The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1909-12-02

diately touch bottom II she swerved
10 yards to port or starboard Yet
we are going full speed ahead" to
the best of our abillty-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
gaily steam is In itself shallow. We
should scrape our keel II 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.
Thus, as | say, though Taganrog is
nominally a port you are hardly
within sight OF It's golddomed cathe
dral-and certainly quite out OF ear
shot OF its bells-when you anchor I'm
Its wind-scourged roadstead. There
is something ludicrous In finding
yourself one morning at rest "in
port" and discovering that land ia
barely visible. To the crew and the
mates, who cannot go ashore, the 80.
journ at Taganrog while the grain is
being loaded must be a dreary inter.
Jude. Myself | had some taste OF It's
wearisomeness. for the customs PEG.
pie took three days Of persuading be.
fore they would let me leave the ship
and have a taste OF terra flrma. II
seems ] might be an undesirable an
anarchist, maybe; socialist;
breeder Of disturbance; a person like
ly to do damage to Russia Passen.
gers are not recognized on tramp:
and at length with a hint from a
kind consul ashore) | posed as sick
engineer" and demanded the right
to consult a doctor Backsheesh
changed hands; an official in top
boots and an astrakhah coat grum.
blingly signed paper and handed II
up to me out OF government tug,
and | was ut liberty to tread the
cars dominions.
AT most ports with which | am &C.
quaintcd one steps straight from the
ship to the dock-side, or merely char.
tiers waterman. But at Taganrog.
going ashore is something of an ad.
venture. There are Is miles OF weary
sea to traverse. and you must do It
in a fat.bottomed tug which, If the
wind be contrary, cares nothing for
horizontally. Eight hours -- eight
foodless, shivering hours--did IT take
me to travel from my dear old tramp
to the shore. Never have | been loss
happy. Never has the wandering ma.
mia driven me into less desirable
quarters. Sometimes | fro2e on deck;
sometimes / froze in a smoke.reeking,
ynrminous cubby.hole below. crammed
with the dirtiest Greeks II has been
my lot to encounter. The tugs main
business was to supply the ships in
the roads with provisions and labor
crs. and it must needs add now TO
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 TaEan.
rog. New found ice cracked under
our bows as we drew near the coast,
and the singular manner In which n
whole sheet would instantaneously
split for 20 or 30 yards in front of us.
hospitable liquid lane for
our reception, was the sole entertain.
ment knew that weary day. By the !
time crossed the gangway on to the
pier / was wreck. mentally and bod.
lily. II twas now three In the after.
noon and had eaten nothing since
had had to rise betimes and neglect |
In order to be polite to mes.
sieurs the customs men. ! had no
coat; no luggage: for seafaring men
Il was not n passenger, oh, no, by no |
q sick engineer) seafar.
ihb men uO uOl "bdl tOutb uuu uttu |
no clean shirts. / had no book or
to read. Sick engineers do |
not waste time on literature. In a
word, was the unhappiest journalist |
who ever sought copy in earths for
gotten corners.
But, ah. when reached the sailors
to which ] had been |
mmended-behold hot soup with
sour cream in 1t, behold roast fowl
III. sweetest bird which ever clucked |
Yer the steppcs! behold bottled beer
to wash IL down, and
himbleful of vodka to warm myself |
irst OF all! Glorious. glorious! Ia
sanrog was the loveliest spot on the
Globe; the Azov the friendliest ocean;
russians the most hospitable of
riends. Such is the power Of a warm
Ire and spread table.
What do ! recall clearest OF Tagan-
og? The cold? The abominable
ourneys In the tug? The cathedral
With its ikons and bearded priests?
he droskles rafting over the cobbles?