James Moody - Tumblr Posts

HIM!!!

James Paul Moody, 24 year old sixth officer on Titanic, who liked adventure and aspired to write short stories

----- 𝚂𝙷𝙾𝚁𝚃 𝚂𝚃𝙾𝚁𝙸𝙴𝚂 𝚆𝚁𝙸𝚃𝚃𝙴𝙽 𝙱𝚈 𝙹𝙰𝙼𝙴𝚂:

so, sadly there is only one example of james' writing publicly available online. he had an oc! this original character was named ' brisco fletters '. this short story was written between 1904-1909. during this time, he was often in south america and you can tell that his work as a sailor and surroundings heavily influenced his work. it's important to note that, despite some sloppy grammar, he was extremely eloquent with his words. he would have been around 19-22 years old when this manuscript was written. it is also suggested that he was looking to publish his work, perhaps for an american women's magazine. this story is set in south america, probably chile or argentina as those were james' normal stomping grounds in his south america runs. the nature of this story features a phenomenon called 'crimping' or also known as, 'shanghai-ing'. james explains it best: "Most people have heard of the word "shanghai", and vaguely know that it means to catch poor sailormen and pop them aboard an outward-bound vessel very much against their own free will, and many tales have been told about these poor fellows being drugged and smuggled aboard by night"

Now if I had not had my ever alert suspicions [calmed] both by the gentle tones of her voice and innocent remarks, and the day being a calm sunny one I should have questioned her how they could proceed when men were so scarce. But we skimmed gently along and presently she pointed out a smart four masted schooner named the “George H Waback”, on approach which she stood up in her stern and waved a white handkerchief to the villainous looking rascal whom I took to be the mate. When we got alongside the accommodation latter and the surly ruffian had helped her up she called to me in a most bewitching way “Oh, Mr Fletters you must just come up and have a glass of wine and a morsel to eat as I’m sure you have missed your dinner time, besides I want Dad to pay you & thank you for rowing his “little treasure” safely back to him.”

No as I said before if there hadn’t been a beguiling little woman in the case and a clear fine sun shining pleasantly overhead as if there was no evil or underhand work going on in such a beautiful world I should have had my nerves sensing danger before now, especially when the “Dad” dropped from the same pretty lips which had just distinctly said he was not aboard. But with hardly any hesitation I made the boat’s painter fast and ran up the ladder to the deck.

in the next scene, it is clear that brisco fletters has been shanghaied and drugged. but this poor guy, well... he's kinda horny.

One evening some days later during my trick at the wheel, and while the officer of the watch was forrad about some work, I saw a small figure steal up from the cabin companion way, and soon recognised a winning little face which I had not seen since that eventful moment when I received my first meal in this ship from her hands, but which I had thought more about than would perhaps be considered reasonable by men who do not believe in “love at first sight”. She stole softly aft and was beside me when she whispered “That is you Briscoe is it not?”

I answered in the affirmative with a thrill to think that she knew my name. “I want to ask you for forgiveness for the cruel thing I did in Callao” she continued “and am now going to tell you enough to shew you that I have real reasons for wanting to get a crew. This is my first voyage with my father, and though I love the ship and sea very much, shall be glad to get home again, because I think the mate has some influence over my father, and also he wants to marry me, which” (with a fierce little stamp of her foot) “I will never do” she turned away evidently thinking she had said too much to a stranger, though had she known it that stranger was willing and anxious to be her best friend, so I softly called her back and told her I freely forgave her enticing me aboard, and was only to glad to be there now that she had come on deck and would perhaps come to speak to me again at the wheel.

welp, that's it!! it so cute to read. whether or not it was published is unknown.