The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1895-03-14
a MoosRN SHIPS COMPANY.
The Romance of OId-Tima Seafaring Life
No Longer Exists.


ing the evolutions of her majestys ship
| Pinafore while she lay in the dry dock
| III Philadelphia. and, although my ide-
| ais have been somewhat shaken by see
| ing the deck hands of the transatlantic
! steamers, | retained the notion that the
| counterparts of my old friends would
| be found aboard sailing vessels. But
| that dream is over The first shock
came soon after leaving port, when
| told the captain thai he was to teach
me how to dance the hornpipe. He said
that he didn't know how and, more
over, had never seen anyone who did.
| replied that was not from the coun-
try, but he solemnly assured me that
he was telling the truth, and called
| upon the second mate to bear him wit
ness The latter, after much rehec-
ton, recollected that he had once
known a sailor who could dance horn
/ pipe, but couldn't remember whether 1T
was on voyage to the East Indies or
while he was lin steam on the Missis-
sippi. Further inquiry proved that no
/ one else had ever witnessed such per-
| Torrance.
This was not the most bitter disap-
pointment, however. | am not great
| lover ohsnusic, but it seemed to me to
be neg .asary part of sailors ,sxNo5,
ence thaf~he should scamper mst 50
about and pour forth the gladness Of
his heart in song. To be sure, they
do make a noise when they pull on the
ropes, and occasionally burst into a
dirge while at pumps, but to both of
these performances the cry of the pen
gum is cheerful by comparison.
Indeed, have come to the melan-
choly conclusion that the flavor of
romance eyaporated with the last gen
GRAFTON of seamen. There is none of
that picturesque idleness which ! was
led to believe was as essential as the
song and dance. Were one of them to
write his daily life. it would be express
sive of more energy than Mark Twain's
famous diary, but would partake of
the same simplicity. 1t would read:
/ wv orked, ate and slept" Work be-
| gins when they are driven aboard by
their respective keepers and ceases
/ when the vessel arrives at her destina-
/ ton, 50 that the time occupied in eat
ing and sleeping is their only respite.
In heavy and squally weather there
are the constant pulling of ropes and
the furling and unfurling of sails. 1t
is then that their abilities in that mon
| lley-lil6e accomplishment of climbing
the rigging are tested. As you stand
on deck in a heavy gale and watch all
hands upon one of the yard-arms furl-
ing sail, you begin to put some faith
IN Darwin's theory concerning the
origin of mankind. In fine weather
their duties are of different sort
they then turn painters, carpenters
and jacks alltra1es. ''Holy-ston
ing, scraping, painting and vanishing
/ go on until the ship looks as if she
were just off the dry dock.
Sometimes in an idle moment, or in a
fit of temporary insanity, a sailor de-
I cides to wash a shirt or red bandana
One day during a heavy rain this mad
ness became epidemic, and after clos
ing the ''scuppers'' all hands got -upSn
the deck and proceeded to wash their
clothes with a small piece of soap with
a large question mark. occasionally
would hear that man had taken a
bath, but of the truth of these reports
have no actual knowledge
We're they as well treated on all ves-
sells as they were on the Standard they
might possibly learn to take care of
/ themselves when ashore. 1t is indeed
4 case of out of the frying pan into the
fire for when they escape from the rule
! of more or less severe shipmasters they
have not the sense to keep out of the
| way of boarding house runners and the
like. If they would only keep their
wits about them and make up their
minds to defend themselves in an hon
EST way, they could not fail to better
their condition. They sometimes en-
terrain themselves by Sinking work at
the latter part of the passage and by
damaging the rigging Just before say
ing farewell.
Their only other amusement is de-
rived from weighty arguments about
nothing. 1t was a very frequent occur
renee to hear heated discussion con-
! corning the exact latitude and longi-
tude of Smithvile, and to find that each
of the disputants had different Smith
Vile in mind. Sometimes these argu-
ments ended with black eye or two
They never lose the sheep-like APP
pearance with which they come aboard,
going about in flock at the beck and
call of the officers. The watch may be
forward pulling at some ropes when
they hear Come aft, two O yer" and
Immediately replying Come aft, two
o yer" they shuttle in body in that
direction, In nothing are sailors more
oblig!ng than in regard TO their
names. 1t matters not what they are
called-Tom, Dick, Harry are all the
same to them as long as each has sep
arate one. When two happen to claim
the same name on their arrival, each
tries to outdo the other in nobly sacri-
ficing it to his companion. Truly, they
are believers in the poetical theory con
corning the rose, and can see nothing
| in name.
While the crew are by no means to
be envied, their lives are happy COM
pared with that of the cook. lie has
always to contend, of course, with the
absence of fresh provisions, and in
rough weather his existence is made
| miserable by his efforts to keen his