The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-20
THE MAKING OF FINE MEN
TRAINING OF THE APPBENzICB BOYS
IN THIN NAVY.

1
An Experience Likely TO Bring Out Their
| Good Qualities-The Lads Who Fail in
| the Navy and Their Defects-Prizes That
| Are to be Gained at See or on Shore.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 1p-H seldom happens
that an apprentice boy in the regular naval sorv
Ice goes the sido OF his ship until his time is
out Distortions among the school-ship boys on
tho other hand arc common enough A bunch
Of lads from the New York school ship jumped
their craft al Gibraltar the other day and when
they made their way TO Now York they relieved
themselves Of many mourniul tale Of hard treat
ment Yet tho treatment OF tho boys on the State
ships for lads who want 70 be heavy weather men
Is NOT essentially different from that OF the boys
| who enlist "a apprentices In the regular Navy
| II anything, the boys on the State school ships
handled little better than those In the regular
! OUTFIT
Apprenticeship in the United States Navy Is
capable Of making either a man or reprobate Of
| boy. just what manner Of chap he viii DO when
he sttains his majority In the service and is at
liberty TO quit or ship again a full-fedged blue
Jacket with petty officers billet dangling before
him as a bait depends altogether upon the boy
| He has every opportunity 70 become a square,
| solid man, whether he continues q member Of
| man-o war ships company seeks a livelihood
| ashore The officers OF the American Navy give
tho apprentice boys considerably the better Of IL
| over the bluoiackets who ship such in all that
concerns their interest and advancement and the
boy who during the period that he wears the ap-
prentice's hgure-of-eight knot on his mastering
| shirt goes wrong and becomes rowdy and SEQ
| lawyer has only his own innate cussedness 70
| blame for IL
| The whole tendency OF tho apprentices training
on board an American man-o war makes for the
| conversion OF tho lad into dignifed, self con-
| trolled man. a matchless seaman and tiptop
gunner, TO say nothing Of the substantial equip
| ment II furnishes him for lucrative employment
ashore should he elect at the conclusion Of his APP
premiership 10 settle down on the beach For
| example, one Of the most skilfu and postpaid
| electricians In New York City Is young man
| whom the writer saw sparring on the deck OF a
| ship in Honolulu Harbor four or i've years ago
| He then an apprentice Of tho first class. He
| had genius for electricity and the officers took
| him in hand, gave him facilities for study, and
finally sent him TO the electrical school for sea
| men gunners at the navy yard here. The lad
galloped all hands In the class here and could
| have had gunners warrant for the asking. He
didn't ask for It, however but went on TO New
| York and started TO making money from the out
set as an unusually clever electrician. The last
time the writer saw young Gunner KuhlvGn, 70
whose ability and energy on tho Olympia during
| the Manila engagement Admiral Dewey has
testified In earnest terms, the lad was first class
| apprentice on q ship at the Marc Island Navy
Yard. and he getting a raking down from
| gruff old bo'suns mato for general no account
ness"-the old bo'suns mate winking ioyously
al the other old time blueiackets while he did his
| scolding.
II Is the old fatfeet, the men who have spent
about an equal number OF years in the merchant
marine and in the United States Navy, who pos
| the nnwer for rood evil making
or breaking American naval apprenticeship The
officers aft hold the lads with strong rein when
| they have them under immediate supervision, but
| the boys live forward among the men, and they
| form their characters In the fo'csle II the ma
| teral is in them. II Is bound TO come out The
old time blueiackets tell at glance whether
newly shipped boy a boy fresh on board a cruis
| ing man o war from training ship has the max
| ing OF finished sailor and q good shipmate In
| his composition II their careful inspection Of
| such boy convinoes them that the lad Is worth
| their pains they 60 TO work on him from the very
outset Of his cruising career, season him with all
the practical ship and gun inform alton that they
themselves picked up alter years OF experience,
| and thus supplement the technical education
| which the boy receives from the offcera The
| sailors who thus take kindly interest in q boy
| who looks promising do not treat him with par
| TALLY, and he gets swatted about Just as much
| as a DOy VINO ID d biuBBdIu anu q uou tCdte-d
darn" the old timers say In speaking among
themselves OF lad without ambition in the ap-
prentice uniform.
| But the interest they exhibit in drilling sealore
into his mind and their pains in instructing him
| In every little valuable detail as the occasion
| arises plainly show that they have got him in
| their minds and observation proves that the boys
who arc thus picked out by the old timers up Tor
| ward being worth these efforts are the lads who
IN .lxl.
premiership Is over. Ask any warrant officer in
| the United States Navy today about the struggle
he had to attain the wearing OF a sword from the
| wearing OF a figure Of eight knot and he will
begin TO speak afectonatey of two or three grumpy
| savage old bosun's mates or quartermasters as
tho men whom TO he owes his eventual success
II lis matter Of pride with the old timers thus 70
boost lad up the ladder
Look al here ye bloomin' little swab," tho
writer once heard an old man o war armorer say
to bright but somewhat unruy apprentice.
don't ye hand me none O. your Jaw! Yen have
plenty o time & put 1t on me an slam me into tn
brig after I've made gunner o ye."
The old man-o'w wars man did mako gunner
OF the lad in time, but up to the present. although
tho two have been shipmatcs the young gunner
has never had hand in getting the old man into
| tho brig-although he has helped 10 get him out
lew times.
| Observation shows that the apprentices who 60
into the blue-iacke uniform as tough and incor-
hgible boys become sensible. self restrained and
trustworthy seamen by the time they attain their
majority On tho other hand, the lads who exhib-
II traits OF goody goodness upon their entrance
10 the service become in about four out Of FIVE
hard customers in tho course Of their apprentice
ship, and not OF much account either for men-of-
war tho shore The for this is not hard 10
discern. Before entering the naval service tho
unmanageabe boys have had their whirl at iuyen-
lie righteousness and mischief and about ready
when they find themselves in the bell-bottom
trousers to pipe down and TO make something out
Of their opportunities Being tough, they are not
easily contaminated by the burly roughness Of
speech and manner displayed by the old timers.
The milk and water boy, on the contrary, who
enters the service with his mind somewhat too fully
stored with precopts. maxims rules Of conduct and
shining examples Of tho great good and illusth-
Gus, and whose shore experience has been derived
within radius Of two hundred yards from the front
gate OF his mothers yard steps smack into world