Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1899-03-20
WHAT PROMOTION MEANS
TO DEWEY.

/
peak on board the Olympia, blue
rectangle with four white stars, show
| ing that he is an admiral of the Unit
| ed States navy. The officers of the
| flagship were in full dress. The crews
| of all the vessels Of the fleet were at
| quarters, The marines paraded on
the decks. The band played and sa-
lutes Of seventeen guns were fred by
the Americans, the Englishmen, the
Japanese and the Germans.
The United States navy has not pos
sessed an admiral before since David
Portor, the hero of New Orleans,
Vicksburgh and Fort Fisher, died in
1891. Porter was raised to that high
| grade after the death of the only other
United States admiral, in 1870.
No wonder George Dewey does not
care to be president of his native
country. He has honors to spare, a
salary for life of $4,000 a year,
whether he be afoat or ashore, and if
war comes not again, the place he
holds is what would be called a snap
J by the politicians. And George has
earned it all.
If he likes dignified ceremonials, he
will have them to his hearts content.
When he goes to inspect a vessel of
the feet he will be received by all the
officers of that vessel in full unifor N,
with crew at quarters and marine
guard paraded. Once on deck the
drums will roll and the guns will roar
If he leaves his ship at night, four
lights will be hung perpendicularly at
the peak. Some men might object
to such an announcement Of their be-
ing out for an evening, but an admir-
al, never. He selects his own staff,
and makes it as large as he wishes.
He has a private cabin where he
lives alone. He has private cook,
private steward and two boys are
ready to run at his beck and call. The
greatest pull on his purse will be to
buy cups and saucers and plates for
table service, the government not
providing an admiral with crock cry.
He is furnished with kitchen stove.
George Dewey can rout the band
out of bed any hour in the night, and
command the musicians to play him
to sleep with the strains of the "Stars
and Stripes Forever" He has the
power to sentence TO death any sailor
in the feet, under certain circum-
stances. He is in position to com NIT
acts that might plunge this country
into war with foreign nation.
He must wear good clothes. His
new uniform will have on the collar
Of the coat four silver stars and two
foul anchors in gold. On each sleeve
will be a stripe of gold embroidered
oak leaves. The shoulder straps will
have four silver stars add two foul
anchors of gold. The dress sword belt
will be of navy blue cloth, edged with
gold and embroidered with oak leaves.
While he remains in the tropical Phil
ippines the naval regulations require
that the admiral must wear white
pantaloons, just like the other officers
of inferior grade. George Dewey will
haul down the blue rectangle with the
four white stars some day in the flu
ture, when he relinquishes the COM
mand OF the Asiatic feet, and then
the guns will boom seventeen times.
He will return to the United States,
and if he comes by way of Frisco will
have triumphal journey across the
continent to Washington.
Relieved of duty afoat, he will pro
baby take up his residence at the na-
tional capital, nominally the head of
some board Of instruction, but practi-
cally with nothing to do but to enjoy
life at his own sweet will. Being I'M
der the secretary of the navy, the
secretary might if so inclined, give
him an unpleasant assignment at
some second rate navy yard, but the
if spite was indicated by such action.
Porter, the former admiral, really had
his time to himself from the date of his
commission, August Is, 1870, until the
day Of his death, Feb. Ii, 1891.
George Dewey, widower, with sal
airy of $13, 800 year instead of $4,000,
keeping bachelor quarters in Washing
ton, surrounded by coterie of con-
genial friends of his profession, be-
loved by his countrymen generally,
may be expected to pass his latest
years in comfort and without care
Boston Sunday Globe.