Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-12-12
YANKEE BLUEJACKETS.
Chance in the Navy for an Ambitious
 Jackie.

Chance Tn the Navy for an Ambitious
 Jackie.
 One wonders that many adventur. ous lads do not crowd to the navy, that 1t is problem to get the num- Der wanted. Apart from the chance for penniless boy to see the wide world, today Jackie is being given wider and wider opportunities to rise in the navy-he may even mount to the dizzy heights of the highest com missioned ranks.
 To be sure. it is the exceptional Jackie that rises very high, but even if he remain an enlisted man the full 30 years before retirement and pension privileges, he may quit the service with as tidy a sum to his account as any won by boyhood friend outside And think of all the yarns he can spin of heathenish lands visited, great seas crossed, of many men of mary climes
 There is prejudice against the serv. Ice because of the popular belief that a man must start at such mean pay, that he receives very small remunera- tion for strong, able-bodied man. The man who starts on the small pay N the land-lubber. he of the inland. absolutely ignorant of water and water craft. His wage is quite big enough for his value, he must go to school and be initiated into the mysteries before any value Is apparent As soon as he enlists he is given clothes worth s46, and then sent to learn seamanship on 8 receiving or training ship. Know ing nothing of his task ''landsman" re. cefves pay and rations. He rises from ''landsman" to ordinary seaman, and presently finds himself seaman. his pay mounting with his in rank, the pay of seaman SPA a month.
 A man to be eligible to enlist must pass the rigorous physical examina. tion, be IS years of age an American citizen. and able to read and write in English. A merchant sailor upon en. tering the navy is at once given $1s a month, and If he has been able sea. man on one of the great ocean steam. CTS he starts with seaman's SPA
 On board ship Jacks general vel fare is looked after carefully, he has good food, sanitary surroundings, the privileges of books and papers. free school as we'll as free library. Jackie has hospital attention when Ill, and is supposed to have benefit of the resi-. dent chaplain's service, spiritual guid- ance and direction from him In school. books Then there Is the gymnasium if he has not had exercise enough, and the ever easy opportunity for "smok. er," chat and interchanging of yarns. Jackie's life seems not such bal one after all. And we recur again to the sailor in. changing port, his opportuni ty to see the world at large.
 To return to pay and to speak of perquisites. We will begin with the seaman and his SPA a month and found" He has allowance of ss a month for food, on some ships money is given, on others rations. The ss may be made to more than pay for his keep. Joining an eating club is al matter of economy as well as social matter. Tn addition to the regular monthly wage Jackie gets small drib- bles, a dollar here and a flyer there Reenlistment brings in a bonus. special duties are paid for punctiliously After 12 months the seaman may enter one of the various branches of petty ofhce ratings: as petty oficer, third class. his salary Is s30 Another year it depends upon vacancies as we'll as upon his standing-he may have risen 1 to petty oficer. second class. and re ceive ss5 or y4O. If he attaIns to first. class. he will receive sl0 at the least: if he reaches the eminence of chief petty ofscer. It wfl1 mean salary of l s70. And the extras must not be for l gotten along with the t70
 The next step for an ambitious man l is the post of warrant ofAcer. the pay l here ranging from s1.so0 to s1.s00 a year with communication for quarters: the task that of boatsVain. gunner, carpenter. sailmaksr. pharmacist. or warrant machfnisf- The warrant of l ncers vho have served sir years as boatsEains. gunnsTs. carpenters and and sailmaksrs are commissioned chief boatsvains, gunnerS carpenters and chief sailmakers. ranked with 4 but after ensign Chief warrant oG eer begins with a yearly salary of Al 4e0. and in time nay receive as much aH s1.soa a year Bat warrant orcsr Is not the hiEhex step to bs r,.~hrx A congress recently r-urfS ed for the snnuaI appointzeat of 1f warrant oHcsrs. of sir yszrs of ssrE srs- to hs emslEns-rsEulsr commfs
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