Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-11

Nm " most every cline
Nh Nl this custom of mark
NM " ing and defacing the
" body has been quite
common, and II is
very probable that the sailors. in their
cruises to foreign lands untraveled by
civilized people picked up the custom. In
my experience among sailors I have often
noticed the many queer devices tattooed all
over the bodies. or on some part, of these
hardy, good-natured fellows that love "a
life on the ocean wave" better than the
dry land.
1t is probably among men-o'-warsmen
that the custom is most nearly universal,
and there is scarcely ship in the navy but
has some blue-jacket aboard who is an
artist with the tattooing needle. 1t is said
that the Chinese are the most expert at
this queer trade. and their designs are Of
ten artistic-that Is artistic in the sense
of the dragon and snake style Of art pecu-
liar to Japan and China.
The outfit Of a tattooing artist consists of
a few needle points stuck in the end of a
fine stick. forming a sort Of steel comb. a
few sticks Of India ink. generally black.
blue, and red. and few mixing cups, and
always a book of samples in which are
crudely drawn in chalk the flashing designs
that the artist is able to make. Seated on
ditty box, or the deck, the artist first
takes the arm or place to be tattooed. and
draws in ink the design to be made. He
then draws the skin tightly, and with the
steel needle points punctures the skin along
the design, first dipping the needle points
into the color to be used. The operation is
not particularly painful, no more SO than
sticking sharp needle through the skin,
which, if any one tries to do with delibera-
ton, he Will find not particularly painful.
The place tattooed then becomes sore to an
extent depending upon the size Of the de-
sign, and the place tattooed, but it general
ly completely heals within ten days, and
the design in colors is indelibly incorpo-
rated into the skin. There is no known
means of removing II after It is once on,
except to remove the skin tattooed. which
would. OF course, leave a severe scar. There
is superstition among the bluejackets that
buttermilk will remove tattooing IL IL is
tattooed into the skin over the original de-
sign: but have never seen it successfully
tried.
All Sorts OF Designs.
On board a man-of-war in the early
morning after reveiile the men all over the
decks take or their clothing and wash
themselves, and 1t is then that 1 have found
the best opportunity TO notice the queer
designs in tattooing on back. breast, legs
as well as execution. Here for instance,
is a srizzled old tar with messy breast,
whose back is covered with the picture OF
ship under full sail, with the men on her
decks ten times too big for proper proper
tons Another has on his breast a picture
Which his fond ina gination paints into the
glorious fight in Mobile bay, with Farra gut
anu the Hartford in the foreground ana
cannon believing red clouds OF fire ali
around. The old Jackey points with pride TO
IL ana tells an adIniring crowd of young
apprentice boys, who stand around, OF that
glorious summer day when Farragut, ever
GEAR TO the navy as their Grand Old Ad-
mirai, said: "D-n the torpedoes" and led
the squadron to victory in the ole Hartford
She was then the pride OF the navy and
now is being rebuilt to be put IN active serv-
Ice, according to an act OF Congress, which
provides for keeping the Hartford ana Kear-
sarge in the service in commemoratioa Of
their gallant record in the civil war
Many bluejackets have a picture Of the
crucinxion tattooed upon them, though one
whom 1 saw with il covering the whole OF
his back seemed little fitted 20 bear SO de-
vout an ornament, for when another
SAILOR stepped on his bare foot such torrent
OF real sailors profanity came rom his
mouth that there could he little doubt that
he had forgotten The Cav Of repentance
when he had the cross tattooei on hi3 lack
Ihese large designs cause such a great ex-
panse OF skin to become irrita.ed that they
become quite painful II done all at once so
they are generally done ii sections some
times SO unskillfully that :he marks show
making a sort of checke-ooard picture
Some OF the designs are very grotesque
remember one very well done one Of a
monkey on mans leg. that always caused
smile among those who saw it, The blue
Jackets often have pictures of their sw Get
hearts tattooed on their arms or breast and
IL makes little difference IL the sweethea ri
herself changes from time 10 time. for the
picture will look rs much ike one as anoih-
er, ana the wearer's Imagination will do the
rest.
Love for the Theatrical.
Another favorite design is the ballet girl,
In all sizes and shapes, according To the ar
ustic ideas Of the tattooe-; generally these
ballet girls are in very poor proportions,
with spider-like waists and over proper
toned limbs, but If the blue jacket is salts
fed with his ornament the often led artistic
taste of chance observer cannot object.
Coats Of arms of the country to which the
sailor belongs are common, too; TREY are
generally very large, covering the whole
breast and in all the gaudiness OF color that
the art allows. L have seen the arms OF
several countries on one man, and one
sailor in the United States navy. an Irish
man by nativity, compromised his loyalty
for Ireland and the United States by hay-
ing picture of Liberty holding the green
flag Of Erin's Isle over her head tRttooed
upon his breast. Another with a kindly
display Of all countries, had every flag he
knew OF on his broad shoulders and back,
so as not to offend any one nationality.
In Jerusalem there is an old retired sailor
who makes a meager living by .attooing a
mark upon those who come TO visit The
tomb of Christ. The mark is a small cross
with rays radiating from II ANA the word
Jerusalem" in a semici-cle above il
have seen this on dozens of sailors who HAD
been to Jerusalem, and they evidently CON-
sidered ii as a relic of the visit quite neces-
sary to prove that they had been there
Souvenir spoons are nice relics of tie r,aces
one has visited. but an old Enylisn sailor
had a souvenir of each port he had visited
which he was much less likely to lose for
on his back In two rows hc had tattooad
the name of every port he had ever visited
and though the names Were small his "a hole
back was covered. With quaint humor he
said to his comrades, When 1 go inro NV
last port, boys, just hold q meetin' ana de-
eide which place I've gone 10: then hsya
her tattooed with the rest" for the ola
sailor wanted his log to be complete.
Tombstone on His BacL.
Initials and even full names are ou,,a
common, and sometimes the dates of hirtbs
are added; snakes twined around the laos
and all sorts Of animals may be used. and
some artists show their tastes in great floral
pieces, vases Of flowers covering the whole
breast, and one joking Jacket had a na,r Of