The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-06-21
BOYS for the Navy.
From the Albany Evening Journal.

FROM tue Albany Evening journal.
Probably very few persons outside of the
navy are aware of how small percentage
of our seamen are Americans. Not more
than one-tenth are native born, and the
other nine-tenths are of every nation un-
der the sun. A very natural consequence
is, that with the majority there is no ma
tional feeling and little pride in the SER
vice. Many simply make convenience of
it, enlisting only when nothing better offers,
and deserving whenever the within seizes
them. To keep up the complement of our
ships men have to be enlisted wherever
found, since there is no regular source
from which supply of trained seamen
can be drawn. The constant addition of
green men to ships crew initiates very
much against the efficiency of the whole.
The result is the same as when raw re-
crults are placed in the same company
with well-drilled soldiers. Several efforts
have been made in past years to remedy
this evil; but all have proved failures, and
the government is now about to make one
more effort to supply the navy with trained
seamen.
The steam frigate Minnesota is now be-
ing fitted up at the Brooklyn Navy Yard
and IN short time will be anchored off the
Battery, in New York harbor. The Min
nesCta is one of the largest and finest wood
en- ships in the world. On board of her is
to be established training school for boys
They will be enlisted between the ages of
10 and II years, to serve until 81 years Of
age. They will be entered as second
class boys" at the rate of $1O.5O per
month. They must be five feet one inch in
height and measure thirty inches around
Nkn akn ov,1 h.. ~
No departure will be made from the rule
as to size and age, but in cases where the
boy may appear desirable it may be posi-
bic to waive the rule as to education. In
order to induce respectable class of boys
to enter, 1t is intended, as far as possible,
only to enlist boys OF good character, and as
1t is not penal nor reformatory institution,
boys are not desired whose parents can
do nothing with them" at home. No boys
who have been convicted of any crime or
who have been inmates of a "reformatory
school or house Of correction" will be
enlisted. To guard against IMPOSITION it is
absolutely necessary that every boy shall
come accompanied by his legal guardian"
who will be required to testify under oath
as to the boys age, and to sign the ship
ping articles giving consent to the boy
SuHSImeuI. IL Will InuS appear tnat IL Is
useless for any runaways to apply.
The boys will be under instruction on
board the Minnesota until they are Is
years of age. They will be taught the va
rious branches of common school educa-
ton and all the duties lof seaman on a
man.ot-war. On reaching the age of Is
they will be sent to sea ia a cruising vessel
and be absent three years, returning about
the tune they will be 81 years old. Any
lad of average intelligence would probably
be rated u seaman by the time he reached
that age. There are no doubt many lads
10 the country who would be glad to go IL
sea if they knew just how to get there. To
any stout, active lad this is an excellent op-
portunity. Only limited number will be
taken, and there are vacancies at present
for about sixty more.
1t is to be distinctly understood that no
hopes or promises of advancement to the
position of officers are held out. Bows will
only enter to be made sailors of and for NO
other purpose The intention is to send a
class of boys from the training ship every
year, and then 70 enter new class. Tt is
hoped that large number of them will
stay in the service and make it their home
The lads sent to school every year will
keep up the supply, and in a few years
there will be no men In the service except
those who entered on the training ships,
and no enlistments will be made of any