Los Angeles herald., 1892-07-06
SATURDAY NIGHT AT SEA

1 am rolling along the coast in the
staunch and reliable old steamer Or
egon" OF the Union Pacific line, "a the
sun goes down on the calm Pacific
waves. and I realize that when l wake
up on Sunday morning, the spires and
towers Of Astoria's churches will be in
sight, 1t is nearly two hours since the
stern and forbidding headland of Cape
Blanco was passed and the light house
ON Cape Arago begins to twinkle out in
salutation to the passing steamer as day
passes out OF sight and the cleaning
tails like shadow on the sea.
We have had a rough trip up to date,
and to make the matter worse the ship
has the lightest freight in her that she
has had in eight months, drawing barely
fifteen feet of water aft. Hence she
rolls with the swell that prevails in a
way that the old ''Rolling Moses"
Taylor of early days would have des-
pissed. Out of San Francisco for four
teen hours we had a strong northwest
trade wind which veered to the south
east, accompanied by heavy rain as
we rounded Cape Mendocino. This
wind shifted to the southwest a
little after lunch, since which
time it has been squally enough. The
brave old ship, now entering on her fiji
teenth year of service on this route,
reels and pitches lie drunken man
and her deserted decks testify to the
fact that the ladies are permanently re-
tired to their staterooms.
OF these, two are the chief engineer IS
sisters, both closely approaching 60
years Of age, and visiting the Pacific
coast for the first time in their lives.
ssJohn left us thirty-six years ago,
and when Archie told us he was going
to take steamer around Cape Horn,
then we saw for the first time what it
was to be broken up as a family. Last
December we began to realize what our
isolation was, and we came out to see
our runaway boys. They left no stone
'unturned to make our visit q pleasant
one; and when we saw and realized
what lovely country California is we
also saw why it was that our two wan
dering boys had never returned"
It was the elder of the two sisters
that had spoken. The younger now
said: "The whole trip has been reve-
lation to us. No person living, as we
have lived, in q little town in south
western Ohio for nearly fifty years, can
have any fair or correct ideas of the
Pacific coast or its people unless
he comes out here and sees
the Pacific coast for himself. 1t
has been customary to make fun OF
Californians and Oregonians for all that
was rude and awkward. Our impress
sions are exactly to the contrary. We
want no better evidence of it than to
enter crowded street Car in San Fran
cisco. Half a dozen gentlemen would
arise to offer us their seats before we
were fairly inside the door. In Cincin-
natl or Louisville they would keep their
seats and leave you to hang on by the
straps"
"What did you deem the most inter
esting feature of your trip, SO faf?" I
asked.
sit is hard to say" she replied, "hut
to me the most novel feature was the
lovely citrus fair at Auburn. All those
exquisite fruits just at season when
everything was chill and drear with US.
It was change over the face of natu e
that we had not contemplated-ap pic
ture OF which one dreams bat seldom
realizes.'
81 suppose you will come out and
make this your home eventualiy?''
Hardly. We were born in the house
where we live, aud while we have seen
scores of more favored spots, that is the
only place we have ever called home."
Night settles down over the vessel and
Arago light is fast sinking beneath the
waves. / know I shall see the fash
light on Cape Foulweather if I arise in
the dark hour before the dawn. but l am
too tired and shall not arise until 1
hear the groan of the whistle on the au
matte buoy. light my pipe for asmoke,
and, buttoning my overcoat about me,
take farewell survey of the deserted
decks. On the bridge there is slender
figure, the second officer, and dloee be-
side him detect the burly form of the
captain. The ship is rolling violently,
but 60 up on the bridge for moment,
Just in time to hear him say:
"This swell is setting you in about 10
per cent, so hold her off half point
every forty minutes, and it it comes on
thick, call me.''
Between the mouth of the Columbia
and San Francisco heads, Captain Pole
man never takes off his clothes. HE
lies down sometimes and sleeps oou-
pie of hours during the night, but never
undresses. 1t is, indeed, gallant pro-
fession whose votaries watch in silence
that others may sleep in peace.
am not drowsy and walk the deck
an hour. The tireless engines are maaI-
ing sixty-six revolutions for each and
every minute. and looking down through
the gratings gee the frensn, naked 10
the waist, .as they feed the furnaces
great throbbing heart of iiery Goals.
The dull thump of the heavy propeller
the rattle of the rudder chains and tine
never ending roar OF the angry waves are
ell the sounds can hear. The waves
themselves roll up like green hillocks,
and the white caps look like SO many
tombstones in a vast cemetery, where
.Coldly and calmly and purely,
Gray rock and green bflloek lie whita
In starlight dreafn-laden. So surely
As night comes, SO cometh the night
when we, all at peace with our neighbors.
Shall sleep where Gods hillocks are piled,
Thanking Him for rest from our labors
And sleep like the sleep Of q child"
T. B. M.