Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-17
DY CAPT. FRANK H. SHAW.


ewe're homeward bound. hear them say;
hood;ey' fare you well; good-by, fare yol
"ODAY liner clears port without
ostentation, beyond the fiarine
of a perfect orchestra and the
i wavings of myriads of snowy
handkerchiefs-a few tears. may
Pe, but nothing to mention-and testing
pals. She proceeds on her homewarc
Foyage-as the Leviathan did yesterday
pr the day before-as methodically as
railroad train leaving its depot fol
kn unconsidered scamper across a con-
fnent.
A full-freighted tramp steamer goes
Rh without even the orchestra, the
handkerchiefs or the tears; cbedient tc
Ihe ring of telegraph bell in a distant
ing;ne room. with promise of swift re-
lurri. Where is romance? Where is
Pie ineffable poetry and rhapsody OF
Pie sea In this calm outsetting across
hn ocean as clearly charted as a coun-
try read is mapped
LOCK back quarter of a century to
days when the sea still had some charm
Tbs gallant old windjammer has car
lied an outward cargo to San Francisco
maybe, or Sydney. or Nagasaki; and she
pas carried an intermediate cargo
thence to some one or other of the
almost countless ports on the southern
Pacific Coast Here she has discharged
her coal or her lumber or her case
pn; and here she has filled up to
tcupper-d deep lading with the Chilean
product that found worldwide mar
ket-nitrates. Her last bag of freight
has been Shantied aboard with all
feemly occasion, as is fitting after q
hree months sleep in the placid waters
bf the coast, and her crew is under
falling orders.
Tonight there will be no spirituous
farousals, for shore-going on the Pacific
Coast is not encouraged, but the event
Of being homeward bound is to be cele-
prated according to ancient rites. The
ceremony will prove an excuse for bum
hling couple of bottles of grog from
lhe tight-f1sted skipper, anyway! Fur
ther, it will serve as happy relaXa-
lion from much monotonous labor in
framped surroundings with Scant relief
from the unvarying drudgery.
Lying in the tiers, one Of hundred
hips of her type, maybe, there are the
remaining ninety-and-n to give her
Erecting and a hearty send-off. The
ceremony must wait until knock-off
Hme rings. for nothing is permitted to
Interfere with ship-work beyond sudden
hlamity, which means more work, or
IN infrequent, much-grudged holiday.
But after dark, when supper has been
Served, and the evening swim-neces-
barry for purposes of cleanliness as well
hs for dear enjoyment's sake finished
Ind done with, we set to, and with all
bands failing on, shanty up the final
back again and suspend it at the yard
hrm as sign and token that at last we
IRE homeward boundl We do it leis-
hrely, that the brave old shanties might
ring for prolonged minutes across the
placid stretches to reach the ears of
listeners in the three-mile distant,
lighted, musical town; and Reuben
Ranzo." "Boney Was a Warrior" BLOW
the Man Gown" and many other favor
ties make the welkin ring; with the adj
Joining ships joining tunefully in the
tiotous choruses. Then our stentor
laps his funneled hands to his mouth
Ind roars: Three cheers for"
Naming the remotest ship in the tiers.
We give the cheers and wait. From