The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-03-21

sea-wide peregrinations of Drifter
Yet | have known many Drifters who
covered a great deal more ground. I
write now of the Drifters of the Paci-
fic.. That is the sea they seem most
to like. 1t washes variety of con-
tinents and islands, the Pacific; and in
every port of all these islands and con-
tinents of the Pacific you will find
American Drifters. Some of them,
after many years of drifting, settle
down in some far land of their final
choice; and not few of these refute
the antique bromidiom that a rolling
stone gathereth no moss. | have come
upon some ex-Drifters who possessed a
great deal of moss.
Obviously, Drifter'' means one who
drifts; but the word has come to pos
sess, particularly in Pacific waters, a
specific meaning, describing and CLASH
flying type.
edo you drifta'' is the first question
an employer in a American Pacific
port puts to an American who, drop
ping off steamer or ship, applies for
work. The question really means,
"Will you stieka' The practised
Drifter has little or no difficulty in
obtaining employment, no matter where
he happens to land But employers in
those lands, familiar with the restless
ness of American Drifters, like to know
in advance if the men they employ be-
long to the drifting species. The ques-
tion always is truthfully answered. No
Drifter worthy the name-and the
Drifters form almost a guild, and
highly self-respeeting one-would take
a job under false pretenses. The Ger
mans have a better word than any in
our speech for the spirit that moves
literally as well as fguratively moves
the Drifter: wanderlust The Unborn
love for wandering makes the Drifter.
Also it makes the Hobo. But the Hobo
and the Drifter stand at pole ends from
one another.
The Hobo Different Species.
The Hobo drifts generally up and
down one land only. And he drifts
because, having more or less deliber-
ately tossed himself onto the social
Stag heap, there remains nothing else
for him to do. He roves, not from an
abiding interest in the world and its
scenes, but because of a sodden lack
of interest in anything, linked to a
eongenital distaste for work.
The Drifter traverses the new paths
out of curiosity, dislike for monotony,
and a lively interest in the new and
strange scene. Always he works his
way. He never drifts without money
| in his pocket TO withstand the mis-
, chances of his drifting. Making long
cruises over seas that still are unknown
to him, nevertheless entertains, in set
ting out for the next jumping off phase,
! at least a working idea of what his
chances are to be when he steps ashore
And ever and always his moving about
scheme embodies the desire and the
, ability to work. This work is always
head work The drifting artisan must
cling to the mainland; the distant ports
offer him nothing but the virtual GER
tainty of becoming beach comber.
The Drifter of the type of which |
write is invariably a man of some little
education,-many of them are college
men.-steadiness, self respect, adapt
ability, and, with these qualities, more
than the average share of Imagination.
Imagination, assuredly. You might,
in truth. call that the dominant char,
| acteristic of the Drifter, who ever pur-
sues the pathways of the seas in search
of the new picture, the still more color
full setting, the yet more curious
tongues. the utter change of environ
ment, in old and new continents and
! islands. Certain things get into the
blood of the Drifter,-the Groom of lit
| tie zephyrs through sweeping fronds,
the tapping of mazarine waters IN
sultry lagoons, and such like. Uncon-
sciously but surely he becomes attached
TO the simpler peoples, dusky, brown,
| and yellow.
The smell of ships, the night thudding
of the steamers propeller, the prowl-
ings in distorted and peaceful or even
in perilous ports, the meeting up with
| men of their own breed who know the
| Drifters' world as the bookkeeper
knows his ledger. the fair certainty
that if one stopping off place doesn t