The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-05-19
FHE GAETEEH Oh VARSHIPs
SAILORS STORE THAT PUT TIE
BUMBOAT OUT.


II QHmuT y LADDLLH OBDAAAAlAlgyb hNN1 III hu1
maraI Eats PeaBat HFittie-BlueJackets
Need GarteFs NSwsdayS land Cigar.
ettes-ASts - Them-No Drinks
Among the many things added to ships
Of the navy In recent years for the comfort
Of the men there Ii probably nothing that
has contributed more 10 the contsntmept
| OF the crew than the shI0's STOREY OF eaA-
teen, M IL IL generally called.
The paymAster's department. Of the ship
| carries all the necessaries, denominated
| clothing and small stores and embracing
all clothing necessary for . regulation outfit;
as well as cloth, flannel. and cotton drfl
for making complete suits, with sewing
silk and cotton, needlee. soap, tobacco.
| shoe brushes, blackiDg and many other
| articles Indispensable to Jacks welfare:
but the oantesn adds to these little oom-
| forts, which up to the time Of it's advent
| could be obtained only from the bumboat,
and OF exorbitant prices.
1t would be dihicuit to say just what led
up to the institution Of. the csnteen, but
there can be no doubt that the bumbcat
! people themselves were largely responsible
for it, for It's appearance marked the dis
appearance Of the bumboat, and Incl
dehtally marked a reduction In the price Of
commodities and made Jack more thrifty;
for he was always In debt TO the bumboat
because it was 90 easy TO obtain credit,
which cannot be had at the canteen.
Though not oflcially recognized by the
Navy Department. and 90 being something
Of an orphan, the canteen has come to
| stay. The funds for it's establishment are
not supplied by the Government, and at
times the starting Of one Is beset with difh-
%culties, the men frequently being unable
or unwilling 10 subscribe the amount neces-
sary TO do II.
In such cases dealers are not unwilling
10 stock II, knowing full we'll that the ship'S
regulations for it's management are such
that the investment is rs safe as any other
that they could make, and that repayment
IN certain. The business, run on o strictly
cash basis, II under the direct controlof the
paymaster, with monthly supervision Of
the stock and accounts by a board Of Of
fcers appointed by the Captain.
Each man IL permitted 70 draw from his
account q certain amount each month for
expenditure at the canteen, which amount
Ia issued In the form Of small pasteboard
tickets, so surrounded with numbers and
signatures az to make IL well nigh inpos-
sIble for the men to dispose Of them except
at the store.
The stock Of the canteen il as varied az
that Of q country store and It's character
as good ss can be found In similar goods
anywhere; for although the canteen was
established primarily for the men, the
officers also are liberal patrons Of It.
1t embraces q little OF everything, but
the principal commodities are cigarettes,
smoking tobacco and pipes, candy, chew
ing gum, stationery, playing cards, while
It may surprise many people to know
that safety, pins and gartera form no
uncomfortable portion OF the stock.
How IL would shock az old man-o'-wara-
man 10 suggest the wearing OF garterel
But he knew only the historic spureer's
SOCK which needed no support. His
modern successor seldom wears the socks
recently got his half hose from the oanteen.
where he also found the necessary carriers
for keeping them up, but until one gets
accustomed to 1t the sight of Jack In gar
ters n ludicrous In the extreme TO old ~
men.
There are some who regard this as another
indication OF the advance OF modern ideas.
while the old blueiacket shakes his head
and wonders what the navy 10 oUmfnG to.
just a he does when he sees the youngsters
smoking cigarettes instead OF taking a
mans smoke Of good old navy. plug. Be
that as II may, carriers seem 70 have taken
as firm q hold as cigarettes, and the can
teen, az puryeyor TO everybody, merely
meets the public demand.
There IN one thing that IL not carried in
stock. and that IL matches. for the care
exercised to guard against fire 10 no more
relaxed in the great steel bAttlsships with it's
powerful steam FIRE pumps than 1t was in
the days Of the old wooden frigate with
hand pumps. The result 10 that the young
sters who smoke cigarettes can do 30 only
when the smoking lamp is lighted. and eI-
cept on rainy days this IL only after meals.
In this way there IL O check on the cigarette
smoking, which otherwise would make It
a greater nuisance than IL is on shore.
OF ell things carried II ID safe to cay that
there is nothing quite 90 dear to Jacks
heart as candy. FOR II truth be told he has
q very sweet tooth-in fact, he 10 an in
" ERE ss Saesy s SSISs q: Sut lPns J Ss th sss su GGS.
ing Of the canteen he had few opportunities
for indulginR this taste, and wen with the
canteen his indulgence mus necessarily
be somewhat limited. owing to the fact
that the capacity OF the store Is always
email and etogaoe space limited.
Nevertheless IL is not unusual for q
large battleship when preparing for a winter
cruise In the West Indies to by In as much
as two tons Of candy. More would be
carried II there were space for II. and this,
apparently large quantity is usually e1|
hausted long before the ship starts 10 re-
turn 10 the United States.
h candy ranges from the popular
peanut brittle to the fancy brands Of French
candy put up in attractive boxes, with all
the trimmings that 60 70. make up a box
for his best girl, for Jack 10 O con noisseur
in things sweet. What class Of men eat
iti Every Glass and Of all ages. from the
Admiral TO the youngest landsmAn, 1t
10 related Of an Admiral who recently com
mahded the North Atlantic feet that this
dlEniied ofioer was one Of the best patrons
Of b oanteen for candy and that II was
not unusual TO see him clip q piece OF peanut
brittle into his mouth when n ged in i'm
portant ~evoiutions.
There 10 another aide OF the canteen that
should not be lost sight Of. one that pre-
sents q m~eritorious ~feeture, and that Is the
wholesome elect II has ON discipline; for az
a general rule the amount that q man may
spend at the canteen 10 regulated in accord.
ance with his conduct record, a first class
man. being allowed much more than one
Of the fourth class. For that reaeon, II
for no other. special effort 10 generally
made 10 keep on the first olass In order
that the privileges OF the canteon may not