The Republican journal., 1913-03-27
Ships and Sailors of old Salem

There is material for an epic in ''Ships
and Sailors of Old Salem" by Ralph D.
Payne. No more heroic deeds, no more
exalted patriotism, no more self sacrifice
or daring enterprise than are recorded
in its pages can be found in the annals
of this country. Salem was the cradle
of the American shipping industry. Its
sons were the pioneers in commercial
enterprises that carried the Stars and
Stripes to the four quarters of the globe.
Their ships sailed unchartered seas,
where ships had never sailed before.
Theirs was a perilous calling. In add
ton to the storm and stress encountered
by all seafarers they had often to fight for
existence with privateers or pirates, to
face hostile natives on foreign shores,
and to run the risk of stranding on hid
den reefs and shoals.
The shipmasters of Salem began their
seafaring careers early. When no more
Yhen twelve or fourteen years of age
they shipped in some capacity and be-
came masters after a few voyages. One
shin sailed out of Salem on a foreign
voyage that would last year OF more
with captain under 10 years of age and
mis- officers were under 20. From mas
= ers they became ship-owners and n2er-
chants. as they were allowed personal
centuries and had a percentage on the
outward and inward cargoes, and the
nrof1s of q single voyage were often
800. 600, or more. One Salem ship
master. shipowner and merchant, retired
at the age of thirty with what was a
large fortune in those days
Their bravery, self sacrifice and pa
4riotism in the wars of the Revolution
and 1912 add uster to the nation S history,
ard in all that goes to make up a noble
citizenship they had no superlors on
earth. As the author well says: at was
not the rich freightage of silks, spices,
vory and tea which the ships of Salem
Fetched home, nor the fortunes which
pniit the stately mansions of the elm
shaded streets that made this race OF
seamen worthy of a page in the history
of the country's rise to greatness. They
lid their duty daringly and cheerfully,
IN neace and war. They let their deeds
sneak for them, and they bore themsel-
YES as gentlemen unafraid' in adversely
and with manly modesty in prosperity.
They believed in their country and they
Fought for her rights without swash-
F,,cEIinq or empty words They helped
one another, and the community worked
hand in hand with them to insure the
safety of their perllous ventures. The
men who wove the duck, the sailmakers
who fashioned it to bend to the spars,
the black smith, the rigger, the carpen-
fer and the instrument maker, all coop
Grating to tuild ard fit the ship their
neigh Dor was to command so that she
might weather he hardest blow and do
credit to those who made and sailed her.
The National government was too poor
40 build men Of war, but authorized the
building of ten such ships, agreeing to
nav interest on their cost. Under this
authorization Salem built the frigate Es-
sex ir 1899. Six months before she slid
into the harbor her white oak timbers
were standing in the woodlands OF Mas
sacblsetts. Ter timbers were cut in the
"wooa lots of Danvers, Peabody,
Beverly ard other nearby towns. Her
cordage was made in three Salem rope
walks. Her sails were made from duck
woven there for the purpose, and her
irco work was forged by the Salem ship
smiths. Her keel was laid April 13,
1859, and she las launched five months
and seventeen days later. That could
hardly be equalled today with all the i'm
proved appliances ard facilities for build
ing battleship. As another illustration
Of what the olo-time shipbuilders could
lie, take the clipper ship John Bartram
Of l, 100 tons, bui in l848 at East Boston.
G old had been discovered in California
and an enterprising Boston merchant
ante,i to get Into the gan early.
Sixty days after laying the keel the ship
was launched, and 80 days from the time
the workmen first laid tools to the tim
1oers she was sailing out of Boston bar
,,,.or with full cargo, bound to San Fran
eisco. That she was we'll built is shown
3oy the fact that 80 years later she was
still afloat in the deepwater trade.
In the pages Of this book one hnds
manv familiar Names. For example, We
learn that costly new hall added to the
Salem Museum tc contain the japanese
and Chinese collection was the gilt OF
DIR. Charles G. Weld Of Boston; and only
the other day we published list OF his
beouests, which included the Fenelosa
collection of japanese arts and antiques,
valued at $500, 900, to the Peabody Mu-
se,,m. Salem. Prof Edward S. Morse,
director of this museum and curater OF
the japanese pottery section OF the Bos-
ton museum, was the guest of the Maine
Press association on one of their excur'
sions to Moosehead Lake and gave the
members a very interesting account of
Japanese printing Office. Then one reads
e Co,+ Ioro+han Haraden born in