The Van Buren press., 1893-08-12
take him to the top of tho


rhvsieal defect, and VINO can read and
write fairly well are admitted into the
navy between the ages of fourteen and
eighteen years. Between fourteen and
n1teen boy must measure feet Q
inches in height, and weigh not less
than 70 pounds; between fifteen and
sixteen, feet II inches, and so pounds;
between sixteen and seventeen, 5 feet
inch, and 90 pounds. and between
seventeen and eighteen, feet inches,
and 100 pounds. They must serve
I'LL the age OF twenty-one as boys
and junior seamen, and after
that age they rank as seamen or petty
officers They are now allowed sum
OF $40 for outfit, fact which consider.
ably enhances the advantages of the
service. To discover the exact number
OF petty officers on board fully
equipped ship is by no means an easy
task; but, at all events, the number Of
these minor prizes is encouragingly
large, while still higher up, as the final
goal OF the common sailors aspirations,
are the substantial berths of the four
warrant officers-held by the boatswain,
the carpenter, the gunner and the sail.
maker-whose pay and privileges are
the same as those of the junior officers.
And now as to the rates of pay: The
pay OF boys enlisted as third-class ap.
prentices is 80 a month; the next pro.
motion, to second-class apprentice,
brings -; the next, to first-class ap
prentice, Sl1 month. Further on we
have second class seamcn apprentices
with $40 month, followed by first.
class seamen apprentices, with s24 a
month, these two grades corresponding
respectively TO ordinary seamen and
able seamen, or simply seamen, whose
pay is also $40 and ss4 month 1t can
thus be seen that first-class
seaman apprentice and an able sea-
man, get each the respectable sum of
s2SS year, which is s12s in excess of
the highest sum paid to a first-class
seaman in the British service, the only
other navy in the world worth coasid-
GRAFTON on the score of pay and promo-
tion. There is, besides, the daily
ration of thirty cents. which runs
through the ship from the apprentice
to the commander, for, strange as it
may appear to some people, Uncle Sam
distributes just the same fare to the
officers as to the apprentice, and that,
too, only when on sea duty. There are
no other allowances whatsoever made
to the officers; they have to furnish all
their own mess equipments and every
thing else.
Take, next, the boys prospects of
promotion in the United States navy.
An ordinary lad, who has health, en-
ergy and fair talents to start with, has
it in his power, by an Industrious and
Eersevering application of these
| qualities, to become some day a
warrant officer, wear hand.
some uniform, and draw substan.
tial pay and rations while visiting the
four quarters of the globe in the serv-
ice of his country. and, of course, fight
ing her battles if need should arise.
The pay of warrant officer being the
| same as that of lieutenant, we find
that the reward to which an ambitious
and capable boy may reasonably look
forward to attaining in our navy is an
income of from $1,000 to $1,000, with
board and lodging. At the age Of sixty
two years he can retire with a pension
of three-fourths his current pay, just
the same as commissioned officer;
that is to say, he can carry with him on
his retifenent perpetual order on the
| treasury for sum of from 5000 to 81 ,425
| year, the lowest figure of which con-
| siderably beats the $3.50, which is the
utmost limit of the British warrant-of-
ficer's pension. 1t may be stated in
passing, however, that the Englishman
has one great advantage, viz, that he
can carry away his $3.50 when he is not
more than forty years old.
| A seaman's privileges are consider
able. He is discharged at the end OF
every three years, and each first-class
| continuous service certificate entities
him to one dollar month of good con-
duct pay, and three months leave on
full paw, on condition that he re-enlists
within three months. A boy has al
most unlimited daily liberty, and while
| in port, If his home is near, he can
stay away there from Saturday to
| Monday, provided he is not in debt.
In addition to this, frequent short
furloughs of from two to six days are
given to enable boys and men to visit
| distant relatives, and always on full
paw. Finally, there are all those
chances of promotion and pension
above described to encourage the young
sailor to lead steady, industrious, and
orderly life; and even If he does not at
tain to warrant rank, there Is still the
intermediate grade of the petty officer,
who receives from twenty-seven dol
lars to seventy dollars month, and
can retire with a pension after thirty
years service.
There are many worse things that a
Young lad of spirit might do than be-
come one of Uncle Sans sailor boys.
In the merchant service, though man
be captain of the finest clipper, or even
of a steamship, if he falls sick, or is
compelled by any circumstance to re-
tire, he has nothing whatever to fall
back upon but the traditionary mid
sbipman's half-pay of nothing ycal
and lind yourself" Nor is there any
comparison between the hardships OF
men-of-war's men and of merchant sail
ors, for the number of a man-of-war's
crew. which Is proportioned to the guns
to be fought, and not to handling and
reetinp. makes all the work of the sea
man light. Therefore, looking at all
sides Of the question, it would seem
that the navy offers to poor boy with
a distinct inclination fora sea-farinG
| ,;r ,,,o,,,,lat,,i, i,,r advapta pes over the