davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-13

number Of graduates 10 not yet quite az
great az desired by the department. When
tho now buttleship Connecticut. for in
stance. goes into commission she will have
a crew Of 1000 men. Forty will be trained
electricians. She should have fiftv.
OF the ninety men now In the school
nearly all enlisted from Western States;
but that only happened 30, explained Lieut..
Hubbard, who said that the recruiting
officers had for the time being cleaned up
about ell the desirable naval material on
the Atlantic coast and that for o while the
best supply would come from the interior.
II 10 from the best supply that the candidates
for the electrical corps are drawn.
A new sailor who wants to try for that
corps and can convince Capt. Emory or
Lieut.. Hubbard that he has had some cleo
trical training or has some natural qfaliica-
cations for the work Ia allowed to enlist
as an electrician, third class. He thereby
skips the lowest three grades in the navy,
those Of landsman, ordinary seaman n
seaman, and 30. OF course. gets rid OF some
drudgery in the work aboard ship; but
he also misses some Of the advantages Of
those three grades, at which the novice at
seagoiug learns q lot about taking care OF
himself and about the work Of q sailor pure
and simple.
When these third class electricians 60 to
sea they are experts, trained not only in
operating all the electrical machinery
aboard ship, but able to take 1t to pieces and
set 1t up again and make necessary repairs.
OF course, every man aboard ship dabbles
a little in electricity-he can'thelpit because
nearly everything he touches Is moved by
q current and he Is bound to absorb a little
practical knowledge Of the subject-but 1t
IL the mar from the school at the Brooklyn
yard who is used In an emergency.
All Of the teaching is Of necessity individ-
ual, rather than In Glasses. This Is so be-
cause Of the wide range Of qualifications
the beginners. On the same day, for
instance, the naval class may receive q boy
who has had thorough theoretical training
In q school Of technology but no practical
experience, and another boy who has been
earning q living at dynamo tending but,
so far as book learning goes, couldn't work
out simple fractions. Both are valuable,
but require different treatment.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-13

belonged 10 another department altogether
To a recognized institution at the navy yard
now has three big rooms for It's exclusive
Use in one OF the equipment bureaus build
ings. On the ground floor Is the machine
shop and dynamo room, and it Is here that
the sailor, except in cases requiring special
treatment, begins his course.
Here he learns, first, how to run every
thing electrical and, secondly, how to make
and repair whole machines or their parts,
He becomes an expert with a lathe and
learns how to wind an armature.
An old dynamo which had been aban-
donedfor junk was sent up from the Norfolk
Navy Yard the other day and found Its
way into the electrical school. The sailors
class was turned loose on IL and in two
days had that dynamo in working order.
The sets Of a French wireless system
which were tried with the Government's
consent at Sandy Hook failed to get any
communication whatever with incoming
ships. The layout was sent to the Brook
lyn navy yard for storage. and there the
wireless students Of the navy tackled it
and succeeded In putting it In communica-
ton, something that tho French operators
who had brought the apparatus over to this
country had failed to do.
There Is, also, in the dynamo and lathe
room q complete layout Of ~switohboards,
indicators and outouts with their oonnneo-
tions, with all the lights, whistles, bells aud
gear that are operated by electricity on q
battleship. Searohlights are q special sub
jet Of investi cation by the students, and
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-13

have the Government and the departments
electrical school at the Brooklyn navy
yard 10 thank for their SUCCESS.
This school began In the sma Hest sort Of
way o after tho Spanish war, whom q
few apprentices were set to work In the
various shops to learn something about
dynamos. Before that time electricity
wasn't much Of a factor on the warships.
The guns and turrets and hoists were all
operated by steam or hydraulic power.
Nowadays electricity IL depended on for
almost everything aboard ship, except turn
ing the Sorrows and practically all OF the
Government vessels, not even excepting
the small torpedo boats, are equipped With
their wireless telegraph plants. Guns are
pointed and fred by electric power, ram
mers are driven home by it. turrets are
moved by 1t and the ammunition Is holsted
by pressing . button.
The steering gear, Of course, is electric,
and so is the mechanism for hosting the
small boats. Dynamos furnish the power
for ooaling ship which accounts for the
speed acquired in the United States Navy
recently In filling the bunkers.
Neither ordinary nor able seamen can
do al these things unless they have special
training; hence the school at the Brooklyn
yard. under the direction Of Capt. Emory
Of the receiving ship Hancock and under
the immediate supervision Of Lieutenant
Commander j. F. Hubbard, who selects
the boys for the course according 10 their
preliminary promise Of Fitness, and then
sess to IL that they either keep up to the
mark for six months Of hard study and in
vestigation or else get out to make room
for others.
The class consists Of anywhere from
80 TO 100 men at q time, and there is
no difficulty In keeping 1t filed. or the
$1,000 enlisted men now ip the navy there
are about 1000 who are graduates Of the
electrical school. Some OF than finished
their ourse before wireless telegraphy was
added to the curriculum, and they have
had themselves transferred to the navy
yard 90 that they might take q post-gradu.
ate course in wireless.
IL has been estimated by the Bureau Of
Equipment and other naval authorities
that at least 8 per cent. Of the Grew Of each
ship should be electricians, % the total
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-13

so are the truck and mast headlights with
the electric pulsators. essential for the
safety signals when vessels are man6u-
wiring in squadron formation.
All the work in this department is done
with reference To the text books. Each
sailor must be ready to explain why, at any
moment, such a thing is &c and must
keep a record of his days work in his log.
Above the dynamo room Is another room,
fully as large, filled with charts and dla-
grams OF wireless telegraph systems. These
blue prints. supplemented In pen and ink
sketches, show the whole thing from the
power creating dynamo TO the aerial,
where the message Ia received from or
sent into the ether. The work in this room
consists principally Of investigating the
dozen or more systems, studying the CO.
herer, which made wireless telegraphy Of
soma commercial benefit, and learning the
code. This part Of the course develops
the sailor as q draughtsman.
The code adopted in the school is the
Morse Continental. At the outset of the In
PRODUCTION Of wireless into the navy the De-
partment tried and adopted some modih-
cation OF the regular naval code which lie
used in the light and flag wigwagging sig-
nails, but IL was too slow. With the Morse
Continental code for the wireless talk be-
tween ships secrecy can DO secured without
ga orifcing speed in communication by the
simple trick Of shifting all the letters one
place to the right or left.
For instance, the commander Of n squad
ron CAM by preliminary agreement, make
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-13
CNNkT 1ecHRsc1evS cSf NP0HS>

The boy from the school Of technology.
after passing an examination and proving
that he really knows what he has said he
knew, Is Get at work on the machinery 10
apply his theories. The other beginner Is
put In a corner on the second floor OF the
equipment building with a dozen more
pupils to learn from text books the why's
and wherefores Of the machinery they
have become familiar with.
These two boys may not meet till, near
the end Of their course. they come together
In the wireless telegraph room when they
will learn TO send and receive on all the
various foreign and American instru-
ments that nave been invented, an j, further
more, learn how to duplicate those outfits
and to explain every detail OF them in writ
ing and with diagrams. Absolute thor
oughness, both practical and theoretical,
is the most striking characteristic Of the
school.
Applicants received in the class also
include boys who have acquired a taste for
electricity from their jobs at stringing wires
on poles and have coupled with that the old
romantic longing to 60 to sea, which even
the age Of electricity hasn't been able to
squelch In normal healthy youngsters.
Then there are older men who are qualified
electrical engineers who want to go to sea,
too, or want to study more and can't afford
to pay tuition. Western Union operators
and railroad ~telegraphers who are tired Of
Office work are also among the recruits.
The school, which has grown from q little
nucleus Of sailors about g dynamo which
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-13
A RINGER IN
~ A POKER GAME
Mistake of Two Professional Gam
blers on a Mississippi
River Packet.

I'm them old time days you was
sskin' about" said Caleb Mix, the
veteran bartender on tho Mississippi
River Packet City Of. Natohes, there was a
tel'abls clear notion as how the gamblers
that travelled the boats-an' there was a
mapy on 'em as did-all knowed n an
other, an more'n that, as how they all
stood In together when there was any
suckers to be did up.
Il amt a-sayin' but what that war some
oloes TO bein' correct. They was o heap
HE q pack O. wild dogs, an when there was
Asleep TO DO pulled down, they just natur-
sIly ran together. 1t we're on'y when they
want no sheep in sight 7 the dogs d eat
opA another.
There was times, though, when there
~Ah some confusion, bein' as how some
pfstAionAl d happen along 'thouten any
previous introduction. jest naturally he'd
held hisself up fr q sucker, reck'nin' on
tsrnin' the game ag'in t'other p'fessionals
afore they'd tumble.
isThere was one on EN- that come to be
knowed az Harry Bixby after t come
abosrd the old Bayou Belle at Vioksburg
one night an stirred up moro hell inside
0. the fret Ave hours n there had been
On the boat fr a year afore.
He was a tall, fine lookin' chap with
Jet black hair an eyes, an his eyes snapped
lilo hrecrackers when he looked at you
s,idden. He was dressed elegant, but that
want nc sure eign. Some o. the PIES
tionAls used TO dress as fine as the richest
s&ells In the hull valley, an the gentlemen
'ustd 10 wear nigh as much jewelry as the
kamblers did. So 'twa'n't mono %surprisin'
to ~ tho long gold chain he had around
his neck, nor the big diamond stud he had
In his shirt. His clo'es was black broad
cloth, an his linen was the finest.
aHe played his part all right. After
supper he went out on the upper deck and
WALKED up an down, dignihed as you please,
smoldn' hia cigar an not speakin' 10 nobody
tin Jim Robinson come up TO him an asst
him n he'd care to take q hand In q little
game O. draw poker Y some o. the paaAen-
tere was a-tryin' to get UP to pass away
the time,
shobinson and his side partner, Joe
KSeier, was travefin' strictly on business,
thar business bein' draw poker. m they
wab the passengers twas tryin' to get up
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-13

AZ an Indispensable mai In the navy the
elt6tfieian has made q place for himself
sscond only 10 that Of the chief gunner. or,
% Be more accurate, the place has been made
fdS him BY the developments Of the last
EIGHT yeaFs, and the Government has estsb-
lishsd O echooi 10 make o thousand or more
Of tts ssilors competent for tho new work.
Incidentally, These men are acquiring an
for them the problem OF making a good
living whom they quit the service. The
Feeult, Of course, n merely q sort Of by
product 10 which the Navy Department Is not
directly Interested.
There 10 no longer cause for that old
complaint that service In the navy doesn't
AZ q boy for anything else and may unfit
him for everything else. Let him go into
tho electrical corps. II he Is studious and
ambitious enough for the work, and when he
QUITS the ehips there will be half a dozen
bic corporations trying to get his services.
To illustrate, there Is q chief electrician,
q petty ofloer in the navy, now at work as
a. Instructor in the wireless telegraph
department. Of the school for electricians
AZ tho Brooklyn yard who has had an offer
Of eco q month from one Of the wireless
~oo1npaniee that have their headquarters
h this city. That IL more than the pay Of
aCaptain IN the navy. As IL is, the chief
electrician gets go q month, and, Of course,
oouidn't 10 TO the outside job before his
tisne b up without being a deserter.
There lie another way Of looking at it.
This boy knew nothing about electricity
and wireless telegraphy before he entered
Tie navy. The Government has given him
h;sflne training and a comprehensive knowl-
etee Of all the various wireless systems
which 10 could not have got anywhere else.
He b learning a profession as thoroughly
~ II he were In an expensive chronological
school and getting a living, with the health
and fun and experience that ant be got
by che landlubher thrown In.
Furthermore, this boy and others like
him are qualified by their achievements
ineieotsloity to 20 to the gunnery school and
through that institution, eventually to
beoorne commissioned officers, 30 they
have two careers opened to them~--progress
toward high rank in the navy or suooess
b evil Me-and In either case they will
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-13
$4,000 ON A BILLIARD SHOT.
JOHN Fl. SHUTS BET A FAMOUS
HORSE on HIS SKILL.

A Kentucky Horsemnn Wagered Another
Shuts Wons but Generously Saved
the Kentuckian From Ruin-A Recort
Bet on o Single Play at Billiards
we are having a great rally among
the lovers OF billiards in New York just
now remarked O man who sat watching
Sutton make his record average In the
recent tournament at Madison Square
Garden. "and a lot Of money will change
hands before it is over; but ! can tell
you OF a game Of billiards which resulted
In O bigger wager than all these latter
ones put together.
Furthermore, 1t was made on a single
shot, and the stakes were In value close
to $50 900. The story was told to me by
an eyewitness, who with another man
was the only spectator Of this high play
with the worries.
Back In 1885. II my memory serves me,
there was a breeding farm for ~trotters
established on the Ocean Parkway in
Brooklyn by John b. Shuts. He pur-
chased a large road house, also, and fitted
it up as a residence. In one Of the rooms
he eet ZIP a billiard table to amuse himself
and his friends during the long winter
evenings.
Among the out OF town visitors to Park
vile Farm, as II was called, was W. H.
Wilson, who had a similar plaos in Ken
tuoky. He was a big, rawboned man,
fond OF more sports than horse racing,
with a reputation Of being handy with a
pack Of cards as well as with a cue.
with him was q veterinary surgeon
from the Blue Grass region, and they were
entertained in the royal fashion for which
their host was noted. After u capital
dinner. fianked by numerous cold quarts,
the party adjourned to the billiard room
for a smoke, and the Kentucky breeder was
invited to try his skill against the master
OF the Brooklyn farm.
HE made q good showing and the game
was a pretty close one. After a fairly
good run, Wilson left the balls in q difficult
lineup and far apart on the rail. As Mr..
Shuts stepped up for his innings his oppo-
nent said: You don't expect TO count this
timer
"'Yes, Of oourse I do was the reply.
'That'san easy one
s'rd like to bet you something you miss,'
said the Kentuoldan.
How much1 said his host.
.'oh, pts make IL Q horse,' said the
visitor.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-13

ga thousand better than you,' he says
en- throws in the money.
"Then Robinson pondered a long time
Then he oussed a little, soft an under hi
breath. Finally he says.
well, you may have fours. but I've go
to call YOU an he shows down ace full.
Just what ! have said Bixby, shown
four tens an takin' the money.
'Keeler was madder'n Robinson wasi an
he says, awful red In the face Looks kline
o. queer, don't itf'
1T was q bad break, an I don't reckon
tn 50 quiet While they was dom funny
stunts with the No'therners 7 ! reckon
they'd come TO think he was plain inno'
cent.
III they had any such notion they got
over It sudden, fr Bixby took IL up quick,
] was tellin' you how his eyes snapped
,pesreS 1. like KY you cd fair hear 'em crack
at did look queer, for a fact. You
must remember, though, IT was your pal
dealt. / thought, when / saw him take
that third ace I'm the bottom OF the deck
U most likely he had me beat, but he
Hold on, therel Hands upl'
They'd both started up an was pullin'
their guns when Bixby flashed one in each
hand an had them both covered afore they
cd get their weapons fairly out.
Keep quiet q minute, please says
Bxbv. IT'S bad manner for to interrupt
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-13

HE A s,ani fuf n, then Y viii he e and e siii
be II. ard ~ on IN through the alphabe'
For y months opcrtt ton 4 cruld hs y N
the nrs, day ~ the month and A could l@c
on tho accond DAY. ~ on The third and ~
on throughout the month, the rest ~ the
ALPHABET pushing ahead n pitcc every
day In aonori viii tho movements ~ A.
II would ~ impossible for the operator
on a hostile ship 10 rad the code even II 10
stole tho messaEe-.
Fpr all that, the naval authorities are
arrp,icnl about the utility ~ the wireless
telegraph In war tlmes, not beuaues Of any
lack OF secrecy, but because u the Confuston
oauasd by two or more aystefns. Marooni
haa asserted that he could tins hie instru-
mentH no that they would not Oe affected In
any way by the operation Of other systems.
hut he has not succeeded IN doing that
vet, and some ma val officers don't think that
the thing ohn be done,
THAT IL the weak point in wireless, mid
nm officer OF the ma Wy at the Brooklyn yard
the other day, m there In little chance Of
It's being eliminated. As a matter Of fact
all the wireless communication about this
port il carried on by courtesy n suffer.
ance.
ANY operator employed by any one Of the
half dozen companies can throw out all the
rest by simply keeping his key going con.
stantly and not giving the others a chance.
As 1t is each operator listens, and when no
messages are in the air tries to send what
he has on hand. Then be waits awhile TO
give some one else a GLANCE
Eventually there will have TO be Govern
ment supervision to control the business
at a port like New York. Any one with
$500 to spend could put up ar aerial and
a battery over here in Brooklyn and put
everybody out Of business.
That's what happened a while ago at
Newport, when an ambitious boy who
wanted to be an electrician put up q pole
and connected 1t with a battery out Of an
old automobile. For a week tho Govern
ment operators at Newport couldn't send
or receive a message that could be read.
Then they investigated and found the
boy, who was ignorant Of the trouble he had
caused
That boy Is now a student In the electrical
school at the Brooklyn yard, and he 10
expected to be a useful man In the navy,
There has been complaint that the Statue
Of Liberty in the upper bay interfered
with wireless messages. but that is not SOL
say the naval operators. They do CON-
plain, however, Of the trolley cars on the
Brooklyn Bridge. Every time the little wheel
on the end of a cars trolley pole begins to
sizzle and spit green sparks the boys who
are learning to send and receive In the
navy yard get a string Of meaningless
&c.,. Alxtx 4. nu,.l an kan - TIM ont,iN-
ment building.
The new petty officers emblem designed
for the blouse sleeve Of the sailor who be-
comes chief electrician CONSISTS Of three
red bars and a white globe enoiroled BY
lines, which, the wearer explains, indicate
electric currents.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-13

a gentleman when he's talkin'. I was
about to say u O man t can't give hisself g
card I'm the bottom thouten bein' seen, an
don't know the deck no better'n to give
another man four tens, is a monstrous poor
dealer. Pears like he hain't got no call to
play In a grown mans game
He kept his eyes danoin' firm one TO the
other an his guns both p'inted steady r.
q minute, an then he said:
81 reckon you don't want to fight. You've
had your lesson, an I don't think you want
to play NO more with me. How II we have
a bottle of wine2 Bring q bottle an three
glasses, Gale. The gentlemen are going
TO drink with me to a better acquaintance
AN that's what they did. Keller an
Robinson want n chumps, II they want
They knowed when they'd had enough
an they spent the rest o the evening drinkin'
wine. More'n that, they vas al'ays good
friends afterwards g fur 3 ! know"
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-13

'Not long before Wilson had secured A
valuable stallion in Persimmons, a con
OF the famous George Wilkes, to head his
stud at Cy~nthiana, and when Mr.. Shuts said
All right, Persimmons for me- he wac q
bit startled, for that meant the bulk OF
his worldly ohattels.
He still thought he had a pra Of ioal clnchi
however, and, moreover, envied the Brook
Ign breeder the possession OF that good
sire, Pancoa st, for whom Shuts had paid
SIS, 900 at auction a short time before. Here
seemed the chance OF q lifetime to land a
big prize, 80 Wilson snapped at the sug'
gestion, and promptly said;
lisa go il you put Panooas st up again"
my horse
$50 the big wager was made in a jihyi
and Wilson, who now fanoied he had a
moral on the other mans valua BILE trottef'
suggested they put it in writing. That was
agreeab BILE to Mr.. Shuts, a nd a memorandum
Of the bet was duly dra WI up and signed oy
both principals, with the veterins ry surgeon
and the superintendent Of Parkyille Farm
as witnesses.
'Then the cool old gentleman with the
white hair and mustache took up his cue,
chalked 1t carelessly and with a powerful
push Of an iron arm sent the ball spinning
across from the object ball to the third one
as II he were making a straight carom'
Then he turned to his guest with a merry
twinkle In his Keen blue eye and found the
latter propped back against the wall iof
support, looking as white about the giHs
as his wi collar.
Whats the matter, Wilson" said ne
81 did-didn't think you could CONS
within a yard Of that shot, staHmereo
the tall Kentuckian. who saw ruin staring
him In the face as the result OF his sure
thing proposition.
That's all right, my boy, said hs "n.
queror with a reassuring smile. yours
my guest and as / never missed a GRO"
table shot like that ii wouldn't be far 10
take your horse. Well have Gnotne'
bottle and call 1t Of
Then Wilson came back 10 earth Win
sigh Of relief that could have been heafo
down at Coney Island, accepted the ihyr
tation like a man who had been on "
water wagon for a year and tore up w
memorandum as If II had been a oea'"
warrant.
AN the same, he really stood 70 WIN o.
lose a couple OF pieces Of horsefesh tnss
were then worth at least the $50 900 men,
toned beforehand that was on a s'h'MH.
stroke Of a cue at a billiard table. y,
q true tale and surely q record breaker
among bets Of that ind