
at Work on Deck.

4
at Work on Deck.
To say what goes on between-declSs
would be to tell the story of the DISPOSE
sitions and natures of those who 90
down to the sea in ships. Some man
dances, and he always finds a mate who
Is ready to pas for him, or, better still,
to play the banjo or accordion. Some
men sing, and singing is always pleas
ant on the water. The sailor has n
strong love for music, and a reverential
awe for him who can bring forth sweet
sounds either by voice or instrument.
So you shall see him when the ships
band practises gather forward to listen
to the attempts of the official musicians
TO master something new againt the
next dance that the officers will give
when they reach port.
Some of the men play checkers, and
some of them tell incredible yarns to
credulous youngsters. All of them
enjoy themselves, and all outbreaks are
prevented by the marine on duty.
What sailors do on board ship has been
often told. They play and work. They
eat in groups, or messes, each mess hav-
ing its cook, who is not really a cook,
but caterer who Is paid by the men
for looking after their comfort, for buy
ing the extras, or ''shore grub" which
consists of both necessaries and luxE
uries that are not included in the gov
ernment ration.
Life bstween-decks includes also that
| of the officers, but it is only the present
system of officers messes, of which it is
worth while saying much. Officers arc
very much like men Of their class every
"a
dreadfully bored at sen when they arc
not actually on duty. They can read,
and they can write in a diary. or get
their mails ready, and they can talk and
play cards; but talking and playing
cards for three years with the same set
OF men are conducive to yawning.
The wardroom officers, over whom
the executive officer presides, have de-
cidedly the best of the captain and the
admiral, for they have some society, and
even quarrelsome society is preferable
in certain moods of the human mind to
solitude. But the captain keeps to his
apartment, which is guarded by the or
derby and both he and the admiral are
surrounded by o mass of chilly ETH
quette. When tina captain grows tired
Of reading, he can smoke, and console
himself with the refiec tion that when
he is admiral he will have his staff mess
with him. When he grows weary of re-
flecting on the glories of admiralhood,
he can play solitaire, and when he is
tired of that, he can denounce his own
idiocy in yielding to such an amusement.
The wardroom officers mess together.
The captain messes alone, and the adj
miral messes alone. Sometimes the cap
tain and the admiral live very much to-
gether. Usually their quarters, which
are in the ste IN of the ship, are so an
ranged that they can be thrown into
one set of apartments. The admiral
and his fleet captain ought certainly to
be on such terms of friendship that
living together would be pleasure, but
there have been instances where a short
exper fence at sea has been quite enough
to master what had seemed to be a
friendship ashore, and to effcotually
close the door between the cabins Of
the admiral and the captain. Then tho
two would not speak until the end of
the cruise, if they were compelled to re.
main together for so long a time
Henry L. Nelson, in Harper's Weekly.