Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1897-10-20

@I1EEI3c$$ mean, and fancy
E7131}-I NJ' he maintains his
~ WIKI prestige in the cir
GSk1A'R-1- Ami Giles he frequents
+: f.: !: =: !; !: !: !; !: !:
N//IJIll tself-esteem and car
riage must be measured accordingly,
though often his stature but little eX-
ceeds five feet, says a writer in the
New York Post Technically, he may
have few superiors aboard. but his
lnnermost consciousness recognizes
none save the captain. For him his
veneration is absolute. He lords it
over the sailors, and as for the cook
give him your pity, for the steward will
show him little especially If he is black
and his superior lord of the galley but
half so.
The stewards day on big merchant
man begins about o'clock in the morn
ing Cook already is stirring and
serving coffee to the changing watches.
What a gloomy picture it forms. A
bleak morning somewhere down in the
southern ocean after hard night of
gales; the ugly, iron-colored, heaving
sea outside blurred against uglier iron
colored clouds-the forlornest waste
that human eye can look upon-and
the lonely dripping figures about the
wet decks showing drawn faces white
in the dirty gray light. The coming
dawn is only beginning to struggle out
of the awful night, and the day prom
Uses SO little worth the effort. No Won
der that the glistening yellow coats
group eagerly for the coffee before OIL
skins are cast off and boots turned
out to dry around the galley fire. Then
the steward goes to the captains room
with coffee. And the work of pre-
pairing breakfast for both cabin and
forecastle begins in the galley.
Soon after Z the steward waits on
the cabin table. He brings the food
from the galley in large basket, which
is deposited on the pantry floor; and
oh, the narrow escapes that he has in
crossing the main deck and lodging
seas on bad mornings; and the dis
asters that have overtaken that basket
on the days when the sea recognized
no ceremony in entering even the
sacred regions of the pantry What
a fascinating little cubby it is when he
is a good steward and everything in
his domain shines! Everything is so
compact and secured in such orderly
arrangement. There are lockers be-
meath the shelves; cupboards and shell
tered slowing places above and cups
in rows swinging from the ceiling.
What hiding places that astute man
contrives therein you discover if you
make night raids for food after his
busy day is over.
After breakfast the steward washes
the dishes, polishes the pantry again,
sweeps the cabin, puts that and the
captains room in order and cleans and
fills the lamps. This is no insignificant
function on a sailing vessel. Also he
is experimenting dinner preparations
and various other mysterious vocations
forward. When eight bells strikes he
comes into the cabin and mounts q
stool to wind the clock and put the
hands so many minutes forward OF
back, according to instructions. Direct
from the galley to the after house
bearing a soup tureen, with often g
dog or two, or perhaps cats a pig, OF
monkey forming a capering, shifting
appreciative escort. Quick and aler
he serves the dinner courses; Away.
with the badge of his office, towel
hanging over one arm. Take that away
and do not know where he would be
Whether it is dirty or not is unim
portant, but he must feel it's presence
Dinner out of the way, this man o
many calls is darting forward and at
until 2, when he appears on deck. o
wherever the voyagers are sitting, witt
tea. Then he disappears for time
and, let us hope, gets a nap. But
hearty hot supper is on table at 8, an
then follow more clearing and hustllne
At sunset the inside lamps are lighted
and he climbs the companionwsy wit,
a pinnacle light under each arm. b
this time 1t is the dog watch, and h
has time for a little "chumming" wit
the second mate, or If his dignity pei
mits to join or at least to watch, tn
singing, dancing and frollc going o
among the men forward, though brea
for morning is yet to BIO mixed. At
his labors end and he retlres earl,
:; always prepared, however, for an in
u Simultaneous turning out at any alarm
Nevertheless, have often though
!, that the stewards is the most enyabl
. position on the ship. There are n
long lonely hours for him. His day
must fly by. and meantime goodl