The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-10-17


III takes = diplomat 70 hold that
mans position" remarked the ira
cabin agent for a prominent steamshp p
line. nodding bis head in the direction
or a portly chap who was just leaving
the Office "He is the chief steward oi
one Of our fastest steamers. and upon
him and the purser devolves the task
Of dealing directly with exactiug pas.
sengers during the voyage. The Cap
tain Is saved this annoyance because ne
sun always slead his duties on the
bridge. and no one may approach his
catin without making an appointment
through hts steward But The chief
steward Office is always open to vlsit.
ofs and complaints.
The inexperienced woman traveller
IN particular makes 81 lively for the
chief steward. lie is her confident and
the open page on which sne writes all
her worries. For instance. last trip.
Just after the beat had passer Sandy
Hook Lighthouse, nervous. elderly
woman entered the chief steward.
room with her itinerary in hand.
Are you the chief steward? Yesl
Well, can you tell me whether we viii
land at Cherbourg in time for me 70
catch the o'clock train into Paris?'
"Just for a second our man was
knocked out. But he pulled himself to.
gether. With grave face he drew
from his desk a book printed in Ger
man, which might have been taken lor
a huge railway guide and time card.
He ran ms finger down list Of figures
which looked like hours and minutes
and then, turning to the caller, he re-
marked politely:
" Il can hardly answer for our meet
ing the l ocl~ \ train, but and there
is another trai or Paris at 3. We viii
surely make connections with that
Oh, thank you. steward the wo-
man murmured sweetly, and went back
to her friends on the deck with the
cheering information that the chief
steward was just the incest man
Now. as you and both know, the
purser should answer all such ques-
tions. But If the steward had told the
woman to run along and see the purser
she would have been offended AS 4
was, he DuilSS down the price list Of
Wholesale grocer and exporter in Ham
burg and Berlin. and guessed at that 3
o'clock train Could they make a Ger.
tain train with 5000 miles Of ocean and
all its uncertainties rolling ahead OF
theml Wouldn't that Jar your
A few trips back, when one OF our
pig boats was taking its full compile
ment of passengers on the Mediterrdn.
can trip. an Austrian boarded the boat
among the first passengers aud laid a
Irisp bill on the chief stewards desk
by way Of greeting. After few general
renarks ne led up to the announce
uent that he had come ABOARD early in
order to get a good seat in the dining
saloon What wNnt, steward. Is seat
at table whses there are plenty OF
ladies', good travellers. you understand
The sort who won't be seasick. Good
travellers, pleasant company Do /
make myself clear?
"The steward understood He knew
the man he was dealing with--the sort
who could make himself extremely OBJ
noxlous to nice American girls lie
made a mental note and handed back
the crisp bill with a politely worded
explanation that II was against tle
rules for him to accept fees.
THAT night when the Austrian cane
down TO dinner he found himself seat.
ed next to the ships doctor, while just
opposite were two maiden ladies who
would never see As again, and on mis-
right white-haired woman whosc
husbands name is not unknown ia
New York's biggest wholesale marts.
Good sailors? Well, you can Iust
wager those women were. They had
crossed with that particular steward
not less than four times, and they welc
never known TO miss a meal What
could the man do? Nothingl II 10
said a word he'd give away his little
game. and, you see. he had not stiPu'
lated that the ladies' be young.
Perhaps you imagine that was not
diplomacy oD the stewards part, but
you must bear IN mind that we cater
particularly 70 the American traffic,
We like women TO feel that they are
safe in travelling singiy or in parties on
our boats, and II was the one Austrian
against the feminine field"