St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-10-19
How Jimmy Captured
a 1000 Ton Tramp o
BY PERcIE W. HART

THESE are very nice, my boy"
remarked the old merchant, as
he handed the charter-party copies
back to young Jimmy Evans. II like
to see them done so neatly and ruled
so correctly. Little things like that
add greatly to the reputation of our
office. Keep on as you're doing, and
we'll see if we can't make q first
class ship broker out of YOU"
The lads face flushed crimson
with mixed pleasure and embarrass-
ment, and, saying nothing, which was
q very good answer under the cir
cumstances, he fastened back to his
tall desk.
"Gee-whillikens!" CALCULATED Ralph
Conner, after Mr.. Greenland had left
the Office, 'I've been here over a year
now, and the old man has never
given me any such dose of taffy in
the whole time"
Good reason why" growled the
elderly Office manager, who could not
help overhearing the conversation of
the two lads. "You take whole day
to make one set of copies, what with
tearing up expensive blanks and be-
ginning again, and even then they're
SO smudgy and blurred that it's all
one can do to read, let alone admire
them. The trouble with you, Ralph
Conner, is that you don't understand
the meaning of what you are writing.
You go at it just as if you were a
parrot. Young Evans has pretty
nearly bothered the life out of me by
asking questions, but will say that
he seems to profit by what he is
told"
"I'm sure, I'm very much obliged,
Mr.. Waldron, for all your kindness
to me-" said Jimmy. II know that
I owe great"
''Oh, it's all right" interrupted the
manager. "Come over here and
check off these commission accounts
with me-"
At the close of this lengthy task,
young Jimmy fdgeted about mo-
ment or two, and then said:
"Mr. Waldron, may I ask"
Ralph Connor, over at the next
desk, commenced to smoker and
work one arm like a pump handle.
, The Office manager turned on his
high stool to glare at the humorist,
and then back to Jimmy, merely say
ing: "Well?'
"Er-may ask" repeated the boy,
nervously, "may I ask why Mr.. Gren-
hard is so excited about not getting
this 2,OOO-ton steamer charter?"
"Can't get the steamer" replied
around.
s'But there are lots of them in the
harbor," persisted the youth. "Why,
I saw dozens, when I came over in
the ferryboat from Jersey this morn
ing"
eyes, I dare say; but they're all
either liners or ready chartered"
said Mr.. Waldron, fussing with some
documents as he spoke. "You see,
the war in South Africa has made a
great scarcity in tramp steamships
at New York, as well as other ports.
The British government is using a
great many in its transport service.
I'll venture to say there are dozen
firms ready to snap up just such a
ship as we want the moment she ar
rives. I don't suppose you really
know what tramp steamer is"
'No, sir" said Jimmy, II do not.
I've always lived inland until we
came here, and am not posted on any
kind of shipping, very much; but now
that I'm in the business, I'm going
to learn all I can about them"
'sThat's right" returned the man
ager, admiringly. "Here's a little
pointer for you. now. A tramp
steamship is one belonging to no
regular line. but seeking cargoes
from one port to another, wherever
she can get them"
'md we have an order to charter
a 2,000-ton tramp steamship, and
have not been able to find one as
yet?" inquired the lad.
"Just so,'' assented Mr. Waldron;
"but what makes the thing worse is,
this order comes from our biggest
customer, and he declares that unless
we can secure the charter for him
by tomorrow morning, he will take
his business to another ship broker
age concern"
s.Whew!" whistled Jimmy, dole
fully.
$50 shouldn't wonder if we lost
our biggest account" went on Mr..
Waldron, sardonically.
"But such tramp steamer may
come into the harbor by tomorrow
morning" spoke up Jimmy, eagerly.
eyes, but if it should. how can we
be sure of getting her? The mari
time exchange serves us all alike in
the matter Of reporting arrivals.
Other brokers have the same show as
we do" observed the manager. And
he concluded by nodding his head,
significantly, over toward the piled
up work on the junior clerks desk.
Late that afternoon, Jimmy left
the office and fastened toward his