Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-04-18

ting alone is masculine by nature anu
function, says 1.-THE Globe of LONDON.
A tug is always "he." Hes gone up
the Channel" the longshoremen VIII
remark, wi three master In TOW.
Il see him off Dungeness not an hour
ago" the coastguard reJoins, chasIhs
her. He had a tight thing with TWO
others, but he got to her hrst' Anu
it is right that it should be so. STRONG
independent, resourccful, his duty ana
pleasure it is to succor the weaker
vessel in difficulty or distress. lie
helps her over dangerous crosSWdyS
and round awkward corners, guards
her through crowded traffic, guides her
along the byWays of commerce, and
sees her safely home. Moreover, ne IS
essentially bachelor. He does not
commit himself to steady work, but
takes it by the job. One done, he IS
free to accept another should it suit
his fancy He is his own master. He
may stroll along in the open, or pop
into a convenient port and wait there
watching the passing shipping to see
what will turn up. He has fine eye
for a mice little craft" and is as good
a Judge of the money value of the OPP
poste sex as any clubman OF them all
He is, indeed, a clubman at heart. He
is familiar with every seaport on the
coast from Hull to Liverpool, and
hangs his hat up in the hall, so to
speak, with the easy confidence of an
old acquaintance. Unencumbered as
he is, he will take a trip abroad at
short notice; Hamburg. Antwerp,
Cherbourg, where you will; Bermuda
or the Azores even. Then he pays his
harbor dues as bachelor should
with q handful Of loose silver-and dis
pcnses with the opening of safes and
the fOrmality Of papers and ledgers.
His name ana port Of register are
merely his visiting card, bearing his
club address, where you may inquire
for him.
But for all his free and easy manner,
a tug has all the wise caution that
makes the man of the world. 1t is not
easy to become Intimately acquainted
with him. He makes few friends He
is ever in a state of furious rivalry
| with all others of his breed, and his
| financial acumen keeps strange ships
at arms length. And he takes no
passengers. Only by wise exercise
| of the knowledge that comes from eX-
pcriencc Of the ways of the sea may
you hope % go a trip with him. But.
| conquer his reserve. and yours is the
| joy of him who has arrived at the hub
| Of things. once aboard, you are con-
| sciouS of an atmosphere of vitality, an
| aura that comes from close asSocia-
| ton with the source of power. You
| will find him deep kceIcd and sturdy;
| tn n
| thousand tons Of dead weight he may
| have trailing behind him; armed with
a hawser hook tit to impalc Gargantua,
| and Il spring beam that whales might
| swing upon. And II" is as nimblc as
| he is strong. Watch him running
| alongside his charge to take his last
| orders. The skipper stands high on
the little navigating bridge, twirling
| the wheel Of the steam steering gear
| daintiy. Ordinarily, and while under
| way. h"ud power on the big wheel is
| employ"d, but for fancy work, such
as picking up ship or dropping her,
the order is steam" On the fire.
castle of the big ship the crew are
busy, hauling here, making fast there.
a couple stand by to slip the moorimgs.
on the tug the cry is Heads below
| EunWalc," as, with an ugly raSping on
the bulwark and a flnging Of spray
the spring" comes taut, and he is off.
with the great vessel following mcckly
in his wake.
| If. by good luck. you happen to be a
passenger on board the smaller vessel,
YOU will have Il chance of seeing, say.
London River from a new and delight
ful point of view. You proceed slow
| ly: practically every craft going your
way ovcrtakos YOU and the doings on
the three master. a cables length be
hind, are Set out before YOU like d
theatrical performance. You will
meet many boats; Bilingsgate fish
carriers with blue or red flags flutter-
ing from their foremost. covey Of
swift little shrimpers, foreign timber
| steamers piled funnel high with deck
| cargo. You will note how the pilot on
board the sailing ship will hoist his
jihs and staysails. and then his top
sails braccd up sharp. to get all tho
benefit h" can out of what south there
is in the brcrzr; ana you will hear thu
mate of the tug muttcr "Cunning old
bird" into his beard. You will sec
ShccrncSs ana its warshipS ana away
off 10y the Mouse LiGhtship the two
naStS that mark the wreck of 4
StanCh full-rigCcr out Of Hamburg
? You will he told that she was lader
with pianos for Australia and that
for weeks after she sank the men ii
the Mouse could not sleep for the noise
the crabs made as they Crawled over
the piano wires.