New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-06-03
THE TWO SHIPPERS.
,,-u.RKABLE RIVALRY OF CAP'N DAVIS
AND cAPN DAVIES, OF THE NELLIE b.

1 s,r,, very few indeed. OF the not
American lines Of sea transportation
- s,o7o ~ retirement after long service,
-, ~, ,,,iovD,ent Of life pension represent
= ,oir share OF the active wages last paid
.;5 mariner This is far better than
-.,.-.s Srue Harbor. Tor ii does not interfere
: tho least with the ambition which every
10y thinks out in the mid watch namely, to
.,ire 10 A farm and raise things.
Theoretically this is all very fine; il is sup
.osas ~ act as an incentive to faithful service
rer A long series Of years. and to attach man
- his line and. above all. to his ship. That
: inst where the trouble comes in; the retired
.oror gets SO thoroughly attached to his own
lin that he does not know enough to let go all
s,,ss and give his worthy successor a fair show
Thai Is bound 10 be the with retired first
mate Just as soon he goes on the retired
-, he schemes to get passage on the first
cvage Of the old ship in order that he may
-=re the benefit Of his advice to his successor.
,.her his old second mate promoted up. else
or,e chief officer from some smaller ship of the
line who thereby gets an increase in pay This
q, s,cb an unfailing source Of trouble aboard
that the agents positively refuse TO sell re
tired mate passage on his old ship. This leads
a a conflict Of scheming intelligenceS. and
s,uetimes the willy mate succeeds in getting into
the cabin IN that first pleasure voyage. Not,
however Il be sticks to the simple minded
sailors subterfuge Of writing for passage for
J5hn Johnson for no person can have much to
10 with the sea and its affairs without discover
ing the wear and tear that falls TO that alias.
II by hook or crook the retired first mate can
~ of "a hat first voyage after his retirement
me prospects are bright that there viii be a
lively ship He turns out in the morning, nc
natter 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 q
time forget the change and obey the old mate
through sheer force If long habit until at last
some one happens TO remember that mere pas
ange.s are not allowed to heave delaying pins
and then the crew is apt to become cheeky.
Nor IS the new chief officer disposed to take
me Interference in good part His pensioned
predecessor is only too glad to nose around and
find a Speck Of dirt unde, the long boat or Il
discover a smudge of unwiped rotten stone or
he bTaSswork- He is sure to report it to the
new mate and get a sharp retort for his Off
sousness. Thence arise words which might be
action3ble ashore and which even jar the stout
sea air The active mate is apt TO suggest that
passengers on deck are expected to have nc
views higher Than ring toss and Switchboard
And the mate emeritus is sure to retort that
eFen passengers have right to expect decks To
be clean and not such a filthy mess. 1t is easy
10 see why retired mates should be prevented
from taking pleasure trips on their old vessels.
Even II they are stopped from Voyaging there
S no way Of keeping them off the dock They
know a dot when the old boat is due in port
again, ana not cabbages nor turnips, nor yet the
whole farm can keep them away at that time.
ship is coming to her BERTH and he cannot avoid
he sight Of mis- predecessor on the pier head,
watching the mistakes he makes and comment
ing thereon with great distinctness and CORE
spending Vgor of expression. That is the one
great JOY Of the retired mariners life; it fills his
soul with sIee 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 mariners there
vas never such a case as that Of the two skip
pers II the Nellie T.. snug bit Of bark that
sails out Of this port. Her only master for a
number If years was Cap'n Davies, who owned
one sixty-foUrth in her. Cap'n Davis the same
name except one letter and leading to perpetual
mistakes was the master of another bark be-
longing 10 the same owners This bark was
burned at sea, and Cap'n Davis bought one
aKty-fourth in Capn Davies's bark, the Nellie
B. Neither had what is really a masters inter-
est and both set 10 work to buy an additional
Piece to make IL up to one thirty The two
succeeded just about the same time, and each
irer