The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-05-01
Sea Sermons at Baptist Church
by Rev. Peterson.
Pastor Was Sailor Ten Years on
Merchantmen.
CONSTANTINOPLE.
The City Where Big Dogs Eat
Little Ones.
Turks Had No Use for Christian
Europeans.

Rev. T. c. Peterson, pastor Of the
Aorth Topeka Baptist church, beginning
May 2, will deliver a series of sermons
every Sunday evening through the
month, tho subjects of which will be
taken from a seanan's life. The sub
ject Of the first sermon will be, 1.-THE
Blind Captain, or the Near Sighted
Pharisee:" the second subject Will be
s'Barriers and Barnacles. or the Sin
that Doth Easily Beset;" the third sub
ject, 1.-The Heavy Laden" the last,
1.-The Sailors Haven. or the Christians
Heaven" These nautical subjects are
evidences of the unusual career OF
Rev. Mr.. Peterson. He spent ten years
as a sailor, beginning at the age of IA
as cabin boy on a Norwegian ship and
rising to the rank of first mate. he
sailed on Norwegian, German and
American vessels. He would have been
given captaincy but previous to this
he had decided to study for the minis
try and gave up the SeamanS me- he
then entered Wayland academy at
Beaver Dam, Wis, finished there, and
later took a course at Chicago univer-
sity from which he also graduated. He
has been in charge of the North To-
peka church about two years. He is
~ years old.
The story of his life as a sailor is
interesting He was shipwrecked near
the west coast OF England at one time.
other OF his experiences include a visit
in Constantinople, the scene OF many
present interesting developments. AT
this place he tells of ''big dogs eating
little dogs" and of being kept awake
at night by the howls of the unfortu-
1afe animals. His account of other sea
ports is equally interesting. He de-
scribes the cleanliness of Barcelona,
Spain, tells of people there drinking
wine as thick as syrup by pouring
the liquid to their lips from long mar
1rif their mouths
coming in contact with the pitcher. he
is very modest IN speaking OF himself,
but as he tells of his sea life he grows
enthusiastic and q listener almost sees
the wave-rocked ships and reefs the
sting of the flying brine.
Il do not remember when L started
10 go aboard ships. In the seaport
town of Randall, Norway, my father
ships. and on ships, ever since even
before 1 could barely walk.
81 remember of climbing high masts
when a boy, and of the desire to jump
from them into the sea far below, which
sefzes some people when they climb
great heights. 1 had this to overcome
"When 1 was years old L began
begging to go to sea Finally at the
the very snip had launched and had
helped to rig. My father knew the
captain ard so 1 had better time
than great many cabin boys. or sea
49,
enough. I will never forget how I suf-
fered from cold. In winter time the
sea would wash over the vessel. drench
me through and then the water would
freeze on me. If I was working so
that I could not go below, had to
bear It until my clothes and boots
would be frozen on me.
"A sailors life is a hard one. 1t may
seem strange but it was my experience
that they were treated worse on Ameri-
can ships than On any others. One rea-
son is that on Norwegian or German
ships the crews are usually from the
same town as their captain ana cases
of i'll treatment would be reported at
home On American vessels the men
are generally of all nationalit1es.
Very often they are shipped by
boarding house masters or mon who
take I'D sailors whose money has been
spent, gets them work, but secures
their wages for about two months in
advance. In my time at least, com
mon sailors wages were $40 month
a second mates $45, and first mates
$50 and SO on. This included board
which wasn't Of the best. On some YES
sells we would have no butter or sugar.
our bread was served dry.
fOf course the fare depended on the
csbtains. sailed under several, Morse.
German ard American sailing vessels
and spent two years on steamers. Even
row the sailing vessels have their de-
mand.
sells trading between European and
American ports.
land, the ship ran on sandbar and
went to pieces but all of us were saved
by life boats on shore. However, with
in the same twenty-four hours. another
vessel was wrecked on a rock, and all
of the crew were lost.
"These wrecks are sometimes pro-
duced by people called 'Wreckers' who
make a business Of Turing the ships on
the rocks by false lights on shore and
then stealing the cargo of the vessel
and often killing the crew. These peo-
ple am told can be found on the
sandy coasts of the northern European
countries, where the towns are far be-
tween and the localities are wild and
barren. The 'wreckers' live in colonies
and are like the holdup men of the
land.
"Amone the southern ports 1 visited
was Constantinople. Near that city is
an island where the surplus dogs of the
city are kept. will never forget the
first night we were in that port was
kept awake all night by the bowling of
the little dogs as they were being eaten
by the big ones.
1.-The Turks hold dogs sacred and will
not kill them. One Of the first things
offered for sale when l went ashore in
Constantinople, were a Japanese lam
tern and a staff. The lantern was to
light my way at night as there were
no street lights. and the staff was to
keep the swarm of dogs away.
1.-THE average Turk had no use for
the Europeans unless he could cheat
him or steal something from him.
When our ship entered the harbor of
the sublime porte we had to stand on
guard with rifles, to keep the Turks
from getting on board and stealing
everything in sight.
you have seen the pictures of the
harbor with its hundreds of small
boats? Wen. those boats swarm around
every ship as 1t comes into the harbor
and try to crowd on board for to sell
and steal The Turks are great silk
and fruit merchants. They are not
especially dirty as I could see in fact