Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1898-12-09
STOOD FOR THEIR PRIVILEGE.
The Clever Way In which = bunch
of Naval Apprentices Got Ahead
OF Capt. Philip.

a newspaper editor of Philadelphia.
who has become one of the best in
formed men OF Pennsylvania politics
since he left oil going to sen, was once
an apprentice in the United States
navy. lie served in the various rates ms
third, second and iirst-class boy. or
binary seaman and seaman apprentice,
and WAS further rated long before he
reached the term of his indenture as
captain OF the starbOard watch of after
guard aud coXswain Of the captains
gig. These Announcements were, Of
course, within the limits of his APP
premiership, and he was all the while
subject to the special rules and rcgula-
lions of the service for that condition,
and among them was one forbidding
apprentices TO smoke. lie was Serv-
ing on the Richmond at that time with
some dozen or more boys, who, like
himself. had long been away from the
/ scholarships. and were doing able sea-
mems duty, and. of course. smoking
whenever the ships corporal hung out
the lamp TO light a pipe by, and that is
ut prescribed hours, because sailors are
rot supposed TO carry matches. The
first lieutenant of the ship wns>Jack
Philip. now captain commanding the
bnttleship Texas, the man whose pic
turc has become SO well known since
the war began by the cooked hat Of the
fuli-drcsS uniform with which he is
photographed. lie was. like many 9TH
cr good fellows. n jump-up-in-ihe-
Observation-Disclosures First
Luh. and one day after dinner he saw
AZ apprentice take a light for his pipe
ut the lamp. whats that. corporal Of
the guard? Take those pipes away
from all the apprentices. whatever
their rate is" y moment later the
young men found themselves deprived
OF their pipes and ordered TO the mast.
when the first lieutenant faced them.
"Do you not know it is 4 specific rcgula-
ton that apprentices are not to
=mokc?"
why. yes. sir" replied one: but
we are rated for mems work. we ARE
doing il. and we have been smoking
ever since we left the schoOlship."
Well. you won't smoke any more on
board this ship. Go forward"
Perhaps the qualities which made a
IoAllltal . +" ~ ll'hlf NtIt
also those which made the jackic some
thing Of n sea lawyer. and he studied
the way of getting the smoke hack.
Al last lie hit il Off. and ~summ0Eirg
his fellows in council. he secured their
pledges TO stand by him. Then lie
went TO the mast to see the first lieu
tenant. "Sir." he said, 1--WE whoarcn u-
prcn,iccd demand school in the terms
of II irGenturcs. II is provided in the
regulations that wc shnll Env" daily
] instruction and be taught navigation.
There is = schoolmnStcr aboard, al
though he is doing duty as chief boat
swnin's mate"
The officer cooked his eye nj the APP
prentice. and. after n pause, said:
VERY well. Coxswain, you shall have
school" The ship. however, did 1T
rate n chief h~Oatswain's mate, ard the
man who held that was o III for a
schoolmnstcr. and there was o on
board the ship a man who knew rs
much as the apprentices. except. Of
course. the officers, and to detail them
for that duty would be- unpleasant
enough for them nj least. and other
wise disturb tie comfort OF The ship.
Philip tried every other sort of school
master in vain, and then sent for the
sea lawyer ~cnNswain.
why 80 Iou fellows wan, TO go to
. sChool?" he demanded.
"l;ccausc. -" replied iLc Cnnbashcd,
I'VE must occupy the tim" we lost when
you o away our smokiug."
{" forward, yUu sea lawyer. and