New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-05-18
PACIFIC MAIL CADETS.

LIFE IN THE PACIFIC MAIL SERVICE.
EXTRACTS FROM THE LETTERS OF ONE OF THE
CApETs-rHE COMPANY's PLEDGES DIsRE-
GARDED.
To TIE Edtt0r Of The Trtbunc
SIR: Referring to an editorial headed ~ An
Unpleasant Rumor in your issue Of yesterday Followed
by an article in today's paper entitled Treatment OF
Pacific Mail Cadets" furnish for your Information the
views of one Of those unfortunate young men, The case
against the Company seems 10 be bad enough without
charging them with taking pay lin money! for the
instruction and training pr0msed In other respects he
charges can be substantially proved The young man IN
question having been brought up respectfully recevinga
good common school education, and being htted TOT
college (having passed creditable examination
for admission thereto and been regularly entered,
was induced by the prospect OF acquiring an
honorable profession and becoming sefFnpportins
at expiration OF the probationary three years. 10
avail himself OF the advantages offered by the PaclDc
Mail Steamship Company. He was just past IS and was
known and esteemed industrious, studous ana manly
He had prediction for the sea- and ambition TO excel
in his undertaking That his occupation was In any
event to be gentemanly one he had reason 10 iner
from the printed blanks showing the requirements OF the
Company as to "Outft," which, after enumerating the
various scientific and nautical textbooks and instru
ments the best and most costly Of their kind named
among other articles "twelve white shirts. one full
dress uniform one flannel do, two suits white duck
do" and numerous other things the details OF which
have for the moment forgotten, but when are
not usually included in the kit OF "ship's boy
or common sailor" All this was required by the Com
pany and involved necessary and Immediate outlay OF
over four hundred dollars before tho young man coud
enter the service AS he leaving home for many
months possibly years. you may imagine the prayers
offered the counsels gvcn but you cannot without per-
sonal knowledge appreciate the mahnoss OF spirit ana
the ferveDy OF resolution with which no entered upon
his career Some passages from his letters 10 his parents
ttnnax uara
met by the other party the contract The lads entire
trhfuness can be youched for by the hundreds in and
about this city who knew him. and that he is above
meanncss prevarication Yours, X.
New-York, May 10, 1875.
about all the dirty work OF the ship do not OBJ
iect to drying down decks scraping deck, but do
deck b. o The sailors iecr at rs when we work
side by side with them We are ruled with the same
with the JacKs Ny clothes get greasy and dirty hav-
Ing to handle flthy greasy rags half the day and
just smeared with oil and kdust II cleaning brass
had anything to do with being good sailor would not
of seamen. we ought to be paid as such When
do get time to study if We cadets have all the brass
in quotation are the first officers : do not want
you think dscontented, but thought ought to
Nov. 10, ls7i.-Wt have lost all authority, and it is
common thing for rs to be called brass poshers and
Dec. ~. 1s73" have not forgotten what
father said to about "eyescrI ants aud try TO do
my duty az all times have tried hard very hard even
at times when have felt discouraged and blue"
Jan. II. 1870 am trying hard to WORK my
way up, and my only wish il that had more time to take
books on navigation and a couple OF charts.
March ~ lS7J.-- q . We have had anything but
comfortable time since leaving =. The cadet
anxious to make II comfortable for us. just before we
left there room assigned TO us clear up forward,
Just abaft the fOrecase. In this which measures
by TO- II hunks and II lockers II Is poorly lighted
and ventilated and imagine the state 81 the at
mosphcrc when six Of us sleep there at one time We
company to put therc but IN old rooms are put
the unkes that wait upon the ships porers and the
from the captain down. and the who occupy our old
rooms lose opportunity to inform us that they are in
possession. We have also been put into " watch
and watch" four hours and four of This gives us
little time to study and very little sleep feel as
sred there IS necessity for this last measure but they
say they know best" The long and short of it IL they
do not want Us. Let cln 90 it, say l, for can stand
April II. 1875 The fellows are all grlimbling
and growing M the length OF the voyage and counting
the hours TIL we get in port They all say they VIII stay
ashore, and never come To again. shall
regret this undertaking, and should IT not make
Of me, yet have learned many things could never
have attained at home.
May !, 1879 A 1t is aboard the - are not
wanted all time spent there H. lost for get prac
tice either in navigation or seamanship. The ship had
reached the uoek when other one OF the
boys cleared ont sent their resignation, began to
you that do nothing rashly but consider every day
spent "a a cadet IN this company so much time wasted
Neither would have you think have become tired ~
the SEA. As Mr.. - said to me, You are neither
an officer sailor, and class you are the most
worthless lot Of young men aboard ship have no time
TO teach YOU and some vi you are more bother than you
MAY 4, Is75- There are but two Of US left
aboard the -, C and myself and lie Is going to
breakfast. the told to get paint pot and paint
tho watCrcOset.