Jefferson jimplecute. (Jefferson, Tex.) 1907-1926, 1912-08-08
OLD TIME M|DD|ES
Thew Were Tots Of SchooIboys,
Some Not In Their Teens.
TOO YOUNG TO WEAR SWORDS

So the Mido..s Were Armed With Dirk
| Knives instead-They Were Fighters,
Though, Fsrasut and Porter Beng
| In Battle, at the Age Of Twelve.
| Something more than a hundred years
ago the midshipman was, indeed, the
"midshipmite" that he was popuiarly
called. for he was but a mite OF lad,
usually receiving his appointment be-
| fore he reached his teens. Admlrais
| Farragut and Porter were midshipmen,
afioat and in pitched battles, at twelve
years Of age. and Goldsborough was
appointed when only seven years ola.
| Nowadays. however, the midshipman
Is quite different person. He cannot
enter the Naval academy under fifteen
and is therefore when on regular
| cruising ship after completing his four
| years academic course usually well
| developed man. physically mature ana
| athletic and with a trained mind. lie
is far better equipped mentally than
the lieutenants and many OF the cap
tains OF even seventy years ago.
The old time middies were mere
schoolboys. All the warships OF any
size carried In their regular compile
ments a schoolmaster, whose duty 1t
| was to give the lads as liberal an edu-
cation as possible in the odd periods
| between strictly professional duties.
| This rating OF schoolmaster was abol-
| ished, In fact, only about twenty years
ago, but after the establishment OF the
Naval academy, in 1871, these officials
| devoted their energies TO the sailor ap-
| prentices only, the enlisted boys OF the
| forecastle. Even these now obtain
| their education on shore.
| There Is a tradition that the three
| brass buttons the midshipman wears
| on the sleeve Of his full dress coat dur
| ing his four years at Annapolis origi-
| mated a century or more ago, when
| their presence was needed to discour-
| age the youngsters from brushing their
noses with their sleeves. This is prob
| ably base SANDER, modern research
| indicating that the buttons are relics
| Of the days when there was a cuff flap
| on the sleeve.
At all events the extreme youth OF
| the midshipmite used to be his most
| conspicuous characteristic. Instead OF
| the full sized regulation officers sword
| that he now carries, he wore a little
| straight bladed dirk about n foot long.
| He was to n large extent a messenger
| for carrying orders about the ship, but
| he also took charge Of boats and com
| manded men despite his youth. He
| was frequently placed in charge OF n
prize captured In war, taking her into
port, and not infrequently suppressing
mutinies among the prisoners on board.
| Tarragut was prize master ut twelve
and got his prize safely In.
The title 'midshipman" is an ancient
one He Is above the seamen and the
petty officers forward and below the
commissioned officers In the wardroom
aft; hence "midshipman." There was
formerly q higher grade called passed
midshipman, but this was abolished be-
| fore the war between the states. Then
| the grade was restored, but called mid
shipman the former midshipman be-
ing designated as a cadet midshipman.
In 1882 the title Of the latter was
changed TO naval cadet, which 1t still
remains, and the midshipmen were
merged with the ensigns. Accordingly
the time honored title Of midshipman
no longer exists officially in the United
States navy.
While officially n naval cadet, that
young officer is still regarded and often
referred to verbally as a midshipman,
for he Is the same creature as Of old as
far as his duties go. But by the side
OF his earlier prototype the twentieth
century MILDLY" is a sayant. Trigo-
nomctry was about as high up In math-
ematlcs as the old timer ever went
The twentieth century lad goes far be
yond. He goes through analytical ge'
ometry Of three dimensions, diiferential
and integral calculus, applied mechan
les.
Gunnery n hundred years ago was
little more than loading. aiming and
firing at short ranges. IT now involves
metallurgy theory OF the combustion
Of powder gases, stress and strain. me
chanical engineering, manufacture ant
preservation OF complex explosives ant
other abstruse subjects, In all Of which
the midshipman OF the present day
must be proficient.
Nidshipmen We're conspicuous in al
our early wars, notably those with th'
Barbary States. with the West Indlar
pirates and with the British In 1872
They We're equally conspicuous durlnl
our conflicts with the Spanish and FIJI
pinos. Midshipmen. naval cadets, ha'
charge OF the extremely hazardous
picket duty In the Santiago blockade
close under the Spanish batteries an'
often under musketry fire from shore
Cadet Powell ran his open launch RICH
into the harbor OF Santiago after tn
Merrimac. remained all night under tn
menacing guns OF the inner hatterie
and steamed out again under their fir
In the morning York Press.