The Savannah morning news., 1904-08-28

WOW. ne COulu llOl IIdhC GlAlA VI
these.
Here, what are you saying there"
shouted the officer. Sure, sir" says
Mike. Il know the tune, sir, but I've
forgot the words entirely"
The old yarn of the Jackie who re-
ported TO the officer of the deck that
zone of them there kings hez fallen
down the hatch" when an accident had
happened to a member of a party of
lords and ladies visiting ship IN the
Mediterranean. is equaled by the new
story of the gunner's mate. An illus
trious highness of the fair sex had eX-
pressed admiration of the spotless con-
dition of a highly polished gun. An
officer told the man in charge OF me
piece that her ladyship had spoken
highly of his housekeeping. "Ar-r-r'
did she?" said Jack sarcastically, but
she couldn't keep her blooming fingers
off it. could she?"
The especial point of this anecdote
is appreciated by only visitor VINO
has run his hand lovingly over the
highly polished breech of gun, and
has listened to the blistering conf
ment of the enlisted man as he re-
moves the finger marks.
At sea, as on shore, anecdotes have
a tendency to crystalize about some
particular man of marked character
and idiosyncrasies. Such was Capt.
John Perciyal, known as Mad jack
of whom stories, they say at the Navy
Department, are legion. He was
Cape Colder, a sailor every inch, but
not academy bred. He said to the Of
ficer of the deck on one occasion, Mr..
So-and-so, 1 think We'll have them
stuns1s sot" The officer was young
and perhaps used more emphasis than
he meant when he rejOined, Did you
say you would like to have the stud
ding sails set, Capt. PerciVal?'
Young man." said the commanding
officer, Il Said We'll have them
tsuns'ls sot."
On one occasion when Percival was
officer of the deck at night, the com
mander, who was not very fond of
him, stole quietly on deck and, not
finding the officer, gave orders to short
en- sails, determined to jump Per-
cival when he made his appearance
in apparent neglect of duty. With
much impressiveness the captain gave
certain orders for the reduction of sail,
and was pacing the quarterback very
complacently awaiting PercivaPs APP
pearance. At the hight of his self
satisfaction Percival poked his sandy
head up over the gunwale of the quar-
ter boat and shouted Haul down
the flying jib." The captain in his
haste to get after Percival had forgot
ten lile lSl OiuCl III oAAOA LCiAiii5 Sall
and was running under reduced can
vas with the first of the kites" to
come in still standing. The captain
turned and went below without a
word, and Percival resumed his COM
Portable position of watch from the
quarter boat
Such little incidents as that of paint
ing the port and starboard sides of
his ship of contrasting colors when he
was executive officer enlivened the ca
reer of this splendid sailor. When his
squadron commander chided him for
arriving at a European port some time
in advance of the flagship, he non
chalantly offered to swap ships and
beat his senior officer back to any
home port that might be named.
1t is told of a gallant officer who
has the weakness that beset Our
army in Flanders" that he once sail
ed with a commander who laid down
a strict rule that there should never
be any swearing on that ship. The
lieutenant choked, shook an expressive
| fist or relieved his feelings as best he
| could. One day in experimenting the
transfer of a chain cable to a float
alongside, he failed to take the pre-
caution to make the inboard end fast,
and a length sliding into the water
took the whole cable to the bottom at
a speed but little less than that Of
| captain came forward rather hurried
| ly to ask: who let that chain go
overheard" The lieutenant stepped
| for---rd and made a bow and said,
Il was that blank, blank, fool. sir.
THANK you, lieutenant 1 think you
are right" replied the captain, as
he allowed his subordinate to re-
tire.
The growing Of sailors is proverbial,
/ hut "a sol lyaarc r,Ia inn
for consumption aboard ship. on shore
and to the stranger his captain and
officers and ship are as near perfec-
/ tion as humanity can be expected to
make them. The chief article aboard
| ship which comes in for abuse is can
! ned roast beef, or, as the sailor calls
IT, bully" or soup and bully" The
story goes that Jack on a ranroad
train was accosted by an affable gen.
tleman. And how do you like your
ship?' Fine ship, sir, best in the
/ navy Good food2" Best grub
ever sir You have "A kind OF beef
all, roast beef in cans! How do you
like that" You mean soup and bull
~, sir That's fine, sir. fine
Aha" said the affable man. I'm
delighted. delighted. l furnish "a great
deal of that to the navy"
The narrator Of the story in a group
! of enlisted men always stops at this
! point to allow the significance OF the
situation full weight In the discus
sion which follows as TO what could
would and should have happened 10 the
| purveyor of the hattery as well as the
purveyor OF the meat the sailors OPP
portunity for original suggestion comes
! into play.
The standing practical joke on board
ship rs the shooting Of Charley Noble.
The galley stovcpipe goes By that
name. and when u becomes elogged
with SCOT the cook requests permission
20 get revolver from the arm chest.
and shoot Charley Noble which means
10 discharge n revolver up the hue and
dislodging the SCOT A newly caught
doctor Is fair game on this point
| There is apparently an attempt 90 keep
the casualty from him. The sailors
speak IA q guarded way ~ me terrible
accident They are going 20 keep It
quiet and away from the books N fhf
ship n possible Then the doctor be-
comes lnsisteuf fhHf he must treat fhe
case A messenger perhaps ruEhes In
with excitement 40 announce that the
Na e.