The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-14
TRAFFIC ON MEN-OF-WAR.
MEANS OF EARNING EXTRA MONEY
RESORTED TO BY SAILORS.

i'm the Service Solely for Glory.
How the Traffic Is Carried On.
From the New York Times.
The average person ashore looks upon
the pay received by the enlisted man in
the navy as being so small that a cruise
Is practically three years thrown away.
He may be astonished at the variety of
means resorted TO by really 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 end of
a 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 enumeration is in
teresting as showing how thrift and ingen-
uity has its rewards even under ordinarily
adverse circumstances.
As the same means are resorted to on
every vessel, and by the same class of men,
those of energy and resources, it is only
necessary to take as an illustration one of
our big cruisers, whose crew really CORE
slohds to a small village. On such yes
sci the crew is divided UP into a dozen or
more 'messes,' in which a certain num-
Der of men of the various grades. CORE
spending to family ashore, mess togeth-
er Tor the three years Each man is al
lowed by the government 90 cents per day.
or about 80 per month known as a "ra-
tlon. A certain number of these ira
uons instead of being paid in staple food
Dy the paymaster are "commuted that
is paid in money to the caterer" of each
mess With which TO buy extra food and
deltcacies from shore.
This caterer" is chosen by his fellow
members Of the mess generally for a Pc
ROD of one month and has the handling
of the general funds of the mess. which
are augmented by a monthly subscription
OF from 81 to s. per month. The ships
cook has nothing to do with the prepar-
alton of the dishes Of The messes. but is
in reality kind of lord high admiral of
the galley, receiving the various eatables
already prepared in the pans and pots.
from the berth deck cooks" at the gal
ley 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 preparing the dishes. set
ting the tables, washing up, ETC., are per-
formed by the berth deck cooks"
These latter may belong to any branch
OF the service below the grade of petty Of
fcer, and above that of an apprentice.
Such positions are generally taken by men
in the grade of coal passer or landsman.
such men are relieved from all other du-
ties, except the necessary drills and be-
Sides receiving their own ration are gen
orally paid one and sometimes two extra
rations in money. So that a cook whose
rating is that of a coal passer, and who
receives as such $22 per month from the
government, receives besides at least 800
per month from his mess, which swells
his pay 10 from $i2 TO $50 per month. Many
of these men develop into surprisingly
good cooks and as such are eagerly
sought after by the caterers" of uesses.
They can easily save three-fourths of
their salary, 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 natty uniforms in which Jack ap-
pears on shore is never from the stock of
the paymaster on board ship. Ready-made
uniforms are served out 10 those who de-
sire them, but they are rather ill-fitting af-
fairs, and after a man has passed the re-
cruit stage and begins to draw his pay
he invariably has his clothes made by one
of the innumerable tailors on his vessel
IDGlr
patrons. In the dim past some really good
naval tailor must have shipped on a cruis-
er and there piled his trade, and since then
the art has been handed down until on
every vessel there are from six to a dozen
men who In leisure moments ply their
trade, and ii is a well-known fact that not
even the best tailors ashore can give to a
bluejacket 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 passcr fireman, or oiler, but more Of
Ten seaman, gunner's mate, or quarter
master. If he has proved a good tailor he
is allowed his hand sewing machine. and
after the decks have been cleared up and
he Is off duty he takes himself to some ia
voIed corner of the deck and, spreading
his mat places his machine on a ditty box
before him and begins his work. His pa
irons draw sufficient cloth for a uniform
and the 'Sheeny'' receives So for making
it up with all the trimmings and giil-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 company.
These men and boys are the apprentices. +"
and upon becoming proficient buy a sewing
machine and launch out into business for
themselves. Ihere IS always mending to do
for both men and officers, and the business
is extremely profitable
These taiors are the most PROSPEROUS
of all the extra money making class ON
board ship, and some of them add as
much as $50 per month to their wages. A
fireman's monthly pay is $S5, quarter
master gets about the same, according to
his class, and a seaman $26 so il can cas-
lily be computed how much he increases
his salary. Many of these men have been
known to leave a vessel at the end Of a
three years cruise with from 81 800 to 81 =
500 clear money. One quartermaster was
paid off from the cruiser San Francisco
a few years ago with 5000, representing
clear saving of $1,000 per year.
The Croesus of the crew, however Is
the ships barber. This was at one lime
a regular rating in the service, but was
abolished, and now the office is usually
held BY 'landsman." The holder of This
valuable privilege is excused from nearly
all duty, and is allowed some little unused
corner about the deck where he can set
up a couple of chairs In a crew of 600
men he is sure 70 have a couple Of nun