The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-12

Phmnicians, who were great navigators
and narrators and perchance given to
''whoppers" concerning their exploits in
unknown oceans-to send story-tellers to
''the Marines" However, these sea-
soldiers are not so easy of belief as they
were years ago. Neither are they very pa
tent auditors, and tales that were once
gospel truths are now taken in homeop-
athic doses. Possibly they imagine that
their seIf-COnscious credulity attracts deep
water yarns as an empty bottle attracts
cOckrOaches. There is only one thing that
Is popularity considered more credulous
than "the marines" and that is the main
mast. But this is only theory, as no wis
dom OF the sea hath ever learned what
lieth in the deep wooden heart of the main
mast.
Albeit, George Romer didn't talk to the
big, noble piece of timber because his idea
was too unreasonable for even the bound
less belief of 1.-THE marines" but because
Il never returned a skeptical answer, as
did his shipmates when he explained that
heYas done with a man-Of-war and was
going to ship in q chicken ranch ashore.
The mast only waved to and fro under the
weight OF the fathoms of gear and the
yards OF canvas, and the wind laundering
under the curved foot of the sail carried
his words moaning away to leeward.
An old sailor is strange being. He
can well abide the sound Of any voice eX-
cept his own, and when he has talked him
: self and his discursive shipmate to the eX-
INSPIRATION point he turns to an Inanimate
opponent in debate and continues the con-
yersation ad hbitum. The anchor, the
Cathead, the capstan, the pinnacle and
even the horse blocks had often taken
part lin silence) in spirited discussions, or
: had listened to vigorous verbal onslaughts
directed at the unshipshape practices and
M !, IA
tradition, were commencing to obt ain on
board.
All these complaints the long-suffering
mainn1ast had heard, and was still. Per-
adventure it was thinking of the day when
its great majestic self would disappear
from the ships deck, and in its place
would be found only a small spar, or posi-
bly, a black and blstered smokestack
bolted on to some seething furnace below.
The world of waters will be the more desc
late when the grand white-canyased clip
per furls its sea-pinionS forever.
George Romer had been leaving the
navy so long that the time of his begin
ming to do so was lost in mists of anti
guilty. Peter Mcfarland, now master-at-
arms of the independence, and a historian
of undoubted accuracy, says that Romer
was going to shake the navy and start a
hen farm, as far back as the second war
with England, but he hung in the wind
from one cruise to another until the row
with Mexico was on.
"Of course he wouldn't jump on the eve
of fight" said Mcfarland, land he stald
in the service until peace was declared.
Then the rebellion came along and caught
him aboard of the Monongahela, and the
chicken ranch still far away. He went
south in the ship and pitched 9-inch Dahl
gren shells at the Confederates the rest OF
the cruise"
Some drift-way must be given Mac in
making up the above statement, because
the ancient fellows of the deer, while being
straight IN their stories, are so filled
with the lively fancy and the vague mys-
tlcIsm OF the sea that they appear to yaw
around;the truth. Often they are accused
OF sailing wide when it is only due to the
variation OF their poor old compasses, and
the wash and sag OF weakened memory to
leeward.
However, the fall of Richmond found
Romer beginning a new three years en-
hstment, and he passed that ensuing six
and thirty months saying that he was end
ing his naval service forever.
That chicken ranch-the Mecca for
which. he had toiled by dav and of which
he had. dreamed by night-was coming
near and nearer. He never went ashore on
liberty and let every cent OF his pay re-
main on the paymaster's books. He made
close inquiries as to the complement of a
ohe-acre poultry farm, and the cost of
healthy hens daily ration. He delved
deeply into pathological history and be-
came so versed in bird-lore that he could
make himself understood by the fowls of
the air. At least this was the report about
the decks, and it was started by Sake
Fisher, the wisest person and the most in
eXhaustible talker in the ship, who said