The Delta independent., 1906-09-14

years ago, and who rose during his
first four years to the rank of chief
quartermaster, which post he now
holds on the United States Ship iii.
Hois. 1t will be found very interest
ing, as indicating the opportunities in
the new navy:
"A-l-l aboard, going west" SO
bawled the conductor OF a Union Pa
cific train as 1t began to move slowly
toward the setting sun. Sixty-hHe
young men, hopeful. Americans looked
wistfully back from the fastrecedinS
city OF Omaha as II became blurred
mass in the distance, and friends and
relatives faded from view. becoming
ind!stinct In the revolving landscape.
First call for supper In the
dining car. Boys. you shall have
the first table" so bawled the Pullman
dining car waiter. as he ushcred these
young men to their seats at the table.
where they were instructed to help
.osefs" by the grinning waiter and or.
der anything they wished. That wist-
full look soon disappeared as the "por-
terhousc steak and mushrooms
warmed the boys. who soon began
laughing and talking. discussing their
future careers in Uncle Sans navy.
Three days and two nights on the
had been speeding through the Bad
Lands" OF Nebraska. the sweet clover
scented hills OF Wyoming. the snow
clad Rockies and the seemingly bound
less American desert. thence climbing
the pretty pinc-clad Sierra Neradas,
right amongst the big trees and red
land country. over beautiful Cantor
mia The small boys who sold cherries
and fruit which abound so plcntifully,
when they heard that young sailors
were aboard the train, refused to ac-
cept pay. and 1t was useless to try to
force money on them.
Reception at Goat Island.
The train slid down the western
slope of III" Sicrras and ran on tn"
longest ferry in the world at Porta
Costa. and in one hours time 1t glidcd
into the station al Oakland Mole.
where all embarked on the San Fran
cisco ferry named Oakland and received
cur FIRST ride on salt water and our first
view OF our future home and training
quarters Goat Island.
We were met at the ferry station at
San Francisco by real blue Jacket,
neat. well put up and manly. who cs-
Cor,cd us to the tug. which took us
over to Goat Island. Many OF us felt
DO FdlNN bh NiltA lli' AhaA w ''4''r'N
". could smell the spray OF the sea.
and 1t did make us feel good 10 think
that we were to be soon real sailors
and defenders OF our Country's rights.
We arrived at p. IN. and dinner
was Immediately served. the officers
knowing very well that we had eaten
at 9 O'Clock at Sacramento. California,
Our first navy m"al-hOw good 1t r'as'
-consistcd OF Corncd beef and cab
baEe. and I'm sure II received full jus
,icc at our hands. Some one asked:
Where Is the sea biscuit" Surprised?
Well. ! guess V" were. when one OF the
men who waited in tn" table said We
don't cat sea biscuit here. Have some
OF this jam
We were told that our quarters
would be on the old ship Pensacola.
on which W. had our FIRST navy meal
HammoCks were served out to us. and
each had two nice white blankets ana
Il hair mattress.
Learning to Be Sailors.
We each received station billet.
telling us our duties and station nj
fire quarters and collision drill. gen
cral quarters lbattlc exercises. and
also the division We were In aud our
watch number. Now. n ship has more
watches than one: there are two lbut
they don't keep time except to the
music at drillsD. called the port an |
starbonrd watches. These watches We
found later constituted the foundation
of the ships routine: and l was de
tailed on the port watch.
In the evening before taps" the
band played and the boys danced and
felt at home because everybody felt
inb n'rlnrk r. ''fnnS' n md
lights out" Everybody turned into
their hammocks and were soon fast
asleep. rocked In the cradle OF the
deep"
At $50 In the morning "revcillc"
was blown on the bugie-"Cant get
'cm up. cant get 'cm up in the morn.
ing" ETC. and all hands turned out to
be ushcrcd into real tiled bath room
and provided generously with towels
and soap.
At 7:30 breakfast call went, and
much to our surprise ham and eggs
was the meal 1t now began to dawn
on us that the old navy was no longer
in existence. We were now among
good young Americans and all of us
decided to appreciate the kind treat
ment and food we were getting. You
know before we enlisted everybody
6eeI1leu W hHb" All uDoul the navy anu
snid. old ladylike: you mark my
words. you'll get starved and bullied
and mistroated." etc, and now we saw
that people who were never in the SER
vice were In no position to Judge at nll.
and that their advice was the result |
OF n deep-sct prejudice fastened by un-
truthful stories and books describing !
the merchant marine and not our
manly blue jacket or his career.
Actual Duties Begin.
Our naval careers really commenced