The evening world., 1894-06-25
CATS ARE SAILORS JONAHS.
THEY ARE APPREHENsIyE WHEN
A FELINE is on BOARD.
Women nnd MlniE.crs, TOO, Are Oh
jects of Superstition.

Lake sailors are not nearly as super
stitious as their brothers who follow the
sea, but they show with them their
dislike Of women or clergymen as pas
scngers or visitors on any boat other
than the regular passenger lines, says
the Chicago Tribune.
cats are nearly as bad, while the
three together are fatal to the good
luck of the trip at least.
There is one old sailor in Chicago
who attributes the face that he is alive
to-day to his deterininatipn not to sail
to make a certain trip, when he sud-
denly discovered that IA friend OF the
captains and his daughter were to go
along, he dlslikad the idea greatly. and
his aversion to going grew stronger
when he learned tnat the gentleman IN
question was minister but when the
young lady came aboard carrying a
pet Kitten in her arms. his heart tailed
nim entirely, and he was forthwith at
tackled by sudden ana severe illness
which eitectualIy prevented him from
making the run.
While between ports collision oc-
CURED. and the unlucky boat promptly
settled and although all Ju board
were rescued by the other vessel. the
that had he made the trip he would
have gone Ito the floor"
But, Notwithstanding, the feeling in
which runs between Duluth and Buff
falo, always has a cat on board. She
was originally the property of the first
mate, but so attached to the boat did
she become that when in the course of
time he was promoted she refused to
leave with him. Since then she has
made every trip sine" one, and on that
occasion no persuasion would induce
her to cross the gangway or climb the
ladder. "A serious accident took place,
In which several men lost their lives,
and since then her behavior upon leav-
Ing port is carefully watched. Should
she again refuse to board the boat the
"trip would in all probability be post
pohed until new crew could be OBJ
tRirod.
Queer stories are told in this conncc-
tion. and II is said a genuine sailor will
make amy sacrifice rather than lose hts
.aptain on a Grain steamer says on the
final trip of last season series OF
ratastrophes had so depleted the china
one time instead of the usual ten, ana
even then 1t was necessary to resort to
strange cXpedlcnts to make up for de-
iiCignC!eS.
one man drank his tea from small
pitcher, another used II sugar-bowl, n
lhIrd a spoon-holder, the fourth boasted
Il handIess cup, while the tifth proudly
Il tall goblet
Many jokes We're exchanged on the
subject of the unique table service, and
much laughter was indulSed in. and
Wien in the course Of sudden violent
storm the goblet Was thrown to the
moor and broken, its owner, doughty
Scotchman, was mCrc.lcssiy Chaifed.
But having declared his determination
to remain with the mess AT all hazards,
he was not to he outdone. Calmly
his deep sol l.-dsh. he CON
Eerted II INTO tracup during the Two
days which intcrV before the near
est port VAS reached.
Each of the thirtyiive vessels which
on an average enter ana leave the port
OF Chicago, requires the services of
y n t,,,f
OF coal, and at least a mile Of rope
that 1t may remain an independent
kIhgGom. A monarchy, indeed, and OF
the. g2Ncrnment Of each water castle
Is, for the "cap'ns' word Is law Like
!he soldier, the sailor must obey prompt
~ and and without question, The man
the most desirable 'sallorran.''
Another point in common between
an empire and the marine service,
Sr"nt number Of classes into which the
men are divided and the impossible bar
riers which exist between them. 1t
longs, whether he be oi,er, fireman,
mate. engineer. cook. steward. pilot or
wheelm.n, there he must remain until
and when this is attained the process
must re repeated Indefinitely Perhaps
The rude spirit of justice which under
Hes this discipline is recognized. or per-
set and little Eiven to complain.
At all events, 1t is certain that, al
though all kinds Of vesselmen may be
found, except that type of Il bySone
hit, hing up his trousers and CXclai,ning;
'Shiyer nay timhers," they are rarely
nsans TO b bGrumSe on r,I or hih fiGn nrotGst
one "dining-room'' for the dechhunds,
another for the oilers, another Tor the
hrcmrn, another yet for the engineers,
and still one more for the officers
The food generally is the same for all.
unless, as the men claim, the cook dis
in favor of the tircman. who
are harder to get and therefore more
valued than the rest of the crew, but
1t must be serN ed separately, ana each
member OF Il mess alheres to the
rule strictly.
There is an element of adventure in
the life of a sailor, and this WITH the
CONSTANT change of scene, renders the
work attractive TO many. Certain 1t is
that with this there is but little to ac-
count for the immense number who take
to the water every season. for the work
Is hard. PAY mod"rate, provision for old
aEa aE anything but. adequate and the
the days which old captains dnpiore'
when youth shipped with the idea
trade, but on the other hand, wages
are over, because since steam has
nearly driven canvas from its own field
Shilieh idnor !" No longer needed, and
the work is done by a poorer class OF
men. Nowadays u man can pick up
enough IN one season as "a d. K hand, I
Tor which no experience and but little !
is necessary, to enable him !
to ship the following year as Il look I
out man, anl obtain the privilege Of
bearing the brunt of all kinds OF
In another twelvemonth he may even
aspire 70 be a wheelman; the next step
above is pilots position, for which
he must procure a Government license
and when this is done there are still
examinations TO b" passed, with some
years OF active service, before he can
tain. Even when the coveted position
Is reached. 1t has its drawbacks, and |
serious ones At that, for the life of a
sailor rather promotes love of family |
than otherwise, and the time when a |
man could conveniently carry his fam |
ly with him IL only "A memory now.
Many jokes are passed at the expense
u the management of q certain freight