The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-09-26
THE TRUE BLUE JACK TAR
He Is a Poet by Instinct. and a
Broad, LIBERAL Minded
Man.
And His Qualities Make Him Re-
epected All tho World
Over.

OV0F. .a
Eoms Interesting Reminiscsnc COS Abou
the Boys Who Wear the Unifsrm
Of Uncle sam's Navy.
Landsmen know little OF the real life o
tho dsep.ssa sailor. He 10 not = slow. dull
follow. AZ many suppose, with no soul IL
him. and ssnsibiiitiss and ambitions bu
little removed from the brute.
Far from it. Your true sailor 10 a poe
by instinct. q broad. liberal-minded man
no matter what his garb and exterior ex.
appearances. His hands are big and horny
His face weather beaten, and his manners
like enough to land-brsd people. awkward
and uncouth. He knows. however, when K
doff his cap and say sir" better than hall
the city bred dudes.
Especially are these things true II Jsol
Tar happens to be 4 sailor on . man-of-
war, and more particularly yet il that man
of-war happens to b an American man-of-
war. The American naval seamen and Of
fcers are respected and admired the world
over for their intelligence and broadnsss
and their ability and prowsss in whatever
respect opportunity affords for it, modest
display.
And all this has been said by way Of
truthful introduction 10 the American ma
val athlete. writes J. H. Critics in the Chi
sago Inter-O Ocean. You will ind him on
board every naval vessel that fies the stars
and stripeA but nowhere moro plentiful or
vigorous than at the Mare Island navy
yard, in California. Everything grows
more Justify than in California. Why not
the naval athlete?
Once at Sitka. in Alaska, there was a
''scrappine'' match that will always be
given \ high place in the annals Of naval
athletics, TIL revenue cutter Bear was in
port, the man-of-war Thetis, and the
steamer st. Paul. Healy. of the Thetis,
the boxers. Hsaly was the better man
every one knew that-so the match was
made on these conditions: Healy must
knock the kid" out in the eighth round or
lose the fight.
Well, the boys Of the Bear staked their
last cent on the kid" and had the tight
gone against him every mess on the vessel
would have lived on government 1ations
alone for the next six montha. Each mess
had from 800 to $3.50 back of the kid"
d Healy was . good man-is dead now-but
90 he had to do all the fighting, and the
kid" was careful enough to save himself
at every possible point. he MANAGED to
stand through the eighth round and came
up smiling. albeit much winded and sore
wounded when the ninth was called. He
stayed ous the ninth round and then COL
lapsed under stress of Healy's powerful
right-handers; but the kid" had won ths
the fight. and the Bear boys lived on deli
n.o;ao md chaiCA Wanda for thu roak NJ tina
voyage.
Scarcely a less celebrated naval fight was
on board the Mohioan as Mare Island, be-
tween Seaman Davis and his trainer. the
ships coalheaver.
Yes, the jolly tars are q gay lot. A ia
vorits story is told of the Thetis boys and
how they got q band. Once upon = time
10 all proper sea yarns beRin-snd the time
wasn't 30 very long ago. the good ship
Thetis had NO band aboard. Anew musical
tars got together n concocted a scheme,
which worked in this way. Certain sea.
tions for the purchase of musical instru-
ments. The officers subscribed only on
one condition. that the practicinR should
all be done at midnight in . lonely hut on
a far distant corner of Mare Island, where
the Thstis was then stationed.
This was agreed TO. and soon . sufficient
sum was raised to ship a bandmaster and
buy all the instruments needed. And every
night a dozen dusky forms could be seen
creeping through the darkness to that lonely
hut IN that far-distant corner. Here they
practiced until they became perfect, and
to-day the Thetis boasts a better band than
that on Admiral Browns ship.
Then the Thetis' boys organized a min
strel troupe, and once at Kodiak, Alaska,
they got together-the band and the min
strel troupe-iE an old cannery shed and
gave an entertainment to a crowded house
at -four bits'' a head for admission. The
money raised on the show Q to buy
equipments for the gymnasium when a
home port was made.
And 80 1t is on all American men, of-war.
Thu Pensacola has an excellent gymnasium.
So has the Charleston. Mohican, and all the
revenue cutters and naval vessels that over
sailed the waters of tho Pacific.
The meeting Of two men-of-war of diff
ferent n~ationalities in the same harbor 10
the instantaneous signal that puts every
sailor on his mettle. Challenges are At
ono issued through the respective COZ
SWANS. and gig racing, competitive battalion
drills, spar drills, and sail drills, are the
order of the day.
First OF all will be the dress-ship coups-
tition. No formal challenge is needed for
this. The world oyer at eight O'Clock in
the morning every man-of-war 10 dressed
and trimmed, according to Jacks phrase
ology. The visiting vessel invariably waits
for the home vessePs signal. Thus, if an
American m~an-of-war DO in Q British port,
the signal to dress ship will not be given
till the British man-of-War in the same
harbor has siRnaled the correct time.
But the men are ready and waiting for
the gun, every man at his post, and when
the smoke Is ssen, even before the boom
has reached the ears. every sailor is aloft
in the rigging and working like lightning
that his ship may be quicker and neatsr
trimmed and dressed than the other fell
lows.
No one has said q word about racing.
The officers would frown down suoh a suR-
gestion. Yet everyone knows what 10 going
on as surely as though 1t had been uttered
in 30 many words. and the officers Of the
lucky ship have a smile for their spesdiel
sailors.
The American crew would feel it . deep
disgrace to be beaten by the foreign Grew
in this race, and the fact 10 they 9. ldom O,
never are beaten. 1t is generally conceded
that American sailors are the best, tho mos,
intelligent. the most agile. and tho mos
daring and brave.
The champion royal-yacht man of tn.
world, SO far as naval ships 20, 10 to b,
found in the American navy. His nane j,
'Chick" Peterson and no has medals and
papsrst to prove his title.
In the battalion drills, sails and spa,
drills there 10 a tabled belief that no racin
10 allowed. The dignity OF the dspsrtmen
would not permit it. But everyone know
there is racing going on all the time il
every detail of the seamen's work. and
whom there are no foreign sailors TO ract