The Portland daily press., 1894-10-23
JACK DISLIKES' IT.
THE MONKEY DRILL" is TIE BANE
OF THE TAR'S EXISTENCE.

A Device by Which Uncle Sam Keeps His
Men on the Ships Limbered Up and In
Good Health Through Exercise = Nc
'Soldiering" Is Allowed In the Drill.
Good, kind Uncle Sam has provided
physical culture for Jack Folks ashore
pay money for a course of physical culture
thatsisn t any better, if it is SO good, and
yet Jack thinks he is hardly used in that
he has to go through it every day that
ism trainy. He calls it the monkey drill y
The average Jack Tar is apt, to be un-
grateful, wherein he differs little from the
rest of mankind. The point Of the matter
is that, human beings object very decided
ly to having things that are for their
good thrust upon them willy nilly.
Jack is undeniably picturesque, but
never is he more interesting to look upon
than at this same monkey drill. !" He
looks wen when he is swinging the big
guns: Extreme range, forward! Ex-
treme range aft! Extreme elevation! Ex-
treme dcpressiont' Then you see him
putting his back to it and doing his best
to swing the long, glossy steel tube of a
NA1 III oilC OCot pOootDiC UlIllc, UuU Ull0 gun
itself and the mechanism and the rest of
the drill distract the mind from the con
temptation of Jack himself as well put
up man. The monkey drill'' accentu-
ates that.
1t comes right after evening quarters, at
5 O'Clock. The marines and sailors have
all lined UP on deck. The skipper has
como out Of his cabin and stands OH the
starboard side a little in front of the gang
way that goes down into the wardroom.
The executive officer stands little In
front of him and little to the right. Both
men stand with tautness and crinap
IN the muscles of thc back and legs which
says : Thia is very important. /"
The ships writer is on the port side, as
stiff as a wooden image and apparently
dead to the world. Tho captain of marines
comes and stands before the executive
officer, salutcs and conveys the important
information that all are present or &C.
counted for. Then he salutes, rises on
his toes, pivots around and departs in
great solemnity The engineer comes up
from the bowels of the ship and says the
boiler is all right, but there is rust on the
ashwhip. There is less style about the
engineer. because he has been doing this
for many years. His salute is merely a
remlnlseence, not half SO prim as the
young cadet s. who was having collie when
the engineer had his commission. All the
officers report, and then the executive
officer tells the captain as much as he
1hlhks NJ
immensely solemn function it is, al
most pontifical in its ritual. The bugler
toots tune, and then begins the monkey
ofiil. Inc ranks separate, and the space
between each man IS increased, and squads
are formed, with corporal or bosun's
mate III command
Ihere are IL movements which have to
ne gone through every evening. They are
Ike tnose that used to be taught in the
puDiio scnoois, only better. The men dou-
DIE up their lists and shove out first one
arm ana then 5he other WITH enough v1o-
i 10 TO ge6 bhe good OF IL. They extend
.n0 arms arms horizonOaiiy, tnen reacn them
Up eneh orop tnem GOWN. Iney reach
oiie a al ot'o lfonG ana swing 1hem pack
as iar as possible. Ihey extend the arms
norizon1aiy ana Wanpie tnem SO as
w uesIripe sinai circles IN une air.
1ney psnu ene oouy forward as Tar
40 possinle' theh pehu pacK TO Une
sane iiini.' stopping ae soraIgno up De-
tween each motion, because Jacks brain
e ,.as scaho pelng sloshea around vlo-
i ,sil, any more IMAM anybody elses. Ihey
a &c g, over sf0ewise SO as 10 look up 10 the
ngn'lng eops with the rlght eye ana then
WIN ehe ieie eye. rms motion is almost
lA'llcapea iaser on, when the same thing
- gone bhfough Win, put IN the later mo-
~ lion s sne arms are e1tended. That opens
ehe r., upper part Oh tne lungs.
s lhen comes tne hardest movement OF
all., isIhe men STAND SUN legged, heels to-
eesneF, anu penu oyer I'LL the Knuekies OF
sne cios9a pss toneh tne aeck. IL looks
sass ly ~. = you are noo IN framing
you WI ina - IN :. LINK your tnumns
UO20Ul6T ana Swing 1OI IL. ana III lC Doesn't