The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-20
SAILORS PLEASURES.
Hobbies Ridden at Sea with Endless
PerSeVernncc.

Hobbies Ridden at Sea with Endless
Perseverance.
Frank 7. Bunen, in the London Leader.
on board ship"sailor's pleasure" is a well
understood term with only one meaning,
instead of the general catalogue that
might have been expected. 1t is the turn
ing out of the sea chest or donkey" the
sea name for overhauling the contents and
putting them back again 1t Is most sat
isfactory when chum looks on, to whom
you can tell the history of each article,
and who will refrain from injudicious
comment upon any photographs of your
lady friends. And, indeed, where a man
has been fairly steady and secretive the
old donkey often contains a most inter
| esting assortment of odds and ends. each
with matter for chat pertaining 90 1t, so
that a review of these treasures is quite
| a. pleasant way of passing an idle hour.
But, except in rare instances, most men
have some hobby or another which they
will ride with the utmost energy and per-
severance no matter what may be the
difficulties in the way. One of the chief
of these is model making. With no other
| tools but a knife and an awl made out Of
/
| out model worthy of place in any mu-
scum Entirely absorbed in their work,
| they will sacrifice much needed sleep
| white away in the bright moonlight of
| the tropics, and seem to have no other
| object in life but to turn out a piece Of
| carving that shall be a credit to their pa
| dent talents. The pathos of these labors
often lies in the fact that they are friend
| less men who have no one to give their
| pretty handiwork to-no one, that is who
will value it for the givers sake; and con-
| sequently these long elaborated models
may be found in great numbers in water
| side boarding houses and public house
| parlors-and in worse places. AS to sell
| ing them, l doubt IL the idea ever enters
| their heads. But doubtless the doing of
| the work is what his poetry was to Coler
| idge-its own exceeding great Teward-and
| the same may be said with truth of the
many directions in which the sailors in
genuity and industry find a vent.
One particular hobby that have car
| Iied to great lengths is the making OF
| photograph frames out of an enormous
number of tiny pieces of wood; one in
| particular that / remember contained over
| 5000 pieces of mahogany, pine, deal and
ebony, none of which were a quarter of
an inch in thickness and six inches long.
! There were openings for eight photographs
| and the whole fabric looked like a Gothic
months steady application in watches
below and at night to finish it, and then
| one night in port he got drunk, took It
| from its shelf in his bunk, and jumped
| on it, Another form Of pleasure largely
| INDUCED in is the making of mats. Some
men-only a few, though-will buy a few
| pounds of gayly coored carpet thrums
| from the ship chambers, and, begging
piece Of tarpaulin canvas from the sail
| maker or whoever has the power to grant
| the request will stitch the thrums into the
canvas in carefully designed patterns
| .eaving a pile when finished half an inch
| deep, the whole forming a most handsome
and durable hearth rug. Others however,
who cannot keep sober long enough while
ashore to lay in a stock of thrums and
vet must make mats use homey rome
| yarns and putting the best work into
| them for the love of it, produce doormats
! of a variety of patterns and the hardest
| wearing qualities Like the models, these
| fine pieces of work generally fall into the
hands of unworthy recipients who sneer at
| poor Jacks folly when he has gone to sea
again.
some men are never so happy as when
| mending clothes or transforming one gar
| ment into another 1t is positive pas
| sion with them. We had Swede OF
Gothenburg on board the Dartmouth on
| a China voyage who was remarkable
| instance of this. He could never resist
the temptation to steal piece Of canvas,
| new or second hand, although 1t must
| be admitted that he never had much
| chance 10 convey the former. But any old
| piece of canvas, as long IS II would hang
| together, he could not let pass him. He
would make 1t into a garment Of some
kind simple of itself for hot weather
| lined with threadbare cloth or flannel for
cold, yet at the same time he never lost
an opportunity of acquiring good, ser
viceable clothing as we'll
But not for wear. Canvas was his only
wear al sea, and his chief Of Joys TO open
his chest and g,oat over his accumulatlng
stock Of good garments. They We're 10
him what gold is to a miser, and he never
| seemed weary Of taking them out Of hi.
chest, unfolding them, passing them low
ingly through his hands and carefully
slowing them away again. He hadn't
much clothing when he came aboard, but
when on the conclusion Of our twelve
months voyage he was discharged in
London he had a splendid stock. lie
| went to the Sailors Home, having beer
paid off with f25, aud on the second day
got drunken than usual While in thi.
condition he demanded g from the bank
IN the home, where he had lodged his
money. They very properly refused IA
give il 10 him while he was drunk. which
so enraged him that he kicked up a ire.
mendcus row winding up by demanding
his entire balance Finding that reason
Ing with him did no good, the officials
1ali MIN out he len the home al once
and IA eight days after that / saw him
aboard Of an outward bound ship with