The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-08-23

& sia;iUn more than two, or at most. three
weeks BY that time the novelty OF ms
surroundings has worn OF and be KNOWS
lot Of things he dld not know before.
notably how to keep himsslt ana III ms
belongings scrupulously clean.
4" Ho has been instructed In tbs manual
OF arms. has had plenty of exercise IN
the gymna stun, and, u II IA summer
has been exercised and instructed IN
swimming, s ,, "a
dentist has examined his teeth ana
repaired them II they needed II.
F1nally. The day comes when the chief
hoatswain's mate. who has charge OF the
/, snnad and whom the newcomers have
learned 10 look upon as vested with au,'
thority a little lower than angels, recome
mends a. lot OF them for promotion p
the battalion.
airing his hammock and his clothes
bag and his other belonglngs.t the ne"
boy is marched over to tNe os ns. o ,o,
ing In which he Is to make MS nome
henceforth while he Is at the training
He is Tx. any other boy at a big board
inc school nova young cub win MS
troubles ali before him-yes. and his
: pleasures, too.
He will have HIS friends and enemies
and possibly his little scraps. but ne
learns TO rely upon himself ana 70 De-
come strong and manly,
He swings his hammock that nrst night
in tho big building In a great room WITH
hundreds OF other boys, and. as the waves
on the beach lull him to sleep, ne feels
that he is already sailor. But he Ism u
not BY long shot. x..,.
When he Is taken over 10 tne ois pula-
ing in the morning the boy, no longer a
me wcomer," Is told that he now he
longs to such and such q section Of such
and ,uch A division, and realizes that he
is a part OF the regular battalion.
He gets his full outfit Of clothing and Is
told where to stow It In 2 big room full
OF hundreds OF other clothes bags He Is
also taken to q locker where ne Is 70
keep his hammock. and he gets new
lot of orders and instructions, which soon
come 10 be to him only n part OF tho
4 daily routine of his life.
The place is full Of boys going and cons
ing, petty officers -hurrylng about, a7d
commissioned officer or two here aud
there Tho morning cleaning and scrubs
hing is lust over and the place and It's oe-
cupants smell OF soap and @ater- 3t,i,,
s Ii is time for the early morning IN.
specton, being 7:16 A. M and as the cal
sounds the boys fall IN. They take thelr
places in long lines, Their faces SHINE from
4 recent scrubbing and they are Gao !"
b only their underslothes, The new apprel-
tice, possibly with soma difficulty, linus
his place In tho line and a. petty on1cer
!. may order him In decided tone to stand
straiehter. to move to ono sida or me
other, or q little forward or back.
The roll is called to see that all th'
boys are there, and then tho ranks are
opened ana the senior instructor com! com
/. mands, "Onf .undershirtsl" "Rest!'
4 At the first command tho boys strip OF
their undershirts all together. turning
pa thAV H0 Al Tie
second command they stand with theH} IN
( their hands holding them out so they can
be seen all over.
Two instructors now walk down the
ranks looking carefully at the boys ana
their clothing to see, II any chance. there
4 Is a suspicion of dirt anywhere. As each
boy is passed by the Inspector he puts on
his undershirt again. and this makes
ripple OF undershlrts being holsted on 20
bare young backs running down the two
Il long lines. j
The uniform order for the day Is then
read out--whsthsr they shall wear their
blue suits or their white ones-apd then,
at the order to "break ranks" tho boys
pcamper Oft to the bag-roon', where they
set out their bags and don the desig-
nated uniform,
with shoes shining like their faces, their
hair combed and brushed and generally
in "ship shape and Bristol ORDER by the
tlmo the hugles blow for breakfast for
nation at 7bO
The new boy has hard time OF It,
for he Is nervous, With so many other
boys pushing and crowding about him,
al talking at once, and he has not yet
n quite got the hang OF his sailor toys
and the knack of getting into them
quickly,
His knife lanyard refuses to hang with
Just the same graceful and abandoned
3 cir - that Of the older boys. and When