The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-08-19

as officers; for they are the material from
which the Yankee mate is constructed,
and as such must not be handicapped by
TOO strong a sympathy with men who
must spend their whole lives forward
The protection Of their morals afforded
by their seclusion from the men, though
strongly insisted upon by shippers and
owners is not obvious; sailors are very
ordinary class of working men, being
neither exceptionally good nor bad, and
their influence over boys in their com
pany is about the same as would be that
of other men living on shore. and will
certainly compare favorably with that of
the officers, who were once protected
boys, and whose duties and ethics now
require that they be a little more brutal,
cynical and profane than are the men
in the forecastle. Another, and a very
excellent and honest reason for giving the
boys a room by themselves is that a ira
dition of seafaring dating from antiquity,
and similar to the flag system of English
schools, makes it incumbent on the weak
hngs in the forecestle 10 do the mental
work in the watch below. This is Gus
tomary in the ships of all nations, where
a boy or ordinary seaman is in the fore
castle; he cleans up. fills the lamp, brings
the meals from the galley, and often
washes clothes for others when he ought
10 be asleep II does him no good, and
English ship owners were the first to rec
ognize h-American owners following suit
In the construction of the crews quar-
ters, but without adopting the excellent
apprentice system which makes it posi-
Bile for an English "gentleman's SON. TO
become a ships officer and remain gen.
tleman
The Ships BOY Is Kept Busy.
But. though a boy in an American ship
Is immune from ill-,reatment in the
watch-below-except from the inevitable
bully of the boys room-he receives his
fun share on deck while at work He Is
usually of an adventurous disposition or ne
would not be on board ship-and has OBJ
tained the berth through the influence or
family friends or relatives. He is very Of
zen a close student of the cheap nautical
literature which tells of The Boy cap
tain" THE Boy Mutineer," The Boy
Private" and such heroes. and goes on
board with a great many Things 10 uu-
learn before his mind will be in condliloh
20 receive and assimilate facts. He may
know in a general way the names OF the
masts some of the sails and ropes, ana
few Of the ships appurtenances; but he
finds his knowledge of little avail against
his colossal ignorance of what is required
of him, and until he learns. through cars
ings and bitter objurgations, how TO Keep
out of his own and the officers way, his
available for running errands for he does
not recognize the names of things he is
sent for, even when properly enunciated'
How can he, when no nautical dictionary
contains a half of the nouns and Phrases
In common use al sea? What can he make
OF this, roared at him at six feet distance
Hare, you, bo-o-y Gwan down TO the
lazer-hat m over n the wing yen ma
an caring. Bring It up" The order sin
telligibe only to a sailor-who knows That
the lazerette is down aft abaft the cabin
trunk; that lover n the wing is over TO-
ward the ships side. and that an earring
Is fathom OF two OF strong rope with an
eye spliced in one end, used for reehng
and for "gill-guys."
But the boy starts off for some indeh-
mite place. with a. hazy idea Of earrings
birds wings and hats suggested by the
officers pronunc ion ana must come "a
tremblingly for instruction. And what
must he bring. when sent for bump
stone" 10 assist In securing paint WORK
until he has learned that pumice stone
IS wanted.
Things He Has to Learn.
While he Is learning names and nouns
he is also learning 20 work-properly 10
place his hands on a ropo in pulling; how