Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1894-07-13
THE WOODEN NAVY"
Life on the Early Warships of the
United States
An Admiral Who Looked More Like .
Farmer Than a Commander OF
Gunboat-A Crew That Oh
Jeeted TO shaving.

Early In August, 1881, the United
States 44-gun frigate Potomac, Capt.
John Downes, lay in New York har-
Dor tugging away Mt her anchor in q
half-restless, half-indolent mood. as IL
anxious to get to sea, but was deferred
from making the necessary exertion
by the enervating heat of the sun.
President jackson, writes Edgar STAN
ton Maclay in Harper's Magazine, had
recently appointed Martin Van Buren,
minister to England, and the frigate
was waiting to convey the future pres
ident of the United States to the
flight Little Island" Conscious of
the honor of having n distinguished
passenger with political infuence),
the younger officers of the ship spent
more time than usual before the mir
ror, endeavoring to give martial
part to their hair. They even got ont
their uniforms, as II they expected to
wear them every day in the week.
instead of only once or twice in the
cruise, when some special ceremony re-
quired it.
The scale of pay established at the
time of the war of 1912 allowed our
captains only one hundred dollars q
month, with which to maintain the
honor of the flag abroad, and incident
ally support a family. The Heutenants
got fifty dollars q month, and the mid
shipmen struggled along on consider
ably less, SO that 1t was not to be ex-
pected that they could afford the lux
ury of uniform every day In the weeA
In the cruise in which he captured the
Macedonian, Capt. Stephen Decatur is
described as wearing sn old straw hat
and plain suit Of clothes, which made
him look more like Q farmer than Q
naval hero"
II the handsome young officers of the
Potomac could not make as noble dis
play as they might have desired in the
matter Of padding, epauiets and gold
lace, they at all events could devote
more than usual attention to their en-
bryo 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 were espe-
cially 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 distinguished
passenger "had a pull" which might
land them in n choice position some
day, the officers lathered and scraped
away at their chins with more good
grace than could have been expected.
Moreover, the hearts of these officers
warmed toward Martin" because In
the war over Peggy O'Neal, ''the pret-
ty, witty, saucy, active tavern keepers
daughter" which nearly wrecked
President Jaclxson's cabinet he sided
with Peggy-and Peggy was the widow
of naval officer.
The same hustle and air Of expect
ancy was noticeable among the sailors
of the Potomac. They were busiiy en-
gagged In logging themselves out In
their best rig, polishing their neat
morocco pumps, and going through the
most approved and latest style OF nsu-
tical prinking. Some of the real old
salts in the frigate, however, who af-
fected to dc pise 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 80 par
ticular In washing and pressing out
their neat nankeen uniforms. They
were satisfied with greasing their long
hair, and then braiding 1t down their
backs, with Just enough wax In the end
to make 1t curl up like fish hook.
These were the men who had made
the American navy famous They had
taken hand In fiogginR the Farley
vous In 1798-1s01, and had downed the
Turks in the fierce
hand to hand encounters of Tripolt,
and had exterminated hordes OF pi-
ra tes along 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 rs endurable as
possible for their passenger with
pull" and his ''land-lubberly" retinue,
o supply of hideous-looking easy
chairs, such as never before had desc
Grated the decks of the friRate,
and heathenish-looking trunks, pre-
posterous bundles, and outlandish
packages, were piled around In Just
the places where an out-and-out good
seaman would be most likely to crack
his shins against them The stewards,
also, began to assume pompous and
condescending air that was entirely
beyond their station, while the master
alarms and quartermasters were busy
hoisting s1uealing pigs tiled In
punches by their feet), coops filed
with cackling hens, and many other
delicacies that might tempt the weak
stomachs of the guests.