The times., 1898-04-25
BOYS FOR THE NAVY.
They Rush by Hundreds I'm Times
Like These 10 the Navy Yards.

They Rush by Hundreds In Times
Like These TO the Navy Yards.
(From the New York SUM-
Ever since the talk of war began
there has been a rush of boys at all
therecruting stations of the Army and
Navy. They have been of all kinds.
small boys with hollow chests and sal
low faces, big raw-boned boys who
think that life in the barracks or on
board a warship would be pleasanter
than work III a shop or factory, poor
boyys with shabby clothes and no
homes, well-dressed boys in search of
adventure, foreign-born boys. who can
hardly speak English, American boys
who offer their services for the flag.
II don't know where all the boys
come FROM" said the recruiting officer
of the receiving ship Vermont at the
Brooklyn navy yard, but whenever
there is talk of war we have from ten
to fifty of them a day. OF course we
can take very few, and unless boy
has a very cheerless prospect in life
we try to discourage him, for after
serving his apprenticeship on a war
ship the youngster can only become a
seaman. He cannot rise to become an
officer, for the Government gets its Of
ficers from the Naval Academy at An
napols.
IF the boys knew exactly what was
before them, most of them wouldn't
be so anxious to enlist, for the life is
hard one, and unless fellow is natur-
ally fond of the sea he soon tires of it.
A good many of the boys who come
in here and want to enlist have run
away from home. We can generally
! tell it by their timid manner. They
| often hang about for an hour or two
| before they muster courage to come in,
| and then they look about as though
| they expected TO see their fathers
| after them. If we think that it will do
! them good, we get one of the men to
| talk to them and tell horrible yarns of
! the cato -nine-tails and the cruel
! treatment they will receive on ship
! board. That generally satisfies them.
and they are glad to scamper back
! home as fast as they can.
| Occasionally one persists, but the
| rules are strict in saying that the con-
/ sent of the boys father of guardian
must be obtained. We always explain
| this to them, and tell them to come
back the next day with one of their
parents. That is usually the last We
see of them. Once in a while we get
hold of a boy whose parents cannot
| take care of him, and so are willing TO
| have him enlist. Then, if he comes up
| to the necessary requiremnts. he is al
| lowed to sign papers. But we always
| explain, both to the boy and his par
ents, that this is a serious business,
for once in the service, he bound until
he becomes twenty-one, and will not be
released except under extraordinary
! circumstances.
These requirements are not severe.
| although the aim is, of course, to get
as strong and hardy boys as possible.
| and those who are poorly developed
or who have any bad habits are quick
| ly rejected. In the first place the boys
must be between the ages of fourteen
and seventeen years. They must be
able to read and write. They must have
good eyesight and hearing. strong
heart and lungs, and sound teeth. Then
their height, weight and chest meas
urements must conform to certain
standard. which for the different age is
as follows: