The San Francisco call., 1910-10-16

eye and not sail or thread of steamer smoke
meets your eye, illustrating the roominess
of the sea and making the phenomenon of
collision at sea more of a mystery than ever.
With much room. yet two specks upon the
waters surface not seem to find space
except that they must each fight for the
right of way.
If your steamer leaves her dock at three
or four. in the afternoon you are apt to yet
have the companionship of lghtship or light
house beacon when YOU retire
The first meal board in the old days,
when captain and purser and first officer and
doctor each did the honors at the head of
the table to carve meat serve fish or ladle
out soup, in good old en- famflle style, was
great exhibition of wire pulling and fnessing.
There was tradition that If there was any
kitchen choice and better cooked ~-or more
tender roast, etc., ETC., the captains table
got it. So with this prize to be gained and
the eolat one would earn by being at the
captains table, who in the who's who
board ship. great were the efforts made to be
seated at the captains table
So in placid waters, the ship plowed
her way slowly down the waters of the bay.
every one at the dinner call was present
accounted for and the rush certainly for the
best seats strenuous and it surely was
the worst quarter hour of the trip for the
head steward. But all storms be wealth
cred under good seamanship, and so the stew
ard, being good sailor, managed to get
through ordeal after ordeal Perhaps like
the fish womans eels that she skinned alive,
being used to it, she did not mind 1t.
but Wnen the morning Came anu you dWdk-
ened to hear the cabinet work of the ship
creak, to feel the pitch and roll, to unsteadily
approach your headlight and, looking out,
the green sea none too smooth racing by
with the speed of a railway train you--well,
as rule-thought more of your berth than
the captains table and you took your hreak-
fast in your berth and SO did others and the
captain and old timers, old sea dogs Just like
the oracles of old when they passed each
other, winked the other eye and smiled. Lots
OF room at the captains and every other
table until the Gained down, and racks,
to keep your turkey from struttng up and
down the table or off on to the floor, were
removed from the table. In such situation
a diner sort OF chased his soup around the
plate, First it was deep on one side of his
plate and then on another. Coffee you drank
as a pendulum might drink swinging with the
ship. and the steward, wise in his calling,
saw to it that as to liquids very small por-
tions were served and safety thus assured,
otherwise catastrophies embarrassing and
plenty would occur.
The meals in your room and the broth
and toast deck and ginger ale, etc. etc.,
forced the attendants, at least. to do some
thing to earn the expected guinea at the end
of the run.
So weather no weather, YOU follow the
Doctors or purser's or captains advice and
keep on deck. That indescrbable mysterious
ships swell that permeates everything is far
more disturbing than the briny spray and
clustering wind that YOU face on deck.
But storms come and go and last not for
always. and by and by the wind goes down.
the sun bursts through the clouds and the
air becomes soft and baimy. Broth and