The morning times., 1896-10-11
BOYS As SOLDIER SAILORS
Life Of the Lads in the Ma
rine Corps.
DISCIPLINE IS STRICT
They Attend School, Learn
Music and Draw a
Salary.
DISCIPLINE is STRICT


for the training OF young boys for service in
the United States Navy, is the Marine
Corps, where The lads are taught everything
from saluiiDg their superior officers to
operating a rapid-iiriDG gun.
At tue Mariuc Barracks in this City are
stationed about forty Of these boys ranging
ip age from twelve to twenty years. To
become member OF tie apprentice class
4 boy must first pass physical examina-
tion, and 10 u certain extent a mental ordeal
is pTcscribed.
Any boy of good IN oral character. whocaD
read aud write, is eligible for tie class
The salary or these boys is 1880 month
with three ratious u day., which generally
cousist Of coffee, rolls and bacon FOR
breakfast; fish or meat and soup for din
Ucr, and pork and beans for tue wind up
1t would bc hard tu mention the bill of fare
Of the neCorps and omit porkand beans.
While in The service good deal is taught
these youngsters. One hour in each day
they are taken to the school Of drumming,
where competent teacher instructs them
how TO manipulate the drum sticks. An
otner hour is spent In lessons on the bugle,
aud TWO hours u day are spent in the school
where they are taught to read. write aud
spell and do aritI.rre,ic., Foe each line Of
instruction they are charged 81 per month.
that amount being deducted from their
salary. ,,......-,f...,,
Soldering is not hard, taken as whole.
Reyeille is sounded al $50 O'Clock each
morning, and every one must leave his bed
upon tue first sound OF the drum and bugle.
THE DAILY ROUTING. '
After all are up the wash room is the first
place visited. After lea wing the washroom
At that hour the assembly call for break
fast is sounded, and all march to mess.
At $40 comes the guard mount, which
occurs every morning during the summer,
and the boys all fan in behind the regular
band, which plays when its services are
needed. This function generally lasts from
twenty to thirty minutes, after which the
boys who are assigned for duty will go on
guard, as each boy must do guard duty with
the sentry every fifth day.
Every Monday during the summer full
dress parade is held at l a m., a s is also
general inspection, and each boy on this
day during the hours preceding the parade
are busy shining their swords, for the all
seeing eye OF the inspecting officer.
at g O'Clock mess call is sounded for
dinner. After dinner is loafing time,
spent as each Lad chooses, so long as he
keeps within regulations.
AT 4:i5 supper bugle is sounded and after
supper Those who are not to he on guard
during the night. and whose names are on
the liberty list, are allowed out. The rest
spend their time the same usual way. and
lie around until taps are sounded for bed
During the summer taps are not sounded
until 10 O'Clock. but when "old BQreas' Is
blowing around the corner at a forty-mile
| minute gait taps are sounded at o'clock.
TAPS ROLL CALL
! A few minutes before the hour OF retir-
Ing the roll is called by the police lieutenaI.i
| to see that every boy is there. as every
| mothers son of them is expected to he snug
under cover when taps sound Go to he'd
When name is not answered on the roll
| the delinquent will spend couple or hours
In the brig" or lookup, the next day. The
boys livein room to themselves, and each
one is furnished with a cot. Their rooms
are neat and tidy and with the clean white
| sheets and cots all in a row have IN ore
the appearance of hospital than a train
| ing station OF young recruits for the United!
StaetS navy.
They do all of their owu sewing, and
must keep their clothes looking neat and
clean. The brass on their uniforms and their
drum and buglc must at all umcs have a
sunshine polish. AT the end Of each
mouth there are two or three desertions
from the post here. The authorities are
generally notified OF the youngsters es-
cape, but Dot much attention is paid to them.
though, if they are captured. they serve
couple of years in the naval prison at
Boston.
PLENTY OF LIBERTY.
The young soldiers are allowed three
nights liberty in each week, that is. they
are allow cd outside, TO visit their friends or