The Washington herald., 1915-09-05
By GEORGE R. MINER.

is a sure good thing. They are the
ones who did not fit in with the San
Francisco winds and rain.
1 started by water to Seattle to con-
tinue- the loop around North America.
Those who came by the Isthmus are
many through Canada, for, next to
the Canal. the Canadian Rockies are
at present the headline scenic attrac-
tion on this continent.
It's a three days sail from San
Francisco to Seattle and the boats are
good. The concern that operates them,
the Pacific Coast Steamship Company.
is one of the few enterprises that are
making money out of the fair. Their
boats come in and go out packed all
the time. They ply the whole length
of the United States Pacific Coast, from
San Diego to Seattle. and then on TO
Alaska.
The boat I was on was certainly
good, big, steady and as clean as a
candidate for Office could wish his
record to be. Also 1t had eccentricities
of construction. 1t was built, 1 was
told by the president of the company
to meet his own ideas and without
suggestions from the traffic depart
ment The traffic officials always give
this as an excuse for the fact that in
every stateroom, barring a few suites
de luxe. there are three berths, one
over the other. Nobody knows why, be-
"nuse only two berths are sold oc-
Cupied in ordinary conditions.
Perhaps it's just to be different, be-
cause the sofa is not constructed
that it can be used as a berth in a
pinch. as is customary in most ships.
This being different has its disadvan
taGes. Filling up the space with that
third berth. puts the lower berth
practically on the floor and leaves no
room for the storing of steamer
trunks. So no trunks are taken to the
staterooms or allowed in them. People
who did not know about this got
wrathy Cutie" who anticipated doing
some dazzling with fine raiment. found
herself on the North Pacific with no
other available baggage than a little
bag she carried on her arm, which
contained nothing more nearly ap-
prodching garments than handker-
chief. vanity box and some chewing
gum. Her trunk was in the hold, with
several hundred pieces of baggage on
top of it and the matches were fas-
tened down. Cutie" stormed, but 1t
did no good. She was down and out
and couldn't play the game at all So
she just sulked.
! think l found out why that third
berth is put in there. It's to bump
your nedQ on. ulQ every llTnG L
got in or got out or turned over. The
diamond-shaped pattern of the wire
mattress above is stamped on my bald i
spot and is quite visible at the pues-
ent writing. Mine was the lower berth.
| found the best way to get in was
to roll into il sideways and the best
way to get out was to come out on
all fours like a dog emerging from a
kennel This was all right in smooth
and the boat pitching like a rocking
horse, it required some doing.
The dining-room is also eccentric. |
1t is unlike any dining saloon on any
other ship in the world. There is no
attempt at economy OF space, but COM
fort only is considered. The whole 7
room is cut up into little pens or COM
partnents, and in each there are
table and big comfortable leather
seats for four. It's cozy as can
he. No swinging chairs that only swing
half way, and will never swing the
way you try to make them and that
YOU have to squeeze into between the
arms How fat people ever get in or
out of the regulation steamer dining
room chair l never could understand
Also no long tables like a boarding
house There are wide isles and
steward and service table for each
pen. It's a waste of space, but very
enjoyable.
As soon as we pulled out Of the
Golden Gate and pointed north.
stiff head wind that was half gale,
fresh from the Arctic Ocean came
slapping at US. And it kept tapping
at US too. all the way, while we
surged along the bold anu inhospit-
a able-looking shores of California, Or
egon and Washington. 1t was a cold
and leaden looking sea and a gray
l- t-sra hrrS
dampen the ardor of the passengers,
for they are a gay-spirited crowd, |
these Western tourists. There was
singing constantly going on in the
social hall and on the upper deck,
where room had been built especial
" for dancing. Every afternoon and
evening, including Sunday. there were /
tangoinE and one-stepp1ng ana sloe-
stepping and all those things.
one reason why the spirit of jollity |
animated this ship is the captain. Big
Bob Cousins is character on tine
Coast and known and liked by every
body. In size he is fully developed He
is not only a host in himself. but he
might also be called a crowd. Along
side of him Judge Taft looks sylph-
like. -:
Now Capt. Bob has a way with him
with children, birds and dogs. They
always do what he says. In his cabin
are two Java sparrows that mind his
least word They'll rurn somersaults
If he says so. When it comes to train
ing dogs he is a marvel.
On this trip. however. Capt. Bob met
his Waterloo. A poor, miserable mon
grel stowaway dog was discovered
soon after we left port. Capt Bob
and Buck were looking him over.
THAT cur Amt good fur nothing.
said Buck, he's a bonehead. You
couldn't teach him to eat when he's
hungry"
"oh. I don't know" replied the cap
tain. "I think I could teach him some
tricks easy enough"
Not on your life. You couldn't
teach him to sit up in a month
Nonsense, / can teach him to sit up
before we land at Seattle"
What, In three days"
Sure"
BET you a hat you can't"
IAN right. You're on" And the cap
tain took the dog to his cabin while
good as won hat.
Two days later. Buck saw the dog
wandering about the deck and it oc-
CURED to him to find out IL the cap
tain had really been putting anything
over" on him, SO he took the cur to
his room, shut the door and said gent
ly sit up" The dog promptly stood
up on his launches.
so" murmured Buck. that fat guy
really did the trick did he? Well, I'll
do a little trick teaching myself"
Again he said, "sit up" The dog