The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-07-10
SURGEONS WATCH HoBsoN
Aim is to See That Lectures fol
Money Do Not Injure His Eyes.

Money Do Not InJure his Eyes.
Chicago Tribune.
Captain Richmond P. Hobson. the hero
of the Merrimac, has placed himself in
an awkward position at the Navy Depart
ment. and he is now practically under
surveillance by the office of the surgeon
&c neral Captain Hobson applied for a
leave of absence for an indefinite length
of time. This was refused because the
naval construction bureau Is run on a
short allowance of officers. and the build
ing of the new navy has required the
services of every available man.
Since the war with Spain the record ap-
pears to show that Mr., Hobson has had
more and longer leaves OF absence than
any officer In the construction corps, and
for the last eighteen months, except Tor
a brief tour of duty at Elizabeth, N. d.
his work has been confined to serving as
one of the representatives OF the Navy
Department at expositions at Buffalo and
Charleston. His duties in both places
were almost wholly nominal, and he
had frequent opportunities. which he al
ways awaited himself of, to deliver pub
lie lectures for n compensation.
Captain Hobson applied for retirement
on the ground that he was physically IN
capacitated for work. A board of officers
declined to retire him, and it was limited
at the time that he expected to receive
his three-quarters pay for Ill health and
then go about the country on featuring
tour. Later an application was made In
Congress for the passage of bill retir-
ing Captain Hobson in spite of the adj
verse action of naval board This was
finally turned down by the naval COM
mittee and thereupon Captain Hobson
made application for long leave OF abb
sence He alleged that his eyes had
given out.
The application Immediately followed
his assignment to duty at Elizabethport,
and 1t was disapproved by Rear Admiral
Rowles, chief constructor of the navy
Secretary Moody, however, has decided TO
give Captain Hobson the benefit OF the
doubt so far as the leave of absence Is
concerned. This approval of Captain
Hobsons application for leave Is. how
ever coupled with singular condition
It is a matter of notoriety in the depart
meut that the hero of the Merrimac and
of the kissing episodes has engagements
to lecture for the next three months
which, of course, he could not NIL II ne
were assigned to duty at Elizabethport'
In granting the leave of absence the Sec
rotary of the Navy has ordered the sur
geon general to make an examination ior
the purpose of finding out whether Cap
tain EODSOn eyes WINCH olo w
to do service in the navy, will not be IN
jured by the glare Of the lights ana otner
work in connection with the preparation
and delivery of lectures.
AS a matter of fact Captain Hobson
has been under surveillance by the medi-
cal officers of the navy, with the under .
standing that if they find lecturing IS as
bad for the eyes as constructing ships
in the navy yard his leave Of absence Is
TO be revoked at once. The whole trans
action has created a vast amount Oh taik
in the department, as 1t Is not consia-
cred good form for officers OF the navy 70
shirk routine work for the purpose oi
attending to private business.