Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1898-04-21
A SEA CAPTAINS PAY.
THE MASTER OF BIG OCEAN STEAM
Err is NOT A PLUTOCRAT.

THE MASTER OF A BIG OCEAN STEAM
Err is NOT A PLUToCRAT.
Everything Considered He Is Poorly Paid.
False Stories Printed-Low Wages Given
Other officers For Onerous Duties-Pur-
ser and Surgeon.
1t is the general impression among |
those who do not know that the duties !
and responsibilities of the average skip |
per of a regular liner are as many and |
onerous as the successful bank president !
and that in addition his salary is just
as large. The responsibility of the one !,
is about as great as the other, but when
it comes to duties the sea dog has as a
rule much more to bear, while, unlike
the bank president, his salary is as
small as his duties are large. 1t may
surprise some of the regular transat
lantic travellers to learn that their beau
ideal CT q sea captain who in faultiess
gold lace goes about the deck laughing
and chatting with the tourists, patting
The half fare tots on the back and
doffing his cap to the rug clad occupants
of an easy steamer chair between the
time that he spends in his berth, in the
cbartroom or on the bridge, gets little
more money a month than the detective
sergeant or the average steamboat cap
tain. In many instances Mr.. Gold Lace
gets less.
Ono of the most successful lines run-
ming between this port and Europe pays
it's commodore, who has been over 20
years in this particular service, $50
month, or about $175. This is about $40
a week. The other captains in this line
are paid the equivalent of $125 for 80
days labor. Any number Of matter OF
no fact stories have been printed with
the object Of showing that the COM
manders of the great liners received III
some cases sums ranging from 81, 600
to $4,000 per year. But such talk is
| idle. There is not single captain on
the ocean who enjoys such an income.
That many of them deserve to is anoth-
er matter entirely.
| In an argument that master mariners
are we'll paid the point is advanced that
| the officers are fed while at sea and
even alongside the wharf with the best
! that the market affords and at the ex-
pense Of the steamship company. Yet
| so per cent Of these well fed gold laces
are married and have big families that
demand food, clothes and home either
here or abroad, whether Or not the ship
is in port. This establishment costs as
much while the master mariner is Oh
the bosom of old Neptune as it does
when he is playing dry cob at home for
a short period. His going Or coming
adds or deducts little from the general
cost.
There are few pursers on the Atlantic
who command q higher monthly salary
than SO. They must have years OF ex-
| perience, a host of friends and be 'toE
sawyers,'' as they say at sea, to COM
mand even this figure. Unlike the
stewards, and, in the majority of cases,
the ships surgeons, the purser is sci
dom made the recipient of a generous
tip. Nobody seems able to explain why
it is so, unless it be that the purser
handling all the money Of the voyage
which includes extra passage money
the receipts from the smoker made
through tho chief steward, the wine
bills from the tables, all amounting tt
} pretty large figure, is recognized a.
} the financial end of the floating hote
and SO treated accordingly.
The smoker and it's many attachments
are luxuries which the captain is no
permitted to enjoy, Or if permitted rare
ly INDUCES in. Any skipper who woult
make himself jolly good fellow in TIN
smoker would lose the confidence C
those under his care as fast as trou
} taking May fly. Not that his appear
: ance there would make him any less tin
sailor, but passengers fer some reasol
or another seem to believe that th
, only place for the master of their shil
is On tho bridge OR in the chartroom
And if they can picture him on thi
, bridge in oilskins and so'wester witt
the wind and sleet and ice clustering
around him so much the better to tn
. perfection of their idea of the practica
} and capable mariner.
Tho poorest PAD man IN an ohlc1a
capacity on great liner is probabl
, the surgeon. Some passengers have til
& opinion that as the company pays tn
ships doctor those using him Oh tri
are not supposed to give financial recog
: milton to his attention. It is true tina
none is obliged to, but he should. Th
demand Of doctor at SEQ is in noyels
different from that demand on land
| The steamship companies give q passen
: ger board, lodging and transportation 2
} cost that could not be equaled-on an
railroad Of The egs4.ts ARs When distance
accommodation and attention are cor
sidered. The luxury of q doctor, Will
generally forced. is at the same tune a
: | auxiliary OF sea travel for which til
company receives nothing, and which
when free medicines are included, a
they invariably are costs quite goo
deal. Experienced ocean travellers Sc
| dom forget the surgeon when necessit
& makes them call for his attention dun
ing trip. But these experienced tout
lists arc few and far between. -NeN
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