Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1912-08-07

smillngly informing the codrt that he
was ashore having last drink while
he should have been on board joining
in boat drill. A junior officer or en-
g1neer dare not do such a thing. The
law and the owners deal severely with
/ him. He is supposed to behave with
naval obedience himself, while his
own authority is frequently iouted by
those nominally at his command. Any
thing less like the navy could scarcely
be imagined. The idea that engineers
are given to chastising f1remen with
any handy weapon is often found in
fiction. 1t is fiction. In real life disci-
pline 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 effect on the intellect. His CONVEX.
sation in the messroom is commonly
personal and bitter. If he comes from
the upper middle classes" his rela-
tives too often find him morose at 40,
or vulgariZed, or disappeared altogeth-
er from their ken. If he resists the
social influence of his environment the
result is often a curious mental com
bativeness which seems to arise out
of the well 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-
! faring. Examinations must be passed
and they can only be entered for by
men with certain amount of sea serv-
/ ice to their credit Twelve months at
least must be passed at sea to enable
a man to go up for second class Ger
tificate of competency-tha Is to say,
| the certificate which legally qualities
him 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
charge of watch on board an ocean
going steamship before he may sit for
his first class certificate, which en-
ables him to sign on as chief engineer
of any sort of vessel, from an excur-
sion steamer to the last thing in At
Iantic flyers.
When he is "up for second" he has
to pick out the answers to questions
about, say, the temperature of the hot
well under imaginary and distressing
| conditions dear to the hearts of ex-
aminers, from mixed memories OF rau-
cous laughing nights ashore and of
days of anxious vigilance over racing
engines, when the propeller would be
flung clear of the wintry western
ocean and the ship culver as though
from earthquake. When he is "up for
chief he is set more difficult ques-
tons, but still not beyond the reach of
simple arithmetic. II he aspires to
the honorary examinations extra
chief it is called-the questions be-
come more academic, and he unlocks
the brain cell which contains the int
grail calculus. The calculus is prob
ably stored next to visitors of the most
important objects which it is to
achieve for him-a surveyorship or
notwithstanding ashore, a nice lit
tie home in Forest Gate or North
Shields, and wifely companionship un-
broken by voyaging, or perhaps the
protection of widowed mother.