Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1901-10-25
How Jimmy Captured
a 1000 Ton Tramp D
BY PERcIE w. HART
"THEsE are very nice. my boy"
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., .,s,s:s,s,s,s.s,ss

'aeh 10 young Jimmy Evans. 81 like |
10 see them done so neatly and ruled
SO correctly. Little things like that
add greatly to the reputation of our
once Keep on as you're doing, and
Wen see if we can't make first
eiass ship broker out Of YOU"
Inc lads face flushed crimson
with mixed pleasure and embarrass-
ment' and, saying nothing, which was
very good answer under the cir
cumstances, he FASTENED back to his
tall desk.
1ee-whillikens!" calculated Ralph
Ionnor, after Mr.. Greenland had left
the office, 1--WE been here over 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 a 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
Connor, is that you don't understand
the meaning of what you are writing.
You go at it just as IL you were a
parrot. Young Evans has pretty
nearly bothered the lfe-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. 81 know that
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 fidgeted about a mo-
mcnt or two, and then said:
"Mr. Waldron, may / 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
Eng: "Well?"
"Er-may / ask" repeated the boy,
nervously, may ask why Mr.. Grcn-
hard is so excited about not getting
IL . 10
Cant get the steamer" replied
the Office manager, without turning
around.
'But there are lots of them in the
harbor," persisted the youth. "Why
saw dozens, when / came over in
the ferryboat from Jersey this morn
ing"
"Yes, 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 q
great many in its transport service.
I'll venture to say there are a dozen
firms ready to snap up just such a
ship as we want the moment she ar
rives. don't suppose you really
know what a tramp steamer is"
mo, sir" said Jimmy, 81 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
20 learn all / can about them"
"That's right" returned the man
ager, admiringly. Heres n 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"
"And we have an order TO charter
G. 2,O00-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 hin
bv tomorrow morning, he will take
his business to another ship broker
age concern.N
"Whew!" whistled Jimmy, dole
fully.
$50 I shouldn't wonder IL 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
"Yes. but If it should. how can w
he sure of getting her? The mari
time exchange serves us all alike II
the matter of reporting arrivals
other brokers have the same show a
we do" observed the manager. Ant
he concluded by nodding his head
significantly, over toward the piled
mn work on the junior clerks desk.
late that afternoon, Jimmy lief
,be office and FASTENED toward hi
suburban home. In going to tn
ferry. he had to pass along portion
- West street, and became YER
,orcb excited on noticing certai
araft in the North river. The vesse
was heading inshore, and, evidently
los about 20 come alongside OF
dock. Any longshoreman, and hal
- The city landlubbers, could hav
told at a glance that she was pr
vate yacht, but Jimmy never asked
We was possessed with the insan
.aea that she was tramp steame
iust arriving. The question of he
yrohable tonnage bothered him.
"rp sure can guess whether sd