Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1894-02-15
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physical defect, and who can read and
write fairly well are admitted into the
navy between the ages. of fourteen and
Eighteen years. Between fourteen ard
fifteen boy must measure feet .
inches in height, and weigh not less
than 20 pounds between fifteen and
sixteen. feet II inches, and so pounds;
between sixteen and seventeen. . feet
inch. and 80 pounds. and between
seventeen and eighteen, feet inches,
and 100 pounds. They mast serve
till 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 s45 for outfit, fact which consider
ably enhances the advantages of the
service. To discover the exact number
of petty officers on board a 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 inal
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 APP
prentices is 50 a month; the next pro-
motion, To second-elass apprentice,
brings $40; the next, to first-class APP
prentice, 81 month. Further on we
have second class seamen apprentices,
with $40 a 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 S24 month. 1t can
thus be seen that frst-class
seaman apprentice and an able sea-
man, get each the respectable sum of
the highest sum paid to a first-class
seaman in the British service. the only
other navy in the world worth consid-
GRAFTON on the score of pay and promo
ton. 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
il in his power, by an industrious and
persevering application Of these
qualities, to become some day a
some uniform, and draw subasan
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 il need should arise.
The pay of warrant-ofiicer being the
same as that of a 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 81 200 to 81 900. with
board and lodging. At the age of sixty
TWO NtdEH ltG ttn TtIiIt Win "a DtuNltt-
Of three-fourths his current pay. just
the same as a commissioned officer:
that is TO say, he can carry with him on
his retirement perpetual order on the
treasury for a sum of from 5000 to 81. 425
a year. the lowest figure of which con-
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. lie is discharged at the end of |
every three years and each first-class
service certificate entities |
him to one dollar a month of good CON
duct pay, and three months leave on
full pay. on condition that he re-enlists |
within three months. A boy has al
most unlimited daily liberty, and while
N port, if his home is near, he can |
,tay away there from Saturday to
Monday, provided he is not in debt.
n addition to this, frequent short
urloughs of from two to six days are
siven to enable boys and men to visit
Instant relatives, and always on full
,ay. Finally, there are ali those
hanees of promotion and pension
Ibove described TO encourage the young
ailor to lead steady. industrious, ant
'rderly life; and even if he does not at
ain to warrant rank, there is still the
grade of the petty officer,
Who receives from twenty-seven dol
airs to seventy dollars a month. and
an retire with a pension after thirty
ears service.
There are many worse things that
Dung lad of spirit might do than be-
ONE one of Uncle Sans sailor boys
n the merchant service. though a man
e captain of the finest clipper, or even
( steamship, if he falls sick, or is
by any circumstance to re-
ire. he has nothing whatever to fall
ack upon but the Evolutionary mid
Ia prnao 'S ha1f-na- of ssnotbire a x-aa~