The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-10-17

L
money to men whose financial histories
ahe details of which they know
thoroughly are c1ouded by the least
stigma Of doubt. 1t is for reasons such
as these that the bankers seldom get
left.
The bluejacket, who gets a SO gold
piece from the banker pays the latter
Sl2 at the time mCnthIy money Is served
out The bankers collecting time, after
the men have all drawn their money is
q business period during which an Inn
nenSe amount Of work IS accomplished
with no noise whatsoever. The banker
doesn't go after the men on the ship
who owe him money. They come to him
at his otllce-the paymaster's Office.
They come furtively, with chances
around for officers for they don't want
to give away the nature of their bust
ness. They have the money In their
hands. and they pass it into the hand
OF the banker without n word They
stand by for q minute while the banker
checks their names col his Books, and
then they go forward. The transaction
Is over Thus the banker takes in hun
dreds. and, on large fiagships, often
thousands OF dollars each month.
There is, OF course no regulation
compelling these men who borrow money
from The bankers at usurious interest
TO pay the bankers either principal or
interest, and 1t might reasonably be
asked why, therefore, the men are 50
faithful and prompt in their payments.
1t is certainly not from love OF the
bankers, for these men are despised fore
and. aft. 1t is because they are per-
tectly aware that the time is bound TO
come again when they will be desperate
ly anxious TO go ashore when their
pockets are empty, and whorl their only
resource will be the banker
On large war ships, carrying the crews
OF 400 or 500 men there are often several
bankers. There are so many foreigners
In the United States navy that the crews
OF the big ships are generally divided
into clans, the members OF which stick
together to the finish in all matters
affecting their interest and prestige as
important factors in a. ships company.
Each of these clans ordinarily has a
banker. The Greek blueja clSet borrows
spending money from the Greek usurer,
the Scandinavian from the eXtorticelst
OF his own nation, and SO on.
When, as quite often happens, the
knowledge penetratcs aft to the cap
tain's cabin that mCney-lending is rife
aboard the ship, and mat tho men are
unnecessarily suffering oil manner of
inconvenience and losses owing TO the
practice the banker under suspicion is
called UP to the stick" and he stands
to members of the crew! All hands are
passed In review and asked if they have
ever at any time borrowed any money
at interest from this man." No, sir,
not man jack orl the ship has ever
borrowed any money at interest from
this man. None of the men ever heard
OF any such thing. Whercupon "ihis
man" goes for'ard, and that's all there
Is about It. 1t is impossible to prove
anything in the navy
y man may be absent from quarters
on deck. lie does not answer his name
when the roll is called. for he is down
in the engine room. After quarters the
executive officer send for him. Why was
he not as quarters? He was at quar-
ters What! He was at quarters, sir.
His Came was not called He stood at
quarters in the rear rank, between
John Smith. oller and William Jones,
fireman. John Smith and William Jones
being sent for, duly declare that the de-
lnQuent was al quarters, and stood be
tween them. Dismlssed. No proof. So
that nothing can he fastened upon the
banker, and, even If he could be convict
cd, the punishment would not be such
as TO give him very muCil the worst Of
1t.
There is a regulation, however, which
strictly forbids officers from having any
private financial relations whatsoever
with enlisted men. Once in a while an
officer disregards this regulation. but
when hc is caught in the Dreach he
finds himself in a pretty bad scrape.
Soldiers don't get so much money for
their services as sailors, but they arc
quite rs good customers Of the bankers.
They borrow smaller sums, however,
and they are rarely able to establish
relations with the bankers until they
have put In Crle enlistment, for the army
bankers are generally old soldiers who
have little confidence in the rockies, -
and only hand out their coin 10 men who
bear the marks of staycrs In the SER
vice. a few years ago one of these
army bankers, Il duty sergeant at Fort
snelling. MIMI. was court-martialed
and "bob-tailed' q. c., dishonorabIy
d.scharGeD for neglect Of duty while on
guard. There was some staring IN the
post when, a few days after the man
was DISCHARGED, the ST. Paul newspapers
contained his card as real estate and
fire insurance agent, his office being In
building which he himself owned