The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-04-04
Lieutenant Morton Finds No Lack Of
Lads Vikings to Serve
in Navy.

more than usually interesting, espec-
tally to n whose knowledge Of things
nautical and particularly that branch
Of life ON the bounding pillows per-
tanning to recruiting men and boys
for the big fighting ships Of Uncle
Sam that go poking their noses into all
sorts OF foreign ports could boast Of
no greater degree Of intimacy than
that gained by the perusal OF q maya,
zine article or the boyish re~collections
which remained OF the stolen hours
devoted to reading a good, old fashion.
ed novel in which 1.-THE Boy Rover
rescued the fair maiden from the pi-
rates murderous grasp. -
Attractive Literature.
Ever since Master-at-Arms Joseph
son appeared In the city, few days
ago, and decorated Offices and stores
with the attractive posters containing
a cut of "the good ship" Kearsarge
and setting forth the inducements and
advantages the United States navy
offers to men and boys Of the right
sort who desire to become enrolled in
that branch Of the government serv-
ice, anxious boys and some of older
years were to be seen reading and re-
reading them and wondering as to
their chances for acceptance and
whether after all, they really want
ed to enlist. To those in whom the
home ties were not abnormally strong
the temptation to, follow the e was
too strong to be resisted and II some
Of them fail to be sent to the receiv-
ing ship independence It will be be-
cause parents and guardians objected
or the applicants failed to pass mus.
ter.
Yesterday was the time set for the
appearance of the recruiting officer
and those accompanying him For
want Of a better place they obtained
the use of the room occupied by the
district court and opened their books.
Lieutenant Morton was on hand to
answer and ask questions, DR.. Page,
as medical officer, was there to make
the required physical examinations,
Chief Yoeman Pringham attended to
the clerical work and Boatswain's
Mate Stanley and Hospital Apprentice
Bates made themselves generally
handy and showed the would-be sail
ors the kinds of uniforms their uncle
provides for the men occupying their
rank and the one to which 1t was pos
sible for them to raise.
Begin to Came.
'Nlowly the boys, singiy and in
groups. began to- appear, hesitatingly
hating at the big double doors and
a~nxiously peering in to see what real
sailormen, officers and IA. BIS" look
ed like. II they expected to behold
men with huge swords and guady uni
forms strutting about and using the
phrases of speech employed by the
particular hero of their latest 9 ro-
nance they were disappointed. Not
one OF them said "shiver my timbers"
or even AYE, aye, sir.% The lieuten.
ant was arrayed in civilian attire. as
was also the doctor. Only the master
alarms wore q uniform that must
have come up to the boyish expecta'
tons Of the half frightened, timid
kids" His sleeves were decorated
with q device indicative-of his rank,
while the left NJ also bore six, gaudy
red stripes, showing him to have serv.
ed that number Of enlistments. Only
the bo's,n's mate and the apprentice
had on the regulation blue flannel
shirts with their vast expanse Of moth.
ingness where the neckband Of the
ordinary shirt is supposed to find
anchorage and the bottoms Of their
trousers tlared out with the reckless
ness characteristic Of the muzzle Of
an old-fafhioned blunderbuss. They
wore no ssuspenders, instead they held
their leg covering In place with an
arrangement Of strings in the back
that was suggestive Of q rear view of
q corset.
With kindly word and action the
boys were induced to enter and made
to feel that they were duly a%ppreciat-
ed and reckoned -as men; instead OF
mere "kids." Each one vas told what
would be expected OF him and what
in turn he could expect. Some OF
them concluded to think the matter
over and promised to come again.
Others. fully determined to enlist
found themselves rejected for some