The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1940-06-13
names they gave things aboard
ship haye stuck.

an ever hope 10 be.
names they gave things aboard
ship have stuck.
For instance. There's the mar
ger. which Is IN The fore-portion
Of the ship. and which takes its
name directly from the farm side
item BY virtue Of appearance.
+ The tiller. which is just a bit Of
curved wood aboard ship. before
that was the name given the
curved wooden handle Of a wesv-
er's loom and also similarly
shaped handle ~ an ancient Eng
lish saw Do you "till' ship with
the tiller' Sounds like farming.
huh =
just as evident as farmers terms
are other good, deep-dyed. salty,
a-going shipboard names found
in the sailing ships alone;
Cockpit, crows nest, dog, stir
rup. bride, martingale. apron.
hose. donkey, camel, fish. bitt, well.
yoke. sheepshank, etc.
As for the simple little word
cat it has meant all sorts Of
things TO sailormen OF many flags.
Five centuries ago 1t meant a
rowbost of 100 oars and 200 oars
men: Americans think OF a little
sailboat with a single sail; French
men think of lighter barge;
Spanish fishermen refer to the
cabin boy. Scandinavian mean
sailing scow.
The anchor Of a sailing vessel
was hove up 10 the cats head lin
olden times, carved with whiskers
and ALL the rieger heaves shrouds
closer to the mast with cat harp
ings made OF rope or iron: the cat
hole was used as a stern chock for
moorins lines; nasty old mates
whipped their sailors with the cat
o'-nine tails; the wind blows ever
so gently in cats paws; the wind
lass grips the anchor chains with
its wildcat. and so on.
But the theory that our present
day pinnacle derives from the
lowly orn-bin is too picturesque
for accuracy.
Roman vessels had a shelter for
the helmsman, which was called
habitaculum, meanig little dwell
ling" The Spaniards got ahold of
it and were more specific with
their bitaculs, meaning a timber
were the compass is placed When
the English adopted 1t they made
it bittacle. See?
Tsk. Tsk. Dept.
When they launched the s0-foot
purse-seiner Nordic Pride at the
Peterson & johnson yards the other
evening. we were dismayed at the
heedlessness of at least two spec
tators.
We thought everybody knew
that grease is slippery.
A young lady looked much less
charming, and man looked like
he was trying to break his neck
with near success). after they had
tried to walk down the grease
smeared ways to better watch the
vessel take the water. Much fail
ing about of arms ad legs, and a
pair of acrobatic falls were the re-
suite say nothing OF dry-clean-
ing bills.
Anyhow. about 300 persons turn
ed out to witness the launch OF the
Nordic Pride of Nor,iics Odin
Thompson. Arnulf Berge, Anton
Isaacson. Pete and Chris Erland-
sen. Quite a party.
Congrats Dept.
Jay McCune, traffic imprea. ario
Of the chamber OF commerce and
Dsvid-sized opponent of Goliath
sized steamship problems. is now
lawyer also because Uncle Whis-
kers says so.
Just received license No. 1873,
admitting him 10 raise his personal
brand OF Old Ned before the u. S.
maritime commission Only one in
town.
Jay says his license Is the B
grade The A grade Is for formal,
run OF the mill lawyers; the b
grade is for guys who know some
thing about the steamship bust
ness