The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-23
NAVAL SH0PKEEPERS.
Odd WAYS THAT JACK HAS OF
TURNING on HONEST PENNY.

How Barter, Trade and Manufacture
Are Carried ON Aboard Warships.
Neat Sums Earned by the Tailor.
Shoemaker ana ships Carpenter.
The Cook and the Barber Are Usu1
ally the Capitalists and Boss
Money-Makers of the Ships Com
pany-SOme ContrnDnnd Trade.
Copyright. 1881
If anything is needed to prove that each
warship In commission is a regular com
munity in itself-a village apart with all
that pertains to such an economic institu-
tion-the fact that barter and trade and
manufacture is carried on would suffice
The money paid out by Uncle Sam TO his
naval defenders is not the only income de
rived by those on board his vessels Of
war.
There are divers ways by which the
honest sailor or fireman or marine can add
to his salary and when it is understood
that many a blue jacket occupying a po-
eition classified at from SIS TO $40 a month,
is paid off at the end of a three years
cruise with two and three thousand dol
lars safely tucked away in his monk
bag" it viii be easily sen that trahicking
on warships IS not un-remunerative
Take, for instance, the berth deck
cooks" The crew of each vessel ia the
service is divided into several messes. the
number depending on the size of the ship
Each mess has for It's cook a man detailed
from among the landsmen or coal passers
who is supposed to look after the mess
prepare the food for cooking and see that
the striker" or assistant keeps the dishes
in order. The government allows each man,
whether he be admiral or apprentice. thir-
~ cents a day for subsistence. This IRA
tion." as II is called, is delivered in the
shape of ships stores with the exception
of three or four, which are committed in
cash to enable each mess to procure GER
tain delcacies not on the government bin
of fare. In addition to these committed ra-
tions the various messes levy a grub"
tax on their members of from two TO FIVE
dollars each month. From this general fund
the berth deck cook is paid for his ser
vices, each cook receiving a sum equal TO
one, one and a half or two rations accord
ing to his ability or the standing of the
mess
If the man is coal pasSer with salary
of $22 a month this may bring his stipend
up to over $40 In addition to this he is
relieved from all other duties save the
necessary drills, and is allowed man Sc
lected from the mess as a helper There
are no trained cooks in the naval service,
so when II happens that a iandsman or
coal passer develops skilled knowledge of
the culinary art he is eagerly snapped up.
During one of the earlier cruises of the
wooden corvette Enterprise she happened
to can into Montevideo minus several
members of her crew who had taken
French leave while the ship was coaling
at Rio. As was customary In those days,
the ships anchor was barely hooked In
the mud when a shore boat pulled along
side with the usual collection Of beach
combers who wished to ship. They were
questioned by the first huff" and sent
below to be overhauled by the surgeon and
apothecary Among the newcomers was
tar, swarthy man with a French accent
In replying to the doctors queries he men,
toned the fact that he had been an assist
ant chef in a Paris restaurant That was
enough.
The apothecary FASTENED to the master