Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-05-12
Warship Visitors a Bother


progress at the jamestown EXposi-
ton. The hordes of ships visitors
are pretty apt to get on the nerves
both OF the gentlemen of the quarter
deck and the men of the fo'c'sle.
All hands get tired of the monotony
OF explaining the same old things
about the ships to the visitors-as
tired as the mcgaphoncrs of the rub.
berneck wagons become of their jobs
They tire. too, Of the extreme inquis-
ittveness. not to say the pryingness,
OF most of the ships visitors.
me officers as rule show their
ships to distinguished visitors,
friends. people who approach them
with letters of Introduction and pref
ty girls without any letters at all.
The men for'ard chaperon all OF the
othcrs--the hoi polloi and some pref
ty girls of type more nearly CORES
ponding to their own degrec-and
they become most Internally sick of
playing the guide particularly as
there are no hooks nnG crannicS
where the nice looking girls falling tu
the allotment of the bluciackets can
be conveyed for chummy little chats
In this respect the officers have an
immense advantage. because they
have tho freedom of ward room, mess
room and so on.
The extremely respectable but not
very interesting middle class folk. es
pccially those from the West. who
know all about the navy because
they've read about i, In the 10 cent
magazines are very eXacting when
they find themselves on beard Il man
o'-war for the first time
The leader Of such party gcncr.
ally demands to sec the captain of
the ship as soon as the climb over
eaEEway is made. The officer of the
deck who comes fOl-arG then politely
explains that the skipper Is exceed
insly busy In his cabin. Can he. the
officer of the deck. be of any service
to them? The respectable folk look
bit downcast ut this, for the officer
Of the deck seems young and he isn't
tho boss. However. .ilc leader re-
plies that the officer of the deck
might do, in pinch. The officer of
the deck can show them over the
ship. The officer of the deck mum.
bios something about being OH watch |
and therefore unable 10 leave .hc
deck. and he summons the first handy
bluciacket-apprentice or shcllhack
petty officer, It. makes no difference
to show the party about Very Of
ten the visitors of the type indicated
take this as Il deadly insult Here
they've come all the way from Ohio
or Indiana or Nebraska mainly for
the purpose of having good look al
the war ships and bluejacket, com
mon sailor person. Is detailed to show |
them Notwithstanding and outrage
ous a deliberate, International hu. |
Nmilation, which they will not for .
moment stand or tolerate. and which |
they shall report at once to the sec.
rotary of the navy.
If they don't dcbark in huff
they'll reluctantly and srouchily fol |
low The blucjackct assigned to the |
job o. showing them things about the |
ship, and a good many Of them will
taxa cut their piquc by attempting To
!, trea, Jack, their guide. as If he were
some peculiarly degraded and lowly |
sort Of Ing. These songs of the ''Mau |
Behind the Gun" sort arc very pretty |
irded. with pictures thrown upon Il |
screen ami all that. but when the |
average individual of the Snug way
of life comes into actual contact viii
the man behind the gun Jacks jus, !
fellow to be arrogant and naughty |
with. The American blucjackct very
Guic!ly detects 1t when be finds him |
self being regarded in This light by
ships visitors and he curls up most
nightly upon such visitors.
The things that they don't sec
about the man-owar they are visiting
under the convoy of the rcscntfu'
Blueiackct could not he cata nDncl
much less described, in any blt y
large volume. And when at tn. finish
nf such tour the visitors ,nikc IT,"
dismal mistake of offering :hcir sai..u
gride a piece Of silver change in the
Wy of backshecsh they are more
than liable to hear something th;.
will send them off TO the bcaHh WITH
a profound dislike for aud distiust .!
tho ran behind the CUR.
At the Oyster Bay review pomp,
Gus fat man, something of the type Of
the Sunday clothed cattle drover, ac
ccmpanied by a party conforming to
his. own obvious degree. had :, 9lnc.
Jacket guide in Il lengthy tour of the
shin. The blucjacket was a bo'sun's
mate who'd hcen going UP and down
the seven seas on American ships Of
war for more than a score of years.
The fat man and his people were very
remote in their attitude toward this
sailor person with the bell bottoms.
The men of the outfit addressed him
as Say. you fellow" The women
didn't address him at all, lhlt regard.
ed him with the aslant gaze. At the
end of tho tour Of the ship, whcn
ready to debark, the fat man pulled
a dime from his change pocket and
essavcd to- "slip it, to Jack.
Chats all right mate" whispcrcd
the bo'sun's mate back Of his hand.
keep It yourself for a shave and a