El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-02-04
TELL SERVICE
BY THE TATTOO.
Navy Recruiters Spot the
Men Who Have Sailed and
Fought by Skin Pictures.
BY RALPH HEBRON.


Tattoo marks exhibited by appli-
cants for enlistment in the navy at
the local recruiting station are a
valuable means Of determining the
previous nature of the mans past
service in the army or navy many
times. even when the man disclaims
past service, navy recruiting officers
say.
Not only will the tattoo marks de-
termine the truth Of the mans state
ment about his former service, but
they may even demonstrate to the
Sherlock Holmes of the naval service
the exact nature of the service he has
been engaged in. When a man comes
into the recruiting station and dis
plays a tattooed skin. even though
he desclaims previous service. the re-
cruiting officer can, in nine out of
ten cases, determine the truth Of the
mans statement, and further the ma
ture OF the past service.
sGobs Likes Designs.
For instance. a man with a &C. A
C." (coast artillery corps). u. S A"
(U. s army, crossed flags or can
non will probably be found to have
favored by the marines, and u. S
n" Death Before Dishonor," butter
flies, serpents, girls heads, and other
emblems are popular among the ''gob,"
as the seamen are called.
In explaining special naval embIems
and how tattooing is done a local man
versed in naval lore said:
another favorite emblem OF the
navy is pig tattooed on the foot.
In olden times It was believed by
sailors that anyone so tattooed would
never die by drowning. A cross, with
Hv-r-
In Memory Of Mother is another
favorite with the COB The eagle
and the globe, official emblem of the
marine corps, is often found on ex-
marines. The figure eight knot. used
to designate exapprentice boys in the
wrist OF men who made one OF the
long cruises in their youth
Men who have Manila. P. L or
any foreign port, tattooed on their
bodies have almost invariably been
found 70 have had military service.
Quick Work Now.
IN the old days tattooing was a
iaborious and painful process. for the
ink had to be pricked into the skin
with hand needle Nowadays the
youthful COB rolls into a tattooing
joint on Sands street in Brooklyn, or
on kearney or Pacific streets in
Frisco, chooses his design. bares his
a. Al anu AAAAAA nail lI L0lA Il OuL
again. the chosen butterfly. star, or
sailors head neatly and almost pain
lessly embossed upon his arm.
The work IS simple, requiring lit
tie skill save in the cutting of stem
ellis. These are OF celluloid. trans
parent. with the design grooved into
the surface. The artist first shaves
the hairs from his subjects arm. then
shakes powdered charcoal into the
grooves OF the stencil. Zinc ointment
is rubbed over the shaved spot and
the stencil clapped upon it When IL
Is removed, the lines OF the design
are impressed upon the arm. For the
outlines an electric hand machine. /
with a three needle socket, is used I
The needles rise and fall too rapidly
for the eye to follow, and. If IL is a
simple design. within a few moments
the outline is set in Then a six
needle machine is used for the shad- 1
ing. This also is a matter Of min
uteS. Then the surplus ink is wiped
off. and the spot rubbed with ONT
n-ent to prevent soreness, and the job 1
is finished
Some of the artists are interest
Ing characters IN few other occupa- /
tons is professional jealousy so /
strong Several OF the artists Red I
one time of Frisco, and Pat 4
McKeever. Of the. same city, in par
-icular, are well known on both /
coasts and in the orient"
Professional Jealousy among these /
artists who worked on human cuticle /
IS canvas was strong, il is said, and /
zach OF the masters had their ad-
nirers and critics just as ordinary
artists of the brush. But the day of
he artist professor" is passing, It
5 said. and in some communities he
) Outlawed.
Young men who have art galleries
pictured on their hides are said to
,e much scarcer than formerly. and
[ Is believed that the whole art Of
attooing IS gradually becoming de
Unct. FL PasO mothers whose sons
ire in the navy need have little fear
hat their boys will come home deco
ated with masterpieces OF the tat
ooers art, as 1t seems to be going
Tut OF fashion.
TIE charge for work IS an inter
sting feature Fifty cents was the
Usual charge made for small pieces
II work, but for the more difficult
md more complicated effects. as
much as SO to $40 might be charged.