The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-09-25
MULLlGANS IN THE NAVY :
Are Good Natured and Able to Hold Their Own.
Tricks Played on ST. Patricks Day

}In the navy forward, they call ain Irish
hn a Mulligan, says the New York Sun.
Ia a term of good nature. 1t is rather a
etiuction to be Mullgan aboard an
merican man-o' -w1r. Not that there are
" Of them, but that they are popular fore
y the men forward, rot Mulieans them
yves, have got 10 like the Mulligans. IL
ley can't bring themselves to like them
4ey will soon learn to keep civil tongues
their heads about their dislike, any
wv. There is rot a Muligan in the Ame.
pm navy who can't hold his own with
~ CT them when 1t com, S 10 a scrap, and
De Mulligans are handled with a zeal OF
speot for this reason.
la Muligan need net necessarily have
lne to this country from ireland, but. II
e descendant OF irish peopls, he mus, eA-
kbit some OF the chara cteristis OF the
pauline products of the old sol in OF der to
EhicYe reputatio as a Mu4ltgan of the
ut sort. a majority OF the Muligaas OF
Dc American navy belong to the black
pngs of sbips--that is, they are alta nea
various capacities 10 the engine ring de-
3rtments. There are few irish deck
3nds N the outfit, and some OF them are
Ven chief petty officers, but one rarely
4prets upon true blue Irish seaman.
be duties of the deck hands aboard NJ u
II war seem 100 trivial fer the Mullig Al
Wishing up bit of bright work with a
8sp OF waste, swabbng gratinge and
nt sort OF thing. The Muliigan takes to
e black gang because he wants 10 see
4inseif accomplishing something for his
3vernment wages. Below. in the grmy
ing, he shovels COAL or crawls through
Ieasy boilers. or hoists half-ton buckets
ashes gets heavy action with his
Plscles and achieves physical conqutsts
Ter dead weight. Therefore, he feels thai
is earning his pay.
q The Mulligan has all kinds OF fun with
fmself and with his shipmates aboard
Zen OF war He has the most fun in pick
Ag upon his fellow Mulligans. and in
Making them red headed. to borrow a
hrase OF the beach. For example, the
4uiligans serving on one of the big cruis-
q that happened TO be lying at the Brook
IN navy yard on the llth OF March last
I'd plenty OF fun with first class fireman
4med Madigan-Dinny Madigan. Madigan
I'd only been in the outfit for Il month or
~ There were some things in this coun-
~ that didn't exactly suit him. Tho
american Protective association was par
acularly dlstasteful TO him. He talked
l3out that organization all the time. He
hated upon the awful fate he wished 10
j4ertake each and every member of the
lQsociation. 1t was a hobby OF Madigan
Nom the day he Joined his ship, and he
tpuldnt keep still about it. The old time
4atlligans in the outfit didn't care u rap
y1ether the American Protective associa-
4bn made its points stick or not, but they
D8aoted whole lot OF fun in telling Madi-
IN OF the tremendous hold the organiza
|ion was acquiring upon the municipal,
l1ate and Federal governments in this
n3nntry.
ron the 18th or March Madgan's ship
ok on a new Chinese mesN attendant. He
IS the blandest Chinamau in the world,
81 from Mott street. and he ached to
~ things to please all hands. lot OF
1digan's tormentors got together around
|4e Chinaman and pointed out his duties
49, him. They had nothing whatever to do
|th the Chinaman's duties but he didn't
ow that. and he was flattered over the
ention they paid to him. Therefore,
Den they produced ditty box-it hap
ned to be NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. with a
"a filled with bright orange-hued paint.
"a told him to change the color of the
bly, box from it's dun brown hue TO that
the contents of the paint pot. the China
IN went at the lob willingly. The howls
~ all hands assembled around diverted
"a Chinaman, and he thought he vas do
3 just Tse right thing. When he hal
united the dirty box orange the friends
IN Madlgan instructed the Chinaman, who
ID some little skill with the brush. to
INIT in large black LISTERS on the four
Hes of the box the letters "a. p. A." The
inaman did as he was told. He had
ished lettering three OF the sides OF the
and was just beginning upon the fourth
IL p. A." inscription when MedgaD
Ge above from the fireroom. where he
been On watch. and he made mme-
tely for his ditty box to get his pipe
tobacco. He didn't find the box. and
came to the break OF the focsle on a
Pit for it. Meantime his friends had
Uttered away from the Ch!naman, who
Is industriously doing his A. p. A."
tering.
i Ghen Madigan caught sight OF the box
English language failed him So he re-