Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-09-21
THE W SHIPPERS
Remarkable Rivalry of Capt. Davis and
Capt. Davies OF the Nellie B,



COME few, ZONE very few indeed
y OF the not numerous American
lines of sea transportation have q
system Of retirement after long serv-
ice, with the enjoyment of a life pen
sion representing a 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
terfere 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 a long series OF
years, and to attach a mar to his line,
and, above all, to his ship. That
is just where the trouble 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 a fair
show. That is bound to be the case
with the retired first mate. Just as
o o as he goes on the retired list he
schemes to get a 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 a 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.
If 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 a time
forget the change, and obey the old
mate through sheer force of long hab-
it, 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.
His pensioned predecessor is only too
glad to nose around and find a speck
of dirt under the long boat or to dis
cover a smudge of unwiped rotten
stone on the brass work. He is sure
to report it to the new mate and get
a sharp retort for his oficiousness.
Then arise words which might be &C.
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 if they are stopped from voy-
aging there is no way of keeping them
of the dock. They know to a dot when
the old boatis due in port again, and not
cabbages nor turnips, nor yet the whole
farm, a keep them away at that
time. The station Of a 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
and corresponding vigor
expression. That is the one great
Joy of the retired mariners life. 1t
ills his soul with glee to watch his
successor doing the things he himself
lid for so many years, and to feel the
ylow of satisfaction when he assures
that the new man does not
begin to come up to him in all-around
efficiency. au
But in all the annals Of retired mar
ners there was such a ease as that
4 the two shippers Of the Nellie B., a
mug bit Of a bark that sails out of this
bort. Her only master for a number
# years was Cap'n Davies, who owned
me sixty-fourth in her. Cap'n Davis,
he same name except one letter, and
to perpetual mistakes, was the
Master of another bark belonging to
he same owners This bark was
'urned at sea, and Cap'n Davis bought !
me sixty-fourth in Cap'n Davies bark, !
L. HJ>11s~ % NNoskho - lnS --l.A /