The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1906-01-04


floating mass of machinery and guns
was lying at anchor in sheltered ha
ven. With one eye and one ear alert
for possible disturbance Of his present
quiet, the marine utilized his other eye
and ear for matters of personal and
private nature. Up forward crowd
of jackies We're disporting themselves
in accustomed fashion. One couple
had on boxing gloves, and their own
agility, combined with the criticisms of
surrounding mates, promised skill of no
mean order in this form Of manly ex-
ercise. A little apart from the rest
and slightly screened from the full eff
feet of the sun by an iron ventilating
shaft two strangely diverse types of
humanity lay stretched out upon the
deck side by side. One was big,
dark compleXioned Irishman, with the
CRIME of coal dust worn into the very
fiber of his skin; the other, an under
sized, ruddy checked youth, showed
indications of gentle upbringing in ev-
cry move that he made. To the unin-
itiated their uniforms appeared to be
marks and signs which showed their
ratings to the nautical mind-the for
mer as u coal passer, the latter as
member of the guns crew. The Irish
man was at the moment merely sleep
ing-passing away an idle hour after
the fashion of all animals and many
men. His companion was reading, ap-
parently with deep interest from
CODY Of the "Iliad" In the original, for
among the very lowest ranks in our
navy, and unlike that of any other ma
ton, you may find what you least ex-
pect.
An individual rather short and stout
in figure came putting up the steep lad
der leading from the berth deck. With
out pausing to watch the glove contest,
now in its final and most exciting
round, he slowly made his way aft.
Haiti
This abrupt command came from the
lips of the sentry. whose single watch
full eye and ear had sutiiced.
Hello, Billy" commented the in
truder genially, completely unabashed
by the others show of dignity. Il
want to speak with the captain for
minute or 50. I've got little scheme
that
At this juncture it CHANGED that
tall and rather elderly looking officer
came out from an adjacent cabin.
master Tailor Todds, SIR spoke
out the sentry, bringing his piece to the
salute. Something he wants to show
you"
"Eh, Todds To show me!" re-
marked the captain somewhat YEARLY.
Then motioning with his right hand he
babe the other follow him.
Carefully holding what appeared to
apparel between his two pudgy hands.
I and posing it in midair as if he feared
that even the soft contact OF his own
person might result in mutual injury,
the visitor obeyed his commanding Of
ficer's gesture and trotted along be-
hind.
A big man-Of-war vessel of the old
fashioned type was a veritable village
afoat, but modern specimen of the
same class is city. On the broad
and open deck Of the old time frigate,
where cattle roamed the spar deck and
motherly hens raised their families in
the longboats, was felt the freedom
Of village life, but not so on the mon
ster modern irOncad. Here Is well
represented the compact and busy city.
Does not the ever present trolley bring
the coal from bunker to furnace and
carry ammunition to the guns? The
machine shops are well equipped fac
tories in every sense of the word.
Electric light wires and water mains
run in all directions, and cement paw
ed decks are laid wherever they may
seem to be necessary.
Both villages and cities, moreover,
possess craftsmen of various kinds, and
such useful individuals are never lack
ing from warship's complement In
the bygone days sailmakers, riggers,
carpenters and spun yarn weavers were
absolutely essential. These have been
succeeded in our present generation by
stokers, pipe filters, bOilermakers and
electric lnemen, but many of the other
old callings continue to flourish in
spite of the evolution from wooden
hulls to steel ones and from shaking
out the reefs In sails to piling on coal
in the furnaces. Among those ships
craftsmen who have thus survived the
era of change, and almost as important
in these days of well fitting though
simple uniforms as in. those Of cruder
shape and lavish adorGment, Is that Of
the master tailor. 1t may take nine
shore tailOrs to make man, but one on
shipboard often turns out very credita-
BILE specimens.
Obadiah Todds $50 was he entered up.
on the books Of the United States bat
tleship Rhode Island had scarcely been
inside the captains cabin two minutes
before he emerged therefrom hurredly
and very red in the face. The sentry
grinned derisively, but Todds never
even scowled back at him.
Foolish, Is it," he muttered as he
returned to his quarters forward.
"Foolish and nonsensical! Well, maybe
it is, and then, again. maybe 1t isn't
Now, II he had said that there was no
money available for supplying them at
the moment I'd feel different Howev-
er, l may get chance to try the thing
before long, and then We'll see"
And he carefully placed the big bun
die Of cloth out of harms way and be-
took himself to his ordinary duties.