Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1912-06-06
old time M|DD|ES
They Were Tots of Schoo|boys.
Some Not In Their Teens.

Some Not In Their Teens.
TOO YOUNG TO WEAR SWORDS
So the Midsets Were Armed With Dirk
Knives Instead-They Were Fighters,
Though, Farragut and Porter Being
In Battles at the Age Of Twelve.
Something more than a hundred years
ago the midshipman was, indeed. the
"midshipmite" that he was popularity
called, for he was but a mite of a lad.
usually receiving his appointment be-
fore he reached his teens. Admirals
afoat and in pitched battles, at twelve
years Of age. and Goldsborough was
appointed when only seven years old.
Nowadays, however, the midshipman
is quite q different person. He cannot
enter the Naval academy under fifteen
and is therefore when on a regular
cruising ship after completing his four
years academic course usually a we'll
developed man, physically mature and
athletic and with a trained mind. He
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 q schoolmaster, whose duty It
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 q 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 a foot long.
He was to a 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 oe .
prize captured in war. taking her into
port, and lot infrequently suppressing
Farragut was a prize master at twelve
and got his prize safely in.
The title "midshipnlan" is an ancient
one. He il above the seamen and the
petty officers forward and below the
commissioned officers in the wardroom
aft: hence ''midshipman." There was
formerly a higher grade called passed
midshipmaa. 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 a naval cadet, that
young officer is still regarded and often
referred to verbally as a midshipman.
for he is thu same creature as Of old as
far as his duties 60. But by the side
Of his earlier prototype the twentieth
century mildly" is a savant. Trigo-
nometry was about as high up in math
ematics as the old timer eve went
The twentieth century lad goes far be-
yond. He goes through analytical ge-
ometry of three dimensions, differential
and integral calculus. applied meehan-
les.
Gunnery a hundred years ago was
little more than loading. aiming and
, firing at short ranges. 1t now involves
m%etallurgy. theory of the combustion
of powder gases. stress and strain, me
chan1cal engineering, manufacture and
preservation of complex explosives and
other abstruse subjects, in all Of which
the midshipman Of the present day
must be proficient.
A1idshipmen were conspicuous in all
our early wars. notably those with the
Barbary States. with the West Indian
pirates and with the British in 1912.
They were equally conspicuous during
our conflicts with the Spanish and Fill
pinos. Midshipmen, naval cadets. had
charge of the extremely hazardous
picket duty in the Santiago blockade.
close under the Spanish batteries and
often under musketry fire from shore.
Cadet Powell ran his open launch right
into the harbor Of Santiago after the