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THE MICHIGAN DAILY MAGAZINE
Wednesday, January5 198
PoeS. .THE.MICHIGAN .DAILY.MAGAZINE Wednesda,. January 1 S I 95R
I
The Life of a Lake Sailor
By THOMAS BLUESj Him games. Pent-up emotions and
Daily Staff Writer It Separates Forever frustrations are, taken out inli-
STANDING on Duluth's Lakeauor.
Superior pier, Detroit's Am-Fr Lh Landlubber's
bassador Bridge, or in the Soo F om iie W or HOW DOES this type of life
Lock's park, the observer watches effect his thinking, his view of
a Great Lakes freighter head out life? Certainly, he thinks differ-
into the lake or glide down the nighttime Lake Superior sky like mouthed,.carefree brawling drift- This and another important factor ently from the man "on the
river or be lifted slowly to the a great cathedral. er is all that takes shape in his makes the seaman relatively in- beach." Although he usually
water level on another lake. And mind. And though the adventurous dependent. Nobody cares about doesn't pay much attention to the
he thinks how nice it would be to yES, HE WOULD find the peace youth may admire his life and his personal life, his IQ or whether world of Sputniks, Little Rocks,
sail on that boat, to actually go of getting away from his world adult culture abhor it. neither or not he can pass favorsly a and elections, he does pay atten-
where it goes. Perhaps the idea refreshing. Perhaps he might want really understands it. The mer- personality test, His qualification tion to certain essentials which
is a romantic one, inspired by to do it again, if he didn't stay chant seaman lives in a world that for work is that he can handle his our landbound society could well
countless tales of the sea. He may long enough to be bored or if there would bewilder the passenger. job. His personal life is his own, use. His judgement of another man
be weary of the earthbound life, were no storms. Still, although he Why? Perhaps the answer partly is based solely on how well that
and for a brief moment, as the would be able to tell his friends lies in the environment. But there W/HAT ABOUT his actual ship- man handles his job, Many tasks
ship glides out of sight, dreams the about his remarkable trip, he is more to it than that. There is board life? In essence, it is aboard ship involve danger to hu-
dream that the ship before his would be ignorant of the most also the way of life to be con- lonely. Sailors travel alone. They man life. A man pulling a cable on
eyes and the memories of the interesting and sig ificant part of sidered. may have shipboard companions, the dock trusts his life to the
books and movies have stimulated. the sailing life, the men who sail but these are lost when they leave cable winch operator, who-if he
The observer might--if he spots for a living. CONSIDER, first, the fact that thse ship. And on the ships there happened to make a mistake-
a seaman walking along the deck He wouldn't know that the deck- the sailor, in most cases, is are only a limited number of peo- could send the other to his death.
-wave to him in hopes of a re- hand leaning on the rail as the hired on a ship not by the com- pie with whom to associate. There When cargo hatches are being
sponse, a connection with the ship passed within yards of a pany, but through the union or are only s many card games, bull opened or closed, a metal leaf
dream. beautiful Port Huron river-front shipping depot. Ships' officers call sessions, and books sent by a wom- could, if one of the working team
If he ever had the opportunity home, is wondering why he ever the hall when they need a man. en's charity organization. After wasn't alert, break loose and flip
to take a trip on that boat, to set foot on a boat. The thought A seaman can be fired or quit on that, there is nothing except for a seaman to his destruction in the
Duluth for a load of Masabi ore wouldn't occur to him that a sail- a few minutes notice and still be the longing to get to port and the hold. The perfect teamwork in-
and back to a Lake Erie port, the or, walking back to his ship along able to get another job, unhindered nearest bar. volved in putting men on the dock
dream would be partially fulfilled. a residential avenue or a gay, busy, except by a wait for another boat. Many sailors below the officer via the landing chair means the
Nobody travels in the winter, and downtown area, thinks only of the What happens if an employee on level have no family life. The na- difference between a safe landing
in summer he would thrill briefly time when he too will fit into this land gets fired, or decides to quit turc of their work makes it dif- and death. It is obvious that there
at the fresh, water-cleansed air life. The casual observer on the because he is irritated? He gets ficult for any resemblance to a is no place for fashions, cars, titles .
brushing against his face. He pier or riverside park never thinks no references. His record is normal married life to be achieved. or doors or income brackets as
would marvel at the scenery as the about the men who sail the ships marred. No matter how competent They have no family to visit, no criteria for judgement.
ship twisted its way through the because the ship itself prompts his he may be, such an action would place to spend their money unless
St. Mary's River. And he would temporary dream. If he does ever have definite effect on his chance they are in debt, and no place to J7HE SEAMAN is generally a far
never forget his first awe at the try to picture the seaman, the of getting another job as good or go. Their money is spent in dock- more serious type than the
Aurora Borealis, hanging in the typical image of a husky, foul- better than the1 one he vacated. side saloons and wasted in poker devil-may-care image conjured up
in the observer's mind. Life aboard
'hI e,' §c -"' 7 nov o - .9 e ship is dull and uneventful, and
_-_--- ~'~~_~- although the ship sails from port,
the sailor is not going anywhere.
The years are long, hard, and
essentially embody the same rou-
tine. When he begins sailing, he
may have an idea of saving his
money to become more successful
9 on land. (This dream, by the way,
~znnouncemen 1 - isldaon .R
is valid. Pay i good. Room and
bord csts nothin. It is a job
involving no personal overhead ex-
cept for the few articles of cloth-
ing and equipment needed for the
job. Perhaps the easiness of just
living that sort of life gets in the
incom ing fashions, way of- the vision.) At any rate,
sthe time passes and the sailor
stays where he began. An agent
at one of Detroit's shipping halls
our annual SALE of fall stock will begin Monday, tells the tory of the young man
who once shipped out fr the first
time to make money in order to
cover his divinity school costs.
January 20. This includes many fine imported fab- N teasichhi
Sstill sailing - between alcohol
breaks. This manner of life has
a stiffening effect on the lives of
rics with discounts from 20% to 50%. tesarstbeusea 5.ae egnt
they planned, they will never'
realize the dream they vaguely
still hold on to. Perhaps for that
reason they seldom crack jokes.
20% -25% OFF on SUITS & SPORICOATS n ve her;msmentha almos
Y sordid overtones. Poker games are
played for high stakes, Time in
S20% -25% OFF on TOPCOATS & OVERCOATS " dockside ar.her"aes.notimui
20%- ~ o TOPC ATSport is spent getting drunk at a
room for fun in life.
20% - 25% OFF on TROUSERS THESE generalizations make it
look as if all merchant seamen
are alike, but a psychologist would
25% - 3313% OFF on DR ESS SH IRTShave a field day with the variety
he could find on a ship. Take, for
(button down and tab collars) example, the firemen who saves
all his money to keep up his home
in Miami. He is relatively well off
25% 33 % O F o SP RT HIRbut he has 'Iever been known to
Q spend a cent on himself. For cloth-
inlg-4C% O F on HO IR he depends on what other
3340% OFF on HOSIERY members would ordinarily
atoss asay. Or of the deckwatch a
devoted husband and father of
25%/-50% OFF on NECKWEAR five children, wo attended Cen-
C? d tral Michiau College but claims
he can make more money by sail-
See SAILOR'S, Page 14
1)i
Camee OE-DAr
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