Imperial Valley press., 1937-01-17

a boy loved to visit low fiat building edged
down to the water, joined to the by a rum
way that stretched into shadows. Here were
rendering watts, equipped with steam to maui q
whale--any monster big or small-from the
shadows up to the cutting floors. The balance
of the building, which was about 100 feet square,
was given over to vats and bone-meal grinders.
Odors, smells? There's never been anything
like them, before or since! You forget physical
pain more readily than whales being prepared
in vats.
Of course, the first thing wanted to do was
go ashore. There, few yards away, were the
first wild forested hills I'd seen. Low, green
hills surrounded the station mass of pines,
spruce, hemlock and evergreen shrubs. fell
in love with that spot. What difference from
my own Mexico, and from Southern California!
1 looked up the Third" taking courage in
my hands-went up to him, and jerked:
II want to go ashore, sir"
You'll not go ashore for long time, lad.
Not for months, dyou know why? You can't
pay your fine. You can't pay the skipper for
the bills he took care of in San Pedro for you."
E told the grand total. I owed what
might well have been the national debt!
1t came to $45! Mr.. Samples (my old friend,
the "crimp') had been paid $35 by the captain.
to this vast amount I'd been logged $40 by the
skipper for destruction of ships property
which probably covered the burned coffee.
My wages came to exactly $3.50 a month.
American: equal (by my youthful counting) to
SIS Mex. I'd be a while working this out-and
I'd found out the sort of work it was My
angel of fate was to keep me aboard the Bessie
B for many tedious month.
You'll work it out, my lad, you will" and
word 'syUOr<r sO crod him fhaf Mr Tor
sen emphasized it with sound slap to my jaw.
What in the so-and-so do you mean by loafing
around, asking to 60 ashore? Want to jump
ship? Just you try it,"
TOR two days we anchored off Trinidad, while
figured and figured way to get ashore
with my life. But in vain-my Mr.. Larsen kept
his eye me. The officers went ashore many
times, being rowed back and forth whenever
the fancy struck them. This was satisfactory
Next to myself, I'd rather have had the officers
leave ship than anyone else. Their going reduced
my labors
got to see more of the Bessie B. and made
one friend-whch was some kind of record
an A. B. called Spike This gentleman took me
under his wing, and started my education in the
kings English Spike was squat fellow almost
as broad as he was tall-with tremendous shoul-
ders, great hams for fists: together, a power
house of energy.
Spike, God bless him, taught me the lines
sails and masts of my first ship-and loved
him for it. He started, quite properly. with the
Kisons, went over the Bessie painstakinely.
He showed me, and explained in detail-clear up
to the trucks on the mast heads. From jib boom
and rudder he told me names, taught me the
easy nomenclature of the sea. Spike was the first
man earth to be good to me. He was decent
and kind.
For this, as guessed, there was reason.
Spike sat on his bunk and told me his story:
I'm remittance man, son. Know what that is?
chappie sent to the new country to keep the
family out of his troubles back home. used
to get regular checks from the pater."
1 never knew his real name until many years
had passed, with Spike and myself sailing on
the same ship. He went by the name of Hillard
He was one of the less favored younger sons
of fine old English family Social Register
entrants.
Remittances had kept him alive but restless
ness and bit of wildness you'd call it inde-
pendence anywhere but in England) overcame
Spike, and he went to sea on his own
Some philosophers say there's a reason for
everything, and like to think that the reason
Spike went to sea that l could meet him.
To me he was just old Spike Hillard. Old, be-
cause he was probably 40, and was kid. Any
over 20, those days was an ancient mariner.
Spike was my professor. He knew Latin and
Greek, and under his kind guidance learned
what schools never taught me- He'd whisper.
in spare moments. tales from Greek mythology.
He told me of Homers Iiad, Virgil Epicuratus
and Pliney. met these noble characters, and
many more, in Spikes personal class Of litera-
ture. Although his family treated him like
leper, had my first touch of culture at his
hands He awoke in me thirst for knowledge,
which at last led me from the scuppers to the
bridge.
(To be contlnued)