The Afro-American advance. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1899-19??, 1900-07-21
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
.THE5TWO5 SHIPPERS
Remarkable Rivalry Of Capt Davis and
Capt Davies 81 the Nellie y.
ssssssseseeesssssssssssss

Tres of sea transportation have @
system of retirement after long serv-
800 with the enjoyment of a life pen
sion representing fair share of the
active wages last paid the retired
mariner, This is far better than Sail
or's Snug Harbor, for it does not in
+erfere in the least with the ambition
which every sailor thinks out in the
mid watch, namely, to retire to a
farm and raise things.
theoretically this is all very fine; it
is supposed TO act as an incentive to
faithful service over long series of
wears and to attach man to his line,
and. above all, to his own ship. That
is just where the trouble comes in;
the retired sailor gets so thoroughly
attached to his own ship that he does
not know enough to let go all holds
and give his worthy successor fair
show. That is bound TO be the case
with the retired first mate. Just as
soon as he goes on the retired list he
schemes TO get passage on the first
voyage of the old ship, in order that
he may give the benefit of his advice
to his successor, either his old sec
ond mate promoted up, or else some
chief officer from some smaller ship
Of the line, who thereby gets an in
crease in pay. This is such an unfail-
ing source of trouble aboard that the
agents positively refuse to sell re-
tired mate passage on his old ship.
This leads to a conflict of scheming
intelligences, and sometimes the willy
mate succeeds in getting into the cab
in On that first pleasure voyage. Not,
however, if he sticks TO the simple
minded sailors subterfuge of writing
for passage for John johnson, for no
person can have much to do with the
sea and its affairs without discovering
the wear and tear that falls to that
alias.
II by hook or crook the retired first
mate can get off on that first voyage
after his retirement, the prospects are
bright that there will be a lively ship
He turns out in the morning, no mat
ter what the weather, and he is
promptly on hand to get his cup of
coffee at the galley door before the
hands turn to. The men for time
forget the change, and obey the old
mate through sheer force of long hab-
il, until at last some one happens to
remember that mere passengers are
not allowed to have Delaying pins, and
then the crew is apt to become cheeky
Nor is the new chief officer disposed
to take the interference in good part.
/ Ia al fu A1xF 40
glad to nose around and find a speck
II dirt under the long boat or to dis
over smudge of unwiped rotten
stone on the brass work. He is sure
10 report IL to the new mate and get
sharp retort for his, offieiousness.
Then arise words which might be ac-
tionable ashore, and which even jar
the stout sea air. The active mate is
apt to suggest that passengers on deck
are expected TO have no views higher
than ring toss and Switchboard. And
the mate emeritus is sure to retort
that even passengers have a right to
expect decks to be clean and not such
filthy mess. 1t is easy to see why
retired mates should be prevented
from taking pleasure trips on their
old vessels.
Even IL they are stopped from voy-
aging there is no way of keeping them
of the dock. They know TO dot when
the old boatis due in port again and not
eabbages nor turHips, nor yet the whole
farm, can keep them away at that
time. The station OF mate is at the
bow when the ship is coming to
her berth, and he cannot avoid the
sight OF his predecessor on the pier
head, watching the mistakes he makes.
and commenting thereon with great
distinetness and corresponding vigor
Of expression. That is the one great
Joy of the retired mariners life. lei
fills his soul with glee TO watch his
successor doing the things he himself
cid for so many years, and to feel the
glow Of satisfaction when he assures
himself that the new man does not
begin to come up TO him in all-around
efficiency.
But in all the annals of retired mar
iasrz there was never such a case as that
q the two shippers Of the Nellie B., a
meg bit of a bark that sails out of this
port Her only master for number
FEARS was Cap'n Davies, who owned
one sixty-fourth in her. cap'n Davis
ies same name except one letter. and
leading to perpetual mistakes. was the
Master of another bark belonging to
he same owners. This bark was
oafned at sea, and Cap'n Davis bought
cue sixty-fourth in Cap'n Davies bark.
the Nellie B. Neither had what Is real
masters interest, and both set to
work to buy an additional piece to make
Up to one thirty-second. The two sue
SEEDED Just about the same time. and
zach insisted on his right to be the
Master. In was evenly divided. and
Use managing owner said that he could
1Ake no DIVISION On the quiet he sold
eesneal 10 Cap'n Davies TO protect
position as master. and piecemeal
apn Davis 80 help him get 10 be
-AsseF: this was good fhiEg for the
anaging owner. for the Nellie u. had
been paying for q long time, and
nac been thinking OF having her
sseewn fer coal barge. Finaiiy Cap'n
%4t1eN ana Em~An MT N1