The Opelousas courier., 1903-01-10
YOUNG MEN IN THE NAVY.
Many Good Chances for Them in The.
Days.

Many Good finances for Them in Thest
Days.
Suppose a young man, without any
previous training-from the farm, for
instance-presented himself for enlist
ment in the Naval service, he would
first be examined by the physician at
the naval station. He must be free
from disease, possess good eyesight
and good teeth. He must be at least
5 feet 4 inches in height, stripped, and
well developed, considering his height
and age. Should he enlist as a lands
man for training he would receive
at once pay at the rate of SIG per
month, and he is given a complete out
fit of clothing worth $45. This includes
three suits of white ducking, the pic
turesque working clothes, which are
worn by all the tackles at work on
o man-o'-War; one white dress uni
form, one blue dress suit, one blue
derWear, two pairs of shoes, two pair
of socks, one blue cap, three white
ducking hats to wear while at work,
one neckerchief and one overcoat. All
this the recruit receives on enlistment.
1t is clothing enough to last a year.
After that he must pay for his own
wearing apparel.
Then he may choose the department
of the navy's work in which he believes
himself best fitted. If he writes a good
hand and is ready at. figures, he may
enter at once the school for yeomen,
which is in the New York navy yard.
The yeomen r the clerical force OF
the navy. They are the men who keep
all the records in the p~aymaster's Of
flee and other departments aboard ship.
In the Brooklyn navy yard the yeo-
man class is under the instruction OF
John E. Tremere, chief yeoman, and a
special class, in which instructions are
given, particularly N The work of the
office of the paymaster Of the ship, is
under Chief Yeoman John F. Flynn.
A man who passes the examination in
the yeoman school at once becomes a
yeoman of the third class and is as
signed to duty on one of the ships of
the navy. His pay is $50 per month,
and all the time that ne vas receiving
his instructions he was paid SIG a
month. The next step in the yeolnan
class, entailing clerical work a little
more difficult, brings a salary of $35
per month, and the next, a yeoman
of the first class, receives $40 a month.
These are bookkeepers, stenographers
and typewriters. The next position in
the yeoman service is that of chief
yeoman, and the salary is $50 a month.
Suppose that the recruit shows me-
chanical skill. Again he is in demand.
In the New York Navy Yard is an cleo
trica1 school and a machine shop for
landsmen who enlist for training. In
these schools a thorough practical edit
cation is given. Men who pass through
these schools may become electricians
at $50 a month, or machinists of the
class at $40 a month. The in
struction given in these preparatory
schools is particularly in the line OF
mechanical knowledge that will be
in any part Of the work of
the ship, but men who have become
good electricians and machinists in the
navy have, after leaving it, secured
first class positions on shore, where
they have an opportunity to use to
advantage the knowledge acquired in
the service of the government and
while receiving government pay,
The navy is certain, however, OF
four years of the service of each man,
because no enlistment is for less than
that time. But there is opportunity in
the mechanical line in the navy, be-
cause the machines of war are lntrl-
mechanisms and 1t requires skill
ed hands to repair them and keep them
order. A machinist of the first class,
involving a higher degree of skill than
that or the second class, receives $55 a
and a chief machinist $40 a
Then when a machinist be-
an officer and he is in charge
parts of the ship machinery he re-
ceives a salary of $500 a year. Any
mechanical skill which a man may
possess will at once be of use to him,
because plumbers and filters, painters,
carpenters, b~lacksniths, coppersmiths
are all wanted.
There is a chance for the boys, too.
They may enlist, if they are healthy,
strong and Of good morals, and re-
cefve at once So a month and an out
fit of clothing, as the men do. They
are taken for practice on IA training
ship. as are also the landsmen for
training, and on that cruise they are
made sailors. They are taught all
there is to know about the navigation
Of a vessel. Then they receive SIS a
month, and the next advancement is to
s21. They are ready then, to enlist as
seamen in the navy.-Harry Boards
ley in Leslie's Weekly.
willing to BE Oficers.