The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1898-11-19
ENLISTED MANS OFFICER
STORIES ILLUSTRATIVE OF scHLEYS
KINDNESS AS A SHIP COMMANDER.
The Hero OF tho Battle Of July the Third
IL Popular With tho Bluejackcts
Throughout the Entire American Navy
-"Whftowashfng the Books.n


/ Throughout the Entire American Navy
| withdrawing the Books"
! When Commodore Schley gave orders
to the Brooklyn's officer Of the deck,
at the beginning of the fight with Ger
vers's feet, that the men down below
in the engine and fire rooms should be
kept informed of the progress of the
battle. he did an eminently Schley-like
thing. Schley has the reputation of
being generous, big-hearted man
among the bluejackets throughout the
whole American navy-an enlisted
mans officer" they call him-and he
has earned the reputation from his
MILDLY days. The old-timers tell many
q story illustrative of Schloy's kind
ness as ship commander.
One of these stories reverts to the
period when Schley was the skipper
bf one of the old cruisers on the Medi-
terranean station. One beautiful,
balmy Christmas morning, Schley'e
ship pulled into the harbor OF Vile
franche. The ship had been steadily
cruising for couple of weeks, and, Of
course, the men had had no shore lib.
erty. So, when the mudhook was
dropped in Villefranche harbor. the
gangway bo'sun's mate, at the order
of the officer of the deck, passed the
word that oil hands forward who were
entitled to liberty could put their
names down with the ships writer for
day ashore. The good conduct men
set up cheer at the passing of the
word, and they rushed to the ships
writer's desk to get their names down.
In all about $50 OF the bluejaekets
we're entitled to chit the beach" as
the sailors call going ashore on liberty.
But there were about seventy-ive of
the bluejackets whose names were on
the bad-conduct list, and they were
therefore ''quarantined;" that is, SEN
fenced to remain aboard ship for vary
ing periods ranging from ten days up
to three months. The offenses of the
quarantined men were OF minor
nature requiring discipline, none Of
them haTing done anything serious.
Some of the very best men in tho ships
company were, therefore, booked to |
remain aboard ship on this sunshiny
Christmas day, while they watched
their happy shipmates, done up in
their best mastering clothes, depart |
over the side for merry whirl ashore.
The men ready to go on liberty were
mustered in patches on the quarter
deck, and away they went in boat
loads, jingling the American gold in |
the chamois bags suspended by strings |
beneath their mastering shirts. The
quarantined men, looking dismal and |
down in the mouth, stood around in
silent parties, smoking their pipes,
and Watching the departure of their
more fortunate shipmates. When the
last cutter load Of liberty bound men
had showed off for the shore, Com
mander Schley came out of his cabin
door and stepped up the poop ladder
for his morning constitutional. He
strolled up and down with his hands
behind him, occasionally CHANGING in
the direction of the departing steam
cutter, filled with shore-making blue
jackets from his ship. Then Schley
began to size up the disconsolate look
ing groups of quarantined men SLOUGH
ing around on the spar deck up for'ard
Of the main stick. He looked at them
out of the corner of his eye for while,
and then he stepped down the ladder
and came forward.
"'You boys hop into your mastering
clothes" said Schley, land when the
steam cutter returns you may go off to
The heath and enjoy yourselves. I'll
give orders to the paymaster to let
you all have whatever part of your
pay you'll need for day
ashore"
The happy men set up a cheer when
5chley started aft. He wheeled and
returned to the main stick. +
"And, I say" he put in, as sort Of
''come back right this
lime, you fellows. Act like American
sailors, and there'll be no need of
luarantining You any more. 1 don't
want man of you to have to be
aboard in a bo'sun's chair
When he comes off to the ship this
ime."
The men took mp the cheer again
vhere they had left it of, and there
wasn't man in that quarantined gang
hat wasn't marked into log s'clean
md sober" when the liberty party re-
urned aboard late on Christmas night.
american bluejackets put on their
lonor by kindly commander never
freak their parole. T.
Schley never turned down gang Of
blnejackets who present.
d him with New Year gift of q
'ucket of whitewash. He invariably
'whitewashed the books" for them
lis ship was lying in the harbor of
Iontevideo one New Year morning,
nd the gang with the whitewash
ucket was unusually large. Some
the men in the gang before the !
kipper had only been quarantined for
hree or four days. When the seq !
gunner's mate handed thesl
ucket to Schley, he took it. smiling
effectively. 4
s'The surgeon, said he, turning to I
be executive officer, twas talking to
ae the other day about giving the men
3rward some sort of tonic while we
ruise in these low lafitndes. Well.
be lads may need tonic, but I'm
ute certain that none OF them needs
ny nerve food.'' rs
The books were whitewashed. all I
ha aauna |