Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-13
THE ARMY AND NAVY.
How Officers Amuse Themselves and
Are Occupied in Washington.
WARRIORS AT THE CAPITAL
Young Men Who Were Anxious for War. and
Why-The Power Of Influence In Their Be-
half-society Favorites-Duty and Pleas
ure-Curiosities of Warfare.
Written for The Evening Star.

uzA HE BURSTING OF
].
>the war bubble has
been disappointment
aS to both army and navy.
O@ Especially the lower
CaHJ grades in either branch
GMA IA of the service. eager for
Il E M promotion, have hoped
w. INV N for chance to fight
~ W From their point of
Z MIL view q struggle with q
~. Wu foreign power was big
Tt with brilliant possibili-
ties. Following dec
iaration OF hostilities must come an expansion
OF uncle Sans force on the seas, requiring
corresponding elevations in rank, ensigns be-
coming ieutenants. iieutenants being trans
formed into lieutenant commanders, COM
manders sprouting into full-aedged captains
and so on-ail by stroke of the magic sword
Oh BeIlona. With soldier officers the
expectation was not less enthusiastic. Even
OLD retired seniors-grizzled warriors and veg
etating sea dogs-were not displeased at the
prospect Of being recalled to active service,
VIVID chance to gain further laurels.
ofhcers OF the army and navy upon retire
ment are very apt to find themselves painfully
In want Of occupation. Numbers OF them drift
10 this city and remain. 1t is said that good
wise good army and navy officers when they
retire come to Washington. In this city, where
tnere Is steadily increasing population Of
idlers these old military and naval ''roosters,"
as their disrespectful juniors call them, find q
more congenial atmosphere than in the in
dustrial centers. There is here very little Of
the atmosphere OF shop. The only big shop is
Kept by the government and in it they take an
interest. They command strong social in
nuence and are looked up to in what is called
the army and navy SET"
=, Some of these remarks apply equally well to
the younger officers in active service. If they
are fond of pleasure they can get more Of it
mere than anywhere else. This is holiday
Town, and, beyond question, the jolliest place
IN America to live in. There is more gayety
proportion to the population. That is one rea-
son why very rich people from all parts OF the
United States come to Washington to dwell.
HAVE OTHERS TO DO THEIR WORK.
Army and navy officers do not ordinarily
lead such busy life as to unfit them for pleas
ure. Take the commander of . vessel of war
for example. He occupies a cabin by himself
while at sea and has a navigator to do his work.
The navigator in his turn has lieutenant to do
his work, who has under lieutenant to do
his. who has an ensign to do his, who has o
warrant officer to do his, who has innumerable
Jack lars to do his Or, if the case of staff
officer be considered, behold, for instance, the
paymaster, who pays the crew, buys provisions
and is responsible for the funds. 10 facilitate
the performance OF his arduous labors he has a
clerk. In order that the clerk may not be
overworked he has under him a paymaster's
yeoman, who in his turn has Jack % Dust. So
called, to help him with his toll There is
sort of inclined plane Of rank in the service,
as one might say, over which the burden of
du ty Is made to slide easily. In the army it is
tn G same way more or less.
1t is n mistake to imagine that young army
or navy men lead gay life Of idleness at Wash
ington. On the contrary, they are obliged to
work much harder than when they are doing
active service in the field or at sea. They have
Office hours at their departments from until
4, just as do the clerks in the civil employment
In fact. their labors are of clerical nature, the
only difference being that their work IL OF such
kind as ordinary clerks could not perform
1t requires technical knowledge peculiar to
their professionalism example, an ac9uaint-
ance with navigation. marine surveying, the
use and manufacture Of guns, &c. The sailor
bold who is seen to such advantage in his uni
form on a ships deck does not cut SO fine q
figure at a desk or drawing table. Neverthe-
less. this is the sort of duty he must perform
while stationed here. His toll is not easy and
must be faithful, else he will quickly be given
a warning, and should he continue lazy he will
be sent to sea. Under such circumstances the
clicf of navigation is not likely to give him a
particularly agreeable assignment on the ocean
blue.
LIKE TO BE STATIONED IN WASHINGTON.
However. many officers in the army and
navy very willing to work harder for the
sake of being stationed in Washington. 1t is
chiefly the young men, fond of society. who
seek duty here. Their hours of toll, from 9 to
4. leave plenty of time for social enjoyment
Having youth and good constitutions they are
able to labor all day and dance all night. OPP
portunitles for such pleasures excellent
here. There is a great and unsatisied demand
for beaux, and striplings in the service of Uncle
Sam find themselves much petted and spoiled.
OF rich girls there is plentiful supply-so
plentiful. indeed, that anything reasonably
propose sing in pantaloons has more than q
fair chance OF capturing one for himself
1t woul1 not be fair to say that navy men as
a class are fortune hunters. Nevertheless, it is
very certain that no other fellows seem to have
a chance with them in the pursuit of rich
women. They pick up an astonishing number
Of girls with money. One reason for this is
doubtless that they cannot afford to do other
wise. 1t Is an old story that Washington is the
best hunting ground for fortunes in petticoats
in the world Most of the gay young women
here are wealthy simply because society is COM
posed chiefly of rich people VINO can afford to
entertain. Taking into view the small chances
for promotion, as things are at present, how
can 'nior lieutenant with a salary OF u, 500
to 81, 90 a year and small prospects Of any
thing better be 80 imprudent as to sneeze at a
bride with big dover? Navy men, wherever
they 60, are great favorites. Abroad they are
always welcomed and see the best of life. or
one popular officer, well known at the capital,
it is said that he has led the german in every
port Of Europe.
OLDER OFFICERS DON'T LIKE IT.
Older officers are very apt to regard duty in
Washington undesirable and to avoid it when
they can. navy man on shore has only four
fifths OF sea pay, and his expenses are very
much greater. 1t is the same way in the army
practically. lieutenant in that branch OF
the service has exactly the same remuneration
as if he were at frontier post. where he is
provided with house free Of charge, has O
stove put in by the government-he used to
have fuel supplied also-and has nothing to
pay tor repairs. Under such conditions the
ouly drains upon his purse for food,
clothing and very moderate personal expenses.
When here, as an equivalent Tor these allow
aEces, he is given ga a month, being granted
by the regulations two rooms ut $l2
each. Obviously he cannot hire a decent
place to sleep in for that sum. Clothes cost
him much more, and il he has wife and chill
dren they must be well dressed. Unless he is
so unusually fortunate as to have money of his
own his nose is put financially very close to the
grindstone. There are exceptions to every rule,
and in this case such are found in few assign
ments 10 Fort Myer and the Washington bar
racks, the former being Tor cavalry and the
latter for artillery. One object wherefore Fort
Myer made a military post was to provide
ota for H.