Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1889-06-09
MARINES ON SHIPB0ARD
They Constitute an Import
ant Factor.
THEY HAVE A GALLANT RECORD
Duties, Training and Discipline o.
the Service-Bulwark Between
Cabin and Forecastle.

There 10 perhaps Ho pouy VI meh
the service of the United States Cover
ment who have come in for a create
share of contumely and received les
praise for actual service rendered tina
have the marines Of the United State
Navy. From time immemorial it ha
been Jacks saying in response to al
doubtful stories: "Tell That to the ma
rines," for the tars as a set are mos
incredulous fellows, and the hearty con
tempt in which they hold the marines i
sufficient to incite the firing of volley o
epithets at the latter ON the slightes
provocation.
1t is amusing, too, to see with wha
avidity the young apprentices seize hole
of the prejudices of the able seannen, aue
a person only need 60 aboard one of the
cruising training ships to hear the young
sters bawl out with all the zest of an ole
shell.back "Oh! you Hottentot ma
rine!"
But the marines, who are they? Tc
begin with, finer set of men never mus
tered under American officers than those
composing the file of the Marine Corps.
The very remoteness of their duty and
the diminutiveness of their guards have
tended to shroud in oblivion the deeds OF
the commands" OF this little corps, and
only now and then, when the details OF
some great naval action or affair abroad
are made public, is there noticed. as a
rule, conspicuous mention of the gal
lantry of the marines" Aside from
this, the knowledge one has of the ma
rines is cleaned from the distorted pages
of a "Peter Simple" or "Midshipman
Easy" Again, when some cable dis
patch from far-away station announces
that during turbulent scenes on shore q
body of marines was landed and defended
not only life but property, the public for
the time being query concerning the men
who performed this duty, and then, after
few days, forget the whole occurrence.
The duty of marine aboard ship is
essentially that of policeman, and by
reason of this very duty no fraternizin G
can be safely permitted between the
"guard" and the men forward. AS to
the tar, any one acquainted with his
devil-may care spirit, and wild, fun-lov-
ing nature, must know how he looks
upon any one put over him as a check
The tar looks up to and respects his off.
GERS, for he fears them, but the marine
he hates, for it is the marine who gets
him in trouble. But if marines were not
q feature of a man-of-war, it is doubtful
whether the discipline required of crew
of 500 men would be of that efficient
nature now in force. Our navy is pe-
culiarly distinctive in its method of mo-
bilization abroad. In the first place, our
service offers better pay, better duty,
and greater emoluments than does any
other service in the world.
The pay of an able seaman in the
American Navy, for instance, is equal to
that obtained by the majority of Captains
sailing in command of vessels from Nor
wegian and north of Europe ports in
general; end as to the pay of seaman
in these latter vessels, it would hardly
suffice to keep an American man-of- 8
man in tobacco, let alone having any
money for CELEBRITY ashore" With such
Inducements staring the world-roving
sailors in the face, is it to be wondered at
that he seizes an opportunity to enlist in
the United States Navy? Go down to
the receiving ships at the Government
Navy Yard any day and witness the
number of men constantly applying for q
"chance." An observer will be struck
with the variety of nationalities repre-
scented in the motley assemblage, for
tours" is the only service that takes
men regardless of their birth.
The result is that on all American ves-
sells of war the proportion of foreign to
native element is in the ratio OF about
two-thirds the former to one-third of the
latter. When the Shenandoah left Bos-
ton, a few years ago, for a cruise in Euro
pean waters, it was found that among
the men forward there were twenty-one
different nationalities. To be sure, the
Trolling Shenandoah" as the vessel was
Familiarity known in the navy, from her
rolling propensities in a seaway, gener-
ally had the reputation of carrying the
hardest crew on the station, but notwith-
standing the reports of the brawls on
shore, coupled with wholesale use oil
double irons, some wonderful gunnery
scores and statements Of proficiency used
to come in monthly from that same
Shenandoah.
Now, when the motley and decidedly
heterogeneous assemblage called ships
complement of "seamen" is marched
aboard there will be found in it men Of
reckless and dangerous character, actu-
ated by different sentiments and all pos
sessing highly. cultivated propensities for
mischief, 30 much 80 that it becomes
imperative to have a check over theiI
spirits and inclinations. There must be
some impossible line, barrier between
this element and the little knot of Off
GERS gathered aft. This barrier is found
in the line of steel, the wall of bayonets
presented by an imperturbab and
never. finching marine guard.
All united States war vessels carry a
mariue guard, ranging in size, however
from a Captains command of fifty oil
sixty men on flagship to Corporate
souad on monitor. When O ship is
about to 20 in commission her marine
onard. which has been previously de-
failed' ia marched aboard and stands in
readiness to salute the ensign as it floats
ant from the peak. From this moment
Trtil the expiration of the three'years
cruise, the guard watches that element
forward" with constancy that allows oil
no relaxation. When the three years
cruise ia at an end, when the seamen
who have been shipmates through every
trial and hardship are about to march
ashore and sever their associations, that
stern and implacable marine guard may
be seen in line on deck and under arms
the last to leave the vessel-and as the
Gag is hauled down they give the last
salute to the colors they have defended
The marines have warm admirers II
those persons who are acquainted VIII
their sterling worth and necessity. Sayi
Admiral Wilkes: 1.-THE marines constl