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Show yPLi cwv fev s. - f -fc. . . " i (q ITH the passing of the .1 sailing vessel from the fc sea has gone the sea's fl'V1 "A romance. Romance W'A V i cannot live without its W V y$ villains. Boarding mas-ters, mas-ters, bucko mates, bullying bul-lying captains these were the villains of sea romance, and they are gone, or going, with the sailing sail-ing craft they lived in. Chief among them in their generations genera-tions was the boarding master of sail-ortown. sail-ortown. Though he never went to sea, he was the heavy villain in every plot that delivered the unlucky sailor, or the unluckier landsman, into the hands of captains and mates. Mostly they were sneaking, brutal, cunning scamps, these boarding masters, owners own-ers of low dives along the waterfront, water-front, which they misnamed sailors' boarding houses. They hung in the wake of incoming ships, made friends with the easiest marks among the crews and baited or bullied them into their dens. There poor Jack Tar was kept and entertained with bad whisky and worse women until his money was gone. Then he was shipped aboard some vessel, after signing away one or more months' unearned wages in payment for an imaginary board bill and a "donkey's breakfast," sea slang for a straw bedtick. "Blood money" and "dead horse," the sailors called this robbery. The captains always al-ways paid it, taking the sailor's "advance "ad-vance note," which was certain to ro) ITH the passing of the V, " " )' 1 " TS. sailing vessel from the 1 f " , v x & &M romance. Romance NX S, " " v 'A t v flW. live without .t. . SDWSjTi' y VSl villains. Boarding mas- t -Ai'v ' y v ? XCZZZJ ,Sl u ' ters, bucko mates, bul- v ZZjf, '"tS-) lying captains-these . , PtV fi ? t . A-rTi were the villains of sea romance, and - t& ZT ' T A ' they are gone, or going, with the sail- . X tfiM'tW" f S - ? " - 1 ' ing craft they lived in. , 'iiM Chief among them in their genera- - ' f f VT'Sr- 7 SfJ V t li'-r S tlons was the boarding master of sail- , , r v WA t'l ) Ms . J ortown. Though he never went to B1UWM sea, he was the heavy villain in every 4 v - VMiiMlM't tft (VkY T t;l plot that delivered the unlucky sailor, , f$Lu ft WJN-P W't or the unluckier landsman, into the t U ft fi fMffiWs hands of captains and mate, Mostly ,x , , vAPfflS they were sneaking, brutal, cunning scamps, these boarding masters, own- SSSiLW- WS&SbK&LKSt,i.- Sa i ers of low dives along the water- SSS! X" front, which they misnamed sailors' ' boarding houses. They hung In the . . 'SmmlkKi ' I - wake of incoming ships, made friends v45jffi?W ' 1- with the easiest marks among the TSiJife i W iSwvSffW'V " crews and baited or bullied them into fggrfBll.; "W-W '" ' their dens. There poor Jack Tar was jf H. 'WZj'feii ' - v ! kept and entertained with bad whisky V ' ' c A " and worse women until his money '-i$fM.K2&yjP& was gone. Then he was shipped v - P-VViafl ''fC''' aboard some vessel, after signing M'ESt h away one or more months' unearned , a-Srit ff'jilf1- U wages in payment for an imaginary i-Sfc' board bill and a "donkey's breakfast," - SjVtjtT a witness" and" was dumb. After tho sea slang for a straw bedtick. "Blood Vyges'' "advance note" and a preposterous money" and "dead horse," the sailors v -Saw1 slop chest charge had been deducted called this robbery. The captains al- 'JSrL.'gigvA-0' from his wages, they handed him ways paid it, taking the" sailor's "ad- 5?'$l5S Ssi:- ' the balance, a pitiful little pile of vance note," which was certain to SS-ie' ., S small silver, and told him to get out SiiZggp' ' 11 Was against tne ,aWl of course' but v " : ' V , jfj- He was Eet adrift, almost without " ' ISS :J'rT money, in a land of strangers. A j 4 V hostile land, too, for the gendarmes I , if?T " -rS in front of the office eyed him with i "V-"s V4lJ ' Szii disfavor. He was desperately lone- 1 ' 1 ' m!' "-J-f5'' t- 5" 'y. and felt tne grip of circumstance keen upon him. As 1 ?fsk v" 1 be wandered about the strange streets he discovered. " i "i-W jct! t j 'V l. sewed in the lining of his coat, an envelope, until then I t ' If Z3fi J unnoticed. Its contents were four one-hundred-dollar bills I I". V iVw7 and this note: 1 LJ,JSJFij"l 4S8.S1 Vj? r TT Irvington, Oct. 17. 1 r ?Jwif CV 1 'SrC Mr. James Hunter, 1 e r sf Li- V Jr 'm 9Jr- Dear Slr: Here's your 3ust. We kept your gun. It would 1 T " " rVjjBi"!?" g a 1 - only make trouble for you. We are not thieves, only 1 . 1S& VL t If j? - i boarding masters. You would get drunk and we needed 1 Jr , ' - ,v f5 S w' t 1' -5 - 1 Jr men- Hide your money till-you get ashore. You will lSLaT . ,8 HI Visfc need " a"' for Black is certain to turn you adrift dead 1 - - vt- f J 1 I broke. Quit boozing and be a man. V-Vir V. l 8allortown.; he said. SHERMAN. I, V ff fV- " ,s! 1 The name of Tue f"endly faces of Uncle Sam's greenbacks XF ""?'"! jf-" smlS!s?f, Sherman was never gave him courage. He made plans and acted on it V k "' coupled openly with them then and there. Meeting that English mate lLr... X.v-$f------ ",Trf ii the story of that in the street, he gave him a most artistic beat- 1 4 t ' f'-"m'rj4jV' J night raid, but the ing, paid- a fine, and took the next boat for Lon- 17. ?..... . I !T$" In vJl'''Tn" fji SfW-0R,nB g kings shippeck "all don town. Incidentally, he forgot all about his de- V ,;i ' jlfT ii ' 1 FftyaHfirtGHRJE- the crews from Ir- sire to travel six or seven thousand miles and kill V Mimii'"""""" fc " vington afterward. the sailortown kings. What spasm of virtue caused Kn shiD went to them to eive him back his mnnev be never knew. a witness" and" was dumb. After tho "advance note" and a preposterous slop chest charge had been deducted from his wages, they handed him the balance, a pitiful little pile of small silver, and told him to get out It was against the law. of course, but he didn't know that. He was Eet adrift, almost without money, in a land of strangers. A hostile land, too, for the gendarmes ( in front of the office eyed him with disfavor. He was desperately lone- Irvington, Oct. 17. Mr. James Hunter, Dear Sir: Here's your dust. We kept your gun. It would only make trouble for you. We are not thieves, only boarding masters. You would get drunk and we needed men. Hide your money till- you get ashore. You will need it all, for Black is certain to turn you adrift dead broke. Quit boozing and be a man. ly, and felt the grip of circumstance keen upon him. As he wandered about the strange streets he discovered, sewed in the lining of his coat, an envelope, until then unnoticed. Its contents were four one-hundred-dollar bills and this note: Irvington, Oct. 17. Mr. James Hunter, Dear Sir: Here's your dust. We kept your gun. It would only make trouble for you. We are not thieves, only boarding masters. You would get drunk and we needed men. Hide your money till- you get ashore. You will need it all, for Black is certain to turn you adrift dead broke. Quit boozing and be a man. , oolrl Yours truly, sam- PETICR SHERMAN, e of The friendly faces of Uncle Sam's greenbacks never gave him courage. He made plans and acted on with them then and there. Meeting that English mate that in the street, he gave him a most artistic beat-t beat-t the ing, paid'a fine, and took the next boat for Lon-k Lon-k "all don town. Incidentally, he forgot all about his de-m de-m Ir- sire to travel six or seven thousand miles and kill ard. the sailortown kings. What spasm of virtue caused :nt to them to eive him back his mnnev be never knew. sailortown, he said. The n'a me of Sherman was never coupled openly with the story of that night raid, but the kings sbipped "all the crews from Irvington Ir-vington afterward. Nn shiD went to PETER SHERMAN. The friendly faces of Uncle Sam's greenbacks gave him courage. He made plans and acted on them then and there. Meeting that English mate in the street, he gave him a most artistic beating, beat-ing, paid'a fine, and took the next boat for London Lon-don town. Incidentally, he forgot all about his desire de-sire to travel six or seven thousand miles and kill the sailortown kings. What spasm of virtue caused them to give him back his money he never knew. They were not noted for doing such things. That the kings so continually escaped punishment punish-ment was small wonder. The men injured never had a chance to tell their stories until they were ashore in some foreign land. Consuls in foreign ports could not libel ships or detain captains on their unsupported word. The ships' papers were always straight, at any rate on the face of them. The most that could be done was to report the case and there it ended. The Sherman boys on the other side of the earth neve heard even an echo of it. The witnesses against them were scattered scat-tered over the seven seas and prosecution could ' not touch them. The United States district attorney and his staff did their best to keep the Shermans within the letter, let-ter, at least, of the shipping laws, but they had hard sledding. In one case the kings were indicted Charlie Marsden, the star witness for the prosecution, prosecu-tion, was locked up in jail for safekeeping. Charlie Marsden disappeared. The jailer told a story of masked men, guns and general confusion, but could identify no one as having taken part in the jail delivery. With the witness gone, prosecution halted. halt-ed. Long afterward Charlie Marsden came back and told a moving tale. He had been bound, gagged and carried aboard a ship just as she sailed. When released at sea, he was told that he had been regularly shipped and was led a sorry life aboard. In foreign ports he appealed in vain to consuls, who showed him his name forged, of course on the ship's articles and laughed at him. When he finally worked his way back to Irvington his story awakened interest and new prosecutions be paid out of the debtor's "hide" or his wages. Boarding masters of this class were petty rascals. ras-cals. They dealt in men at retail. The brothers John and Peter Sherman, of Irvington, on the Pacific Pa-cific coast, were of another type. They dealt in men wholesale, shipped entire crews. Their boarding houses were licensed by the government. govern-ment. Captains bargained with them openly. The shipping commissioner of the port winked at their devious ways. A crowd of thugs, runners run-ners and hangers-on served them and thrived by their favor. They were men of substance and owned or controlled as part of their business every ev-ery saloon, dance hall and resort in the crooked streets and dark alleys about the wharves. Upper Irvington drew a deadline about the waterfront and seldom ventured over it outside of business hours. Jack and Pete Sherman were kings of Irvington's sailortown. Every autumn saw a big fleet of "wind jammers" jam-mers" ships of 2,000 to 3,000 tons register lying off Irvington. The wheat of the new northwest was In their holds, consigned to ports in Europe or India, by way of the six-months' journey round the Horn. The wheat fleet, Irvington called It, and when the wheat fleet came, upper Irvington stirred itself, sailortown roused to vicious life and the sailortown kings reaped a harvest of blood money. No captain shipped a crew from Irvington until un-til he had done business wilh the kings and paid their price. Captain Brown, of the bark Carmar-thaenshire, Carmar-thaenshire, learned that to his cost. He put into Trvinp-tnn fnr n parffn at n time when shins were sea short-handed. However blind the shipping commissioner might be in other ways, he saw to it that the shipping laws were obeyed as to the number of men required for types and tonnage of ships. A man might never have seen the sea, but if he were not too drunk to 'say he was an able seaman and to sign his name to the ship's articles, that settled it. He would probably be an able seaman or a dead greenhorn before his ship reached nprt. This official insistence on the letter of the law sometimes caused the kings to do strange things. Toward the end of the season they were at times hard pushed for one or two men to fill out a crew. Then did all men in sailortown not in the kings' special favor hunt cover and stay hid until un-til the last ship was out of sight beyond the bar. For Jack and Pete were no respecters of persons. All men looked alike to them, and they sent to sea more than one who held himself too acute to be trapped Into an unwilling voyage. Well-educated, well-dressed and companionable, the kings mixed with the best and worst that drifted into their Realms, and once in their clutches no man escaped from them except by the open sea. Jimmy Hunter, Yale man and cowpuncher. went down to the waterfront alone one day, against the advice of the upper town, to see the sights. He was wise to the world and had a year's thirst and pay with him. He met the kings, who were glad to see him. Just one more man was needed for the square-rigger Good Hope, then lying in the stream waiting for a crew, with her cantain. Black, swearing at Jack and Pete for were begun. Ihe Sherman boys had well-paid lawyers who dragged out the cases with adjournments adjourn-ments and legal tangles. Irvington was too busy to be long excited over the' wrongs of a few sailors. sail-ors. Prosecution faltered and paltered along Its usual dismal way, and what at last brought the sailortown kings up with a round turn was the united public opinion of Irvington directed against them. Irvington suddenly waked up to find Itself a blot on the map. Unexplained dead men are no good advertisement for any town; neither are mysterious mysteri-ous disappearances of strangers within its gates to be desired, if their friends make a fuss about them. Captains who refused to be held up for extravagant extrava-gant blood money, and to play villain at small profit, avoided the port. Business was falling off. Upper Irvington was hit where it lived and the Sherman boys were notified to quit. The kings of sailortown have abdicated. Steam vessels make voyages so short that "advance notes" are no longer prizes. Seamen's unions have given a measure of protection even to deep-water deep-water sailors, who seem to have fewer rights and more hardships than most men. The bullying captain, cap-tain, the bucko mate and the boarding master have all been singed by the feeble and tardy fire of United States maritime law. The railroads had their share In the revolution. But what really caused the Sherman boys to become private citizens citi-zens was the wrath of upper Irvington. Wrhen It was hit. In Its pocket and its self-esteem that up-pet up-pet the kingdom of the sailortown tyrants. plenty and men hard to get. He was unconcerned, uncon-cerned, for his men had been shipped in England and would not be discharged until the home port was reached. Captains of deep-laden vessels lying ly-ing in the stream eyed the Carmarthaenshire's crew enviously. Jack Sherman quietly sent a man or two aboard the "limejuicer" to visit and smuggle in forbidden whisky. By twos and threes Captain Brown's crew left him and were hidden about sailortown. The Irvington police were asked to bring them back, but however hard they looked for deserters they didn't find any. Then one dark night the rest of the crew vanished van-ished over the side, to the last man, after knocking knock-ing the breath out of Captain Brown and tricing the mate up to the main fiferail. And before the astonished captain could recover breath enough to roar for "law" Jack and Pete Sherman had his men shipped in one of the waiting vessels and , away. Next day the captain was waited on by the kings, who blandly offered to find him a new crew at $50 the man. He roared again to the British consul, to his shipping agents, to the police, po-lice, who were sympathetic but helpless. Nobody could be found to even hint that the kings had any hand In the affair and the shipping commissioner's commis-sioner's records were clear. He had chipped no deserters that he knew of. But Captain Brown swore that if he couldn't get back his men. or get the dogs of justice to even bark at the kings, he at least would pay them no blood money for a new crew. So he went to another port and brought a new crew to Irvington by steamer. His bark was hauled out Into the stream and her crew kept close In her forecastle. That night she was boarded by masked men, who swept her new cr'w over the bows into the stream. Gossip had it that some of them were drowned. Captain Brown gave up and paid the Sherman boys $75 instead of $50 each for a crow, and put to sea in a hurry Tl. v':v '' ' Tin swine, but they're kings rf delaying him. The kings attended to Hunter's thirst and were friendly, even confidential. No secret was made of their trade. They told him stories of shanghaied sailormen and of crews they had stolen from one ship for another. He was much interested. Jack took him up to the shipping ship-ping commissioner's to see the crew of the Good Hope shipped. He was even asked to and did sign his name once or twice "as a witness." A friend from the upper town risked a broken head to warn him. But the Sherman boys were also friends at least three hours old and, anyhow, he could take care of himself. At last he caught Pete in an attempt to drug his whisky and left the kings, with a laughing comment on sailortown ways. Well outside the deadline he stopped in a quiet saloon. It was late and be and the lonesome bartender had a nightcap together. When he came alive next morning he was at sea in the Good Hope and a beefy English mate was kicking him in the ribs. Of the months that followed Hunter never told much. He learned sailors' work; he had to. He picked up a scar or two from the English mate's brass knuckles. Also he acquired a deep desire to kill the kings of sailortown. Captain Black and the mate. At last he found himself In the consul's office at Dunkirk, France, dressed in the clothes he had on when he met the Sherman boys. For a wonder, won-der, they had sent them aboard with him. He was in United States territory again, and, first off, he would square yards with Captain Black. But the consular agent was a Frenchman who would neither speak English nor understand Hunter's French unless he wanted to. Captain Black lolled in an office chair and grinned while Hunter told his troubles. When he had finished, without a word of comment the consular agent spread out two papers, the ship's articles and an ' "advance note." "Ees thees votre nom?" he ::! ed. It was. He remembered his signing "as |