Evening star., 1898-05-21

ing counterfeit SILVER
dollars down below
In one OF the engineers store rooms. The
narration always closes with the state
ment that Bill was caught 1t never gives
the sequel. nor tells whether Bill was
court-martialed and keel-hauled or turned
over to the civil authorities, or suffered to
continue the practice of his time-passing
accomplishment aboard ship Bill is SIM
ply lost to authentic history from the mo-
ment he was caught manufacturing his
aluminium dollars. Then. there is many a
fantastic tale spun around the gangways
OF our men-of-war, telling of how this or
that seaman-name always given, but pres
ent whereabouts unknown-carried on a
prosperous 'moonshne business down be-
low for years. Even the dimensions and
manner Of construction of the stills are in
variably given as clinching supporters for
these amiable narrations. The old-timers,
the living souvenirs of the days of the old
tennessee, are always the unWlnderS OF
these reels, but all hands within hearing
accept the yarns as in manner authentic
appendices to accepted naval history.
while there are no dollar r-manufacturing
nor iquor-concocting plants aboard the
ships of the American navy today, so far
as the writer, who has served on one or
two of the ships, knows, the men forward
surely practice good many money-mak-
ing arts. Sailors who are skillful with
their hands not only pick up bit of
po cket money on the side by doing work
OF their own choice after knock-off, but
number of them, especially proficient in the
making OF things, practically double their
Fay days by such work. There is not SO
much of deck sewfng nowadays as there
was in the old nave when steam was only
an auxiliary driving power, and the deck
hands had to cast About for something to
do to keep their Hands employed. Never
theless, there is still enough of skillful
needle plying aboard ,opr ships to astonish
women visitors, ESPECIALLY women visitors
who subscribe to the queer doctrine that
Tine-tenths of all r1aIepersons cannot even
sew button on properly without using
four yards of tnrean, Two or three needles
and imperiing theiE eventual salvation be-
sides. Deck sewingSfn the navy nowadays
is mostly practiced by the old timers, and
you have only to atch an old gunner'S
or bosun's mate who remembers when
Dewey was a watch and division lieutenant
to discover needle-plyer who can give
cards and spades TO most of the young
women in your acquaintance and beat them
out in the performaficeAof fancy work, to
say nothing Of substantial sewing. The
al prentice lads pick up a good deal of sew
ing lore on board the training ships, but
when they are sent to cruising ships they
generally abandon the practice of needle
work and leave that gentle art in the hands
of the cid deep-water men.
There are a dozen or more of these on
all Of the sizable ships of our navy. and
they all double and often treble their pay
by the practice Of needle work. The re-
cruiting officers always have a good deal
of trouble to induce these old needlemen.
all of whom are fine, experienced sailors,
and therefore valuable factors for the leav-
ening of crews of comparatively new men,
to ship for vessels that are liable to cruise
altogether in northern waters. The needle
men like tropical cruises for the simple
reason that white uniforms are worn alto
gether by the crews, fore and aft, of war
ships cruising in hot latitudes, ana they
derive the biggest portion of their 'On the
side incomes from the manufacture of
white uniforms. Not that they are not
handy in making blue uniforms of the
very finest sort, but two or three blue uni
forms will get a bluejacket through three
year cruise whereas the man forward re-
quireS about dozen white uniforms to en-
able him to always look tidy and pass
his division officers inspection at quarters
If his ship is patrolling southern waters.
The needlemen can take a bluejacket's
measure for white uniform after quarters
in the morning and hand him the finished
uniform ard beautifully finished, too, by
noon. Expert bluejacket needlemen are
often known to make as many as ten of
these bluejackets' white uniforms in the
course of tEeir spare time during a single
day. and as they get from 81 to 81 ri a
suit for making these uniforms, 1t will be
perceived that there is money in the busi-
ness. The government Goes not dish out
ready-made white uniforms as II does
ready made bluetacket uniforms
The making of these aboard the ships by
the old-timers is practically business.
recognized by the officers, and when the
tailors are particularly pressed-as they al
ways are when warship just going into
commission, proceeds to the warm lat
itudes with practically new craws-they are
temporarily relieved from the performance
of deck duty in order that they may devote
all their time to the devising Of the white
uniforms. "a
Sailor TaiIors.
AS to the ready-made bluejacket uni
forms. served out to new men by pay
masters few of the greensha1ds who ship
in the navy will wear them very long. They
are of just as good material as the govern
ment can buy, but they are hastily made
and the trousers earfy develop the baeei-
ness characteristic of very cheap ready
made trousers Generally, with lis first
monthly money, the new bluejacket, after
drawing the cloth from the paymaster of
his ship, erters into negotiations with one
Of the old-time ships tailors to manufac-
ture him a mastering ufiform-one that he
can stand quarters and muster In. and go
ashore in. The ships ffatfeet tailors charge
all the way from s. to $40 for making
suit of blues. according to the amount of
distributed over the uniform. They do not
turn out any slouchy. half-done work. these
old-time naval tailors, and when they turn
over finished uniform to a patron the lat
ter may feel confident, that the seams of
the uniform will qutlast even the strong
clcth. The Chinese taiiors on the Pacific
coast and in the harbdrS Of ths South Pa.
ci6c islands with their woIl-Epo,,,n h.,.s