The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-06-17
Boys for the Navy.

Probably very few persons outside ofthe
navy are aware of how small percentage
of our seamen arc Americans Not more
than Qne-tenth are native born, and the
other nine tcnths are of every nation under
the sun. Many simply make conven-
fence of it, enlisting only when nothing
better offers, and deserving whenever the
within seizes them. To keep up the com.
plement of our ships men have to be en-
listed wherever found, since there is no
regular source from which a supply of
trained seamen can be drawn. The con.
slant addition of green men to a ships
crew initiates very much against the
efficiency of the whole. The result is the
same as when raw recruits are placed in
the same company with well-drilled SOL
diers. 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 sup
ply 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
Minnesota is one of the largest and finest
wooden ships in the world. On board of
her is to be established training school
for boys. They will been listed between
the ages of sixteen and seventeen years, to
serve until twenty-one years of age They
will be entered as "second- class boys' at
the rate of $1,000 per month They must
be five feet one inch in height, and meas
ure thirty inches around the chest. and lie
able to read and write. No departure will
be made from the rule as to size and age.
but in cases where the boy may appear de-
sirable it may be possible to waive the rule
as to education. In order to induce a re-
spectacle class of boys to enter it is in
tended, as far as possible, only to enlist
boys of good character, and as it is not a
penal or reformatory institution boys are
not desired whose parents can do moth
ing with them at home. No boys who
have been convicted of any crime or who
have been inmates of 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 illegal
guardian who will be required to testify
under oath as to the boys age, and to sign
the shipping articles giving consent to the
boys enlistment. 1t will thus appear that
it is useless for any runaways to apply.
The boys will be under instruction on
board the Minnesota until they are eight
cen years of age. They will be tau ht
the various branches of common school
education and all the duties of seaman
on board man-ofwar. On reaching the
age of eighteen they will be sent to sea in
a cruising vessel and be absent three
years, returning about the time they will
be twenty-one years old Any lad of av.
erage intelligence would probably be rated
a seaman by the time he reached that age
There are no doubt many lads in the
country who would be glad to go to sea if
they knew just how to get there. 70 any
stout, active lad this is an excellent oppor.
tunity. Only a limited number will be
taken, and there arc 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. Boys will
only enter to be made sailors and for no
other purpose. The intention is to send
class Of boys from the training ship every
year and then to enter a new class. 1t is
hoped that large number of them will
stay in the service and make it their home
The lads sent from the school every year
will keep up the supply, and in 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 other men. A system very similar
to this has been in successful operation in
England for a number of years, and to it
in great measure may be attributed the
splendid condition of the personnel of her
navy. Let no boy enter the service under
the impression that he is to lead life of
ease and jollity. The seaman's life is full
of hardships and peril. But it has its
pleasant phases as we'll as disagreeable
nes.-AZb0nu Erenjno .fou1unl