Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1896-01-16
N,ckNAMEs IN THE NAVY.
Titles By which Omcsrs Are Known
Ameog Their Comrades ON Cupboard.

Ameog Their Comrades ON Shipboard.
Perhaps Fighting Bob" is the
naval nickname best known to the
public. 1t was early bestowed on its
possessor because of his hardness
with his fists. and 1t is not many
years since there were occasional
adventures in the career Of Captain
Evans that justified the name. The
title may now be accepted as merely
expressive of an aggressive and en-
ergetio character, for commanding
officer in the United States navy has
few temptations to the use of his
fists. Whether or not war shall
come to give a new significance to
the title, Captain Evans is likely to
wear it to the end of his days.
Most of the naval nioknames have
survived from the academic days Of
the wearers, though q few were of
later bestowal. One was earned by
an officer Of high rank by reason of
his unpopularity with the younger
officers and cadets. It Is alliterative,
picturesque, almost profane and al
together unoomplimentary. A man
with q very long name is likely to
lose one or moro syllables at the
academy and to be known ever after
by the resultant abbreviation. Nick
names, however, have their our
rency limited in actual practice by
the tremendous and ever present
fact of rank. It Is a bold ensign who
addresses tho executive officer by
nickname even in the comparative
ease of after dinner talk. A CON-
manding officer would hardly BIO
spoken Of by his nickname aboard
ship though the phrase "the old
man" is not unoommonly heard In
tho wardroom.
The wittiest nickname that sur
vived in the navy from academic
days was that of the bold Chief En-
gineer w. w. w. Wood, who was
called AVA O2 D." which in mathe-
matical parlance is, wv, fourth pow.
or, o square, D."
Commoner in the navy than per.
sonal nicknames are familiar abbre-
viations of titles. The paymaster is
often familiarly PAY" The chief
engineer is simply "Chief." The
landsman who should use either Of
these titles or any other than Mr."
for a staff officer would commit a
great breach Of wardroom etiquette,
though there is a disposition ashore
to address paymaster by the title
of his Office and to couple military
titles with the names Of other staff
officers.
The term "bull lieutenant" Is a
familiar one in the navy to express
the rank of man who has passed
beyond lieutenant, junior grade"
He is still lieutenant, and his title
is "Mr." The officer who commands
q ship is by courtesy addressed as
"captain, no matter what his actual
rank. Lieutenant Buckingham, In
command of tho Dolphin, Is captain
on the quarter deck of his ship. Even
the greatest stiokler among naval
officers for the privileges of the navy
would address the commander of q
revenue cutter as captain when on
board the craft of the latter. 1t IL
the courtesy of the wardroom to call
the commanding officer of the ma
rines major, even though he be still
q lieutenant. This is sort Of ao-
knowledgment that the chief in COM
mand should be decorated by some
other form of address than "Mr."
The surgeon of whatever rank Is
doctor" though perhaps "Mr."
would be more nearly the proper
thing. 1.-The young dootor"-that
is, the junior surgeon on consider
able ships sometimes familiarly
nicknamed "doo' by the youngsters,
and as unnautioal and nonmilitary
Is liable to have a good deal of ohaff
thrust at him until he makes his
personal force apparent.-New York
Sun.