The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-06-28
GHOSTS MAY WALK
Seamen Avoid the Noted
Bark Hesper.
FEARS OF SEA-GOING MEN.
Waiting for a Crew That May Re-
fuse to Sign Unless Ironbound
Rules Are Kept.

The bark Hesper wants q crew. So far
she has been unsuccessful in obtaining
men TO serve as seamen for a trip TO Puget
Sound, and no b0arding-master knows just
why.
"Non-uni0n men are not scarce" say
the union men, but yet the non-union men
give the Hesper wide berth. This is
strange, too, for no finer man than Cap
tain Sodengren ever shaped a vessels
course.
Would old-time union men ship in her?
Well, yes, perhaps they would. for most of
the old salts of the union are too much
hardened TO put any faith in 'hOodoo"
ships, but some of the boarding house men
say that the nOn-union men do not like to
shin IN a vessel that is liable to become
haunted in midocean.
There are union men, too. who declare
they would not ship in the Hesper; not
that they have anything against the vessel
or any of her officers. but simply because
| mere Is Il suggestion of that awful night
when Mate Fitzgerald called for help
whenever a block squeaks or sound
emanates from the vicinity of the spot
where the murdered man fell prone upon
the decklOad with TWO inches of cold Stee
penetrating his brain.
Inc II on -uulOnlSLS eye Vic DdTk SUSPECT
ously as she floats beside the Oceanic
dock.
The Hesper is a pretty bark, there is no
denying that fact, although she lacks a
variety of FURNISHED BRASS fixtures and
! hardwood tiniShings above and below
decks. She is handsome, yet plain, with
| her lofty graceful Spars and neatly mod
eled hull, which can ride the ocean with
| the same trim but attractive security as a
pretty girl in a tailor-made jacket breast
| ing Kearny-street afternoon crowd
But tall spars, graceful lines and pretty
! crafts are not what sailors are looking for.
No matter how beautiful the ship may be,
| if there is any chance of encountering
| spooks during voyage. then the average
| seaman warts to be excused. He w0uld
rather go out to sea in dugout than take
any chances with supernatural invaders
on a crack clipper.
To Draw from Jack his exact reasons for
not wishing TO ship on the Hesper is task
worthy of better cause. He handles the
subject with gloves, as it were. and pre-
fers TO simply say, ION, she's the murder
bark. there's something liable 10 20 wrong
with her" then he lets the matter drop.
The negro deckhand has sized the Hes
rer up as though undetermined as to
whether he would sign to sail with her.
After due consideration. however. and
upon learning that the bark will bring
down deckiO of lumber he came to the
conclusion that darby had no business at
sea on vessel on which a murder had
been committed. The mere mention of a
decklOad of lumber is enough to keep
darby sailors from coming within 1000
yards OF the Oceanic dock.
IL the Hesper sails at all, and it Is only
reasonable TO suppose that she will in the
near future. she may put TO sea with only
a carving knife to chop kindling with.
Hatchets won't go with the Hesper's COM
| ing crew. Any man seen roaming the
oark'S deck with Ratchet after dark will
be promptly confined in the laZarette and
deprived of his back pay
If rules are made and strictly adhered TO
the HeSper may possibly get a crew within
the next twenty four hours; but the
chances are small in favor OF the vessels
agents permitting such r set of rules as
would please a crew of men drafted tor the
HespeT.
No man with spiritualistic notions would
be allowed to roam around loose. No sea-
man would be permitted 10 carry any thing
but pOcketknlfs. Owners would not be
allowed to burden the bark with a deck
load. No lady passengers could take pass
age, ana last. but not least, every block on
the ship must be soaked every twenty-Iour
hours IN oil to prevent its creaking.
With little judicous scheming perhaps
the Hesper will get crew after all.
Everybody wishes Captain SOdengren and
his noted vessel the best of luck.