The San Francisco call., 1896-02-23

pack to the times when our wharyes and
pay were crowded with magnificent ships,
from the peaks of whose monkey gaffs the
starry banner so proudly waved.
among the few that are still with us
may be mentioned the names of Tommy
Chandler, Charley and Billy Mccarthy,
Billy Hart and big John Rogers. Chan.
dler has long since retired from the sailor
business. For years he was q shipping
master, and is now faithful and trusted
employe in Uncle Sans internal revenue
department.. Charley Mccarthy is the
proud skipper at shipping office, and is
rolling in wealth. Billy Hart wears broad
cloth, sports diamonds and collects his
rents, while necessity compels big John
Rodgers TO stick to his whitehall boat. He
used to get $75 and $1O0 apiece for sail
ors; he now gets So or may be 81 for man.
Big John IS character in his way. He
IS still one of the noted men of the water
front-huge framed, deep chested and big
listed. He is very tall, measuring several
inches over six feet. His great big shoul-
ders are as round as those of bookworm,
and be wears shoe that is big enough to
make coffin for siX-month-old babe.
He has face that resembles lager beer
in color and upon his upper lip he sports q
mustache, the hairs of which are as stiff
as the bristles that grow on pigs back.
John is a good sailor, having served his
can imagine his weight coming down on
the topsail halyards when orders were
given to take an extra swing on that rope.
He made many voyages across the western
ocean in the old-time packet ships and to
| the East Indies. When Peter Hopkins
was Sheriff he put John in command of
the County Jail, the inside of which he
! kept as clean as the deck of a clipper ship.
/ 1t was while looking after the welfare OF
murderers' row that Johns seamanship
| came into play, for he presided in person
at all the hangings. He rigged the gallows,
| rove the rope, made the hangman's knot
! and adjusted the moose around the cul-
prit's neck in such a way that when the
! trap fell there were no bungling drops for
the sensational newspaper reporter to
write about He is generosity itself and
/ is poorer In pocket to-day that he was
/ when, forty years ago, he landed on LON
/ bard-street wharf, for then he received
the few months wages that were due him
from the ship in which he arrived.
/ Well, to make long story short, we
/ passed the Farallones about d. ay break with
.skysalls and st'unsails set allow and aloft
and carrying with US the slashing north
| wester that we picked up a few days before
when suddenly the lookout on the gallant
! TO ksle reported small boat right ahead
! In an instant she was under our lee bow
| and before we had time to throw him 8
rope her single occupant had caught on to
| our main chains with the hook of hi:
/ painter and he had climbed up over the
! bulwarhs and jumped in on the main
deck. This early morning visitor was none
other than big John Rodgers. referred tc
above. Being Hercules in size and the
familiar way in which he said, Come
boys, take drink" at the same time he
| pulled from the pockets of his monkey
| jacket two big. black bottles that were full
! of waterfront whisky, attracted our atten
| tion at once.
! The bottles were soon drained. There
WASH It enough left to wet the bo' sons lips
! after fighting to get the bottle. The pilot
! boat had not yet hove in rig ht, and mixing
among us, John said: Boys, I'm in the
sailor business. keep house, come with
me, I'll do the right thing by yes. You
can have good time ashore and when
you get ready to ship again Pll get you q
ship and give you good outfit.
We re all going to leave" spoke up
some of the sailors, "but none OF us are
going back to sea. We all want something
10 do ashore. You see we are very religious.
and the captain tells us that our services
III be IN demand ashore"
"Oh, that's all right, boys" said John
without smile. 81 can't get YES work
ashore as you see I'm in the sailor business.
but know man as will get yes all nrst-
class jobs ashore. He's warm friend of
mine. Pay no attention to the other run
ners that II come off by and by. I'll in.
troduce yes to my friend and then it II
be all right"