The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-18

ticle to be renovated is the flame
shirt. Jack selects clear part OF the
deck, sprinkles a little water upon the
spot, then spreads his shirt, previously
soaked, upon the deck. Then with sail
! water soap and a Scrubbing brush he
! sets to work a subsequent rinsine
| completes the task, and the garment is
! fastened with bits of Irvine to the
! clothes line stretched from mast to
/ mast.
1t must not be understood that every
Jackie is his own washerwoman in the
I navy. There are degrees of opulenee
| there as well as ashore, and the arts
/ tOcracy in the service is as completely
defined as IN New Yorks society It
is seldom that the ships cook, who has
! the exclusive privilege to make and
sell dried apple pies at % cents per
pie, and the ships barber, who pur-
sues his tonsorial art at the rate OF 81
each quarter for every man on his
books, scrub their own clothing. They
are rich enough to hire a needy lands
man or coal passer TO do it for them.
But the great majority of the men for
ward attend to their own laundrying,
and they do it well, too.
Holy-stoning decks and scrubbing
ladders and gratings with sand and
canvas continues until 1850 o'clock,
when the call to spread mess gear
is sounded by the boatswain's mate
on watch. This is also the signal to
clean UP. and each Jackie grabs a deck
bucket, gets his share of fresh water
from the captain Of his part of the ship
and makes his toilet, which, if not elab-
crate, amply sufficies for his needs. In
the old navy this question of fresh
water was serious one. Ships of the
Trenton and other wooden corvette
class carried. distillers of limited capac-
ity, and water was so scarce at times
that it was found necessary to post an
armed marine on the scuttle-butt to
prevent waste by the crew In those
days the man was lucky who secured
enough fresh water through scheming
or theft to wash his face a chance at
a bucketful that had previously served
not more than half dozen men was
considered a windfall. After the wash
ing, the sailors toilet consisted of a
vigorous rubbing with a coarse towel
his own private property-and hair
brushing with the aid of an ancient
brush and small wooden framed
glass, generally carried in the little
chest or ditty box, which is the Off
cialiy approved trunk of each Jackie.
At the stroke Of eight bells fS o'clock,
the call to breakfast is given. Salty
air and an open, free life produce excel
iSlll dppCNllCSs anu no QaWQll0S
in the race for the mess tables on the
berth deck. The scene is something
similar to that described by Dickens in
Martin Chuzzlewit," when Martin had
his first experience with an alleged
American boarding house, and conclud-
ed from the terrific hubbub made by
the boarders in their break for the din
ing room at the sound of the breakfast
BELL that the house was on fire The
of cl Aa
ing and laughing of the eaters on board
ship during the same hour is something
Table manners are at a |
discount as a rule, but even that can be |
forgiven in men who fight as Yankee |
sailors fight, or shoot as they shoot
Breakfast over, the men are given till |
to smoke, then ali hands are turned |
to, and the ship is cleaned up for quar-
-ers. This latter ceremony is conduct
ed daily, rain or shine. On ships of |
The old navy, the men were mustered |
and inspected at their guns, but on YES