The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-05-11


OFTEN BECOMES WEALTHY IN
MAKING NATTY UNIFORMS FOR
JOLLY JACK TAR - THE SHIPS
BARBER, HOWEVER, is THE CROE-
sUs.
The average person ashore looks upor
the pay received by the enlisted men
in the navy as being so small that a
cruise is three years practically thrown
away. He may be astonished, says the
New York Times, at the variety OF
means resorted to by thrifty men
aboard ship to add an honest dollar to
their income, and still more so by the
really snug sums with which many in
even the lowest grades are paid off
at the enc of cruise.
The variety of ways by which extra
money Is earned on board every man
of-war can be but briefly described IN
one article, but even a bare enumera-
tion is interesting as showing how
thrift and ingenuity has its rewards
even under ordinary adverse circum-
stances.
As the same means are resorted to
on every vessel, and by the same class
of men. those Of energy and resource,
1t is only necessary to take as an illus
tration one of our big cruisers, whose
crew really corresponds to a small viii
!age. On such a vessel the crew is
divided up into a dozen or more mes
ses,' iE which a certain number of
men IN the various grades, correspond
!ng TO ii family ashore, mess together
for the three years. Each man is al
lowed by the government 80 cents per
day, or about SO per month, known as
ration A certain number Of these
''rations," instead OF being paid in
staple food by the paymaster, are
"commuted," that is, paid in money
to the caterer of each mess, with
which TO buy extra food and delicacies
from shore
This "caterer" is chosen by his fell
low-inembers of his mess generally for
a period of one month, and has tn,
handling of the general funds of the
mess, which are augmented by n
monthly subscription Of from 50 to s.
per month. The ships cook has moth.
ing 10 do with the preparation of the
dishes of the messes, but is in reality
Kind of lord high admiral of the GAL
ley, receiving the various eatables AL
ready prepared in the pans and pots.
from the berth deck cooks" at the
galley, door, and announcing the fact
when the food is cooked and ready for
serving. So. really all the important
functions of a cook, such as preparinr
the dishes, setting the tables, washing
up, ETC.; are performed by the berth
deck cooks.'
THE SHIPS COOKS.
These latter may belong to any
branch of the service below the grade
of petty officer and above that of an
apprentice. Such positions are gener-
ally taken by men in the grade of coal
passer or landsman. Such men are re-
lieved from all other duties, except the
necessary drills, and besides receiving
their own ration, are generally paid
Cne and sometimes two extra rations
in money. So that a cook whose rat
ing is that Of coal passer, and who
receives as such $22 per month from
the government, receives besides at
least $2O per month from his mess,
which swells his pay to from $42 to so
per month. Many of these men de.
Neiop into surprisingly good cooks, and
as such are eagerly sought after by
the caterers" of messes. They can
easily save three-fourths of their sal
ary' and in hundreds Of cases are paid
off at the end of three years with more
than $1,000, a showing which is not
often made by men of their standing
in civil life.
The nattv uniforms in which Jack
appears on shore is never from the
stock of the paymaster on board ship.
Ra1nU- adj
to those who desire them, but they are
rather ill-fitting affairs, and after
man has passed the recruit stage and
begins to draw his pay" he invariably
has his clothes made by one of the in
Vulnerable tailors on his vessel These
men are called "Sheenies" by their
patrons. In the dim past some really
good naval tailor must have shipped
on cruiser and there piled his trade,
and since then the art has been hand
ed down until on every vessel there
are from six to a dozen men who in
leisure moments ply their trade, and il
is Well-known fact that not even the
best tailors ashore can give to blue
jacket suit that swing and flow that is
characteristic of true sailors "rig"
The man-of-war tailor may belong to
any grade or department. Sometimes
he is a coal passer fireman or oller,
but more often a seaman, gunner's
indte or quartermaster. If he has
proved good tailor he is allowed his
hand sewing machine, and after the
decks have been cleared up and he is
or duty he takes himself to some ia
Vored corner of the deck and, spread
ing his mat places his machine on a
atty box before him and begins his
work. His patrons draw sufficient cloth
for uniform and the "Sheeny" re-
ceives IS for making it up, with all the
trimmings and gill-guys about the flaps
and pockets, so dear to a sailors heart.
Some of these men who are known to
be especially expert have such a rush
of business that they pay regular as
sistants from among the ships COM
pany. These men and boys are the
apprentices" and upon becoming pro-
ficient buy a sewing machine and
launch out into business for them
selves. There is always mending to do
for both men and officers, and the busi-
ness is extremely profitable.
These tailors are the most prosperous
OF all the extra ra-money-makipg class