The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1908-07-18
WASHING DAY AFLOAT
When the Sailor Lads In the Navy
Turn Laundrymen.
A HARD JOB IN BAD WEATHER
Each Man, With His Feet and Lesa
Bare, Scrubs His Own Clothes and
Gets Them Ready For Inspection.
"Jinimy Legs" and the Lucky Bag"

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"Jimimy Legs" and the Lucky Bag" :
Have you ever noticed how clean and
well dressed a sailor lad looks when
on shore leave, how white his clothes
look when you board the ship on WIS., .
fling daysf But did you ever realize
that he was his own washerman? II
With shrill blast of his silver whis-
tie the chief boatswain's mate will I
pipe, SCRUB and wash clothes!' and
every man hurries to his bucket, gets
his soiled clothes, salt water soap.
draws a bucket of briny or fresh wa
ter, as the case may be, and begins his
washing.
He is generally barefooted at this
time, 30 that he will not wet his shoes
and stockings. He wears his trousers
very bell shaped at the bottom in order
that he may roll them up over the
knee.
After scrubbing and rubbing his
clothes until clean he turns them in
side out and with "stops" proceeds to
get them ready for hanging up. These
stops are short pieces of Irvine, twisted
and with whipped ends, that he uses
In lieu of clothespins. They are fas- |
tened In eyelets placed at the side |
seams and bottom of his shirts and the |
waistband of his trousers. He turns |
all his washed clothes inside out to
prevent the right side getting soiled.
They are then hung on line which,
says the Youths Companion, is run
from the bow to the topmast or upper
top Of a fighting mast. The well In
formed man now usually puts his
clothes to soak the night before in
bucket half full of water into which
he has either sprinkled handful OF
SOAP powder or a small piece OF salt
water soap. In the morning little
rubbing and his clothes are clean and
hung up, while the 'landlubber'' has
Just begun.
When they have been thoroughly
dried, the chief boatswain again pipes,
SCRUB and wash clothes!' and every
man rushes for the clothesline 70
claim his own. If he fails to secure
them within reasonable time, the
master at arms, or Jimmy Legs"
takes them down, and they go into the
"lucky bag" Then the only recourse
the unlucky owner has is to go to the
mast or the ''stick," as the court on
board ship is commonly called, and Pc
tition the "first luff," or executive OFF,
Ger, to order them released.
As a rule, Jimmy Legs, who has
charge of the cleanliness of the decks
always has extra cleaning, painting
and so forth in mind, and the man
whose clothes get into the lucky bag
receives so many hours extra duty as
a gentle reminder to be more carefu
in the future His name goes on Jim
my Legs time book, and when there
Is any extra labor to be performed ~
is called upon to assist.
This is usually the lot of the lands
man" who has not been aboard loni
enough to "learn the ropes"
After they are taken from the lin
the stops are taken out and the clothe
rolled In such a manner that they nee
NO ironing. These rolls are then tie,
Mt each end with the stops and ar
slowed away in the clothes bag. 1
this way all his clothes, both blue an
white. are kept clean, and when Sur
day morning comes and there Is ger
eral inspection on the quarter deck
has no fear Of being reprimanded Il
having on a soiled uniform.
The hardest things of sailors QUIT
to wash are his blanket and hammock
The hammock forms part Of his equiI
ment, but belongs to the ship. He u
however, required to keep 1t cieal
His mattress and blanket are lashe
into the hammock and slowed In II
MEETINGS or crates provided for thi
purpose.
Every day a couple or more men 81
detailed to stow them away and
uasht to break them out. It ID til
handling 80 much that gets them Tea
fully dirty, especially while a ship
coaiing. When washing his hammoc
sailor lays It fat on the deck Al
uses a wire brush to get 1t clean, wi
the assistance of soap and lots OF "
bow grease"
In visiting foreign port and befo
the ship has come to anchor 1t Will
surrounded by "bumboats," general
bringing out washerwomen. who
usually negresses and who clamor
any work In the laundry line. In
do good work and charge very III
for It. They always show their ref
ences from the last ship and alwa
want a new one to add to their alrea
long list. :.
It is In wet and stormy weather u
the sailor has his own troubles try,
to dry his clothes. Round the uptai
Of the smokestack there Is dry
room in which clothes may be hu
but as they grow yellowish when NJ
there often this room Is used as Iii
as possible. In the newer men-of-V
there are installed washing and dry
machines which greatly facilitate
laundry work, making 1t inexcusa
for a sailor to have soiled clotl
This machine, which dries clothes
--k.sf,,ool vnafton d0as the work