The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-03-28


or Jerry Simpson, because he got his ap-
Dointment from Jerry Simpson.
at seems little strange that you
should choose to be a sailor" said the
correspondent raised as you were on
the prairies-"
''Yes, it does" answered Lands, "but
like the course here very much 1t
was little disagreeable at first
on account of the hazlng and after you
get out of plebes year that Is done away
with. like the course very much, and
expect to go into the service when have
finished. l thought / would be seasick
when l went on my first cruise, but
wasn't asbit" Lands is q son of state
senator Harry L. Lands.
The cruise referred to is one which
cadets are taken on every summer. Can
didates for admission who take the ex-
animation in May go on the ten weeks
cruise the first year, those who don't take
the examinat alton till September don't get
a cruise until the next year. The second
class, or what would be the junior class
in college, does not take summer
cruise, but works in the machine shops
at the academy. Lands will therefore
not take d cruise this summer. These
cruises are taken by the frat, third and
fourth classes on the training ship Mon
ongahela, which is snow lying at the
wharf at Annapolis. The cadets man
rience of sailors. The trip taken is usu-
ally to the Madeira islauds.
Thomas L johnson, of Leavenworth,
is son of Judge Thomas L. johnson of
that place. He is in the third class. Be-
ing a May plebes he has been on cruise
on the MonongaheIa. He was appointed
by Congressman Broderick. He is we'll
built, healthy fellow 10 years old and an
interesting talker. ave had all kinds of
bn "a
"from a dead calm to rough seas. We
cruised off Cape Henry and down the
Carolina coast. only going to land to get
provisions. There was a weeks storm
during which we lived on bread and
water mostly with beef tea once in a
while for variation. The reason we had
such slim fare wasn't because we didn't
have any provisions aboard, but because
the sea was SO rough we couldn't cook it.
The tire all slid out of the stoves and
things were tum bling around so we had
to eat standing up like the boy who got
spanking. We saw several whales and
any mum ber of sharks. l wasn't bit sea
sick, though l expected to be. Perhaps
it was because 1 was used to being tossed
around by the high Kansas winds. This
cruise was to Funchal, Madeira"
Johnson's second cruise was to the diff
ferent navy yards. This summer he
will have cruise up the coast on the
Bancroft. On these trips the cadets
stand watches and work the ship. The
dirty work, such as cleaning the ship and
the like is done by sailors,
Larrimer, Gleason and Sadler are in
the fourth or plebes class. The third
class, of which johnson is a member,
are called youngsters" Gleason is the
only one of the Kansas boys in the
fourth class who had a cruise, as he is
the only May plebes, the other two en-
tering in September. Gleason was ap-
pointed by Congressman Curtis from
Alma, but his parents have since moved
to St. Louis. 81 have always wanted to
get into the army" he said, "but l could
get an appointment here right away and
1 would have had to wait four years to
get into West Point. SO I came here
used to go up to FIT Riley and visit and
there l got my liking for a soldiers life.
l had a pony l rode around with the
soldiers the military reservation, and
had the best kind of a time.''
Gleason hasn't made up his mind yet
whether he will go into the line when he
finishes his course or not. He wants to
get into the army but if he can't will
probably take the navy. Gleason is 10,
tall. straight and we'll proportioned.
Edgar B. Larrimer is the son of Geo,
Larrimer, a wholesale dry goods mer-
chant at Wichita. He got his appoint
ment through Congressman Blue. He
| was an alternate but the appointee failed
and SO he passed the examination and
| got in. Life in the navy is alluring to
him and he looks forward expectantly to
the time when he will get into the SER
vice. He is 20 and as handsome a fell
low as ever put on a uniform. Being a
September plebe he has had no cruise
but will go on one this summer on the
Monongahela.
Sadler is the youngest of the Kansas
delegation. being only 16 years old, but
he makes up in enthusiasm what he
lacks in age. He is tall and straight and
animated iu conversation. His father is
II. E Sadler, a lawyer at Sedan. He is
! also an alternate who got appointed be
cause of the failure OF the principal. In
answer to a question as to how he came
to choose the naval academy he said:
| "Archdeacon Brady. who has been at our
| house frequently, first got me interested
| in coming He is an alumnus of the naval
| academy and he advised my coming.
| When the fellow who was appointed
! failed 1 came on and managed to pass
| the examinations" Sadler expects to go
with the engineer corps when he finishes
| his course.
The course at the academy is four
years long. After graduation there is a
two years cruise. When that is finished
almost all the class is appointed into
! the navy u6E0 arc Two klDOS
of service open there. A cadet may &C
| into the line or into the engineer corps
If he goes into line he takes the rank of
ensign. An ensign gets $1,000 a year
when on sea duty, 81, 1000 on shore duty
! $500 on leave or waiting orders. If he
becomes an engineer he gets 81, 700 a
year on sea duty, $1.4o0 shore duty,
| $1,000 on shore duty or waiting orders
| After five years service all these figures
are raised 5000.
A cadet may resign at any time in hi;
| course and so does not have to 60 into
the navy. Most of the fellows prefer tc
go into the line because that puts then
| in the line of promotion so they nigh
sometime become a commander of
ship. This fires their ambition anC