Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-02
MURRAY'S MUSINGS.
Facts About Recruits for the Navy-Morals
at the Seashore-A Beat Beaten
Trying to Beat Three Card Monte

Facts About Recruits for the Navy-Morals
at the Seashore-A Beat Beaten
Trying to Beat Three Card Monte
Pilfering Peanuts.
tFRoM STAFF CORRESPONDENT
NEW YORK, Aug. 1.-The recent drills of
the naval militia in this vicinity have
stirred up public sentiment and stimulated
the general interest in naval matters
81 see by the newspapers" /" said a gentle
man from Maine, "that it is difficult to OBJ
tain sufficient number of sailors to man
what ships we have. How will 1t be when
we have double and three times the number
of new vessels? The other day Govern
ment ship put to sea with butIa handful of
sailors, the rest of her crew being made up
of apprentices and landsmen. Every United
States vessel is short of her complement 1t
isn't SO much because the American sailor is
becoming extinct: There are plenty of
sailors on the coast of Maine. 1 have been
all through there recently and know the
coast people pretty thoroughly. The Gov
ernment system of recruiting for the navy
officers are stationed in the big cities, where
they pick up men from the slums and for
eign sailors out of job. There is a recruit
ing office at Boston and one at the Kittery
navy yard. They are run on the principle
that sailors and men who want to ship will
come to them.
''The real way to get sailors is to go after
the sailors There are hundreds of young
men up my way who would ship with Uncle
Sam if the right sort of recruiting officers
were sent up there right among them.
These young men are born and bred to the
sea and so were their fathers, grandfathers
and great-grandfathers before them. That
they will leave their homes and fishing
smacks for the life of man-'o-wars men is
evident from the fact that emissaries of the
Chilean Government are at this moment
picking them up for their new ships lying on
the coast of France for want OF sailors. 1t
seems shame that we should lose the
services of these splendid sailors for want
of little activity. The Balmaceda agents
are simply gobbling up American sailors
right under our noses, while our ships are
all running shorthanded and our recruiting
officers are growing over the poor material
offered"
No Hope for Promotion.
A NAVY officer to whom the question was
referred says it is undoubtedly true that the
real way to get sailors is to go where they
are. GAS for the report that the Chilean
Government agents are working the New
England coast for men, it must be done
mighty quietly. if at all. Sailors are credu-
lous people, and on the promises of big pay
and fair treatment will go anywhere
into into service is Largely
there is the human love for adventure. It
is often easier to get man o. wars men In
time of war than in peace, and for service
abroad than at home. But the pay and grog
are the ruling incentives. You can't get
man to leave $25 and $50 month and COM
parative liberty for $l2 or SlS month and
three to five years rigid service on man O.
war
"Another thing is there is no hope for
promotion in our navy beyond the warrant
officer. First-class seamen may Work up to
the command of merchant ship and have
percentage above salary-do better f1nan-
cially than hold high rank in the navy; but
such men have no hope whatever on board
United States ship. That alone prevents
ambitious and intelligent American sailors
from shipping"
Putting the Ban on Poker.
A SAD sensational tale Of the arrest and
condign punishment of four Rockaw way wait
ers for gambling sounds decidedly humor-
Gus to the thousands who have played every
thing at the beach except poker-the game
for which the walters suffered. The games
of chance at Rockaway and West Brighton
are thicker than the bathers. The noble
and national game Of poker which requires
skill and nerve, is thus singled out invid-
iously, perhaps, because it is the only thing
at Rockaway wherein the sportive visitor has
a show for his money. The other gambling
devices, such as pitching 10 cent rings for
cent canes, hitting a number for gold
watch or So, covering the number, CHANGING
your fortune with dice, knocking the nigger
for the cigars, and getting q square meal for
50 so, go on night and day, and on Sunday
especially flourish, openly and unmolested.
This poker prosecution BY the highly moral
managers of the beach is a grand bluff; it is
distinct notification to the tens of thousands
who go daily down to the sea for fun that
they must leave their money on the ground
when they return-or have no fun.
Morals at the seashore.
"TALK about seaside morals" remarked a
veteran the other day, "there is more gen.
uine deviltry going on at Asbury Park and
Ocean Grove than at any other resort on the
Jersey coast. 1t is curious thing, but peo-
pie who are up to sneaking tricks go whore
the broad cloak of compulsory morality
covers everybody alike. 1 have just come
from Asbury Park. have run down there
from the Branch every summer more or less
to see the fun, and have known and heard
of more scandals there than anywhere else."
Between Bits of Painted OilcIoth.
In Upper Broadway may be seen process
sion of six sandwiches-that is men with
big signs on front and back-slowly prone
nading up and down. Three Of the men are
white haired, respectable-looking old men
out of luck, and three have the appearance
of good for nothings in the prime of able
bodied manhood. Each man carries a flag,
and the signs, painted upon white oilcloth,
come down to their heels. They advertise
cheap shoe house. There is something pa
thetic in these old men reduced to such
method to earn livelihood. If the joyous
schoolboy, the ambitious student, the happy
father, the respected merchant, could antic-
ipate such an end would life be worth liv-
ing? Would he consent to live it out to this
extreme?
Reduced from fortune to poverty, alone,
forsaken by kindred, walking the streets Of
New York human sign! What story OF
human hopes great temptations, love, sor-
rows and degradation lies entombed be-
tween those bits of painted oilcloth!
viii Drink First Next Time.
81 WAS just looking after my baggage at
Chester said Manager Tom Davis, "and
the baggage man was trundling big theat-
rical trunk with my name and dramatic
company emblazoned thereon, when a seedy
looking chap in the old d-time actors outfit
stopped me on the platform. He called me
by name-rd forgotten the trunk-as he de-
was an actor who had been stranded at
Pittsburg. and was working his way to Ph1la-
delphia. Would let him have so cents, on
his honor as a gentleman?
"Is that the fare?' inquired.
"'You can send him by boat for % CENTS
remarked a bystander.
"'What did you give to that fellow?' asked
the baggage man after the transaction.
"sOnly quarter-he wants to get to Phila-
delphia-seems to know me-
"'Rats! That man is bum. He was
thrown off the last train from Philadelphia.
He saw your name on the trunk. 1 thought
you show people were fly"
ssI was mad all through and made up my
mind I'd catch that fellow if I missed my
train. Hurrying through the station just
saw him disappear into the nearest saloon.
ran over and entered just as he held a
brimming glass of whisky lovingly in his
right hand. In his other was my quarter.
While he was thus tantalizing his thirst,
up behind and seized the coin. He
looked at me reproachfully and nervously
turned to the bartender.
"Do l drink, boss?'
"'No you don'tr exclaimed the bartender
emphatically, as he grabbed the glass of