Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-06-10
WARDRooM LIFE ON WARsHIPs
Conditions Which Have Changed With
 in Past Few Years.

in Past Few Years.
 Wardroom life aboard American men-of-war has greatly changed with in the growth of the new navy: The bigger ships of to-day carry more otfi- cers than those of 20 years ago, and the hastened promotion of the last five years has changed somewhat the character of the personnel in the ward room. The officer who presides at the head of the wardroom table is no long, CT a grizzled veteran who has eaten his heart out with 20 years of monot- onous service in the grades below lieu tenant commander. Bearded ensigns 80 years of age and drawing pay that barely enables them to live no longer haunt the ships of the United States navy. Promotion and command come earlier, and men who even 10 years ago would have been seated well towards the foot of the wardroom table, now dine in the lone dignity of the cabin. With the fuller table of the wardroom there is more variety of character, and
 
 everywhere throughout the service men have livelier interests. Old stories are not heard so frequently and men do not harden into set peculiarities of views and manner they did when pro motion was slow and duty, from be- ing the same for long years together, was dull and insipid.
 Some things remain, however, much as they were, because tradition is pow erful in the navy. Chaff? Yes, a good deal of 1t as of yore. There is always some man in the 20 or more who live in the wardroom keen enough to penetrate the most secretive of his fellowsandd discoyertheir lurking weak ness. Once discovered that weakness is a proper subject for chaff. The freshness of ''tlle young doctor" the incidence of the paymaster the sus- ceptibility of the junior lieutenant, are subjects that furnish unfailing amuse- ment when conversation runs low. On the whole the chaff of the new navy is fresher and less monotonous than that of the old, because there is a wider range of individual peculiarities.
 The old dicebox still rattles after the wardroom dinner and the United States nayy will be reduced to sad condition when this innocent source of amusement is banished. 1t passes from hand to hand as one after anoth- CT the occupants of the table throw for cigars, and after it has made the second round somebody writes a "chit, 7 to be paid at the end of the month, when the mess accounts are squared. The dice are smooth and yellow with age. A dozen admirals have handled them, and have found solace in the game of chance that delights the youngsters of to-day.
 Wardroom hospitality is of the old flavor, though perhaps the increased variety of wardroom life makes the landsman little less welcome as a [ dispeller of monotony. It is a singu- larly and hearty and courteous recep- tion, however that awaits the guest in the bowels of the great iron post fn which American naval officers now go to sea- The presence of a guest al- ways carries with it certain privileges. Then it is a matter of course that the executive officer at the head of the table note in the affirmative when the request is made that smoking be per- mitted after dinner. Ordinarily the smoking is done on deck above matches, but a landsnlan may be supposed to find it more agreeable not to leave his seat at the table when the time to smoke arrives. There is no hard lq- uor on the table but if the guest is in need of the stay that a cocktail gives a man before dinner the surgeon, who I,se articles contraband elsewhere, may prescribe the cocktail and perhaps mix It for the visitor.
 The landsman's breeding is put to a pretty test when he become guest aboard ship and the officers are QUICK to detect the fact that the visitor has failed to realize that the wardroom IS both drawing room and dining room, may not feel any marked coolness ln the attitude of those with whom he IS dining, but his individual host Is likely to hear something from the messmates that will prevent the reappearance ol the, offensive guest. The visitor who makes no mistakes and has something to say worth hearing is sure of well come, and is made to feel that he IS the guest not only of the officer who brings him on board, but of every deni- zen in the wardroom. To the guest the talk of the table is likely to be fresh and interesting, no matter how trite it may be to some of the hosts. Nobody objects to an old, old story so long as the guest seems to relish It, though after his depature ample re- venge may be taken upon the offender.
  MONEY BY PROXY CIRCULATION