The National tribune., 1889-11-28

has appointed him.
THE FIRST LIEUTENANT's DUTIES.
met Commodore James A. Greer lwho was
| recently Acting Rear Admiral in command OF
/ the European SquadrOn) at the Navy Depart
ment the other day with Commodore Melville
the Engineer-in-C hiefofthe Navy, and we three
| got to chatting over a cruise we once made in
the same vessel very far TO the northward, In
/ search of the wrecked crew of an exploring
expedition.
! Both of these distinguished officers are famous
! for their ability TO tell good story, and either
one can entertain party rs well rs Capt. Scott
SChley. and almost, If not quite, rs well rs Ten.
! Schenck or Col "Bob" Ingersoll. It was n
singular thing, because il is so rare, but of the
! Is men of the aft-mess of the Tigress in 1913,
almost every one of them could tell q good
! story, and had a large fund of them on hand
/ do not remember one that was downright
! prosy in telling one.
: Capt Greer. First Lieut White, Lieuts.
Sebree aud " Big Bob" Berry, Capt. Tyson The
of the wonderful experience of nearly seven
months floating on ice-floes), Chief Engineer
/ Melville, Paymaster Baughmau and DIR. Eiston.
! | have left one other TO name last, for he COM
/ bined the ability TO give point 90 good story
with n marvellous fund to draw from that no
4 had gathered in visiting almost every part
/ Of the globe that can be reached by water.
| That was Lieut. wilkins Bamboo Pete"
1 his Navy nickname was probably because his
! prenomen was George Frederick. He is with
! the majority now but the meeting have told
Of recalled him, and that recalled also n joke
/ that he perpetrated that Navy men will appro-
ciatc, and hope my landsmen readers will also.
/ When the TgTess returned to the Brooklyn
! Navy Yard after the completion of her cruise,
| she was the object Of great curiosity by the
| general public, and her decks cabin, ward
room and forecastle were thronged every day
while we remained in commission by crowds
of people eager 10 see a ship and the men who
| had ventured so near the geographical pole, and
! TO inspect the many curiosltes OF implements
aud clothing of the Innuit population in tho
! high ATTITUDES we had visited.
Many of our visitors were wofully ignorant
/ of ships and seafaring men, aud especially OF
! Navy ways and customs. and during visiting
| hours all hands, from Captain 10 cook, were
kept pretty busy answering the many questions
| that to those accustomed to the service aud
seattle seemed very frivolous.
One day party of Western people came on
board. and weli-known statesman from the
! Captains own State was one of them Extra
| attention was paid them. and when, Mt last.
! after general inspection of the ship and
our curiosities the group stood aft on the
quarter deck, still asking questions ofthe officers
/ there. The handsome First Lieutenant was the
! principal spokesman in answering the ques-
tons put by the inland born and raised states
man from Ohio, and as he was very thorough
/ sailor and navigator, he was giving out loads OF
professional information. AS / have said,
most of the ships officers were in the group,
| and among them was Bamboo Pete" Wilkins,
| grim as ever he was when commanding n
/ clipper ship in the China trade before the
4 war. but not saying word.
Finally, when he had apparently exhausted
1 other subjects, the Ohio man asked about the
various duties aboard ship. and said:
What are the duties of the First Lieuten-
anti"
| Mr.. White hogan by telling that he was re-
| sponsible for the equipment stores of the ship,
/ and went on:
lie must see that the ship is kept perfectly
clean aud neat. and -"
Laugh hard at all Of the Captains stories
and jokes" broke in wilkins who was leaning
against the rail.
The iandsmen and the ladies didn't see the
point, but all the officers did. and shout went
up from all hands, Capt. Greer laughing as
/ heartily as any: for while the point was not
| applicable in his Gaze, every man Jack knew
/ that il is more the rule than the exception.
Nobody but Bamboo Pete" would have
1 dared make snch pat remark: but he didn't
/ have high an awe Of superior rank in the
! Navy as most officers, aud the comment was
/ just like him.
CHAT ABOUT PEOPLE.
Albert " Stevenson. of Clark's New Jersey
/ Battery, who was formerly Captain Of the
/ Watch Of the Treasury Department, but was
discharged by Secretary Manning, was rein
1 stated as Lieutenant OF the Watch by Secretary
4 Window. Stevenson had good military rec
1 ord, Is a member Of the Grand Army, aud de-
| serving comrade.
Secretary of she Treasury Window has stated
4 that he will not yet give the exact nature OF
4 his recommendations on the silver question,
but that he desired 20 state that all the reports
| which have been published in the newspapers
| which puTport 20 give the features Of his plan
| are incorrect, and he wants IL distinctly under.
| stood that he does not indorse any OF the plans
thus far attributed 20 him.
VETERANS IN THE CITY.
Gen WIN. Yandeyer. Member OF Congress,
/ from the Sixth California District arrived in
the city last week from his home in Ventura
Cal. Although over 20 years Of age. Gen. Van
dcver is hale aud hearty man. ana does not
look 10 be over 30 years. The General thinks
that when the next Congressional apporiion
meHt is made his district will have at least two
| Congressman, as the emigration in the past two
years 10 Southern California has been immense
Capt. Buren, L. Sherman, Des MOines Iowa
Gov Sherman enlisted as private soldier in
the 18th Iowa in 1861, went through ali tho
/ grades 10 the Captaincy of his company, being
promoted each time Tor gallaHtry. After thC
war the people Of Iowa made him their Gov
erB0r. and he served them two terms in THU
capacity. aud made one OF the best executives
Z the HaWkeyc State ever had The Governor
since he has retired 10 private life, has resumed
the practice OF law AZ the Capital OF Iowa, and
il making name as one Of the best lawyers IL
the State. Gov. Sherman comes TO Washington
nearly every year for recreation, and lac think
| IL is one OF the best places 10 enjoy a week o
two from the cares Of business that can bi
/ found ia all the country.
COmTade X. w. Blue Of Kansas, passet
through the city OH his way home from
attending the meeting of the GAR. Ma
, tionai Pension Committee ia New York. Tn
! Order has no ADLER more sincere c0mrad
than T. w. Blue. He is always ready 10 d
whateFer can be done 70 advocate the best in
terests Of the soldiers, aud no man will 60 fur
Their 10 the front than he.
o. r. Stiers. 18th Ohio, Mobcrly, Mo. Com
rade Stigers is one Of the eycr-faithfni and ever
jealous comrades. He entered the 18th Obi
, when a boy Of l6, under Captain lnow Senator
! Henderson, and served four years. lie wa
severely wounded at Chickamauga. but con
tinued in the army until the end. He was on
! ! of the original GAR men in Missouri an
has worked hard for the up-bniidiug Of tn
Order in that State TO its present splendid di
! mansions. lie is now a candidate for the post
r Office az Moberly, and has strong backing fror
6 all the influential men in his section. OF cOurs
! | his old Captain Manders0n) is doing all he ca
+ to help him.
r Gen. r. r. Kelley the gallant old commando
: of the Department Of West Virginia, and til
J. | FIRST officer wounded in the war. has Feturne
F.; 10 the city from his farm near Oakland, wher
/ he Enara Inc Summer He IL in wary 600