Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1909-12-30

do everywhere in the Azov. The
5,OO0-ton tramp in which am com
fortably seated just now would imme-
td11ately touch bottom if she swerved
80 yards to port or starboard. Yet
we are going "full speed ahead" to
the best of our ability though, truth
to tell, that is only eight knots. We
shall plug along at the same pace all
through the pitchy night; though the
poles which mark the channel are in
visible in the darkness. Truly, won
derful is the art of navigation. This
absurd trench along which we SO
saily steam is in itself shallow. We
should scrape our keel if we had a
few hundred tons more cargo on
board. Indeed, when we reach Yeni.
kale we shall be compelled to unload
great part of our grain, in order
to tighten ship, and then reload it all
again when We have crossed the bar.
Quaint are the methods of the Sea
OF Azov. ~ y. 's.2@>~>1. :&$,1
Thus, as say, though Taganrog is
nomlnally a port, you are hardly
within sight of its gold-domed cathe.
dral-and certainly quite out of ear
shot OF its bells-when you anchor in
its wind-scourged roadstead. There
is something ludicrous in finding
yourself one morning at rest Gin
port" and discovering that land is
barely visible. To the crew and the
mates. who cannot 60 ashore, the So
iourn at Taganrog while the grain is
being loaded must be a dreary inter
lude. Myself I had some taste of it's
wearisomeness, for the customs peo-
pie took three days of persuading be-
fore they would let me leave the ship
and have taste of terra firma. It
seems I might be an undesirable: an
anarchist, maybe: a socialist; a
breeder of disturbance; a person like
ly to do damage to Russia. Passen-
gers are not recognized on tramp;
and at length with hint from a
kind consul ashore) posed as sick
engineer and demanded the right
to consult doctor. BackSheeSh
changed hands; an official in top
Oco'S etAu oA eho1A IhA0iI NOuI 81 uu1-
blingly signed a paper and handed it
up to me out of government tug.
and l was at liberty to tread the
cars dominions.
At most ports with which | am ac
quainted one steps straight from the
ship to the dock-side, or merely char
ters waterman. But at Taganr0g,
going ashore is something of an ad-
venture. There are Is miles Of weary
sea to traverse, and you must do it
in a flat-bottomed tug which, if the
wind be contrary, cares nothing for
horizontality Eight hours eight
foodless, shivering hours-did it take
me to travel from my dear old tramp
to the shore Never have been less
happy. Never has the wandering ma
mia driven me into less desirable
quarters. Sometimes froze on deck;
sometimes l froze in smoke-reeking,
verminous cubby-hole below, crammed
with the dirtiest Greeks it has been
my lot to encounter The tugs main
business was to supply, the ships in
the roads with provisions and labor
ers, and it must needs add now to
these duties that of towing broken.
down grain lighter. Its horsepower
can never have been excessive. With
the lighter straining in its wake, the
pace was microscopic.
Brr-rr-rr-rrh: it's cold! But not SO
cold as when went ashore at Tagan.
rog. New found ice cracked under
our bows as we drew near the coast,
and the singular manner In which q
whole sheet would instantaneously
split for 20 or 80 yards In front OF us,
making a hospitable liquid lane for
our reception, was the sole entertain
mentI knew that weary day. BY the
time crossed the gangway on to the
pier l was q wreck, mentally and bod
lily. 1t was now three in the after.
noon and I had eaten nothing since
supper the previous evening; for l
had had to rise betimes and neglect
breakfast in order to be polite to mes
sieurs the customs men. ! had no
coat; no luggage; for seafaring men
Il was not passenger, oh, no, by no
means-only a sick engineer) seafar'
ing men do not wear coats and need
no clean shirts had no book or
magazine to read. Sick engineers do
not waste time on literature. In q
word, l was the unhappiest journalist
who ever sought copy in earth's for
! gotten corners. e..
But, ali, when reached the sailors
clearinghouse to which L had been
recommended hot soup with
sour cream in it, behold roast fowl
oh. sweetest bird which ever clucked
| Ger the steppes!- behold bottled beer
| wherewith to wash it down, and q
thimbleful of vodka to warm myself
first of all! Glorious, glorious! Ia
ganrog was the loveliest spot on the
globe; the Azov the friendliest ocean /;
Russians the most hospitahle OF
friends. Such is the power OF . warm
FIRE and q spread table.
y What do recall clearest of Tagan.
rog? The cold? The tabominable