The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-14

prohibits them from drawing money ~ a.,
them. for the smallest infractlohs ol u.9
cipline: and il would be difficult 10 go
mate the number of deserions the GLOSS
list scheme has caused. 80
The enlisted men, blue1ackets anu .a a
rines on board an American man-oi-wa,
are divided into five conduct classes' a.. a.
the recording of the mems respec'iNe
standing in these classes is ABOUT tle
most dIfHcult and involved work perform
ed by a ships writer. Men VINO wen. ~
school about a quarter OF q century as
will remember the little Sips Whlch w.
teachers gave them TO take home 10 IhelI
narents AZ the end of each month, on
which were written their markings Tor
s,conduct' and application for that Pc
Rod The figure / stood for very Boou'
2. good" g. fair" and 4, bad. Wneh
a boy got the figure inscribed on ms
slip the chance was about one IN Ten
thousand that his parents ever saw II.
Not unlike this old-time school system Is
that of the navy in recording the conduci
of men with lye-blackened nails and backs
bent with the toll OF the sea, many OF
whom have ranged the world for almost a
generation.
The enlisted man whose name is inscrlb-
ed on the special first class Is privileged
10 draw All the money due him when
monthly money is served out, and he may
20 ashore every day while his ship Is IN
port. The FIRST class" man also gets all
of his money each month, but Is only al
lowed shore leave every other day when
a man gets his name on the second class
he has TO stay aboard his ship for month
before he IL permitted TO hit the beach, -
as the bluejackets call going ashore. and
AZ only given one-half OF his months pay
when monthly money II served out. The
third class" man stays aboard two
months before he is allowed 70 go over
his ships side, and gets a third Of his
nav. while the fourth class" man, who is
In hardest case Of all, enjoys the spectacle
OF his shipmates departing IN droves in the
steam launch for the beach for three
months before he can do likewise. and IL
permitted 20 draw only a quarter Of his
pay from the paymaster.
Ii requires a months time for a man
whose name appears in one OF the iufe-
rlor classes 10 advance step. For in
stance the fourth class man. after he has
served hia three months ~ that class, ad-
vances to the third class at the end OF the
next month. and al the close Of stii an
other month. II an goes we'll. he is enroll
ed among the men Of the second class. and
40 on up 20 the special hrst class. But ID
Is a very rare thing that "al goes well''
enough for him 70 attain the top class list
once he has fallen 20 the bottom AZ the
end OF his three months he goes ashore
and there " 30 much OF wrath stirred up in
his soul over his enforced confinement
aboard his ship for 30 long q period that
be goes ashore with the deliberate intcn-
ton OF breaking his liberty" down 70 the
very limit
A navy sailor is declared n deserter ar
Ter he has remained ashore longer than
ten DAYS. ~ moi uncommOnly happens
thai a fourth-class man. rendered reck-
less by a consideration 81 his three
months Of drudgery aboard ship and no
play or pay TO speak u remains ashore.
once he gets there, for nine days and
twontv-thrcc hours, and then has himself
hauled over the eide by a shore boatman
and quite often he brings with him an In
tereating case OF delirium trcmcns for the
surgeon 70 handle. Such a man goes 10
the mast Chat ig. conirouts the COM
maudinR omcorJ and gets another three
months dose or fourth class. aud thus BE-
b. that some Of the most useful enlisted
men in the navy, including a great num-