The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-30
NO SPORT ON FATHERS BARK.
DAVE BURCH WAS AN APPRENTICE
AND WASN'T LET AFT.

Besides. He Cot . Ropes End Occasionally
and Couldn't Even Talk to His Mother
and Brother Glad 70 Give Up the Job
and Eat Turkey Rather Than Pork.
There was a dinner yesterday in the
cabin OF the British our masted bark Kent
mere. discharging at Erie dock H, Wee
hawken, which was enjoyed by Capt. Burch's
10 year old son David more than any one
else, though the entire Burch family, father,
mother and two sons, sat down together in
family reunion.
The Burch family has not been separated
either. They all AVE been together on
the bark since April last when the Kentmere
sailed from here for Delagoa Bay, but
David had been forward. learning to be a
sailor, and 30 completely shut of from his
father, mother and little brother, Douglas,
hat no one spoke to him except when the
captain CAV an order. David went
through the mill and yesterday when he
was paid of as an apprentice and. as a MEM
Der Of the family. permitted to eat once
more in the cabin he was the happiest boy
in the world.
Mrs. Burch and the two boys came out
here from England last spring to join the
captain on the voyage to South Africa, and
it was then that David expressed his desire
to go to sea as a sailor.
Now, | know the making Of a sailor
when l see it in a lad and David didn't
have it in him. said Capt. Burch yester-
day" David wanted to go in a Yankee
ship, but | said to him that if he was going
to be a sailor l would prefer to teach him
what l knew and to let the crew OF my vessel
do the rest. David shipped and signed
articles as an apprentice at a shilling a
week"
Bag and baggage he left the comfortable
cabin Of the Kentmere and went to his
bunk in the forecastle.
The Kentmere sailed from here on April IS
and some friends of the. family were down
at the dock 20 say goOd-by to the Burches.
David walked aft and was just about to
shake hands with a boy acquaintance when
the captain spied him.
What are you doing on the quar- terdeck,
boy? Go forward" said the skipper. Soon
after that the apprentice was told that the
captain wanted him at the mast,
Boy, said the skipper, you must under
stand that there is to he no communication
between you and any persons aft here. You
I order you aft to work. Get To work there
and polish up that pinnacle, and see that
you do it,"
David got some rags and polishing stuff
anu rpLuTne1 10 Lne poop. his mOtneE
was on deck and while the boy was at work
began to talk TO him. The captain came
up, told her that she must not converse with
an apprentice and stood by to see that she
did not do 80.
The crew got the word that David, al
though he was the son of the skipper, had no
more rights than any Of the other four APP
prentices in the forecastle, and they were
careful not TO let a chance like that go by.
To be sure, the bos'n wasn't brutal, but
David got the end Of a rope every time the
bos'n thought that he needed it. He
swabbed decks, did all other sorts of boys
work on deck and went aloft when the
lighter calls were to be furled.
One night the captain heard voices on
deck and going out found his wife and
David ~conversing. David was ordered
for ward, but not until he had been made
to give up a quantity of soft biscuit and
a jar of jam that had been concealed be-
meath his jacket.
In the forecastle he had the usual monkey
and parrot time with the other apprentices.
Boots were hurled at him while he was at
his evening prayers salt was put in his
plum duff on Sundays. water was poured
in his boots and over his mattress and his
life generally was made as uncomfortable
as apprentices know how to make 10.
Yesterday morning Capt. Burch sent for
the apprentice and asked him il he wanted
to be a sailor any longer.
Il think | would like to be a civil engineer
If you don mind, " said David.
that's a good boy" replied the father,
and he took the young fellow in his arms.
~Now you may go aft and see your mother.
After that bring your bag from the fore
castle and be a member of the family again.
One Of us at sea is quite enough" COM
mented Capt. Burch. Il am glad that the
boy will spend his life ashore"
Turkey ia lots better than salt pork
and hard tack" said David, but declined
to discuss his life forward further.