The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-23

The Order Was Made at the
Request of the Chamber
of Commerce.
Must Be Made TO the Com.
mander of the Independence
Mare Island,

While America is building new navy
Young America ID packing his kit and
getting ready to man it. Every ship that
slips from the ways is cheered on her first
slide toward the sea by her future crew
standing on the shore. In every seaport
the boys are clamoring for enlistment in
the service, but as only limited number
can be taken, and Congress is slow about
increasing the complement, most all of
the vessels of the navy are woefully short
| handed.
A few years ago the cruisers of Uncle
Sam were the quarters of seafaring men of
all the nations of the earth. Runaway
sailors from European navies were to be
found at the batteries of the United States
war vessels.
Along the decks all tongues were
spoken and muster was Babel. officers
grew weary of listening to a jargon of
broken English and quiet change set in.
American boys begin to take the places of
the foreign crews and the apprentice sys-
tenn, whereby the natives were enlisted in
preference to all others, was tried and
found to be successful.
Training stations were established on
the upper Atlantic seaboard and one
recommended for the Pacific Coast. 81
many aDplICdllOUS were ulduG ny DOyS
desiring to enter the service that the en-
listments were kept up to the limit. At
the Mare Island Navy-yard boys have
been taken for the new ships by special
order of the department. in compliance
with the many requests from this locality.
Some time. ago 104 naval apprentices
were shipped for service on the cruisers
lying at the yard, which number was
about 20 per cent of the mum Der of appli-
cants. The Cham Der of Commerce in this
City, at the request of the parents of I'M
successful applicants, interested itself in
the matter. The Secretary of the Navy
was appealed to through Senator Perkins,
and few days ago an order came from
Washington TO the commandant at Mare
Island directing that officer to enlist 100
more boys in the service.
This will be joyful news to the young
fellows who were too late for enlistment
before, and they should avail themselves
OF an immediate application to the COM
manding officer of the United States re-
ceiving ship Independence, Mare Island,
Cal. The would be tar must be between
the ages OF IA and Is, and must be shipped
by his parent or lawful guardian, as he
cannot enlist himself under any consid
Grafton. He must pass careful medical
examination, and the least physical or
mental defect will stop him at the ships
gangway, as 1t were.
One OF The principal tests is Tor color
blindness, where the applicants sight is
tried as to his ability to distinguish the
red and green sidelights on ship at sea.
IF found o. K. he begins his war career as
a third-class apprentice, with pay at SO per
month. He is given a complete outfit OF
clothing, bedding aud other needed ar
ticles for his comfort. He is then in
structed in the duties of his calling, and
when found proficient promoted to the rates
of second and first class apprentice, with
monthly pay at SIS and $21 respectively.
The petty officer rates are open to him
with pay as high as $40 per month. When
he has completed his 21st year he is given
an honorable discharge, if his conduct has
been good, and continuous service GER
tificate. which entities him to gift OF three
months pay in his last rating, provided
he re-enlists within ninety days OF the
date of his discharge. Continuous-serv
men have the preference in the soft" or
best paid billets aboard ship. Most Of the
yeomen or storekeepers, of which there
are three on each vessel, are ex-navaI ap-
prentices. Their pay Is $50 per month.
In the army corporal or sergeant may
aspire to a commissioned officers shout
der-straps, but in the navy no such pro-
vision has yet been made for the ap-
prentice boy. Possibly in the future he
may go from the forecastle to the quarter
deck of the cruiser, as there is a strong
feeling gathering that the officer may
come from the ranks as well as from the
Naval Academy. When the training sta
ton is established on Goat Island the ia
cilities for preparing the young sailor for
an honorable life on the ocean wave Will
be increased.