Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-01-11
ARTISTS IN THE NAVY.
How Jolly Jack Loves to Decorate
His Body.
Tattooing sim Tlourlshes ms a Profession,
Especially Among the Man-o'-wars
Mon-It H. Not Painful. Nor IL
It Very Beautiful

II Very Beautiful
How or where the custom originated,
II &C. hard to say, but it is certain that
about ninc-tenths of the seafaring men
OF tue world are tattooed on some parts
of their bodies Among the uncivilized
of almost every cline this custom Of
marking and defacing the body has
been quite common, and IL 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, writes
Dion Williams in the Washington
Star, have often noticed the many
queer devices tattooed all over the
bodies, or on some part of these hardy,
good fellows that love "a life
on the ocean wave" better than the
dry land
It is probably among men-o-war's
men that the custom Is most near
~ universal, and there Is scarcely
Il ship in the navy but has some blue
ilcket aboard who is an artist with
the tuttooing needle. IL is said that
the Chinese are the most expert at this
queer trade, and their designs are
often artistic-that Is, artistic in the
sense of the dragon and snake style Of
art peculiar 10 japan and China.
The outfit Of tattooing artist con-
sists of few needle points stuck in
the end OF fine stick, forming sort
of steel comb. u few sticks of India
ink, generally black, blue and red, and
a few miXing cups, and always book
of samples in which are crudcly drawn
in chalk the flashing designs that the
artist is able to make. Seated on u
ditty box or the deck, the artist first
takes the arm or the place 60 be
tattooed and draws in ink the design
to be made. lie 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 anyone tries to do with
deliberation, he will find not particu-
larry painful. Tho place tattooed then
becomes sore TO an extent depending
upon the size Of the design and the
place tattoocd, but it generally COM
plctcly heals within ten days, and tho
design in colors is indciibly mcorp1-
rated into the skin. There /, no known
means OF removing it after it i, once
on. except TO remove th1 skin tdttpocd,
which would. % cour-e, leave "a severe
scar
On board Il muu-of-war in the early
morning after rcvcillc the men all
over the decks take oil their clothing
and wash themselves, and IL J., then
that have foaad the best opportunity
to notice the queer design, in t.tt,oing
on back. brsOst, legs and arms. The
designs are rich in variety rs well as
execution. Here, Tor instance, Is a
griz2lcd old tar with messy breast,
whose back rs covered with ship UNI
der full sail with the men on her decks
ten times too big for proper proper
tions Another has on his breast a
picture which his fond Imagination
paints into the glorious fight in Mobile
bay, with faTagut and the Hartford
in the foreground and cannon below
/ ing red clouds of lire all around. The
/ old jackcy points with pride to it and
tells an admiring crowd Of young APP
prentice boys, who stand around, OF
that glorious summer day when Farra-
gut, ever dear to the navy as their
"Grund Old Admiral" said: "D-n the
torpedoes," and led the squadron to
victory in the old 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 Hart
ford and Kearsarge in the service in
commemoration of their gallant record
in the civil wav.
Many bluejaclxets have picture OF
the crucifixion tattooed upon them
though one whom | saw with it cover
ing the whole of his back seemed littlC
fitted TO bear so devout an ornament
for when another sailor stepped on hi
bare foot such torrents of real sailor
profanity came from his mouth that
there could be little doubt that he haC
forgotten the day of repentance wheI
he had the cross tattooed on his back
These large designs cause such grea
eXpanse of skin to become irritateC
that they become quite painful If don't
all at once, so they are generally don't
that the marks show, making a sort o
checlkcrboard picture. Some of the de
signs are very grotesque. remembe
one very well done, one Of n monkey OF
mans leg, that always caused smil
among those who saw 1t. The blue
Jackets often have pictures OF thei
swcethearts tattooed on their arms o
breast, and IL makes little diiferenc
II the sweetheart herself changes iron
time to time, for the picture will Loo
as much like one as another, and tn
wearer's imagination will do the resi-
How History Might Have Been Changed
An interesting incident of tn
, career OF the great Napoleon has bee
- brought to light by Prof. Rambauc
, who has Just been rewarded for hi
History of Russia" with the cross q
, the Legion Of Honor. Bonnparte, as
' well known, was at ono time disguste
| with the slowness of his PROMOTE
4 and entertained serious thoughts of d
: recting his talents into other channels
q Now NJ. Rambaud tells us that M
n poleou applied for service in the Ru
o sian army, but that the petition whic
!. lac had addressed to Zaborowsld wa
+ rejected, as Catherine IL. would nc
Z admit foreign officers on the sam
p standing as that which they occupie
3 In their own country, Napoleon woul
| have had To accept an inferior ranl
l. and this he refused to do. II Pro
Rambaud be correctly informed, and