The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-03-09
WHY A TUG IS HE"
Masculine by Nature and in it's Useful
 Functions.

Masculine by Nature and in it's Useful
 Functions.
 Of all ships that swim the sea the tug alone is masculine by nature and func- tion says the Globe of London, tug is always 'he." He's gone up the channel the longshoreman will re- mark, "wi' a three master in tow" T see him off Dungeness not an hour ago." the coastguard rejoins, chasing her. He had tight thing with two others, but he got to her first" And it is right that 1t should be so. Strong, independent, resourceful, his duty and pleasure it is to succor "the weaker vessel' in difficulty or distress. He helps her over dangerous crossways and awkward corners, guards her through crowded traffic, guides her along the byways of commerce, and sees her. safely home. Moreover, he is essentially bachelor. He does not com init himself to steady work, but takes it by the job. One done, he Is free to accept onother should it suit his fancy. He is his own master. He may stroll along in the open, or pop into a con- venient port and wait there, watching the passing shipping to see what will turn up. He has a fine eye for nice little craft" and is as good judge of the money value of the opposite sex as any clubman of them all, He is, in- deed, clubman at heart. He is famil- lar 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 oldo acquain tance, 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 a handful of loose silver-and dispenses with the opening of safes and the formality of papers and ledgers. His name and 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, tug. has all the wise caution that makes the man of the world. It 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 pas sengers. Only by a wise exercise of the knowledge that comes from experience of the ways of the sea may you hope to 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 conscious of an atmosphere of vitality an aura, that comes from close association with the source of power. You will find him deep keeled and sturdy; engined like a liner to control any ten thousand tons of dead weight he may have trailing behind him, armed with hawser hook fit to impale Gargantua and a spring beam that whales might swing upon. And he is as nimble as he is strong. Watch him running alongside his charge to takt his last orders. The skipper stands high on the little navi- gating bridge, twirling the wheel of the steam steering gear daintily. Ordinari- ly, and while under way, hand power on the big wheel is employed but for fancy work, such as picking up a ship or dropping her, the order is steam On the forecastle of the big ship the crew are busy, hauling her, making fast there. A couple stand by to slip the moorings. On the tug the cry Is Heads below gunwale," as, with an ugly rasping on the bulwark and flinging of spray the spring" comes taut, and he is off, with the great yes sel following meekly in his wake.
 If, by good luck, you happen to be a passenger on board the smaller vessel you will have a chance of seeing, say, London river from a new and delight ful point of view, You proceed slowly; practically every craft going your way overtakes you and the doings on the three master, a cables length behind, are set out before you like theatrical performance. You will meet many boats; Billingsgate fish carriers with blue or red flags fluttering from their foremast, a coyey of swift little shrimpers, foreign timber steamers piled funnel high with deck cargo. You will note how the pilot on board