The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1916-11-15
CROSSING the line.
When Neptune Owns the ship
and Holds High Carnival.
PLAYS SOME ROUGH FRANKS.
A. q Vessel. Nsars the Equator The Sea
kins's Reign Begins, and For the
Time Being No Passenger 10 Too
High or Mighty TO Escape. u

Time Being No Passenger 10 Too
High or Mighty to Escape.
It is to be expected that the people
ahutaup in the little republic; that il
bounded by the iron walls Of an: oceart
liner should seek many ways OF divert
ing themselves. Perhaps republic" ID
not altogether.a happy word to use IN
that connection, because no czar Of the
Russias ever had such autocratic pow.
er over his subjects as the captain Of a
great liner has over the travellers on
bis ship. But he uses his power very
sparingly, and il his temporary sub
jects behave decently and obey the
unwritten laws Of the sea he let's them
do about as they please.
They exercise their ingenuity in pro-
viding all sorts Of entertainments to
relieve the monotony of the passing
days. Switchboard and deck golf, ring
toss and bull board and a concert usu-
ally suffice for the brief journey across
the Atlantic ocean, but OH the more dis
tant voyages to India or Australia or
down the long coast OF South America
those mild amusements pail upon the
voyagers, and they plan something
more elaborate. Tournaments OF vari-
GUS kinds, races of every sort, lectures
and plays are the order Of the day.
But the most time honored and ex.
travagant revelries are sure to take
place when the ship crosses the imag-
fnary line between the northern and
southern hemispheres. From time i'm
memorial that has been the day dedi-
Gated to jokes and quips and pranks Of
all kinds. The captains serious face re-
lakes; the mates aud even the quar-
termasters and sailors are evidently,
concocting some huge scheme Of fun;
no horsepl2y is outlawed; no practical
Jokes are too rough; no exalted person.
age is too digniaed to be exempt from
Neptune's trough house"
The most elaborate fun Of that sort
that remember witnessing was on
trip from New York to San Francisco.
The night before the ship was to cross
the line we saw a spot Of light OF the
starboard bow. 1t seemed to draw
nearer and nearer, and pretty soon old
Neptune himself, clad in oilslSins and
dripping water from his garments and
his long white beard, climbed the black
side of our ship and. standing upon the
hurricane deck, surrounded by an nd
ming throng Of passengers, an
nounced that the next day at o'clock
in the afternoon weashould cross the
line and that he would welcome US to
his domain with suitable equator cere-
monies" He spoke in thunderous and
somewhat sepulchral tones. Then he
disappeared over the side Of the ship.
The next day at 2 O'clock Neptune
was promptly on hand again. To pre-
pare for his coming the sailors had ar
ranged on the lower deck great can.
vas tub, perhaps twenty feet square,
filled with water to depth Of about
three feet. The tub was surrounded by
q rail, and Neptune, seated on a gor-
geous throne, at first commanded that
the passengers should be initiated into
the mysteries OF his domain. He had
come aboard this second time with
great flourish Of trumpets, and he was
followed by long train Of fantastic
ally arrayed subjects.
Those subjects ruthlessly seized the
passengers, right and left, and Nep-
tune commanded that the men should
be shaved. They were seated on the
edge of the improyised bathtub, and
the barber appeared, welding lather
brush nearly as big as a broom and
pastebOard razor also Of huge dimen-
sfons.
Covering 4 victims face with a lib
eral supply Of lather, the barber raised
on high his tremendous razor. But just
as he was about to apply 1t to the face
Of the unreslsting passenger, two Of
Neptune's, myrmidons, standing in the
great tub Of water, suddenly pulled
the victim over backward and i'm
mersed him completely. A moment later
he emerged, spluttering and coughing,
but making a desperate effort to ap-
pear good natured.
If any passenger was particularly
dignifed or dandified, If he had shown
any overweening conceit in his own
abilities, Neptune's slaves sought him
out especially. The more spotless the
linen, the more stylish the necktie. the
more Reckless the white flannel suit,
the surer was the owner to have the
starch literally taken out Of him.
OF course not all Of the $50 Rassen-
vers could be initiated with these elab-
lrate ceremonies. Most of those who
we're enjoying the fun to the utmost,
aud who were congratulating them
selves that they had gone scot free,
did not notice some sailors IN oilskins
climbing the masts directly over their
heatls. The sailors had q big hose iip
their hands. While the last victim