Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-07-06
Tricks of Jack Tars.

The mldd1e: at Annapolis Know how
to show their diSapprOval of a dislikcd
officer. as, for instance, when they
Staked one of them to the silence in
mess hall the other day" said for
MGR chief petty officer in the American
navy, but they haven't the science of
hazing officers they don't care for
down to the fine point of the enlisted
men in that sort of work.
EARLY in my last cruise Il new exec
utive officer joined my ship at the
Mare Island navy yard in California.
He was a hard, peevish man, and I'M
commonly cynical as to tie meanings
and motives of all men for'ard. After
guards and prentice lads on anchor
watch had often heard him declare in
the mess room that he believed in the
restoration of the cat-O'-ninc tails to
the navy. and he addressed all hands
Of the enlisted force as if they were
Lascars. One afternoon this first huff,
as executive officers are called, went
down to San Francisco from Mare
Island to attend q high-jnks dinner,
at that famed high-jnks outfit, the
bohemian club. II" had such a merry,
riotous time at the dinner that when
he left Oakland for Vallejo to cross
over to rcjoin the ship about 3 O'Clock
in the morning he was i'm humor to
held chaw with anybody who hap
pencd to swing alongside of him.
THE anybody in this case the cx-
ecutlve officers Scat-mate on the train
happened to be one of those shouting
Califurnans VINO dub all fasteners
snow shovclers and ice eaters. He
was, in addition, the owner and editor
of a newspaper published in a little
California town not far from san
Francisco. The officer had his knock
ing clothes on. and when he fell into
glTS-elug talk with this cffervcscent
Californian he was unwise enough to
sail in and knock the allogcdness of the
gal-lorious climate of California. He
didn't stop at this but he got his mall
let out for the state of California in
general, from fore to miZZen, and, as
he was right smart sudsed after those
long hours at the Bohemian Club. his
remarks at"n"d in vindictiveness for
what they lacked in conference
We'll. two days later a California
sunner's mate of our ships company
saw something in his home paper,
which he had just received. that
seemed to divert him a great deal. 1t
was a luridly written account of the
antics and the anmadversons of a
drunken naval officer in the smoking
car of train out of Oakland on the
previous Sunday morning.
The officers name was not given. but
ms personal appearance was described
with wealth of detail. Nobody
knowing the officer and reading the
article could help recognizing him.
Inc officer vas described as having
coilported himself on the train like the
bioomin' leadin' stoker of British
tramp on Singapore shore drunk-alI
OF mat and worse. The gunncr's mate
cut the clipping out of the paper.
slapped little dab of shellac on the
back OF it for paste and stuck it to the
1'r ard bulletin board in a thoughtless
KIND of way. The blueiackets took
turns rubbering at it, The executive
oTlcer' looking over the mems quarters
before morning Inspection, caught
sight Of The clinpinc. read it with
growing horror. scratched il off the
board With his penknife-and he was