Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1895-05-31
a Ii lists IN THE NAVY.
h0" Jolly Jack Loves to Decorate
His Body.
'''"c >'iil FlourIshes AS a rrn,,..,on
'"'Is Among the Man-n.-war.
1t Is Not Painful. >nr 1.
1t Very Hc.u,ifuI.


liz" r where observation-disclosures;
II - '''rd To say. hut ! certain that
ai"tit uIn"-tcnth> NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.,
- 't' world ar,.tatt,.,.,5 ~, ...,,,..,,..~,.
g: '.r.r bodies. Ammo -. .,,,,......i:,.,
- almost every Chime ,hi~ custom -
'''ir"HiI and dcfarin2r the ls,.J. TIA,
ir'H inite Common. and i j yrr.
lf'ia''" that TIM sailors. in they
cruises I" foreign lands untravrl,,i ~
t.'-'''" people. pic krJ up TN. custom
IL my experience among sailors. writes
i'"h Williams in the Washington
S''''. nave often noticed the man.
queer devices tatt"ocd all OVER The.
t""i'N' or on some part IF thc>, hardy.
E""d-haturcd fellows thar love "a lif.
On u" ocean wave" better than the
dry land.
IL l. probably among men-o-war's
men mat the custom is most near
y universal, and there is scarcely
snip IN the navy bit has some blue
Jacket aboard who an artist with
the tattooing needle II i, said that
the Chinese are the III ~ rxpcrt at this
queer trade, and their designs are
sense of the dragon AID snake style Of
art peculiar to Japan and china
Inc outfit of Il tattouing artist con
sNt> nf a few needle points stuck in
the end of 4 fine stick, forming a sort
OF steel comb. few sticks of India
ink. generally black. blue and red. and
few mixing cups. and always Il book
of samples in which are crudclv drawn
in chalk the flashing designs that the
artist il able to make Seated on a
dltty box or the deck, the artist first
takes the arm or the place to be
tattooed and draws in ink the design
to be made. He then draws the skin
tightly and with the steel needle points
punctureS the skin along the design,
hrst dipping the needle points into the
color TO be used. The operation is not
particularly painful. no more so than
sticking a sharp needle through the
skin. which, if anyone tries to do with
delibcration. he will find not particu-
larly painful. The place tattooed then
becomes sore to an extent depending
upon the size of the design and the
place tattooed. but it generally COM
pletely heals within ten days, and the
design in colors is indelibly incorpo-
rated into the skin. There is no known
means of removing it after it is once
on, except to remove the skin tattooed,
which would, of course, leave a severe
scar.
On board IA man-ofwar in the early
morning after reveille the men all
over the decks take off their clothing
and wash themselves, and it is then
that have found the best opportunity
to notice thequeer designs in tattooing
on back, breast, legs and arms. The
designs are rich in variety as well as
execution. Here, for instance, is
grizzled old tar with messy breast,
whose back is covered with a ship I'M
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 Earragut and the Hartford
in the foreground and cannon below
ing red clouds of fire all around. The
old jackey points with pride to it and
tells an admiring crowd of young ap-
prentice boys, who stand around. Of
that glorious summer day when Farra-
''Grand Old Admiral" said: "D-n the
tcrpedoes," 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 bluejackets have a picture Of
the crucifxion tattooed upon them,
though one whom saw with it cover
ing the whole of his back seemed little
fitted to bear SO devOut an ornament,
for when another sailor stepped on his
bare foot such torrents of real sailor
profanity came from his mouth that
there could be little doubt that he had
forgotten the day of repentance when
he had the cross tattooed on his back.
These large designs cause such a great
expanse of skin to become irritated
that they become quite painful if done
all at once, SO they are generally done
in sections, sometimes SO unskillfully
that the marks show, making a sort of
checkerboard picture. Some of the de-
signs are very grotesque. l remember
one very we'll done. one of a monkey ON
mans leg, that always caused smile
among those who saw it. The blue
jackets often have pictures of their
sweethearts tattooed on their arms or
breast, and it makes little difference
if the sweetheart herself changes from
time to time, for the picture will look
as much like one as another, and the
wearers imagination will do the rest