The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-11-11
Mare Island Iratter.

MARE ISLAND, CAL, Nov. 9.-While
the attempt to man the United States
navy with American seamen bids fair to
prove case of loves labor lost, there is
no end OF applications from fine
men, both young and middle-aged.
who, driven to extremes by force of ad-
verse circumstances, seek enlistment as
marines in the marine corps and as veo-
men in the navy.
For the enlightenment of many such l
append letter addressed by an officer of
the navy to young man who, having lost
his place in newspaper Office, wrote at
the suggestion of mutual friend to ASK
advice and make inquiries.
NAvY-YARD, Mare Island, Cal,
Dear Sir: Your letter of the sd ult received
and in reply have to inform you that | do moi
know whether any new yeomen are to be
rated for ships going into commission.
Your best course is to write to Lieu
tenant-Commander F. W. Crocker, U. s.
n, Y. s: Receiving Ship Independence,
to whom to make application.
II remember correctly, the last orders con-
corning the rating of yeomen stated that yeo-
men should be rated from "landsmen or sea.
yeoman unless he had previously served as
such and could produce his warrant from the
Chl6f OF bureau or N8VlgatlOD.'
uwould never advise any one to go to sea as
yeoman if he could possibly avoid it, as it is no
place for any one with ambition or prospects
He cannot advance. has no social position, and
is not treated with any consideration or as il
he were human being, as a rule
In the case OF q vacancy, or the death of the
pay-clerk, a paymasters yeoman is sometimes
appointed pay-clerk, but this does not happen,
on the average, once in a lifetime, and then
does not relieve him from his enlistment.
Then, If you happen 10 be in port where
there is any disease, none OF the crew (Which
includes the different yeomen) are allowed
the pay-clerk to go to sea, because they mess al
one table and can live high as they want
unless their provisions should run out at sea,
and can go ashore very near as often as they
like when in port. You know we officers are
not supposed to be liable to catch diseasesl
After man is three months at sea, living on
"salt horse and salt pork" the novelty wears
off, have made considerable inquiry in this
direction. Yeomen have told me that they
have been as long as six months without set
ting foot on shore. And yet they generally
completely untitled for anything else and have
to re-ship to keep from starving.
When @ man has been three years yeoman
he generally finds himself so hardened and
careless that he has no ambition for anything
else. / have known several very bright men
who were yeomen, and who said that they fl st
enlisted through force of circumstances, but
who bitterly regret the day. they are still
have been thus explicit in my statements
because hate to see man mlslead-especlally
as know some people "crack up" the service.
Many officers who are very polite and agree
able when they meet you in civil life, and
whose sea-yarns as we'll as their jolly good
nature and gracious demeanor seem to COM
mend the service, would fail to recognize you
in the service unless you belonged to the
cline or ''staff."
II, after what have told you, you still de-
size to 60 70 seaa RQ9s YOU NAY ma % Oh