The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-03

fuiinS ilia, mft ttofls sottlI lr sufficient
Nv tlneoie ~ fur tho f0ily ~ had b"eh
ueWltInely guilty ~
Ahoftfy aNefvafd ~ pallci fof NaHila
I Ain afeHklng N tweHty eiFhf Ytaes acc
aud ~ suun a. ~ anchored The c~ustotne
KoISsls iGey o]Vsfbanlcd ouf treasures
and eeifpd them ~ MOT IeiNg on The shlpL.9
manifest and obviously hUt hrinn fefertHl
epTafti ~ tgoia Even 0if sfeee ptocN
~ euAp was taben.
taaeg not hlgt NJ Tie sce1e w9leh came
fllly W The Wtple N 0uf dear nyesftnents
leihg lnated asiofe ~ irlng ihfcf,ned
that 80 could ftnltne noerenpign ~ them
BY nayine htpHA ~ about tfetle What w
had INld Tor them
Whet. trouble ibe Hklptar took o. our
aalied our tslfltn we're brought hack, hune
pf0aIaFtigurly into an open hoal IN 4 reH..
Ina alngWeF ~ fAin, which rendered. most
Of then ueeleN, eithet For sale or pfeeen'a.
ton, HIT VI hal some canarice monkey anu
Java rpaftuws, bought IN sunda st,ra,Is.
and thtNe No cherished tenderly nv The
way hvine- more, hOwevef. from thcis
valtlc to M ~ pets than frofn any hote o'
return
Now a. to tho result I accumulated
oil the onrioe worth having, during the
IaSeage hotne In Payment for. teaching
NNN IHlll anu ' 'EANt lUtlN wv UNhl "
London, finding them utterly unsaleable'
Two dozen Java sJarrows and two canarler
sold TO n dealer In Upper East Sfnithlleiu
for less than half their cost, BECAUSE ] really
could not keep them, and ~ far IA the
monkeys were concernod,. we were only
too glad 10 find anybody who would accept
them from ia, and ave us from the almost
impossible task OF looking otter them In
our boarding houses.
This may not he "a romantic picture. OF
the small traffic OF the seaman, but That
II ls a true, n every sailor OF experience
will testify.
The traffic in live stock, such IA monkeys,
musk deer and rare foreign birds. IL one
that most sailors will Engage In, despite
their limitations in regard to food and
accommodations; but, alas. II IL one that
never can yield any profit. For IT is 40 hard.
in the first place. 10 keep the poor, delicate
things alive.
have known morethan a hundred birds TO
die in one morning of the Cape. when home
ward bound, when an ICY blast from the
Southern Pole has come sweeping over,
the ship. Nothing could ave them, And
as for monkeys, well, perhaps the less said
the better, since nothing the sailor invests
In abroad Is productive Of more trouble.
and certainly no purchase is less likely to
bring profit. go
Even should these delicate denizens
OF foreign chimes be brought safely home
By dint Of infinite trouble and care, it is a
strange fact that they are always brought
to the Dealers shop when there Is an over
.whelming stock on hand. and il he takes
them at all it Is only fr m sheer .philan-
thropy, purs pity for the poor n who
he knows would otherwise be compelled
to give them away or see them die.
There il another branch OF sea traffic
which seamen used to engage in, which can
by no means be neglected although 1t only
exists now in the few deep water sailing
HID Or h. Vnn n
facture Of articles for use or ornament,
usually intended for sale, by seamen in their
spare time.
There was an amazing amount Of patience
and ingenuity expended upon he things,
and 1t Is certain that when the worker be-
often lost O great deal Of really essential
sleep. OF these minor industries, net
making, / think, should come first, and for
various reasons, but principally because 1T
is a legitimate offshoot from the intricate
and beautiful art Of sailorizing or manipu.
lation of rope and canvas for the service OF
the ship. Mats in many forms for cleanli-
ness and for chatting gear, were essential
for the old sailing ships, and very handsome
specimens of the seaman's art they We're,
1t was quite natural that II he could
get the materials Jack would develop this
art In aesthetic directions, such materials
including carpet thrums or yarns, which
may even Low be bought for the purpose
in by streets of sailor towns, and various
gaudy soft woods. With these and a piece
Of canvas "commandeered, the wise call it,
while sail talking, or acquired by, barter
from the eailmaker for tobacco, Jack could
turn out exceedingly handsome and. durable
hearth rugs, or with wool alone ingenious
little mats for parlor decoration OF the old
type. Or failing these a few odds and ends
Of rope and canvas collected while repairs
are going on would furnish the materials
for the humber, il more useful ,doormat OF
various kinds, but all exceedingly good and
neat looking.
but 1t must be said that whatever visions
of profit by the sale Of these articles may
during his long self -imposed labor. they are
but seldom realized. Such pieces OF good
workmanship may usually be seen adjoining
the rooms Of boarding houses and other
dwellings less reputable, whose lessees have
cajoled them out Of easy going Jack. No
doubt he has had in q superlative deRree
the joy OF the working, and with that he has
p~erforce to be content.
The following remarks apply even more
to the craft OF model making ana
wood carving, to which are allied In the
whale ships Of the spermaceti fishery the
beautiful art of @scrimshoning" or carving
in bone and ivory. / have often seen work
out by these entirely s~elf-taught
artifcers which would have graced any
exhibition in the world.
/ have watched 1t In progress Oh con-
struction, watched the workman making
his own tools out Of files discarded by the
out of sail needles, broken knives,
anything of steel, and have never known
which to admire most-the constructive
skill and adaptive methodS q the artist
or his infinite patience and lf-sacrihces.
/ am bound TO use the latter word be.
cause, after all, with such a humble Get Of
poorly paid workers as sailors, it is certain
that a little return for all this faithful toll
would be Of great value and encouragement
to them, and it Ia equally certain that in
nine cases out Of ten they get none
l speak with absolute knowledge, for l
saw, on my first voyage, now nearly thirty,
seven years ago, a piece OF work turned
out by an A. b.. that was a marvel-a piano.
Of the Downs, with thirty-four ships
OF various kinds at anchor, and getting
under way, 90, all In half mode relief,
and of the most beautiful workmanship in
wood carving and delicate handling OF
fairy light rigging. It went at last to an alb
worthless destination, and the
worker was rewarded by being called a
fool for his pains.
have seen a man spend six months OF
spare time making q photograph frame
TO hold a dozen portraits OF tiny pieces OF
wood not much longer than matches, jointed
and fitted into each other, and numbering
And then he sold 1t for W
pounds Of tobacco.
OF "scrimshoning,' the exquisite work
- tha xuholapnap n THAR lnpn Iraorv yOy-