The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-11-02

vision is not limited by high walls as in the narrow city streets. For this req son the floating Bethel is we'll attended when the finely appointed sailors head quarters ashore is empty.
 Captain Meeker, the lnstigator and founder of the floating Bethel is an old shlpmaster himself, one schooled in he nature and second nature of sailors and familiar with their needs and likinGs. When, with the assistance of friends, he bought and refurnished the old n-carrying canal-boat and made it into a seamans rendezvous, he pat termed the interior after the seaman's idea of comfort, and secured only such fittings and appurtenances as would make him feel at home and In famll- jar atmosphere. Everything is simple, cheery and not too fine for everyday use. We don't want any shore people on board" said the sailor janitor of the Bethel, in speaking of his charge. There's plenty of places for shore p, O. pie to go, and, indeed, there ain't many of them that tries to come, because we're sort of off to ourselves along this wharf, and it's quite a little walk to get to us" "Twenty years deep water" is the janitor's record, and he unites many offices and functions with his ostensible calling. The janitor's duty and pleasure ti is not only to keep the Bethel trim and in order, but to cook for the hungry, cheer up the discour- aged and down hearted, and tuck away the ailing out-at-elbows seaman some where in a friendly corner for a time until he can get on his sea-legs again.
 The janitor has decided and not-to- be-expressed opinion of two functiona- ries, who are ruling factors in the sail or's fate when he is ashore. These are 'the boarding master and his ally the runner" intrusted with the tactful business of supplying custom to the sailors clearinghouse. According to the janitors knowledge and belief, there are no words in the English lam guage strong enough to describe the arts and practices of these worthies when it comes to dealing with saIors. The young soldier sailor who has clambered down into the floating l'nth el to get the latest word as to the chance promised him to work his way to England breaks in here and says:
 "Supposing man signs in England for two years and comes direct to this port. His pay is 92 10s. The board ing-master, or his runner, goes aboard the ship out here in the bay and sug gests to the sailor that he could get twenty dollars a month just as we'll as not. Indeed, the runner knows of a | place on a certain ship for that money and advises the sailor to dodge his con- tract. Nine times out of ten the run ner has bottle of whiskey along to I aid his arguments, and is pleasant | spoken and friendly, so the sailor drinks and agrees to the proposition. He stays day or two at the boarding | house, and then the runner says: I've got your ship for you, and now for set ting up Every sailor gets his ad- | vance money as soon as he has signed, and the boarding-master charges him five dollars for cashing his advance note, five dollars for taking him off his | ship, five dollars for putting him in the new position, and five or six dollars for | board, and such clothes as he has bought from the clothing-dealer to whom the boarding-master introduced him."
 This case is not an exaggeration. There are many like 1t, and the board 1 ing masters way Is made easy, be- cause the sailor is proverbially reckless | when he has money, and keeps no ac- count of It. The Legal Aid society sometimes takes the sailors part when appealed to, and the board of commits i sioners for licensing boarding houses will also act in the matter, but often the sailor Is just about to board his ] ship when the settlement takes place and he has no time to make appeal. The management of the Bethel has pretty accurate knowledge of the char acter of the different houses of enter
 tainment that sailors frequent, and SC can look out for such men as they know and prevent their getting into scrapes.
 The letter-boxes at the floating Beth- el kept under lock and key, and packed full of letters, packages and documents uncalled for, indicate the large number of sailors who visit this port at regular intervals for time and then disappear Some of the unclaimed letters date back
 several years. They are from New
 Zealand, Japan, Germany all quarters
 of the globe, directed in manner and
 handwriting that indicate unfamilari-
 ty with American customs and Eng
 fish script. For a while after these letters arrive their owners names are posted on the BethePs walls, so that any visitor who might chance to know
 the whereabouts of a missing sailor
 could give information. Then, If un.
 claimed they are carefully filed. Here
 in New York, where they are wei 1 known, sailors sometimes disappear
 from their post of duty, passing from all local knowledge as completely anC
 mysteriously as to baffle search and in
 quiry. The janitor of the Bethel bears such blotted-out identities in mind, an6
 ayers that he is never surprised when
 some long-lost seaman turns up unex. pectedly to test his hospitality and take
 part in the social observances once
 more.
 The floating mission has stanch sup
 porters who supply it with pictures
 books and current papers and maga-
 zinees, and who use their influence tc secure volunteer musicians, readers an6
 story-telers to while away the long
 winter evenings. Regularly after eacf
 evening service, whether of religious oi
 secular nature, simple refreshments arc
 served. and the habitues gather about
 the stove to swap yarns and expert
 ences. These generally have a strong