Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-06-25

WI " the rated men for
ward puzzles them.
some OF the rates bestowed upon enlisted
men in the ordinary course of seniority.
or Tor merit, fail to indicate the duties of
the rated men in their titles There is a
regular line OF successive promotion for
the enlisted men of the navy, just as there
Is FOR the officers. The difference is that
enlisted men never rank any of their
shipmates. but only rate" them. Rank"
Is term reserved for the officers aft
Moreover. there is an enlisted mems staff,
as well as an officers staff, in the navy.
In fact, but usually not in practice. the
apprentices aboard an American man-of-
war rate at the bottom of the enlisted
mems muster roll-that is, they muster
last OF all the crew, and officially they are
supposed to come after all hands. Actually
however. apprentice lads of the first class
young fellows who have passed through
their third and second class apprentice
SHIPS, AMI are approaching their majorities
cut a good deal more of a figure aboard
ship than the landsmen, the most inferior
men of the line in rating. By the time an
apprentice has worked himself into the ap-
prentice, first class, designation, he is a
good deal Of man-of-war sailor, and he
naturally feels himself a bit heavier in
quality than the raw young landsman who
may never have been aboard a ship in his
life until ne shipped on a receiving ship
The apprentice lads are trained with a
view to their holding rates as petty Of
hcers and chief petty officers when, at the
finish OF their apprenticeship, they ship
over again in the navy, and they are al
ways given the preference in the distribu-
ton OF these rates, just as they are in
nine cases out OF ten singled out for war
rants as gentlemen of the quarterback
when vacancies in these billets occur.
When an apprentice ships over in the
navy after the completion of his appren-
NC twas
which. however. poes. not entitle him to
wear the petty officers Crow" as the
sailors call the eagle rating badge-of ''sea-
man gunner and4he is eimmediateiy in line
for petty ofhcetHhip.tn whatever line he
elects to serve iHxaFef there are several
line" HI
His Firrt Promotion.
The landsman who hips as such-and
no man. unless hsfss v professional sailor
or skilled mechanic of some sort. can
ship in any other npaSsty than as a lands
man. if he prefers toi,5oin the deck or
line" force--getss his iirst shove forward
when he is mAde4an usdinary seaman. A
landsman has uslat1yefo serve aboard
man-of-war for two years before he is rat
ed an ordinary searpaffs and there are nu-
merous iaudsmen, WHO put in an entire
rae wsh s ssss Few as sy sssS adds
tional pay. The apt 1andsman, however,
stands an excellenti6hance OF being rated
an ordinary seaman during his second
year of service There are. Of course, many
sailors of the Merchant marine who ship
at once as ordinary seamen or able sea-
men, but these. men grow rarer every year.
For some unaccoantable reason. merchant
of the world. notwithstanding the fact
that naval sailors are better paid and inf
ritely better treated than merchant sea-
men.
ha hos
man and who during his first three-year
cruise gets the boost to the ordinary sea-
mans rate. Is almost invariably rated an
able seaman Immediately upon his ship
ping for second cruise. AS a landsmln
ne wore but one white stripe on the cuff
OF his mastering shirt. and an ordinary
seaman he was but "two-striper." AS an
able seaman. however, he wears three
stripes ON his shirt cuffs and he is then In
line for promotion to a crow He has
to take his chances on vacancies, and naval
sailors, unless they are ex-apprentices, are
not often given their choice of petty Off
GERS bilets. From the rate of able sea-
man the various branches of deck service
are numerous, and the able seaman is put
In the place. when he is promoted. that
the Officers who know his qualities think he
Is best adapted for. II he is good steers
man and a careful man in the handling of
running boats. he is likely to be made
coxswain which makes him petty officer
and entities him to wear his first eagle
badge II he has shown especial aptitude
around the big guns or in handling the
smaller pieces. ne Is likely to be rated a
gunners mate. third class. when his Off
GERS conclude that he Is entitled to pro-
motion, and then he Is in line of promotion
IN the gunnery branch alone. and is not
likely to break away from that branch dur
ing his entire period Of sea service in the
navy.
Openings Ahead.
II the able seaman is a man who shows
proficiency In signaling and in the care
taking OF bunting gear the natural promo
ton bestowed upon him by the officers is
that of quartermaster. third class, which
thrusts him into the line of promotion to
a chief signal quartermaster's billet If
the able seaman, after being rated a coxs'n
or even before displays capacity in ham
ding the men OF his cleaning station, and
in getting the work out of them, he is
made boatswain's mate third class, and
then finds himself with his foot on the bot
tom rung Of the ladder leading I'D to the
brass buttons of the chief bo'sun's mate
The able seaman who Is singled out by the
omcers with their eyes upon him as q man
OF sef-control, nerve. good habits and
gameness. sooner or later finds himself
at the mast. responding to the executive
omcer's Inquiry as to whether he thinks he
can handle himself as master-at-arms.
third class. When he gets the rating badge
watch arm he Is In ainet of promotion to the
highest chief petty officers billet in the
American navy. thatoof chief master-at-
arms. Commanding officers. however do
not always pick dmeno from among petty
officers for the hfiiets 2of chief master-at-
arms. > They have fbeenfknown to clap their
eyes upon humble Aandsmen OF proper man
ly qualities and boost them at the very out
set OF their naval careers into the coveted
ratings OF chief masteFE-at-arms The COM
manding officer of one lof the ships attach
ed to the Pacific squadron had a great deal
OF trouble in finding M suitable chief mas
ter-at.arms few years ago. He solved
the riddle by appointing a coal passer
chief master-at-aEms. gend the coal passer
made an admirable man for the rate.
Come Slowly.
Promotions do hot follow very thick or
fast for the enlisted men In the navy after
they get their first rating badges. The
man who at the beginning Of his second
cruise is fortunate enough to get the rate
of third-class petty officer IL likely to
finish his cruise at that rate. His next
step entities him to wear two bars under
his eagle rating badge as a second-class
petty ofncer, and he may put In several
cruises In the navy before he attains the
rate OF petty officer. first class. The first
class petty Of1cer is but one step beneath
the chief petty officer Of his line Of service.
His securing OF the brass buttons-for It
ts at this point. upon the next promotion
MD 49, -