The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1912-02-09
old time hrDDIES
They Were Tots of SchoolboyS,
Some Not In Their Teens.
roo YOUNG TO WEAR SWORDS
So the Midgets Were Armed With Dirk
Knives Instead-They We're Fighters,
Though, Farragut and Porter Being
In Battles at the Age Of Twelve.

"midshipmite" that he was popularity
called, for he was but a mite OF lad,
usually receiving his appointment be-
fore he reached his teens. Admirals
Farragut and Porter were midshipmen,
anoat and in pitched battles, at twelve
years Of age, and GOldsborough was
appointed when only seven years old.
Nowadays, however, the mldshlpman
IS quite n 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 a well
developed man, physically mature and
athletic and with trained mind. III,
Is far better equipped mentally than
the ieutenants and many Of the cap
tains Of even seventy years ago.
The old time middics were mcrn
schoolbOyS. All the Warships of az.
size carried i'm their regular Comp.o
ments schoolmastcr Who"o duty J.
was TO give the lads rs liberal an cIu
cation as possible I'm the odd periods
between strictly professional duties
This rating Of schOOlmaStcr was aboI'
ished, in fact, only about twenty years
ago, but after the establishment Of the
Naval academy, i'm 1871, these officials
devoted their energies TO the sailor ap-
prenticcs only, the enlisted boys OF the
forecaste. Even these now obtain
their education on shore.
There is n tradition that the thro
a L. s1.sI 4 NHrn a p1
on the sleeve Of his full dress coat dur
ing his four years at Annapolis origi-
mated century or more ago, when
their presence was needed to discour'
age the youngsters from brushing thcl.
noses with their sleeves. This Is prob
ably base slander, modern research
indicating that the buttons are relics
Of the days when there was cuff flap
on the sleeve.
At all events the extreme youth on
the midshipmite used 10 be his most
conspicuous characteristic. Instead OF
the full sized regulation officers sword
that he now carries, he wore n little
straight bladcd dirk about foot long.
He was to large extent messenger
For oorrvino orders ohout thp shin but
~ oIso tooL choryn or ho,ts and com.
mandcd men despite his youth. He
,,.o,, rroorortIv nIocod in CHARGE OF n
,,,.,.o co,turod I'm yor toI,InC bor into
port, and not infrequently suppressinG
mutinies among the prisoners on board.
Farragut was prize master at twelve
and got his prize safely In.
Tbo tino "midsbinnon, is nm ancient
oo no 60 ohovo tbo snomon and tbo
notty oUicors forward and bolo,y thr
non,nissiorod oGicors in tbo v.ordroou
att. honco "ni1shinmou Tbnro was
s,rn,orI, hiohor or,ln. roInd possnd
,,t1at,tnr,or Lnt u,is wac abolished ,p.
s,n,, tI,, ,,.,r I,ot,voor tro ,totos Thap
,I,o ,,rodo ,,os rostorod Int r,I'cd mid
sI,i,T,on t,o former midshiumon he.
i,r, do,igr,to1 nc - c,dot midshinmon.
To- 1000 tho titIo of tho I,tter was
oboncod IN naval codnt which If still
ron,oI,s ond tho midshinmnn were
,oorgod win thn cnsirns Accordingly
tLo Tim, bonorcd titIe of midshipman
no ,oncor ovists omcioIIv In thn United
SIT. noyv
will oHoioIIv q rovol codot that
,,o,,n,, oeinor - stu rorordod and often
,ofnrrod 70 verbally nc midsbinman.
sor 30 &, tho .or,o crootnro nc of old ~
60. 90 ti, dutios co Rut bv tbo side
-, ~, oorIi,r ,rotot,no tho twcntiotb
oa,t,,r,, "r,idd,," is - ,,vopt Tripo.
,,,,,,,,,,,.,. ,,., ,i,o,t os I,ic,b ~, I'm uoth.
ar,nttoa os t,o old tIn,cr cvcr wont
M, t,,.,rtio,I, .ont,,,,. Iod ooos for hc.
.,5 TT, ,,oo.. thr,Tch ,noI,.ticol 90.
ai., .o,,u -, 80 ,i.o. T, Iimo"5inns Iiyar'nti.l
ond intorrnI coIruIns ,ruIicd mr,bon.
g..
C,,n,.,. -, hr,drod ,o,rs oo, v,s