Document text
Folklore
FORM B
Personal History of Informant
Washington
J. J. Stauter
Seattle, Washington
December 20, 1938
"The Chief Mateo
Anonymous as told by a waterfront ewharfinger"
1.
2.
3.
etc. (Not available)
American Folk Stuff
Stauter
THE CHI MATE
"There used to be a queer character on the Seattle 'front that we used to
call: "The Chief Mate". About all he awned was an extensive collection of die
carded ship's officer's caps, and he used to parade slowly up and down the board-
walk in a different one every day. Likely as not, he'd wear them inside out, for
variety. Nobody seemed to know where or how he lived. He never talked to anybody.
Hut every once in a ',tile he would scare the daylights out of a person by caning
up behind them and suddenly yelling 1111hr000li. Then held pass on without a word
and without looking back to see the effect.
"They say that he was really a first mate on a sound steamer years ago. He
was marrieds and had a kid about three years old. The tale runs that he was send-
ing his wife and kid out on a coast passenger boat to visit her mother. This was
about the time of the gold mobs and every boat was loaded down scandalous. This
one was loaded so she had a starboard lists and just as she had pulled out of the
slip and was turning around, she capsized, with the deck swarming with women and
children waving good -by. That was the last he saw of his family.
"He never went to sopragain. They say he tried a few shore jobs, but the
shock had unbalanced his mind so that he just didn't seem to give a hoot about
anything. Finally he just took to walking up and down the waterfront, wearing his
funny hats.
"Once in a while a longshoreman will try to badger him, but they seldom ever
try it again. The poor devil would drre himself up for a second or two like he was
a First Mate again, then lock hurt and pitifUl, mumble a few words nobody could
understand, and hustle on his way, back and forth, from Pier 14 tothe Luckenbach
dock. The skinners and longshoremen found out there was no sport in devilling
the poor bugger, especially after someone had told them haw he is supposed to have
gotten that way. So all the regular people on the 'front Just pay no attention to
The Chief Mate (Cont.)
him at all that seems to be what bothers him least. The only people who
turn their heads and stare at him, or snicker, or make wisecracks, are the
ones that don't know the front, and don't belong down here."
Told by anonymous, a wharfinger.