The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-07-19
OCEAN TRAVELLERS.
Natural characteristics Seem to be Brought
Out by the Sea Air.
New .lori Press.


one Of the big ocean liners the other
day, "thcrc isn't any other business
.hat can give one in twenty years the
experience in reading character that
man can get in six months as officer
Of one Of the popular transatlantic
boats. and he wont have to neglect
his duties to get it, either, for there
is something about the sea that re-
axes people and lets their true natures
shine out.
II have carried more freaks across
thc ocean than one could find in all
:hc dime museums Of the country put
Ogethcr. 1t seems to me that there
IS no type of civilized creature that
doesn't some time or other find its
way on board Il boat for Liverpool,
from the thin-lcgged dude with the
sloping forehead, who always wears
gloves on deck and changes his clothes
four times day, to the little earnest
faced girl missionary who is going to
waste her youth and sweetness in
trying to convert iiottentots i'll suInc
outlandish place in Africa.
Failing in love. however, is a sub
jcct on which u sea captain can give
points to most anybody. There is
something about the sea that beats
spring all hollow in making Il young
man $ fancy lightly turn to thoughts
of love- can tell from the droop Of
young fellow cyclid which particu
lar girl he is going to fall in love with
for the voyage. On one trip had
bet with the mate that on the first day
could pair off half dozen couples
who would be promcnading the hnrri
cane deck in the moonlight on the
fourth night out. and | struck it right
in every case but one and that par
ticular girl was SO scasick that she
couldn't come on deck. In finding
out hidden afiinities Il seaman can give
cards and spades to any matrimonial
agent above ground. There are sew
cral happy families that invite me to
dinner with them nearly every time l
am in New York on the strength Of
their match having been made on
board my ship.
Though the seaman always has
soft spot in his heart for lovers, they
are not nearly as interesting to the
student Of human character as some
Of the other types Of ocean travelling.
The captains betc noir is the man
with the weather beaten face, who
seems to be crossing the sea with the
sole purpose of watching the log and
giving the captain advice as to the
best way of sailing tho ship. If the
log posted up at noon on the main
companionway shows ten miles less
than schedule time the self-appointed
adviser seeks out the captain and sug
gests hauling up the sheets. Snub-
bing has no effect on him. He haunts
the foot Of the stairs leading to the
bridge rs if pining to get his hands on
the wheel.
Another ubiquitous type is the
man who pridcs himself on the fact
that he is never seasick. He is ag
gressively and provokingly we'll when
everybody else on board is i'll and
helpless, and he expatiates cloquently
on his theory Of eating as much as
possible on all occasions as a never
failing preventive. Heis particularly
vivid when picturing the joys of beef
steak and onions to pale and squeam-
ish ladies who have managed to drag
themselves on deck after days Of
misery below stairs.
"On every ship there is sure to be
one girl whose special vanity is pair
of beautiful feet. She is generally
rather plain otherwise; but the happy
combination of rather slfort skirt
and windy deck gives her chance
to display her good points. She wears
the finest Of shoes with the highest Of
French heels. and lis wonder that
she doesn't fall and break her neck;
but she manages somehow to glide
over the most slippery deck and take
her favoritc position. with one dainty
foot slightly elevated on the lowest
rail and the breeze blowing her skirt
away from the other trim little ankle.
The prcttiest girl on the ship isn't in
it with this girl as far as the young
men arc concerned.
In marked contrast to the girl with
the feet is the amateur palmist. She
is generally pretty girl, with melt
ing, soulful eyes and white hands.
Her nails arc always manicurcd to the
queens taste. She generally begins