Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1898-06-13

been known to leave vessel at the
end OF three-years' cruise with
from $1,000 to $1,000 clear money.
One quartermaster was paid off from
the cruiser San Francisco a few years
ago with $4,000, representing clear
saving of $1,000 per year.
The Croesus Of the crew, however,
is the ships barber. This was at
one time regular rating in the SER
vice, 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
couple of chairs. In a crew OF
500 men he is sure to have a couple
OF hundred customers. His rates are
IS cents per month for two shaves q
week and a hair cut once a month.
This money is paid out each month
by the paymaster, and taken from the
account Of the customer The bar
Der is kept pretty busy, OF course,
but he keeps an assistant, paying him
about So month. There is also
about 81 per month received from
each customer among the officers,
so that barber on the average man
of-war receives from SIS to $1OO per
month to be added to his official sal
airy of SIG. 1t is safe to say that few,
if any, BARRIERS in civil life receivs
such pay.
Another lucrative business which 10
sometimes, but not always, added to
that of the tailor is capmaking Az
in the case of the clothing served
out by the government, the ready
made caps are but poor affairs, In
deed, in the eyes of the well-trimmed
sailor, and nearly all the caps, es-
pecially those intended to be worn
on shore leave are made by the
makers of caps on board. These
men will make cap, including the
fanciful embroidering about the top
and band, for $780, and can easily
complete one or, at pinch, two in
day. This work simply. requires
special skill in 6mbroidering, and
is taken up by men in various rat
/ ings A popular capmaker adds $40
or $40 per month to his regular pay.
! Then there is the lanyard knitter.
His work requires a special gift, and
| he gives more value for the money
than any other member Of the
! 'sheenying" fraternity. He win
weave lanyard containing Is or 20
strands of thread for 81, work
that costs him several days Of spare
1 time. But the representative OF this
ancient and honorable craft is usually
Flooding, saving fellow, and can
add several dollars per month to his
pay,
Of course there is on every vessel
one or more 'tattooing artists" and
as the fashion Of archaeological
adornment is not extinct by any
means on board ship the tattooing
man earns many an honest dollar.
The carpenters mates, or ship
wrights, as they are officially known,
receive from $25 to $S5 per month.
Many of these men add $40 or SIS to
their monthly salaries by making
ditty boxes, which are small boxes
in which the sailor keeps his trinkets
of various kinds.
Somewhere about the vessel can be
found in the long afternoons and
evenings the maker and mender oe
shoes. and there is always a good
business for one or more shops. 40
the corner in which the shoe-maker
sits is termed. Z
To the thrifty souls who have no
particular trade to rely upon, dozen
different avenues are opened for
earning extra moley. One profit
able business for man of energy
and muscle is the scruDb1ng of ham
mocks. Once a month regularly
every canvas hammock in the vessel
must be washed. Two hours Of .
certain day are given over to this
vast work Every available inch OF
the decks is flooded. and in this
! time every man is expected to scrub
(, his hammock. It happens that at
that time many men are on duty and
are compelled to hire their work done.
There are besides many of the chief
petty officers who hire. the work
done. The invariable price paid for
scrubblng a hammock is 81, ana
there are always a dozen or more
quick, active fellows ready to undsr-
take this work. These men can and
do scrub from Is to 20 extra ham,
mocks on every washing day, and
/ thereby earn as many dollars in two
| hours. During long trips at sea
| and in outlandish foreign ports these
same men and others not so strong
embark in a general laundry business
and man who is fairly proficient in
this work need never have an un-
profitable spare hour.
The officers cooks during the sea
trips do land office business in
cakes and pies, which they dispose OF
at an outrageous price to the appren-
tees and to many Of the men.
The stewards and others who have