San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-10-10
MAN-OF-WAR'S MEN.
THEIR QUEER CALCULATION AND NO;
TioNS ABOUT THE SERVICE.

The Absurd Distinction Made Between .
Year and "Butt"-odd Ideas the Blue
Jacket Has About Work and Play Aboard
Ship and on Land.
On the day after his enlistment for a
period of three years the American man
of-war's man begins to figure on the
amount of time that is to intervene be-
fore his discharge. He has 1.-TWO years
and butt" to do, the "butt" being
the remaining l. months and 30 days Of
the first year. On the day following his
completion of the first year of his enlist
ment he has only year and butt to
get through No matter IL the butt Is
only single day under year in length,
the bluejacket contemplates the term
with the blandest complaisance. It is,
at any rate, not whole year, even
though it be 364 days. and this fashion
of throttling each year Of his service
makes him happy; 1t seems to bring
his discharge and the more or less tenn
pestuous Joys he carefully maps out long
before his discharge within closer
range When he has put in IS months
of an enlistment, he breaks out the
homeward bound pennant; he is going
down the hill, and when he has finally
achieved two years and has only the
butt to accomplish Joy fills his cup.
''Onoe sailor always sailor" IL
not strictly true of man-of wars men oil
the American navy. Only about one.
half of the men who complete one en-.
listment ship for another three year
cruise, bat about nine tenths Of the
men who put in two cruises settle down
to lifelong continuance in the service.
Six years Of navy life seem thoroughly
to inocalate them with what the Ger
mans call wanderlust When blue
jacket passes few of his summers in|
the latitude of the North cape and OIL
couple of winters down among the Ber-
mudas or in the salubrious south Pa
cific, he is likely to acquire dislike
for the climate Of the United States,
and this dislike has more weight than
anything else in forming his decision to
remain in the navy. Moreover, after
few years in the navy the bluejacket
seems to become possessed of the odd
idea that he is really doing nothing
aboard ship to earn his pay, that the
perpetual scurry in which he is kept
from all hands in the morning until
pipe down at night is really not work,
and with this quaint notion he also ac-
quires an exceedingly exaggerated idea
Of the terrific amount of grinding labor
man has to perform in order to gain
a livelihood ashore Put to bluejacket
who has put in couple of naval cruises
the direct question, Are you going to
take on again when your time is out?"
In nine cases out of ten he will look
you in the eye with an expression OF
stupefaotion and inquire, What the
devil do you think I'm going to do
work."
But for all of the resignation with
which he in time comes to regard
lifelong career in the navy the blue
jacket gazes forward at first with
wistful eye to the arrival of the day Of
his discharge, and when that day finally
approaches within clear VIEWS only
about month in the perspective. for
instance-he presents a singular picture
Of nervous anticipation and is not
worth water rotted rope yarn for
work. He moons about his ship like q
man in dream, consuming great guam
titles Of tobacco that he finds flavorless,
and during this period he is pretty like
ly to miss a few ships calls in his abb
straotion and get himself jumped upon
at the mast for the delinquencies His
shipmates with comparatively long
periods still to serve on their enlist
ments regard him with the jaundiced
eye of envy. which they show by pictur.
ing to the short time man the most
gloomy things that await him as soon
as he steps over the gangway. beach
bound, with his bag and hammock
Overtime men being shipped back to
this country on man-of-war are not
compelled to do any of the ships work
They simply stand the military calls,
eat their meals and smoke their pipes
watching the while with lazy happiness
the daily round of labor Of the less for
tunate bluejackets attached as MEM
bers Of the crew Of the ship on which
they themselves are practically passen-
gers The overtime men occasionally
emit arrogantly humorous directions to
these temporary shipmates, the ships
company Of the boat that is haulingI
them home "Gwan, now, and shine upl
that bright work. you long time dubr
they will shout to deckhand when the
officer of the deck is aft and out Of hear
ing. and Get down to your bunker, youl
grimy fiatfoot and rake out your coal
Is the kind Of thing the man Of theI
black gang below hears from the pas
sengers whenever he tries to smoke al
peaceful pipe on the topgallant forecas
tie.
One Of the immemorial customs of the
navy jacks is to secrete in the ditty bag
of the discharged shipmate who is about
to 90 ashore can of oorned beef, few
potatoes and perhaps one or two other
articles of sea food. This is done in or.
der to remind the discharged man when
ha onans his hap ashore that in the