The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-06-20
MARINES OF
OUR NAVY.
Are Sailors and Policemen
When they're on Shipboard,
Soldiers When Ashore.

"Now, mind you, ! am not casting
any reflections on the Jack Tars, as you
landsmen call them, but 1t stands to
reason, doesn't 1t, that u mans q good
deal more Of a man and has less scare
about him when he's got IS inches of
steel armor in front Of him than when
there's nothing between him and eter-
nifty but an army blouse and . blue fan
mel shirt? That's one difference between
O man-o'-war'sma man and q marine, " said
a corporal of Company @, First battal-
ion, United States marines, "but you've
got TO consider, too, that it amt all the
time that a sailor lad can get behind the
steel, and like us he doesn't always
want to.
IF you want to know what q marine
is, I'll tell you this. First. he's got to
be a good man all over and to know
that when he gets an order it's for him
to carry it out, even if it's to make a
corpse Of himself without getting a
chance to shoot back. He is a sailor
afioat and a policeman, too, and when
he is ashore he is both Of those n a
soldier in the-bargain." AS far as the
duties of the two are concerned, the
marines comparative estimate is COR
rect, but ON other lines it is a mooted
question today whether OF not the ma
rine should be deprived of at least one
of his duties. The Jack Tar and the ma
val officer of the line have for half a
century considered him tho fifth wheel
of the coach.
In no other branch of the United
States service is there any man who
must, in order to be Of any use at all,
know how to do we'll SO many different
things. Beginning with being "a good
man all over, - the marine recruit, If he
happens to have seen no sort of mill
tary service before, must begin by learn
ing the drills and manual OF arms. He
becomes first an i~nfantryman, expert in
every evolution possible 20 a body OF
men ON foot, for he has to leave the ship
when there is work to be done ashore,
and he must be able to move with pre-
cision under the most CALLING fire, and
doit in the shortest possible space OF
time} The az. the shovel and pick.
which he may look upon with scorn
when his blue and scarlet uniform is
vet new, become implements of warfare
in his hands, and that he may fight long
and we'll he is taught to delve and heap
until a breastwork is built.
Even then his duties do not end, and
the recruit grumbles often and wishes
he was free when he is ordered to get
into the dragging straps of a light arti'-
lery piece, light only in name. and haul
it at full tilt down into the ditch that
he has dug and up on the other side to
the crown of the intrenchment. No one
else comes up to load, aim and fire ii
for him, because he attacks with the
feet and makes way for the army. dc
is taught in his drill all that q field ar
tilleryman knows, and NJ one who
wears the blue can yank q howitzeI
around moro skillfully than a marine,
nor is there one any prouder OF it thar
he is. He knows how far his gun Cal
carry, he knows what shot will bite the
deepest, and the louder his gun barlks thu
happier he is.
When he has learned all this, but !
still in barracks, he congratulates him
self that he is a marine full fiedged, bu
he has yet to climb the ships side ant
learn that besides being able to behav'
himself he must teach the Jack Tai t
be good as well, but not by moral sua
sion. When the salt air gets into hi
n~ostrils and he finds that standing guar
at a gangway or amidships under a can
vas awning is not such a bad thing afte
all, he is suddenly directed to strip an
90 below to obey orders. Down he goe
to a coal bunker, if the ship happens
be coalinR In a hurry, and takes fou
hours or 80 at passing coal.
That night he may be put on waite
st the captains cabin, or If any OF tn
tars happen to have a shore leave an
come aboard at midnight a bit til
worse for bad whisky he must arre'
them by force of arms and stand guar
over them until morning. The INTERN
he spends in telling Jack how impropt
it is for a humble sailor to be bad. Th
is also his moral lesson, by which |
not only learns the consequences OF ev
doing, but eventually becomes skillc
in administering to tho moral needs
his rival sailor man.
He appreciates the dignity OF Il
place Of prosecutor, which falls to hi
ut the next mornings court martha
What he hears then may not be the be
for the ears OF moral teachers, but
new swear word or two learned no
and then that will enrich his vocab
larry when his knapsack straps bite
his feet blister ON parade is but a ms
ter of educati.T, and he docs not min
He is the vindicator of the law, al
when he chances to err il will be
Jack Tar who will lock him up. but
fellow marine, who has perhaps biz
self been intoxicated and knows the Q
of making a rife butt soft. The prison
remembers. learns the trick and pays I