Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-07-21

GONE few, some very few indeed,
- of the not numerous American
lines of sea transportation have a
system of retirement after long serv-
ice, with the enjoyment OF 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
terfere in the least with the ambition
which every sailor thinks out in the
mid watch, namely, to retire to &
farm and raise things.
theoretically this is all very fine: IL
is supposed to act as an incentive to
faithful service over long series oi
years, and to attach q man to his line
and, above all, to his own ship That
As 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 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 re-
tired mate passage on his old ship.
This leads to a conflict of schemins
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 of on that first voyage
after his retirement, the prospects are
bright that there win be 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-
1T, 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 dirtvuider 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 officiousness.
Then arise words which might be ac-
tionablc 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
a 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
OFT the dock. They know to dot when
the old boats due in port again, and not
cabbages nor turnips, nor yet the whole
farm, can 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
distinctness and corresponding vigor
Of expression. That is the one great
JOY Of the retired mariners life. IT.
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
liners there was never such a case as that
of the two shippers of the Nellie B.,
snug bit of a bark that sails out of this
port. Her only master for number
OF years was Cap'n Davies, who owned
one sixty-fourth in her. Cap'n Davis,
the same name except one letter, and
leading TO percetual mistakes. was the