Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-02-19
SCARCITY OF SAILORS.
EXPERIENCED MEN NOT WILLING TO
MAN UNCLE SANS WAR SHIPS.
A Boarding House Master Suggests Re-
cruitins in the Prisons-An Old Tar
Who Says Sailors Are Not Wanted, as
the System Has Entirely Changed.

''Uncle Sam wants 200 men to man
his ships" said reporter to a North
End sailors boardinsy house master few
days ago what are the prospects of
enlisting then:'
Very poor, l should say, for sailors
are not SO plenty nowadays as most peo-
pie imagine, and what few there are in
port are needed to man the square rig
gers now loading for foreign voyages,
and the men who go coastwise will have
nothing to DO with the navy"
What seems to be the objectionS'
"Oh, they have many. To begin with,
the long term of enlistment, three years,
the small wages, too much discipline,
liberty ashore cut OF in home and for
eign ports, and the best reason of all is
that in the case of foreigners, should
they wish to join a navy they would
have done SO in their own countries,
where the laws compel man to give
five or seven years service in the army
or navy Or fee the country.
at must be remembered that Ameri-
can sailors are thing Of the past, and
inward or outward bound ships are now
manned by Germans principally, with a
good sprinkling of Swedes among them.
They have pretty good times, and as
long as they can get berth, either fish
ing or on a merchantman. they say, The
navy be blowedr"
''In your opinion what would be
good method for Unc.e Sam to adopt to
get young and active men for the serv-
ice?'
"Why, that would be simple enough.
Let the navy officers go among the
prisons of this and other states and re-
cruit from those places such men as they
choose. They would find plenty of fell
lows who had three or more years to
serve glad to get chance to go to sea,
ana should that be done what would be
the difference? Simply shifting them
from one prison to another. the latter a
floating one with not half so much
chance to escape"
"They would make a pretty tough
crew, would they not?"
mo, not necessarily; they would be
under the eyes of the sentry with his
loaded gun, the officers would be armed,
and if they did their work willingly they
would not be punished.
Just to show you that am speaking
correctly will say the most of the re-
cruits have shipped K the navy during
the past ten years were men that had
just finished serving time and wanted
to brace up and be men.
Here is another point that will bear
argument. Why don't the good Samar-
itans who give lectures to these men be-
fore or after leaving Jail urge them to
go to the navy instead Of securing or
trying to secure for them some petty
position, which will barely give them a
living, and allow them to drift back to
their cid haunts and associates, to be
watched and bounded by the police?
Let me tell you another thing. When
a man goes to the navy yard and asks to
be shipped they won't ask him whether
he was ever in Jail Or not"
A trip along the wharves was then
taken in hopes of meeting some old
man-o'-war's man, and among q party
of sailors who were standing on Allan
tic avenue was q man who looked de-
cidedly "tarry" in his blue ''ganzy"
Jersey and black silk handkerchief tied
in true sailors knot.
Would any of you men here like to
ship in the navy?" was the first query.
Why" spoke up one "does Uncle
Sam want a new crew for the White
Squadron? He'd better pay me what he
owes me before so again"
Then you are an old timer?'
"Yas. guess so, back as far as SO and
for seven years after
well, don't you think this is good
opportunity for sailors:"
Sailors! sailors! What do they want
of sailors? Why, young fellar, there
amt ropes enough aboard those iron
ships to practice splicing on. | tell you
they don't want sailors. Anybody will
do, even the rough and scruT of this
city.
Those ships steer by steam or hy-
draulic power, they hoist by steam, they
can work a gun in position like you
could small wise. You'd want u search
warrant to find a reef tackle on board of
them.
"A true sailor wouldn't be no more
account than landlubber, only when
at drill on the fore and mainyard, furling
sail that had been loosed to dry; then
all he'd have to do would be to put
gasllet into their hands and tell them to
wind it round the sail, for if you talked
nautical style they'd fall off the yardarm
with establishment
Sailors! What do they want of sail
ors? They're all iron and steel, amt
they? Well, why don't they ship black
smiths, nachinists, a few thinkers and a
couple Of broken down ringers who can
splice Il wire? That's the kind of crew
they want, and us far as fighting is con-
cerned there amt none, and any body
that knows how to hold on to q plow
will do just as well aboard these cruisers
as an A. B. after they get over seasick-
ness"
The old tar seemed to be Disguised at
the very idea, for he continued:
When this country gets into bother
with other nations she won't be short Of
men to man the ships, and should it be
very soon some of Us old chaps wouldn't
ask any better picnic than to be inside
those floating steel forts. and they could
get plenty of youngsters who would be
with US.
Until that time comes they shouldn't
trouble themselves aboEt sailors, only
take anybody that will go, and seeing
it's about grog time, We'll have to bid
you good day"
Other boarding masters and 'tsailor
men, were interviewed. the first saying
sailors were scarce, and the latter de-
claring they had no use for the navy,