The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1914-07-16
"REMINISCENCES OF A sEAFARER
ICapt. George L. Morton. in the Marine
Journal.

| capt George L. Morton. in the Marine
Journal
| My hailing port was Casti3e, Maine,
when | shipped as cook of coasting
schooner engaged in carrying lumber
from Bangor to Boston. | had
| ued to cook through sitting around
the stove watching my mother after
had filled the wood box and wait
ing for the meal it cooked. Lumber in
those days was abundant, and was RATED
down the Penobscot River and tributaries
from sawmills in the interior to Bangor
The timber was loaded through the bow
ports, while the boards, joists, and laths
were carried on deck. When loading
began | was sent over the bow on to the
raft and put to work, with two of the
crew helping lift and land the ends of
this timber in the bow ports, and then
shove it into the hold for the captain and
two other men to stow, this comprising
the entire crew. The timber was green
and watersoaked, and one end at time
was about all we could lift. At II O. clock
the cook (myself) was told to knock off
and get dinner, and be sure to have it
ready by noon. l climbed up on deck,
tired and homesick, looked up the wharf,
and for a moment or so hesitated whether
| would run away or cook dinner. Moth
ing but fear of being laughed at if | re-
turned home turned my steps toward the
galley and gave me strength to cook
dinner. After dinner all hands lit their
pipes and lay down on the transom
lockers in the cabin, while the cook had
to wash the dishes and then turn to- on
the lumber raft with the others at
o'clock. In those days about week of
this growth stunting, back-breaking
labor for youth and the schooner was
loaded. While towing down the river.
and heartily congratulating ourself that
there could be no more lifting and strain
ing of our poor lame bones and that
| would get plenty of time to clean up
galley and cabin when the mate bawled
out, "Cook, lay aft here and lend hand
| to hoist the mainsail." Then followed
| a pull on the halliards of the toresail and
the lib, and ever after, when these sails
were hoisted, the cook did his ''hand over
hand" trick on the halliards, then holding
turn while they were being swayed up
taut. Order a cook to lend a hand in
making sail in these days and he would
either jump overheard from fright, or
| tell the officer making such demand to
90 to -!
The captain of this schooner wasn't a
! bad lot. He read his Bible and invited
his cook to sing a few "Pennyroyal'
HYMNS on Sunday evenings. And upon
one occasion, on our first trip together,
! as outlined above, he showed some SYM
| pathy for me in looking over the bow
down to the raft where l was tugging
away with my two shipmates, landing
sticks of timber into the bow ports. He
called: "Cooky, you look tired; it's an
hour before it is time for you to knock
| off and get dinner, SO come up on deck
and bring aboard some of those bundles
| of laths which are to be slowed on deck.
| 1t will rest you." Rest me Have any
of our readers ever lifted bundle OF
green laths ? If so, they will bear
witness that it is a mans JOB. did as
| | was told, but l saw stars with every
bundle l lifted.
| The strangest thing in connection with
| this Renaissance is the fact that | stuck
to this cruelty hard job from Spring till
ice closed the Penobscot River, carrying
home nv entire earnings of SIP per month
with the exception of So, part of which
spent for plug tobacco, having Learned
to smoke and chew it for the reason thai
all hands did.
Several of the officers of the school,
| ship Newport are subscribers to the
Marine Journal The junior class are
making their first voyage. Should any
of them bemoan their condition, become
homesick and disconnected, perhaps the
story of the writer's first experience OF
shipboard may convince them that (tt
put it slangily) they have ''cinch.'