The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-07-20
THE TWO SHIPPERS
Remarkable Rivalry Of Cart, Davis and
Capt. Davies Of the Nellie B.

LIE 1VU OAu I END =
5:S: b s;,:, 3; ;ss s:s and
ssssseesssssssssseseeseess
GONE few, some 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 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 q
farm and raise things.
Theoretically this is all very fine; it
is supposed to act as an incentive to
faithful service over long series of
years, and to attach a man to his line,
and, above all, to his own ship. That
is 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 q 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 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
person can have much to do with the
sea and it's 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 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 officiousness
Then arise words which might be &C.
tionable ashore, and which even jal
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 right tc
expect decks to be clean and not such
filthys mess. It 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
off the dock. They know to dot wher
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 thu
bow when the ship is coming t.
her berth, and he cannot avoid thu
'sight of his predecessor on the pie1
head, watching the mistakes he makes
and commenting thereon with grea1
; distinctness and corresponding vigo1
of expression. That is the one great
joy of the retired mariners life. II
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 such a case as that
of the two shippers of the Nellie B., q
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 ixty7fourth in her. Cap'n Davis
the same name except one letter, and
leading to perpetual mistakes, was thu
master Of another bark belonging tt
the same owners, This bark wa.
burned at seq, and Cap'n Davis bought
one sixty fourth in Cap'n Davies bark
the Nellie b. aNeither'h had what is real
ly masters interest, and both set t.
work to buy an additional piece to MAKE
it up to one thirty-second. The two sue
ceeded just about the same time, ane
each insisted on his right to be the
master. 1t 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 piecemea]
to Cap'n Davis to help him get to be
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
cut down for coal barge. FINALLY Cam