Omaha daily bee., 1906-01-07
OMAHA BOY In The NEW NAVY
How One Lad Rose by Attention to His
Business.
Ed BENSON MAKES A SPLENDID RECORD
Personal Account of His Experience
from the Day Of Enlistment
Until He Was Made chief
Quartermaster.


the life Of an apprentice in the new navy
is written for The Bee by Ed Benson. an
Omaha boy, who enlisted about five 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 Illinois. 1t will be found very
interesting, indicating the opportunities
for young man Of ambition and industry
in the new navy:
"A-l-l aboard, going west :" so
bawled the conductor of a Union Pacific
train as 1t began to move slowly toward the
setting sun. Sixty-fve young. hopeful.
Americans looked wistfuly back upon the
fast receding city OF Omaha, as It became a
blurred mass in the distance, and friends
= and relatives faded from view, becoming in
distinct in the revolving landscape.
''F-i-r-s-t c-a-l-l for SUPPER in the
dining cart Boys. you shall have the
first table," so bawed the Pullman dining
car waiter, as he ushered these young men
to their seats at the table, where they were
instructed to help yosefs" by the grin
ming walter and order anything they wished
That wistful look soon disappeared as the
''porterhouse 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 Call
fornia Limited. which meanwhile had been
speeding through the bad lands" of Ne
braska' the sweet clover-scented hills of
wyoming. the snow-clad Rockies and the
seemingly boundless American desert
thence climbing the pretty pine-cad Sierra
Nevadas, right amongst the big trees and
red land country, over beautiful California.
The small boys who sold cherries and fruit,
which abound so plentifuly and for which
most OF the boys wanted to pay when they
heard that young sailors were aboard the
rain' refused to accept pay. and 1t was
useless to try to force money on them.
Reception at Goat Island
The train slid down the western sIone NJ
the Sierras and ran on the longest ferry in
the world at Porta Costa, and in one hours
time 1t glided into the station at Oakland
mole, where all embarked on the San Fran
cisco ferry named Oakland and received our
hrst ride on salt water and our first view
or 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 escorted us to the
tug which took us over to Goat island.
Many of us felt so salty on that ride that
we thought we could smell the spray Of the
sea- ana IL did make us feel good to think
that we were to be soon real sailors and
uefenders of our country's rights
we arrived at p. m. and dinner was i'm
mediately served, the officers knowing verv
well that we had eaten at 8 O'Clock at Sac
ramento, Cal. Our first navy meal-hov
soou IL was!-conssted of corned beef and
caopase, and I'm sure 1t received fun tus-
ice at our hands. Some one asked: '"vvhere
Is the sea biscuit?" Surprised? Well I
guess we were when one of the men who
waited on the table said: 1--WE don't eat
sea biscuit here. Have some of this lam p,
we were told that our quarters would be
oh the ola snip Pensacola, on which we had
our first navy meal. Hammocks were served
out to u.s. and each had two nice white
blankets and a hair mattress
Learning to He Sailors.
We each received a station billet. telling
US our duties and station at fire quarters
and collision drill, general quarters Cbatt,a
eNercises) and also the division we were in
and our watch number. Now, a shin has
more watches than one; there are two Out
they don't keep time except to the music
at drills), called the port and starboard
watches. These watches we found latar
constituted the foundation of the ship's roll
tine: and | was detailed I'm the port watch.
In the evenings before taps the band
played and the boys danced and felt M
home because everybody felt sociable Al
, o'clock came Taps and Lights Out. -
Everybody turned in their hammocks and
were soon fast asleep rocked in the cradle
Of the deep"
Al $3.50 In the morning "Reveille" was
blown on the bugle-"Can't get EN- IN
Can't get 'em up in the morning." etc. and
all hands turned out to be ushered into a
real tiled bath room and provided gener-
ously with towels and soap.
AT 1880 breakfast call went, and much 10
our surprise ham and eggs was the meal
II now began TO dawn on us that the old
navy was no longer in existence We were
now amorg good young Americans and all
or us decided to appreciate the kind treat
ment and food We were getting You know
before we enlisted everybody seemed 10
know all about the navy and said. old LADY,
IKE; You mark my words, you'll get
starved and bullied and mstreated," etc
and now we saw that people who were
never in the service were in no position Ia
Judge at all and that their advice was the
result OF deep-set prejudice fastened by
untruthful stories and books describing the
merchant marine and not our manly blue
Jacket or his career.
Actual Duties Begin.
Our naval careers really commenced this
morning, as We were provided with uni
forms, white and blue, and were detailed 70
divisions for drills and instructions. Those
who had former military training. such as
high school cadets private school boys
and other soldiers, were chosen by the Of
hcers to command the various divisions.
was placed in command of the Ninth
division and called the first petty officer -
A seond and third petty officer was chosen
10 assist the first, and the whole division
wac turned over to an instructor. Our
first lesson was; Boys, be manly" Second
strict discipline shall be enforced" Third
Always recognize and salute any officer
as such is a courtesy we owe our superiors
and which they have earned. and which
they return to you"
Each day We received instructions in
physical culture, fencing, artillery ana rifle
practice, infantry drill, setting sail. furlina
sail, making knots; also instructions in sig
mails. ordnance and gunnery; how a ship Is
built, its many decks, masts holds, etc
Rowing was our chief exercise and amuse.
ment and each day we would visit some
new part of the bay and harbor
We soon realized that there was great
advantages to be gained by study and at.