Evening star., 1923-10-28

Although the name OF John Ken
Ion 10 known in many cities OF
many countries--known for twelve
years as the chief of the most
extensive hre.fghtinE force In the
world-it is q name which until
recently has never been associated.
even In the minds Of New Workers.,
with the sea. And yet. Chief Ken
Ion spent the first quarter Of his
stirring, picturesque career before
the mast and as q ships ,ofacer.
both upon the ocean and, for .
brief but cofrespondingly exciting
period, upon the Great Lakes.
His story Of those years IL q
genuine human document: more
appealing, even, than as brave
mans struggle with the sea 10 1t
as a brave boys struggle with life.
The most noteworthy OF his ad-
ventures are to be recounted In q
signal series Of articles, of which
the following Is the first. They are
not the handiwork of a profess
sinai artisan of situations. but q
straightforward man-to-man re-
Cttal Of tho crises Qf those years
rs he met them.
IT was born" he writes. near
the little seaport village. of Anna
gassan, county Louth, 1reland--on
the shore of Dundalk bay. One Of
my earliest recollections carries
me back to the age of four years,
to a scene fixed even in that
tender memory as one OF profound
nisery-my mother. with a family
OF little ones like myself. had been
elected from our humble cottage
by the sea- ="
My father obtained his educa-
tion from itinerant. teachers
known In Ireland as hedge school,
masters These men impaired
knowledge by the roadside. DEFY
Ing the law In order, to do SO.
= Under the desperate eco
nomic conditions which then pre-
vailed in Ireland, boys. went to
work very young; and. as my
father was working on a nearby
estate, I was employed, when
about ten years old, on the, same
farm at wages amounting to six
pence-about ten cents-per day"
John Kenlon's father. despite
such handicaps, was an intellectual
man. and implanted in his young
sonsn not only a knowledge of his
tory and an appreciation of litera-
ture, but a keen taste for learning
which quickened his later study OF
navigation. He received in par
ticular a heritage of devout re-
lfgious feeling and clean morality
with which to meet the pitfalls of
the world.
my father was hard-working.
temperate, ingenious" he remem-
bers." yet with all his in
dustry and learning, he could not
keep a roof over our heads. pom
dered these things in my boyish
brain and resolved. as it seemed
impossible to cope with the cir
eumstances that held US all in a
vice-like grip. I would some day
break away"
BY JOHN KENLON.
HEN in my thirteenth year
NA( I was visiting the port o
v v Dundalk. ireland. one da.
when fell in with a sea
faring man whose real name was Pa
Casey. though he was known aroun,
the country as "Yank-" This wa
because he had made several success
full voyages to America.
Casey had one hobby, that Of en-
couragfng1 all Irish boys with whom
he came in contact to go to sea.
His craft was q little topsai
schooner which he called the Mar
garet and Peggy in fine disregard o
the fact that Margaret" and Peggy
happened to be the same name. Case,
was a sailorman by natural instinct
and 1T was q common saying tina
'Yank" would go to sea on a planl
II 1t wasn't water-logged.
Capt. Casey hailed me with heart,
and interested enthusiasm, asking Mi
inevitable question, why such a fin,
broth Of boy" should hesitate abou
going to sea. He inquired If ha<
seen a boy from his ship, and asket
me to look for him.
searched diligently for Casey.
boy up to 10 o'clock that night. No
finding him, went to the Margare
and Peggy and told Capt. Casey tha
II he would take me instead OF, hii
boy would go. The doughty cap
tain clapped me on the back and II
pigs whisper" was taken on.
We set sail q few hours after I hat
gone on board. Our crew consisted o.
two men besides the skipper and my
self. ,,-....-
Never shall forget my first nigh
out on the Irish sea. It was my duty
sidelights, trim them I'LL them will
the old-fashioned "lard-oil" used ii
those days. and climb Up into the rig
ging and set them in place. The ne,
being choppy. and my stomach
squeamish with the smell Of tn,
fuming lard-oil when came on decl
after a spell in the forepeak, amoni
the tar-brushes. rope and bilge-water
was quite ready to give UP my in
most secrets.
had no idea whether we wer
bound north, south. east or west, no
did care q great deal at that par
ticular stage Of the game.
About, 4, o'clock a the mornin,
Capt. Casey said: BOY go below 70
an hour or two" There was no regu
lar watch on Casey's ship. All hand
were on deck continuously. didn'
know. Just whore to lie down, for
could not bring myself to 60 int
the fo'c's'ie and get another whin o
that mixed order Of all that was un
holy. I managed to hnd coil o
rope on deck that acted as a shelte
from the, wind.