The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1886-04-10
TRYING TO BE SAILORS,
Training Young Recruits for I'm
Gle Sans Navy.

launty nttle Hat-cToWHcu caps W Watcn,
gathered about a veteran gunner
aboard the United States steamer Min
nesota, and listened with admiration to
tales of battles on the seas. The old
man was costumed in all respects as
they were, save for a device in white
cotton on the sleeve of his jacket,
which might have represented an eagle,
a dragon or a butterfly. He reclined
easily against the rotund body Of a big
underground howitzer, which stuck its
ugly nose through a square-cut port
hole in the vessels side, and his I'm
kempt gray beard wagged with every
word he rolled from his ready tongue.
His audience were newly recruited ma
val apprentices who will shortly be re-
moved to the United States training
ship New Hampshire at Newport.
"Cast your eyes On the gun yonder
on our port side," the old fellow was
saying, as he nodded across an open
hatch to the butt Of a huge engine of
war. THAT, and many o the others
hereabouts, too, for that matter, did
some good loud talkin' during the
fights with the Johnnie rebs. There's
a hole gouged out of 'er iron side big
enough for any one Of YOU young 'uns
to put your fist in. and the second sight
is knocked all askew. That were done
in a lively little engagement off Port
Royal by a rebel shell which burst
when it struck, and moved down a
crew of the bravest men ever smelt
powder. They're awkward things to
have droppin' about you-those same
shells, and, IS old Farragut used to
say, there's no dodgin' the pieces when
they bust. Away back in 81 or there
"All hands below and up with the
awnings" interrupted a boatswain's
mate, in a hoarse voice Of command,
as he projected his head and shoulders
through an adjacent hatch. ''Look
alive there, lads Ito the ~recruits), and
give us a hand"
Ell" instantly there Wa ascamper for the
hatchways, in which the amateurs min
gled with the ship crew, and a very
few moments later the sailors returned
Juggling a couple Of huge rolls of can
vas. They were laid out on the deck,
and a trio Of blue jackets jumped
lightly into the rigging, passed the
sheets through swivels, and dropped
the ends down again to the deck.
Their companions seized hold of them
as if their lives depended on it, and
with a ''Yah, loavo!" chorus pulled the
heavy tarpaulins into place. Then the
lower edges were fastened taut to the
vessels sides and the men found them
selves beneath a waterproof roof.
"How do you like being a sailorp"
the writer asked Of n manly little
fellow. "A jolly time of it you must
have together in this great old ship"
1--WE did not exactly come out for
fun," said the lad half seriously, land
they don't allow much skylarking on
board, anyway, but it's great fun to
help the sailors as we're doing just
now, and l can tie a sailors knot al
ready as well as any old salt"
Don't you ever use the bowling
alley down-stairsP" questioned the re-
porter, innocently.
THAT amt a bowling alley. You
mean the shot-rack down below on the
gun deck. A young fellow named
Cutter made the same mistake the first
day he came here and the crew haven c
got wei it yet. l thought the old
gunner's mate would a. died laughing
1t him.
"What do VIC have to do to be en-
listedp Well, I came here about q
week ago with my father. We saw the
Captain and he asked me if l could
read and write and went through all
sorts Of questions to see If I'd ever
been q very bad boy. Then he sent
me in to the surgeon. The surgeon
wanted to know If Id ever been sick
and l told him | was sick now--of be-
ing a lubber-and that l had had the
whooping-cough and measles when l
was a baby. He asked whether !
smoked or drank, or had fits, and ]
told him l used cigarettes once in a
while. After that he held up aprintcd
card to SEQ II I could read 1t across the
0 and / did without any trouble.
was told to strip off my clothes.
and tho surgeon felt Of my limbs.
just us a jockey goes over a horse.
tapped my chest and looked at my teeth.
thought he wanted to tell how
Old l was, but he said it was only to see
II they were sound, because four bad
teeth won't be taken in one boy. When
! had been thoroughly examined they
took my weight and height and the
measurement Of my chest, and said !
was all right. / thought l vas ready
ut last to sign my articles, but they
next made ne go over the top as the
sailors call Il. which Is to climb up the