The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-04-18
81 I Il r. | l. l. IN G
THE RIGGER


Irish rose was addressed to Sally Miles
mt little town in the County Cork.
L wonder why it came back.
Church VS.. Saloon.
The little church is The Church of the
Holy Comforter and says bodily. Swell
come, all seamcn. ii is valiant lit.
tie church, for it embraces boldly. if IN.
willingly, prosperous looking saloon.
which holds obstinntely position of
vantage in the corner; and il does vail.
ant work. for now then some of the
sallors who knecl in the chapel get up
better men and. renouncing the sea and
its Wild life, turn riggprs and stay-at-
homes; some become ardent churc hnen.
Then there are individual reasons of
peculiar kind, Perhaps the stranpest
of all is that given by an Englishman
who was in turn hero, coward and rio.
ger, which means that he was twice q
brave man.
Some years ago on his first trip ont
of Liverpool he was sailing the tropical
seas before good fivc-knot breeze.
The waters were infested with sharks
and big schools had been following close
upon the heels Of the ship for several
days, so there was a hurried rush to the
rail when the cry of "Man overheard
rang out.
lad: painting the stern rail. had
lost has balance and pitched down. He
could not swim, and his face. white and
terror stricken, looked up at them with
frantic appeal
The crew looked at him and the swift
rush OF sharks hesltated-and then there
was second splash alongside the ship.
man mad Ieaped down with life.
belt. 1t was the Englshman. 1t was
n daring thing TO 90. The Enplishman
says that he Jumped on the spur of the
moment. without thinking Of the dan.
ger. This might have been, but what
the crew greatly admired was the cool
behavior of tho man when they picked
hmm up, almost an hour later. and in
the midst of charging circle Of hun
gvv sharks,
Supporting the helpless boy with one
arm ne would wait calmly till each
big fish was almost upon them, and
then. with a rain of quick. stinping
blows, he made the coward shark turn
and swim away, He was actually smil.
ing at hls own dare-dcviltry
Of course they made a hero of him.
Sailors are quick to recognize bravery
and are hearty in their expressed ad
miratlon of it. Tho Enelshman, a
quiet sort of fellow, became a very
popular man.
One black night a few weeks later
IL IL
IL was necessary 10 sLorten sail in n
hurry, aud all hands were sent scam
pering INTO the straiH.ny rigging.
But the gale increased, aud soon the
malnmast was dangerously bending with
the pIunglng sway Of a big, bellying
topsail.
"All hands a,1ft.' yelled the cap
tam. Crisis WAS impending. and he
sent the cook md steward after the
ka L. Il 4,
the man at the Yaeel
1t was q ticklish piece OF work. The |
big sail flapped with thunderous vio-
lence and the mast swayed in wild |
circles. None hut IN experienced sailor !
could have lived in that midair tangle |
aud turbulence. and when Tie men came
creeping down the mate vas auxiously |
counting heads.
The Missing Man.
"Hellol" ns bawlcd; 'there's one
board 90
"No," said the men: "alI here
Then some IS loafng," said the |
mate savagely. "I'u find The sneak"
the foe sic, terror stricken. pitiable !
figure. 1t was the Euc,;sl'r'an.
IL, was not punished. as any other
hand would have farcd--tLa, is. not |
with physical violence Rur the torture
he got was far worse. and il lasted |
every remaining dav OF the long pas |
sage 10 New York He was completely !
ostra"iS Il by the crew.
He used TO lie awake in the foe 'sle |
bunk al night and pray for another
such chance. He would take it with |
his eyes shut, he saiS. to himself. lie |
would 40 and dare and die. Any fate
were better than this.
The trouble with this man was bered. |
itary fear, Though Eorn in England. |
he came of Italian ancestry, of men |
who were used TO the cnlm wa1crs and |
small craft of the Mediterranean. boats |
where sails are handled from the deck. |
He ';ncw no more Of parger aloft |
than :. snndhog knows of n bride build !
than n sandhog knows of a bridge
builders risks. The call TO an unfa.
miliar test of bravery came and he
was terrified and funked
But he was made OF 'he right stuff !
md the punishment he got ouIy stifTeued |
his nerves. He gavo up the sea, but |
nc turned rigger, literally forcing him
self to live Il life aloft and TODAY he |
is reckoned one of the best. He likes |
it now.
Heredity counts for more than one !
wonld imagine. The hcs5 riGgers--indeed |
most riggers-are scandinavian men |
whose forefathers srilcd aloft in the |