The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1897-09-24

WAas U4s Duties Aro-Course Of Life
81 IN . Ship In Fort.


~ = Ship In Fort.
New York Sun: The shipkeeper ia the
'caretaker Of the ship while she is in port.
He is likely to be man who has fol-
lowed the sea; It may be In the employ of
the house whose vessel he now looks
after. He may have sailed before the
mast or he may have been a mate or
perhaps the master OF ship. Every
'firm OF large shipowners or shipping mer-
chants has a shipkeeper Of its own, who
may have been thus employed by the
same house for years.
The ,6hipkeeper goes aboard sometimes
when the ship arrives in the harbor, but
usually when she Is first tied up to the
wharf. The crew Is discharged the min.
ute the ships lines are made fast. and tho
'captatn:goes very soon, 1t is likely on tho
same day. The chip may have come from
ia China voyage, or voyage to some
other tdistantsse and have been gone
for months. and he starts for home az
soon as he 'can-down East 'or wherever
It may 'be-there to remain until the ship
is nearly ready for sea again. Then the
shipkeeper Is left In charge Of the ship
Fte fs sometimes the sole occupant. but
most owners keep one other person, q
man or; a boy, aboard. II the additional
person In man 1t is likely to be the
ships carpenter or one Of the crew en-
ployed for that purpose. The shipkeeper
lives aboard of the ship until she goes to
sea again. He may cook and eat all Of
his meals aboard. or II there ia res
taurant close at hand ashore. he may
tget his dinners there. He sleeps aft. He
ne takes his choice Of the rooms Of the
mate and the second mate, this being the
custom on the beach.
The 1hipkeeper IL the Waterman Of the
ship and he looks after her in many ways
and sees that no harm comes to her. He
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blocks, on deck and that no injury Of any
kind 10 done to her inboard; and ne sees
that no harm befalls her from tugs or
Aghters'or other craft. And he keeps the
ship in 'order. He 10 more than likely to
be man who knows q ship allow and
aloft, and to take sailors pride In her.
ana q personal pride In the ships Of the
house that employs him. There are ship
keepers who are not over nice, shipkeep-
ers are just like other people in this re-
spect; but % a rule. they keep their ships
In perfect ordsr.
Suppose yon see in South street fine
ship that takes your fancy and you walk
down the wharf to go aboard Of her. II
you Ind the gangway leading up to her
side bright land clean, not even any dust
on 1t, the manrcpe O fresh, bright bit of
rope. brass manrope stanchion planted in
the rail handsomely polished. strips Of
canvas,la upon the brass-covered treads
Of the steps leading from the gangway
platform up to the rail Of the ship. upon
the brass-covered rail itself, and upon
tho steps down to the deck within. why
1t really wouldn't be necessary to look
any further to know what kind Of ship.
keeper was aboard here. But IL you look
down the auarterdeck into the waist Of
the ship you will see there broad ex-
panse OF deck as clean as any floor. II
you go forward and look, say, into the
hosting engine house. you find the engine
and the tank and the room itself newly
and tastefully painted and everything in
perfect trim. Look into the galley and
you will find that just the same; as clean
4 kitchen as any you ever saw. ati0nt cY
ashore. 1t IL just the same everywhere
about the ship; the white paint is hite
and the brasswork is bright; and the
cabin 70 in perfect order: and the veteran
shape is proud of her. as he has per-
feet right to be. She may have been tied
up at three or four wharves, at as many
different points around the harbor, tow.
ing here and there, and discharging or
taking on cargo, but she's kept as trim
and handsome as though she were ON ex-
'hibition.
The ship is deep in the water when the
sshtpkeeper first steps over the rail; he
Il sees her rise as they take the cargo out
.Df her. until she IL light, and stands, on
high tides. with her side high above the
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weeks. There may be days or longer
periods when there is nothing doing
:aboard. Of ther except what he does him.
self, when 1.-THE ship IL silent; but sooner
sor later they begin to I'LL her up again,
land from that on there is more or less
life aboard ,of her and alongside.
A week nor ten days before the ships
sailing day the captain comes to town.
He visits the owners Office, and eoes
down and sees the ship. He looks after
her stores and whatever other business
he may have to attend to. All this time
as the ship fills up she IL going down in
the water again. Two or three days be-
fore she sails the riggers come aboard
and bend her sails.
The crew was discharged the minute
she tied up; the new crew Doesn't go
aboard until the last minute before she
sails. It may be that the mate, the ex.
ecutive officer of the ship. comes aboard
late. He must know where everything
Is. and the shipkeeper can tell him. Thus
1t happens that sometimes the shipkeeper
goes down the bay with the ,taip and
comes or with the pilot; but Oftener hii
duty IL ended and he steps ashore ,as thS
al1p leaves the wharf.
The Suburban 1uvenile EAaA
"Are youae richT
''Maw."
''Youse are1 Youse owns four hey.
cleS an cit yours Washin' done out