The Daily Texarkanian., 1898-09-01
sCHLEY's POPULARITY.
Hes an Enlisted Mans officer" and
That's the Secret.


When Commodore Schley gave
orders to the Brooklyn's officers OF
the deck at the beginning of the
fight with CerYera'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 elninently Schley-like thing
Schley has the reputation of being
a generous, big-hearted man
among the blueiackets throughout
the whole American navy-an ZEN
listed mans officer, they call him
and he has earned the reputation
from his MILDLY days. The old
timers tell many a story illustrative
of Schlery's kindness as a ship COM
mander.
One of these stories revert to
the period when Schley was the
shipper of one of the old cruiser on
the Mediterranean station. One
beautiful, balmy Christmas morn
ing Schley's ship pulled into the
harbor of Villefranche. The ship
had been steadily cruising for a
couple of weeks, and, of course, the
men had had no shore liberty. So
when the mudhook was dropped in
ViIlefranche harbOr the gangwaY
bo'son's mate, at the order of the
officer of the deck, passed the word
that all hands forward who were
entitled to liberty could put their
names down with the ships writer
for a 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 250 of
the bluejackets were entitled to
chit the beach, as the sailors call
going ashore on liberty. But there
we're about seventy-fve of the blue
Jackets whose names were on the
bad.conduct list, and they were,
therefore, "quarantined;" that is,
sentenced to remain aboard ship
for varying periods ranging from
ten days up to three months. The
of the quarantined men
were of a minor nature, requiring
discipline, none of them having
done anything serious. Some of
the very best men in the ships
company we're therefore booked to
remain aboard ship on this sunshiny
Christmas day while they watched
their happy shipmates, done up in
their best mastering clothes, de-
part over the side for a merry whirl
ashore.
The men ready to go on liberty
were mustered in patches on the
quarterback, and away they went
in boatloads, gingling the Ameri-
can gold in the chamois bags sus-
pended by strings beneath their
mastering shirts. The quarantin-
ed 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 cutterload Of liberty-bound
men had showed off for the shore
Commodore Schley came out of his
cabin door and stepped on the poop
ladder for his morning constitu.
tional. He strolled up and down
with his hauds behind him, oc-
casionally glancing in the direction
of the departing steam cutter, filled
with the shore.making bluejackets
from the ship. Then Schley began
to size up the disconsolate groups
of quarantined men slouchlng
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 aud came forward.
"You boys hop into your muster
ing clothes" said Schley, "and
when. the steam cutter returns you
may 60 of to the beach and enjoy
yourselves, III give orders to the
paymaster to let you have what.
ever part of your withheld pay
you'll need for a day ashore" D."
The happy men set up cheer
when Schley started aft. He wheel,
ed and returned to the main stick
"And, l say" he put in, as a sort
Of afterthought, "come back right
this time, you fellows, Act like
American soldiers, and there'll be
no need of quarantining you any
more. don't want man of you
to haye to be whipped aboard in a
bo'suus chair when he comes off to
the ship this time
The men took up the cheer again
where they had left it of and there
wasn't a man in the quarantine
gang that wasn't marked into the
I