The San Francisco call., 1906-06-24
SAILOR HAS HIS TROUBLES

American bluejackets are supposed TO
have no troubles. In song and story
they simply sail on and on over billowy
waves ana bounding sea-. They have no
servant question to worry them, no
weekly calls from the butcher and baker.
no society stunts TO do-in fact, the pro-
verbal life is one continual round Of
pleasure" is supposed to have been first
written of the care-free sailor boy.
It is really TO bad to spoil the Utopian
dream but it develops that the American
sailor has as many troubles of the COM
mon, everyday sort as any of the rest Of
the human race. They have rules and
regulations; true, no signs Don't walk
on the grass but there is a rule against
splitting on the deck. While loud talking
is not tabooed, whistling on certain occa-
sions is placed under the ban. And so on,
many rules of life are laid down for
sailors, just as though they were doing
ordinary duty of citizens on the land.
Rules always call for punishments. AL
though there are a great many penalties
laid down for infraction Of regulations
on the battle ships. officers find less Sc
we're and "freaksh' punishments often
times the most effective Bresd-and-
water diet, Imprisonment, double duty,
and hard labor are not always the best
plan Of preventing a recurrence of the
misdemeanor. In kindergarten days the
big, bad boy could not be deferred by a
sound hogging, but when compelled to
sit on the lady teachers lap the ridicule
Of his fellows made him very good boy.
Splitting" on the deck Of battleship,
which is shining from it's fresh coat of
soap and water. is the most ordinary of
all misdemeanors. SO officers have long
since left the blue book of penalties and
have provided one of their own. For the
first offense the offender is brought up,
spit belt strapped around his waist, and,
amid the jeers and derisive smiles of his
companions, he marks time in a con-
spicuous place on the quarterback.
Should he forget and break the uni
Versal rule again, spit kit is this time
hung around his waist and each sailor
in turn walks up and sIits in it, greatly
10 the discontinue Of the wearer. Ohicers
says the second punishment never calls
for third penalty.
II is not an uncommon sight to see an
old grizZled sea dog squatting on the
deck Of a vessel, patiently. bailing water
from a fun tub TO another with tea
spoon. Great fun it is, for the first 100
teaspoonfuls. but then the humor wears
Of, and It becomes a trif1e irlsome Be-
fore = is finished it has become the hard
est k,nd Of labor.
One former midshipman, now an officer.
said, in referring to the time ne bailed
water with teaspoon: I'D 6 thousand
s-=aes rather shoulder a heavy musket
that number Of times than daily with
that teaspoon"
But say" said another officer, who
has grown gray in the service of Uncle
sam did you ever do the nursing stunt?
That positively takes the cake of them
all Many a time I have carried a six-inch
pro3ectile, weighing 100 pounds, in my
arms for an hour and a half Once 1
took to the penalty with too much aIacri-
~ and any superior made me sway that
smell to and fro and hum an old lullaby.
How my muscles did ache when was at
last allowed % deposit that nnewling in
fsnt On The deck"
i'robabiy the most drastic, as well as
novel punishment which ever befel a salt
happened on a battle ship OF the Atlantic
squadron not many years ago. One of
the officers had slight defect in his