Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1912-09-13

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 owners deal severely with
him. He is supposed to behave with
naval obedience himself. while his
own authority is frequently fiouted by
those nominally at his command. ANY.
thing 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
fiction. 1t is fiction. In real life disci-
pline below decks depends almost en-.
tirely 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 conver.
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 ont
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 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 sery.
ice to their credit. Twelve months at
least must be passed at sea to enable
man to go up for second class Ger.
tificate OF competency-that is to say.
the certificate which legally Qualities
| him to act as second engineer or
on 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.
lantic 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 ran.
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 aues-
tions, but still not beyond the reach of
simple arithmetic. II he aspires to
the honorary examinations - "extra
chief" 1t is called-the questions be-
come more academic, and he unlocks
the brain cell which contains the inte-
grail calculus. The calculus is prob.
ably stored next to visitors of the most
important objects which 1t Is to
achieve for him-a surveyorship or
superintendentship ashore, a nice lit.
tie home in Forest Gate or North
Shields, and wifely companionship un.
broken by voyaging, or perhaps the
protection of a widowed mother.