The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-06-01


the Term of Els Enlistment.
The extreme difficulty encountered by
an enlisted man in the marine corps who
wants to get out of the service without
deserving before his enlistment is up is
well known. An enlisted man in the sea
soldiers must have pretty influential
friends with Washington connections in
order 10 do this, but there are exceptions.
Here is the story of one of the eScep-
tons:
He was an accomplished young chap
from New Orleans. He came to Wash
iEgton Il nuEbcr of years ago to take an
examination for surgeon i'll the regular
army, but he got on spree shortly after
his arrival here, and when he came to
the examinations they were all conclud-
ed and lie was in that condition of fnan-
cial collapse known as fiat broke. So he
enlisted in the marine corps at the Wash
ington barracks OF the sea soldiers out
fit. He enlisted under the name Of Dun
bar, Il name which he subsequently
changed 10 his right one. He belonged
to IL prominent New Orleans familys The
young man had graduated with high hon
ors in medicine after taking his A. B.
ut the University of Virginia, and he was
idea in cnlisting in the marine corps was
that he might have a chance to get an
apothecary's billet in the navy. Now, a
naval apothecary was at that time
chief petty officer in the navy proper,
and naval apothecaries are not created
out of sea soldiers. They are shipped as
apothecaries, and they have no connec-
ton whatsoever with the marine corps.
The young Louisianian didn't know this,
however, and so he took on" rs a buck
private in the marines. He had hardly
drawn his first government straight uni
form as a sea soldier before he found out
that as a marine he had no show in
life ever to become an apothecary-thnt
he was dishcd to do marines guard duty
for the balance of his enlistment.
The outlook seemed pretty gloomy to
the young man from New Orleans, but
he didn't lose his nerve. He calmly de-
cided in his own mind that he'd become
naval apothecary anyhow without desert
| ing, marine or no marine. He did some
corresponding with some friends in New
York. and he found out that q ship Mt
that yard about to start on a Mediter-
ranean cruise, needed an apothecary. So
he sat down and wrote to the surgeon Of
that ship. applying for the billet, inclos-
ing credentials to his ability, but with
out stating that he was already enlisted
| in the marine corps. If he had done that.
the surgeon, approaching the difficulty OF
getting IN enlisted man out Of the marine
corps, wouldn't have paid any attention
to his application. As it was, however.
the surgeon answered the young Louisi;
anian's application promptly, informing
| him that he'd probably do il he could
t1,o Il
costing that he run over to the Brooklyn
navy yard to be looked Mt and sized up.
Running over to the Brooklyn navy yard
sounded all right. but marines can't run
anywhere without orders.
"Well. guess III just nail that apoth-
ecaryship anyhow" said the Young man
TO himself. and. rigging himself up in his
best uniform, he called upon a marine
officer who had taken sort of interest
| In him and told him the case-how he had
u chance to slip into the chief petty Off
GERS uniform of an apothecary: how, Of
course, he'd have to have his discharge
as marine in order to try for the billet.
and so on.
"Out Of the question" said the marine
officer. You cant get your discharge"
The young ms y took the matter higher
| in the marine corps, but it wouldn't do.
He was sat down upon and regarded as
pretty nervy chap to ask for his dis
charge from an outfit in which he had
only served for few weeks.
"All right" unused the young man.
"Now I'll go to the boss Of the whole
works and see what he says"
So he got himself up spick and span
| again, asked for an afternoons leave and
walked down to the navy department.
4, H. L, .l.Na
any pay yet. He was Il pretty fine look
| ing marine, hut fine looking marines don't
| cut much of figure in the corridors Of
| the navy department. Even the cOlored
| messengers at the doors grinned ut him,
and when he calmly announced that he
| wanted to have n little heart to heart
talk with Mr.. Whitney, who happened
| then to be the secretary of the navy, he
came near being shunted out of the bald
| ing. The messengers figured that he was
| drunk and dangerous. However, he final
| ~ ran the gauntlet OF all the messengers
and all the private secretaries. stenogra-
pliers and door blockcrs who barred his
way and found himself in the presence
| of Secretary of the Navy Whitney. The
latter looked up at him curiously. 1t is
| not often that a secretary Of the navy is
| addressed by buck private in the ma
| rine corps.
| The young man in the marines uni
| form saluted the secretary and sat down
| when he was courteously invited to do
so. Then he up and told Mr.. Whitney
| his little story. He had sort of bunkocd
| himself into the marine corps, he said.
| and he had a chance to do better for HIM
| self. He was tied, however, by the fact
that he was already an enlisted man.
| Could the secretary see his way clear to
| letting him have his discharge from the
| marines?
| "Give this man his discharge at once"
1 the secretary wrote on Il piece of paper,
| and the young Louisianian took it to the
| comman tant of marines. 1t wasn't liked
| a little bit, that method OF the young man
| from New Orleans, because it looked like
| deliberately jumping over too many high
| heads, but it went. 1t had to go.
With his discharge in his pocket the
| young man walked into the barracks and
| packed up his things. He dug up the
price of the ride to Brooklyn that same
afternoon, and the next morning he ap-
| peared before the surgeon whose ship
| needed an apothecary. In just "a hours
| from the time he had talked with Mr..
Whitney he was walking the deck. a
| chief petty officer, with the silver eagle
| of his rate on his arm, of n ship that was
| already coaling up for a charming voy
| age on the Mediterranean station. 1t
| was case Of cold nerve on the young
| mans part, and the cold nerve won him
| out.-Washington Star.