The Dickinson press., 1907-04-13
THE LINERS PURS[R,
His Difficult Role on. a Transat-.
lantic Steamship.
DIPLOMAT AND SAILOR TOO
This Officer Must Absolutely Possess
Tact and 30 All Things to All Men.
A Purser's ekillfuI Play With Two
Antasonistie Opera Queens.

r-ats-tf .fAsH.=-r IEEH=.3Er rD4sF, ~E.sEhEiaJ
In the smoking room Of a great trans
atlantic liner which arrived In New
York recently, after a trip made in not.
far from record time, conversation
among those who were not at carda
turned to the purser of the vessel, who
by his courteous bearing, his well or
dered energy and air of SAVIOR faire
generally had attracted from the pas.
'sengers NJ unusual degree of attention.
The talk began about half an hour be
fore it was time for the lights to go out
The man with the pipe had observed
that the officers activity was simulat-
ed. The man sitting next, the head OF.
a brokerage firm, smoking the most ex-
pensive partaga to be had in the case
near the door. held differently. It short
" came to a Showdown to fall into
smoking room vernacular.
swell, II you say SO. What does he
do. sc much?" asked the man with the
pipe.
The smoker started to tell him. He:
;.,egan perhaps twenty minutes before,
closing time. and when one after nm
other the electriciishts faded and died;
he was not half through. This should.
indicate that the purser'i is a man Of
some Importance aboard ship, and
those who so read it will not drift far
from q true course. He Is an impor-
tant MANN his way the most impor-
liant in the employ Of the steamship
company.
Even ashore and In some other voca-
ton the purser would be a striking
personality. No doubt In a way his
Office makes him what he is, but at the
same time he had to be Of the stun Of
which pursers are made before he ever
saw a steamship. This may be read to
mean that instinctiyely he must be q
good fellow. Oh, assuredly he must be
every inch Of that. He must have a
handshake and smile as magnetic as
were President McKinley's. He must
tell a good story well and listen to a
bad II with laughter. At the same
time in his mental and physical equip
ment he must be endowed with a not
Insignificant alloy of iron, and he must,
stand firm in emergency and frown
and swear with facility equal to that
which he evinces in slapping a man
upon the back or In touching the
springs Of mirth.
He should be and Ii all things to all
men. He is sympathetic as well as
hale and hearty and well met. He has
q head for figures, which could not be
otherwise, since he is the company's
financial man afloat. He pays all sal
aries; he cares for the money and val
uables Of passengers, which, OF course,
necessitates honesty Of q sterling sort;
he pays for all supplies; he knows all.
about the cargo and all about the pas
sengers. A. purser who forgets the
face Of a man who has sailed on his
craft once before is Of little value to
his employers. When Congressman
Jones. goes abroad for his summer va
cation, he proceeds forthwith to the
purser's office. a smile illumining his:
face and seasoned hand outstretched.
Why. how do you do. Congressman
Jonesf' This 10 what he gets.
Do you suppose that this representa-
tive Of the people will ever afterward
sall for Europe with any other purser.
on any other vessel or linef Not %.
long a. pride Turks within the: bosom
OF mankind.
The purser 81 this respect must bs.
the equal Of . hotal clerk, and every!
enc knows how utterly inept the man
who stands at the gateway Of q
Il NYAAAs 80