The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-01-12
NO ROMANCE IN III.
NO MUSIC OR HoRNPlPE IN THE LIFE
OF THE MODERN SEAMAN.

Bitter disappointment Followed an inves'
tigation-sailors Who Work. Eat and
Sleep and Are Devoid of All Ambition
A Hard and Hopeless Life.
NY earliest and strongest impressions
of seafaring life were gained by watching
the eyolutions Of her majesty's ship Plna-
fore while she lay in the dry dock in Phil
adelphia, and although my ideals have
been somewhat shaken by seeing the deck
hands of the transatlantic steamers l re-
tanned the notion that the counterpart OF
my old friends would be found aboard
sailing vessels But that dream is over.
The first sh * came soon after leaving
port, when Did the captain that he was
to teach No. " TO dance the hornpipe.
He said that he didn't know how, and,
moreover, had never seen any one who
did. l replied that / was not from the
country, but he solemnly assured me that
he was telling the truth and called upon
the second mate TO bear him witness. The
latter, after much reflection, recollected
that he had once known a sailor who could
dance hornpipe, but couldn't remember
whether it was on voyage 10 the East
Indies or while he was ''in steam" on the
Mississippi. Further inquiry proved that
no one else had ever witnessed such per-
Torrance.
This was not the most bitter disappoint.
ment, however l am not a great lover OF
music, but it seemed to me to be a neces-
sary part Of a sailors existence that he
should scamper merrily about and pour
forth tho gladnoss 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
penguin is cheerful by comparison.
Indeed l have come TO the melancholy
conclusion that the flavor of romance oyap-
Grated with the first generation of sea
men. 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
expressive of more energy than Mark
Twain's famous diary, but would partake
Of the same simplicity. 1t would read,
Worked ate and slept" Work begins
when they are driven aboard by their re-
spective keepers and ceases when the YES
sci arrives at her destination, so that the
time occupied in eating and sleeping is
their only respite. In heavy and squally
weather there is also constant pulling Of
sails 1t is then that their abilities in that
moDkeyliko accomplishment of climbing
the riggings are tested. As you stand on
deck in a heavy gale and watch all hands
upon one of the yardarms furling a sail
you begin to put some faith in Darwin's
theory concerning the origin of mankind
In fine weather their duties are of differ
ent sort. They then turn painters, car
penters and jacks Of all trades. Holy |
stoning," scraping, painting and varnish |
ing go on until the ship looks as IL she |
were just off tho drydock.
Sometimes in an idle moment or in a |
fit of temporary insanity sailor decides
TO wash a shirt or red bandanna. One day
during heavy rain this madness became
epidemic, and after closing tho "scuppers" |
all hands got upon the deck and proceeded |
to wash their clothes with a small piece of |
soap with large question mark.
We're they as well treated on all vessels
as they We're on the Standard they might |
possibly learn to take care Of themselves
when ashore. 1t is indeed case Of out of |
the frying pan into the fire, for when they |
escape from the rule of more or less severe /
ipllo0lNiS Nltl luNt ilOb llb eGllSb 10
keep out Of tho way of boarding house run
ners and the like If they would only keep |
their wits about them and make up their |
minds to defend themselves in an honest |
way, they could not fail to better their |
condition. They sometimes entertain |
themselves by Sinking work at the latter
part Of the passage and by damaging the |
rigging just before saying farewell.
They never lose the sheeplike appear
ince with which they come aboard, going |
Ibout in flock at the beck and call of the /
,fiicers. The watch may be forward pull. |
ng at some ropes when they hear, Come
'ft, two o YER" and Immediately replying,
Come aft, two o. ycrl" they shuttle in a /
)ody in that direction. Ia nothing are
ailors more obliging than in regard to |
heir names. 1t matters not what they are
Dick, Ilarry-all arc the |
anne TO them as long as each has sepa-
ate one. When two happen to claim the /
anne name on their arrival, each tries to |
utdo the other in Dobly sacrificing it to |
lis companion. Truly they are believers
n the poetical theory concerning the rose
nd can see nothing in name.
Bringing up the rear in the ships COM
ANY came the animals. Besides pig we
eft port with an army Of chickens, cats |
nd rats, Of which the latter were by far
he most numerous The chickens went /
III too soon, the cats departed save two, |
nut the rats remained faithful to us. The |
urviving cats were natives OF Boston and |
bowed great fondness for baked beans |
nd brown bread. 1t was just as well |
hat their comrades did not live, for they |
we're all possessed with hearty appetites |
nd doubtless would have proved q very |
oyere tax upon our supply of provisions. |
When the bell sounded, these creatures ap-
feared from their various hooks and cor |
lers to demand meal in as many differ
mt keys.-Edward Porter in Philadel- |
,hia Times.
Gum Chewing.
The visible working Of the laws in chew