The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1907-03-21
Copyright. by Joseph y. Bowles. }

Inlrai SlESOec OF TIC United states navy,
is the daughter of tho late Gen. Lock
wood. She has been much at SCI: and
her kindly interest in the sailors has
given her a close insight into their lives.
as the following article disrloses.l
Comparing the modern sailor with
those who enlisted on board our men,
of-war so or 60 years ago we see that
Jack nowadays fares far better than
In those good old times.
In the early days of the nineteenth
century and until about 1886 flogging
was administered for even minor Of
lenses. The cat" a scourge with
nine tails, used ON the bare back. was
one of the instruments Of torture. All
the ships company were required to
witness this degradation of their COM
rades. The colt" or ropes end, was
frequently kept coiled in the caps of
the boatswain's mates ready to be
used at moments notice on the luck
less offender.
Now what change! Confinement
in the brig" on bread and water for a
stated time or deprivation of liberty
on shore is the punishment for small
offenses, while for the greater a sum-
mary or general court-martial is held
according to the gravity of the wrong
doing.
In former times the ships library
consisted of Il few old-fashioned books,
too dry mostly for Jacks taste-es-
says. lectures, sermons, with sprink.
ling OF poems and lives of notable peo-
pie. These were kept in q cask or
barrel commonly, which was capsized
whenever volume was to be selected.
Now Jack has good library, com-
prising tales of travel and adventure,
the newest novels, as we'll as the
standard works, histories, poems-in
fact. the kind of books that he would
care to read.
On the battleships in summer the
men are called at four o'clock or 1870.
according to the executive officers or.
der book. First the buglers sound
the reveille. The boatswain's mates
pipe in unison shrill call and then
roar:
"A-a-a-ll hands: Up! All ham.
mocks! Turn out! Lash and carry.
Shake a leg! Bear a hand!"
This in stentorian tones. The
sleepy occupants of the hammocks
turn out rubbing their eyes and
stretching themselves. The sluggards
receive a push underneath the ham.
mock from the master-at-arms, cans.
ing the sleepiest to turn out quickly.
Half-clOthed already-not sleeping in
pajamas-their remaining garments.
which are tucked away in their ham
mocks. are soon put on.
They proceed to lash their ham.
mocks. rolling them in a cylindrical
bundle secured with seven round taut
turns of manila flashing and then neat.
ly slowing them away in the netting
on deck.
The mess cooks then appear. bring.
ing tin buckets two feet high filled
with hot. strong coffee, sweetened and
diluted with milk. Each man drinks
his bowl of coffee. then comforts him
self with a pipe or with cigarettes
from his "ditty box" ! regret to say
that the cigarette habit has invaded
the ranks OF our fine, stalwart BODY OF
bluejackets. Jack with pipe sounds
historic and as he should be, but with
cigarette he is Inconsistent. Tho
ditty box is about a foot across and
III this Jack keeps safely locked his
private letters. photographs. writing
materials. perhaps a cake of soap and
other treasures. For half an hour tbf
sailor may sip his coffee. smoke. Writ,
a letter OF do as he pleases.
The bell strikes the half-hour, TIL,
boatswain's mates pipe and then sins
out Turn to-" the pipe or whistle
blast coming first and Tie order fol
lowing. This means that the mer
must tumble out on deck and in obedi
ence to the orders as given mus
wash clothes" scrub down the deck,
with sand" wipe off paintwork." o.
do whatever the programme for til,
mornings work may be for that day
Hose Is brought out. pumps are started
and sand is sprinkled ON the decks
The men scrub tue decks with lone
handled brushes. wiping them dow,