St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-08-18
THE TWO SHIPPERS
Remarkable Rivalry OF Capt Davis and
Capt. Davies OF the Nellie r.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.


Sesssssssssssssssssessssss
GONE few, some very few indeed
- OF the not numerous American
lines of sea transportation have
system of retirement after long sery
ice, with the enjoyment of a life pen
sion representing a fair share of TIL
active wages last paid the retire'
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 tin
mid watch, namely, to retire to ;
farm and raise things.
Theoretically this is all very fine; j
Is supposed to act as an incentive Il
faithful service over a long series O
years, and to attach a man to his line
and, above all, to his own ship. Tha
Is just where the trouble comes in
the retired sailor gets so thorough!
attached to his own ship that he doe:
not know enough to let 60 all holds
and give his worthy successor fail
show. That is bound to be the cast
with the retired first mate. just q.
soon as he goes on the retired list hs
schemes to get passage on the first
voyage of the old ship, in order tha,
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 or 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 Re 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
II <,f h r,
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 pensioued predecessor is only too
glad to nose around and find a speck
of dirt under the long boat or to dis
cover q smudge of unwiped rotten
stone on the brass work. He il sure
TO report it to the new mate and get
a sharp retort for his officiousness.
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
.han 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
a filthy mess. 1t Is easy to see why
retired mates should be prevented
frcm taking pleasure trips on their
old vessels.
Even if they are stopped from voy-
aging there is no way of keeping them
off the dock. They know to dot when
the old boatis due in port again. and not
cabbages nor turnips. 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
distinctness and corresponding vigor
of expression. That is the one great
JOY of the retired mariners life. 1t
fills his soul with glee to watch his
successor doing the things he himself
did 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
iners there was never sach a case as that
OF the two shippers of the Nellie B.. a
snug BIZ of bark that sails out of this
port. Her only master for number
os years was Cap'n Davies, who owned
oae sixty-fourth in her. Cap'n Davis,
the same name except one letter, and
leading to perpetual mistakes. was the
master of another bark belonging to
the same owners. This bark was
burned at sea, and Cap'n Davis bought
cne sixty-fourth in Cap'n Davies bark,
the Nellie B. Neither had what is real
Is masters interest, and both set to
work to buy an additional piece to make
ii up to one thirty-second. The two sue
eeeded Just about the same time, and
each insisted on his right to be the
master. It was evenly divided, and
the managing owner said that he could
make no Division. On the quiet he sold
piecemeal to cap'n Davies to protect
his position as master, and piecemeal
20 Cap'n Davis to help him get to De
master; this was good thing for the
managing owner, for the Nellie B. had
not been paying for long time, and
he had been thinking of having her
tut down for coal barge. Finally Cap'n
Davies and Capn Davis had bought as