The Washington times., 1894-04-22
Life in Our
"W00d6n Navy.

Early in August, 1881, the United States
<4-guu frigate Potomac, Capt. John Downes
lay in New York harbor, tugging away at her
anchor in half restless. half indolent mood
as if anxious to get to sea, but was deferred
from making the necessary exertion by the
encrvating heat OF the sun. President jack
son had recently appointed Martin Van Buren
minister to England, and the frigate was wait
ing to convey the future President OF the
United States to the .Tight Little Island. y
Conscious of the honor of having distin-
guished passenger with political iniiuence),
the younger officers of the ship spent more
time than usual before the mirror, endeayor-
ing to give martial part TO their hair. They
even got out their uniforms, as II they ex-
pected to wear them every day in the week,
instead of only once or twice in the cruise,
when some special ceremony required II.
The scale of pay established at the time OF
the war OF 1872 allowed our captains only 500
month with which to maintain the honor OF
the flag abroad, and incidentally support a
family. The lieutenants got $50 a month and
the midshipmen struggled along on consider
ably less so that it was not to be expected that
they could afford the luxury of uniform
every day in the week. In the cruise in which
he captured the Macedonian, Capt. Stephen
Decatur is described as wearing an old straw
hat and plain suit OF clothes, which made
MIN look more like a farmer than naval
hero"
If the handsome young officers Of the Poto-
mac could not make as noble display as
they might have desired in the matter OF pad
ding epauets, and gold lace, they at all events
could devote more than usual attention to
their embryo boards. The regulations in
force compelled them to shave their faces
smooth at least once in SO many days, no
matter how luxuriantly inclined some of
them might have been toward whiskers. The
officers who we're especially prone TO run to
hair found the regulation stumbling block
to their pride, and no small amount OF temper
was expended in consequence.
But in view of the fact that their distin-
guished passenger had pull, which might
lard them in choice position some dav. the
officers lathered and scraped away at their
chns with more good grace than could have
been expected. Moreover, the hearts of these
officers warmed toward MARTIN" because in
tho war over Peggy O'Neal, 1.-The pretty,
witty. saucy. active tavern-keeper's daugh-
ter" which nearly wrecked President Jack
sons cabinet, he sided with Peggy-and Peggy
was the widow OF a naval officer.
The same hustle and air of expectancy was
noticeable among the sailors OF the Potomac.
They were busily engaged in logging them
selves out in their best rig, polishing their
neat morocco pumps, and going through the
prinkihg. Some of the real old salts in the
frigate. however. who affected TO despise the
innovation Of uniforms" and whose sigh for
the good old days when men-o'-wars-men had
their inalienable rights to dress their own
exclusive persons in their own exclusive
tastes" were not so particular in washing and
pressing out their neat nankeen uniforms.
They were satisfied with greasing their long
hair and then braiding it down their backs,
with just enough wax in the end to make 1t
curl up like flshhook.
These were the men who had made the
American navy famous. They had taken
hand in flogging the parley-vouS in lI9S-lSOl,
and had downed the yataghan-armed Turks
in the fierce hand-to-hand encounters of
Tripoh, and had exterminated hordes of
pirates of the Spanish main. But their
greatest glory was in having been through
the Late war" in which the pride of the
mistress of the ocean was taken down a peg
or two.
That the distresses of an Atlantic voyage
might be made as endurable as possible for
their passenger with pull and his land
lubbery'' retinue, asupply OF hideous-looking
easy-chairs. such as never before had desc
Grated the decks OF the frigate. and heathen-
ish-looking trunks. preposterous bundles and
oUtlandish packages, were piled around in
Just the places where an out-and-out good sea-
man would be most likely IL crack his shins
against them. The stewards. also. began to
assume a pompous and condescending air
that was entirely beyond their station, while
the master-at-arms and the quartermasters
were busy hosting squealing pigs (tied in
punches by their feet, coops filed with cack-
ling hens. and many other delicacies that
might tempt the weak stomachs of the guests.
From The Cbastisement of the Qualla Bat
tooans." by Edgar Stanton Maclay, in Har-
per's