Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1889-09-13
UNCLE SANS JACK TARS,
HOW AMERICAN MAN-o'-wAR SAIL
oRS ENLIST.
The Most Desirable Recruits-N ny
Desertions are So Frequent
Oyerstocked With Foreigners.

Oyerstocked With Foreigners.
1t is said that only of late years young
men of American birth have been induced
to enlist in the navy as seamen. The most
desirable recruits, apart from the naval
apprentices, are those who enter the ser
vice between the ages of twenty and
thirty-tive years, and comparatively few,
says writer in the Boston Buuet'n, re-
main for more than one cruise.
By signing the shipping articles of the
navy a man binds himself TO serve the
Government for a term of years. Before
signing the applicant for enlistment must
take the oath OF allegiance. \ recruiting
officer is cnjoined to guard against the
enlistment of improper, unsound or In
competent persons. During a three years
service as clerk at recruiting station the
writer often felt that were the officer in
charge to abide strictly by this order there
would hardly have been boats crew of
men enlisted during his tour of duty.
Boys are now enlisted as apprentices
in the navy and with the consent of their
parents or guardians, are accepted be
tween the ages of sixteen and twenty
one. To the reader who possibly may
have a son DESTROYS of entering the navy
as an apprentice, it may be advisable to
say that unless the youth displays in his
actions more than ordinary aptitude for
the profession of sailor he is by all odds
to be warned against entering. 1t would
be only throwing away time for him to
serve as a naval apprentice.
No person under sixteen, no insane or
half tipsy person, and no dcsertcr from
either the military or naval service or an
ex convict is to be knowingly enlisted.
The rules concerning enlistments read
somewhat as follows: A landsman cannot
lawfully enter the service if over twenty
five years of age unless he has some me-
chanical trade, nor after thirty-four years
of age even though he be the finest work
man in the land, unless by authority from
the Navy Department. This rule, be it
understood, does not apply to men who
remain continuously in the service.
In order to first enter as an ordinary
seaman the applicant is supposed to have
been at sea in square-rigged ships before
the mast for not less than two years and
seaman four years. Both must pass a
satisfactory examination in seamanship
before signing the shipping articles.
This rule in European navies is strictly
adhered to; in ours it is not.
We have to-day hundreds of 'Burns"
and Barney McNickols" men, as they
are styled, on board our war ships.
Where an American or English-speaking
sailor applies for examination in order to
ship in our navy he is closely questioned
in seamanship, and must return inteli-
gent replies under pain of being passed
as an ordinary seaman only. Where for
eign-speaking sailors apply for enlistment
it is often found difficult to understand
what they say, and thus they are fire.
quently passed into the navy as seamen
by careless and easy-going boatswains,
whereas they are not in any sense quail
fed for such position.
The ''Burns" and 'sMcNickols" men
are those who are engineered into the ser
vice by two INSCRIPTIONS individuals Of
the names given who run sailors board
ing houses in the principal cities where
navy yards exists. A thick witted Nor
wegian or in fact any foreign speaking
sailor who has proved himself unfit for
duty as an able seaman on board a mer-
chant vessel is eagerly seized upon by
these two land sharks. The latter know
all the questions usually asked recruits in
the navy and the proper answers thereto.
This information for a consideration of
$40, to be paid out of the recruits ad-
vance wages, is impaired to the green
Of +Ioo
ETC., to memory, usually manage to pass
muster and become seamcn in the navy.
In the same way bogus firemen, who have
been coached in the answers to be made
to questions asked applicants for enlist
ment in the tire-roOm, manage to enter
the naval service as oilers and water ten
ders, etc.
Once on board their proper vessel these
fraudulent sailors and firemen are easily
detected, and as a rule the boatswain or
engineer passing them is later on anathe-
for months by officers in whose
departments the individuals may be serv-
ing. With the exception of Irishmen
every foreigner in our navy serves only
for the pay he receives and is in no way
actuated by motives of patriotism when
enlisting. In the event of a war between
this and their own country these foreign
ers would undoubtedly and naturally
desert at the first opportunity.
A majority of the desertions in our
navy occur among the Ole Nelson's, Hans
and Johannes Johannesens. |
Why3 Simply because these men serve
only for pay. To them the navy is |
looked upon as national sailors board
ng house 4 cosmopolitan establish |