Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1912-08-08

down the ladders. while he is franti.
cally searching for the source OF the
smell he would give five years OF his
life to undo the oversight OF the last
five minutes.
Josephine in the merchant service
begins well enough at the top. but II
does not work all the way down. 1t
stops at the lowest grade OF man who
has a certificate to lose, the junior en-
gineer. In the evidence at a recent
nautical inquiry one read OF a man
smilingly informing the court that he
was ashore having a last drink while
he should have been on board joining
IN boat drill. A junior officer or en-
gineer dare not do such a thing. The
law and the owner deal severely with
him.. He is supposed to behave with
naval obedience himself, while his
W authority Is frequently flouted by
those nominally at his command. Any
thlng less like the navy could scarcely
be imagined. The idea that engineers
are given to chastising firemen with
any handy weapon is often found in
hction. 1t is fiction. In real life dlsci-
pine below decks depends almost en-
tlrely on the good nature OF the fire
men.
surroundings Are Degrading.
Socially the merchant service engi-
neer is equally remote from the naval
type. His accommodation does not
often rise above the level set by oil
clothed tables and kitchen cutlery.
Such conditions have not an expand.
ing enec on the intellect. His CONVEX
sation in the messroom Is commonly
personal and bitter. II he comes from
the upper middle classes his reIa.
tiYes too often find him morose at 40
or ~vulgarized. or disappeared altogeth-
er from heir ken. II he resists tho
social influence OF his environment the
result is often a curious mental COM
bativeness which seems to arise out
or the we'll nigh incompatible require.
ments that he is supposed to meet
an artisan with supposedly the pres-
tige OF a lieutenant and actually less
authority than a corporal. The better
educated men strive to rise above sea-
far1ng. Examinations must be passed
n they can only be entered for bv
men with a certain amount of sea sery-
lee to heir credit. Twelve months ar
least must be passed at sea to enabla
a man to go up for a second class cor.
tificate of competency-that Is to cav
the certificate which legally quali6es
MIN TO act as a second engineer or
on a very small ship as chief engineer
After obtaining that he must serve an.
other year as engineer in regular
OF a watch on board an ocean
going steamship before he may sit for
his first class certificate. which on.
ables him to sign on as chief engineer
OF any sort of vessel, from an excur.
sion steamer to the last thing in AT.
flyers.
When he Is up for second" he hos
to pick out the answers TO ouest,ons
about say. the temperature of the hot
well under imaginary and distressing
conditions dear to the hearts of or
amlners, from mixed memories of ran
cous laughing nights ashore and =,
days of anxious vigilance over r.c,na
engines, when the propeller would ha
"ouiu Dt
clear OF the wintry western
ocean and the ship culver as tbouoh
from earthquake. When he is "up for
chief he is set more difficult ouea-
tons. but still not beyond the reach q,
simple arithmetic. If he aspires IN
the honorary examinations "ertra
chief 1t is called-the questions he.
more academic. and he uulock
he brain cell which contains the into,
grail calculus. The calculus is nroh.
ably stored next to visitors of the mos,
important objects which II ia ~
achieve for him-a surveyorship or
'uperintendentship ashore, a nice IA.
lie home in Forest Gate or North
shields n wifely COMPROMISING un.
broken by voyaging. or perhaps the
protection of a widowed mother
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