The Waco evening news. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 1891-1894, 1893-12-18
ARTISTS In THE NAVY.
,,,,, Jolly Jack Loves to Decorate
Nv His Body.
,,rp still Flourishes rs "a Profession
yspecially Among the Man-o'-Wars
Meu-It IL Not Painful, Nor is
1t Very Beautiful.

Men-It IL Not Painful. Nor is
1t Very Beautiful.
How or where the custom originated
l. hard to say, but it is certain that
.,,,t rine-tenths of the seafarinp mon
t,be world are tattooed on some parts
Their bodies. Among the uncivilized
st,lmost every cline this custom of
v,r,ine and defacing the body has
taen quite common, and it is very
ssobablc that the sailors, in their
iruses to foreign lands untraveled bv
civilized people picked up the custom.
In nv experience among sailors. writes
Mon Williams in the WASHINGTON
S,ar have often noticed the MANY
oneer devices tattooed all over the
boiies, or on some part of these hardy.
cood.naturcd fellows that. love "a life
an the ocean wave" better than the
dry land
it is probably among mcn-o'-war's
men that the custom is most near
~ universal and there is scarcely
ship in the navy but has some blue
Jacket aboard who is an artist with
tbe tattooing needle. II is said that
fine Chinese are the most expert at this
oueer trade and their designs are
. otten artistic-that is, artistic in the
sense of the dragon and snake style of
art peculiar to Japan and China.
The outfit of a tattooing artist con-
tists of a few needle points stuck in
The end of Il fine stick, forming a sort
Of steel comb, IA few sticks of India
ink generally black, blue and red and
| q few mixing cups. and always book
otsamples in which are crudcly drawn
10 chalk the flashing designs that tho
gtist is able to make. Seated on
Gtv box or the deck, the artist first
taass the arm or the place to be
rltoocd and draws in ink the design
lobe made. He then draws the skin
tightly and with the steel needle points
~nctures 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 anyone tries to do with
Elaboration, he will find not particu-
hrly painful. The place tattooed then
becomes sore to an extent depending
upon the size of the design and the
place tattoocd, but it generally com
pletely heals within ten days, and the
design in colors is indeljbly incorpo-
rated into the skin. There is no known
means of removing it after it is once
lon, except to remove the skin tattooed,
(which would, of course, leave n severe
scar
On board "A man-of-war in the early
morning after reveille the men all
over the decks take off their clothing
and wash themselves, and it is then
that have found the best opportunity
tonotce the queer designs in tattooing
on back, breast, legs and arms. The
designs are rich in variety as well as
execution. Here, for instance, is a
erizzled old tar with messy breast,
whose back is covered with a ship UNI
Ger full sail with the men on her decks
zen times too big for proper proper
'S' AhiiptilCi Ilttso oil ilo pl'uSO "a
picture which his fond imagination
paints into the glorious fight in Mobile
cay with Farragut and the Hartford
10 the foreground and cannon below
ing red clouds of fire all around. The
oa lackey points with pride toit and
Tells an adniring crowd of young APP
prentice boys, who stand around, OF
mat glorious summer day when Farra-
gut, ever dear to the navy as their
urand Old Admiral" said; "D-n the
'ofpedoc" and led the squadron to
victory in the old Hartford. She was
,aen the pride of the navy, and now is
oeihg rebuilt to be put in active serv-
w. according to an act of congress,
shlch provides for keeping the Hart
'ofd and kearsarge in the service in
..ommenoration of their gallant record
Al the civil wav.
\, Many bluejaclets have a picture OF
.le crucitiXion tattooed upon them,
~ou9h one whom ! saw with it cover
.lh the whole of his back seemed llttle
.''cu TO bear so devout an ornament,
i w "hen another sailor stepped on his
'a'e loot such torrents of real sailor
Moiahlty came from his mouth that
.4cfe could be little doubt that he had
Isollen the day of repentance when
M "au The cross tattooed on his back
a]ese large designs cause such great
,iHpahse of skin to become irritated
all ,IIV 'ney become quite painful if done
IN ~ once SO they are generally done
secIlonS, sometimes so unskillful!y
=, 'he marks show, making sort OF
ss'asckerboara e.o:u,e. Some of the de-
ono Is are very grotesque. ! remember
very we'll done, one of monkey on
1"dh leo. thnt nl1Naus cansnd a smile