The sun., 1902-09-07
NAVY DONE WITH TATI0OlNG.
4 TINE-HONORED SALT WATER
FAD mas had ITS DAY.
Old salIormrn Enacing Their Marks When
They Can-N's Done by MILK and
Toothpick Treatment. but Sometimes
There's a Big surface TO Be Covered

"Tattooiug may have become the vogue
among faddy young men and women Of
distinction IN society, as | occasionally see
noted in the newspapers, but it has gone
out Of fashion among the men-o-war's-
men, remarked a naval officer at the Brook
lyr yard the other day. For a aumbefo OF
years past in fact, the o.d-timers have been
using a certain method tc get rid Of their
tattoo marks. This is the mi'k-and-tooth-
pick treatment, and it's about the simplest
thing in life.
The saiiorman who has bit Of TAFT oo-
ing that he wants to get rid Of simply dips
n sharp and hard toothpick in milk and
jabs away at the mark with II. II is a
irife painful of course. The skin must be
broken all over the surface of the taltoocd
mark 10 let the milk into the flesh.
"lhe milk Hbsorbs the ink. and when the
wound heals he tattoo mark il no longer
there A scar Is left, but 10y no means
a bad a scar is left after tattoo mark has
been treated by the electric needle.
In time about every one grows weary
Of his tattoo marks. Tho young officers
of my day in the old navy nearly all had
themselves marked up with the bunch of
tattooing needles, just a. the old-time blue
jackets did. bn think we're all more or
! less sorry for II.
The sorriest two people ever saw over
! tattoo marks were q couple Of young women.
both Of them daughters # one of the nest
famous Adrnirals Cf the old navy They
accompanied their father out TO the China
station. and while in japan, in a spirit of
mischief they both had their cheeks tattoed
a lovely, blushing pink,
THE job was done by the finest tattooer
in the Empire Of Japan, and il simply made
the Young women lock as if they were
I Il h. Ior IA
! perfect health. Their father, the old
Admiral, ragged and stormed over it, but
the i D was dCre, never 20 be urdCre.
When the two young womel grew bit
elderly. still. of O. urse. preseryi.g the
peachy cClOr in their cheeks, their women
frie' ds accused them, naturally enough,
and behind their backs, { ( &C uIse, Cf using
rouge. have heard both Of them, after
they had become mothers Of families, bit
terlv bewal their fGoishness in having had
that extraordinary bit # attooing per-
formed on their cturtenanccs
There was funny tattooing incident on
board the ship to which was attached on
the Mediterranean station about a dozen
years ago. The executive officer Of the
shp--of {, urse, you know that the ex-
ccutive Cfficcr. or first luff.' as tho blue
jackets call him. Is, next 10 the skipper, the
biggest man on beard a man-O'- '-war--was
perhaps the quietest and most reserved
man in the American Navy.
An ersigH was set cut 10 our ship to re-
place a young MAJ who had been relieved.
The new young officer had been the talkicrt
cadet, perhaps, who ever went hrough
Annapolis, aid his penchaHt for vohbility
clung to him after he grt his commission.
"One day, 500 after j II < the ship, the
Young ensign began At the mess table to
dilatc on the subject of tattCoirg. He
ahhorred tattooin1, il seemed II" had
noticed that n largo percentage Of our
ships company forward were tattCoed and
II paincd Him.
IT'S a barbarous, silly, disgusting prac-
iicc, llid the young man, and there ought
10 be "A regulation providing for III" se-
vcrrt punishment TO be mcted out upon any