The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-07-09
WOULD YOU
Be PURSER2
Strenuous Life of Mr..
Rennie Of the
Mongolia.

Ii the ordinary IandSnlan dOeSll "
| 1ieve that the life of the purser on
big ocean liner IS not strenuous, Just
visit that officials cabin when a steamer
docks at any wharf in Honolulu and
watch him for few minutes.
Purser Rennie of the Pacific Mail
steamship Mongolia is a man, long-sut-
fering, good natured, affable, courteous
and all other things which go to show
| the right man in the right place, but
when his vessel arrives alongside the
| Naval Dock his troubles begin. His
cap tits back on his head, his forelock
hangs down over his forehead limp and
woe-begone, and a weary expression
turks under his eyelids. 1t is then that
| he becomes busy.
While the steamer lies off port the
! Customs and Inln1igrations' inspectors
! board the vessel-sometimes a news
paper man or two The biggest man on
! board to them is Purser Rennie, not
| only in avoirdupois, but in rank, and to
him they make a rush. His cabin IS
invaded Out from tin case come his
rlanifests and a myriad of officially
stamped documents. The Customs man
goes over them, stamps them with the
authority of Uncle Sam. While the
Customs man is doing this, Rennie IS
attempting to look after the wants of
the immigration man and spreads out
big blanket-1ike documents before him
showing who and how many people are
aboard The newspaper man meanwhile
has taken the most comfortable seat in
the small, cramped ofice-for the Mon
go1ia purser has about the smallest cub
by-hole of an Office to be found on any
Pacific passenger liner-and is itching
to inquire for news.
Purser Rennie knows what he wants
and fishes out a souvenir passenger list,
box of fine cigars, a bottle of tansan,
a box of matches and perhaps pencil.
The purser keeps rp three conversations
at once and by this time the steamer IS
about docking. The first question the
purser generally has to answer is this ::
what kind of trip did you have,
Mr.. Rennie?"
ooh, fair, nothing doing-oh, yes, we
hit some stormy weather on the ocean
| somewhere, nothing to speak of, but
yes, Mr.. Custom House, I have it right
here, didn't l give you that paper
| Mr.. immigration inspector-and we
carry about 1900 tons of cargo for
'Frisco-oh, the passage, easy sailing
ali the way across. We-boy, here,
| boy" Ga Chinese waiter was passing the
door, bring me three bottles of Tan
san and three glasses; oh, here's another
one, bring four bottles and four glasses
you savve, four piece each kind, quick.
No, nobody of great importance this
trip-well, yes. there's the eighth Assist
ant director of the Museum of Osaka,
good man to see; yes, here's third assist
ant secretary of State-Mr. Peirce-been
to Philippines, Jap-hey. boy, l said
| four piece Tansan, you save only bring
two-hnished Mr.. Custom house?-
alright, that's good-EIello, Louis, yes,
! I've got the mail receipts right here,-
have cigar, Louis, just your kind and
size
Now here's the Count So-and-So and
Count So-and-So, Italians, going around
. the world, two families of missionaries ;
this man is a wealthy tourist-repre-
sentative of steamship company-wife
of another (pointing to various names)
"a lot of wealthy japanese going to
oil ~ Il
Louis? Here boy tack this paper up
row mornin," and SO he goes through
the whole list
A rush is heard on the saloon stairs
and suddenly the doorway of the cabin
is blocked by Honolulans-hotel men,
, newspaper men, various officials, army
! and navy, men and women of varied oc-
! equations, for the steamer has locked,
the gangway lifted and the vessel is
invaded.
rs this the purser's Officer" sweetly.
Eyes, ma am
as Miss Brown aboard?"
'No, ma am"
well" challengingly, "she was to be
aboard-are you sure she is not on the
f! ship"
| Sure, ma'am."
rs Mr. Starter here?"
Eyes"
as he aboard?"
Il don't know, I'm sure"
well, how am l to find out ?"
well, his room number is co."
''Mr. Green, yes, he's a passenger
| don't know, maybe he's ashore. Here,
| Banks, is a letter for you; tell Jones,
| Guggins, All See and the steward I've
| got letters for them.
yes, Madam, I'm the purser, but
| you'll have to see Mr.. Klebahn about
your room"
We'll, l want to be sure to get room