Morning journal and courier., 1892-03-08
THE HAND OF STEEL.
Hts Power, Though Seldom Felt, is
 Absolute on an Atlantic Liner. rErom the Datroit Free Press

Hts Power, Though Seldom Felt, Is
 Absolute on an Atlantic Liner.
 From the Detroit Free Pressl - The ocean steamship of modern times is literally floating palace. The passenger who travels by one of the luxurious ships of one of the great lines will experience himself. Everything will be made as pleasant for him as possible. Civil and attentive servants wait in readiness to ex- ecute any of his commands, night and day. The saloon, the smoking room, the library, the ladies' parlor, the stateroom, are each wonderful examples of modern comfort But under all the velvet, the plush, the silk hangings, the paintings, the carvings and the rest is the steel frame of the great ship.
 So it is with the discipline on board. The passenger meets nothing but the ut most civiity and politeness, but behind this there is power, supreme and arbitra- ". The passenger may cross and recross many times without ever suspecting that he is enjoying himself under despotism as rigid as that of Russia. Under the vel vet glove is the hand of steel.
 For the first two or three days out it certainly seemed as if MT. Joseph Bounce was going to be the most popular man on board ship that voyage. He was Q big, generous, whole-souled man from Califor mia, who was said to be immensely wealthy, as is habit of Californians. He was very lavish with his money in the smoking room, and any one who wished anything to drink could always have it at the expense of the big Californian. A party of ranchmen who were on their way L 4, pfrr- ticular cronies, drank freely of the cham pagne he ordered, laughed loudly at his Jokes, which were not at all bad, and at his stories, which very often were. Seve- ral times Bounce asked all the hsbitues of the smoking room to drink with him, which invitation was at first very general ly accepted, although some refused.
 Joseph claimed that this refusal would not have been permitted in the best classes of society to which he belonged out west, but still those who had refused persisted in their refusal, and it was evident Joseph did not like it. He talked loudly about some people being snobbish, and claimed that he had money enough to buy the whole lot of them out several times over, which statement nobody considered it worth while to refute.
 When the pool fever took hold of the smoking room Joseph Bounce was chosen as auctioneer, and he sold the runs of the ship in 8 way that caused merriment He had evidently good deal of humor in his composition, and, if he had kept sober, he would probably have been, as I said be- fore the most popular man on shipboard.
 As the voyage progressed, however, 1t soon became evident that Bounce had laid himself out to maks the trip one continu al booze as far as he was concerned. He was drunk night and day, and by and by the passengers who had been friendly with him at first began to drop away from him, with the exception of the few who were as fond of liquor as himself, and to whom a free fuddle had attractions. Then Joseph got into the habit of forgetting himself, and took to insulting those who refused to drink with him. He became exceedingly obnoxious to the whole smoking room, and doubtless complaint was made to the off cers, although nobody knew who made it. One evening Bounce came into the smoking room and sat down at his usual card table. He ordered champagne and talked loudly about the objectionable pas senger list on this particular trip. This sort of thing went on for some time, when the smoking room steward came in and said very mildly:
 "Mr. Bounce, the purser would like to see you in his room for few minutes" This was SO quietly spoken that no one would have noticed it if Bounce himself had kept quiet. He glared at the inoffen- sive steward for a moment, and then shouted as he brought his big fist down upon the table:
 "You tell the purser that if he wants to see me worse than I want to see him he | can come in here and see me-" This remark was garnished by a choice assortment of wild 1urid western oaths.
 'svery good, sir," answered the steward | politely, as he withdrew.
 After pause the games and converse | tion went on as usual, but @ veteran who had crossed a number of times, and who knew what was what on board ship, said | in whisper:
 'If I'm not very much mistaken you will hear something drop in moment"
 twill the purser come inf' was asked.
 "No; but I think he will send for Bounce"
 'He has sent for him, but 1t doesn't seem to have done much good"
 "You waitl' said the veteran.
 | At that moment the door opened again