The Dolores star., 1906-09-14
What An Omaha Boy Has
10 Say Of the Navy
Personal Account Of His the p,v ~
til He Was Made ouartermss,er wv

any oHcer, as such is the courtesy we
owe our superiors and which they have
earned, and which they return to
you"
East day We received instructions in
pay Ssicai culture, fencing, artillery and
rife practice, infantry drill. setting
sail, furling sail, making knots. also
Instructions in signals, ordnance and
sunnery; how a ship is built. its many
decks. masts, holds. etc. Rowing was
our chief exercise and amusement and
each day we would visit some new part
of the bay and harbor.
We soon realized that there were
great advantages to be gained by
study and attention to duty, and many
men soon gained the name of being
smart, intelligent and frank, and won
the respect of the officers and the men
VINO were their constant companions.
Competitive examinations were held
to determine who should be the petty
officers of their divisions, which office
man held one month or more, pro-
viding he was smart enough to keep
it.
Shore leave was granted on
Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays
We organized base ball team, foot
ball team, fencing team and as many
OF the boys had guitars or mandolins,
glee club was formed. and many
happy evenings we spent in the noon
light on the "forecastle" singing, dane
ing and frolicking to our hearts con-
tent.
Away for a Practice Cruise.
After few months under shore
training we boarded the United States
Ship Mohican, with three rousing
cheers for those who were unfortunate
enough to remain on the old Pensacola.
Only $50 could go aboard for the
eleven-months' cruise, and l was one of
the chosen ones. In fact all the Omaha
draft was taken, as 1t was their turn
to go, further instructions and train
ing before boarding battleship Of the
line, as real. true. man-o'warsmen.
How lofty the ship looked: how
pretty 1t rode the waves; like a swan
on pleasure bent.
One evening in November we gJided
smoothly out of the Golden Gate" into
the Pacific, just as the sun was setting
In the fullness Of gold beyond the dis
tant Faraiones islands. On board this
our lives broadened again. Here we
were doing the real sailors work, in
making splices, knotting. getting sail.
etc. On each side of us we saw the
towering hills, bristling with guns and
mortars. We saw the Cliff House, Seal
Rocks and Mile Rock, on which the i'll
fated Rio Janeiro struck and sank one
foggy morning.
AS evening closed and the curtains
| of the night came softly stealing down
wards on the purple sea, and the little
stars were twinkling, peeping with
Aon1 of ell Ii1h ha
came stealthily creeping over the Cali
fornia hills. we knocked of steaming
and set our sails and changed the
course to the southwark, toward Old
| Mexico. Old Father Neptune (the
| keeper of all good sailors) did not
favor us with good winds as we rolled
| slowly along on the bosom Of the
| sleepy Pacific. Many of us got seasick,
but, thank goodness, 1t is not a perma-
| nent ailment, SO all of us recovered,
| and with sharpened appetites we rel
| ished the hardtack, biscuits and coarse
food which we had so longed and pined
/ for. Soon our evenings were spent as
nicely, singing and playing. as they
had been on the old Pensacola, and we
liked this free healthful life. Our
| drills continued and the ship rolled
lazily along.
Passing to Higher Grade.
When out seventy days at sea no.
tice was posted telling us that all who
wished to could hand in their names
and be examined for ordinary seaman.
Many of us were a little afraid that we
| didn't know enough to become an Or
| binary seaman. but the Doldest of us
put in our names and were examined
by a board of officers appointed for
| that purpose. How we studied and
crammed splices and knots, tackles
and blocks into our brains. Good thing
I'm chip of the old block" as
wooden things came easier. Many of
us passed with high percentages and
had an additional stripe put on the
sleeves Of our blouses, besides an in
crease in pay of 50 per month.
How proud we were as we realized
that personal endeavor" was really
being appreciated and was the real
road to success. In fourteen quickly
passed days we anchored in Magda-
lena bay, Mexico. Here we stayed for
three weeks, drilled ashore and on
board, had sailing and swimming
races, hunted turtles, went bathing in
the surf in Dead Mans cove" and on
Sundays would take boats and lines
anu SU lTdWIluS lOI tue speeuy, SudppS,
flashy yellow-tail and mackerel.
Sights In the Pacific.
Fresh fish of all kinds were our
main food item, but we received beef
from a ranchero who had a herd OF
steers. We reluctantly cast of our
moorings and were soon on our way
for Honolulu. Thirty days of sailing
brought us to the Garden of the Pa
cific," the most beautiful place we had
ever seen. Orange and banana trees
covered the slope of the .'Old Punch
Bowl" on whose peaceful crater sugar
cane was growing.
Shore leave was given each day, so
the boys" might have chance to go
up to old Mauna Loa, the active vol
cano of the Hawaiian group, and to