The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1924-08-01

months practice cruise in European waters will
not be In continuous need of pity.
1t was back in the old days before the Civil war
that the middies used to cruise around on Chesa-
peake bay 1t was in the early Fifties that the
practice cruises were begun The first cruising
middies navigated Chesapeake bay on the John
Hancock and finished up the soop of war
Preble off the coast of Maine. During the Civil
war the middies got their practice on Union ships
searching for Confederate privateers. One of the
later practice ships was the famous old sailing
frigate Constellation, built in 179S, which took
summer cruise every year from 1871 to $685. In
the period Of American naval decadence after the
Civil war the middies got their practice on almost
any old kind of hull that would float.
At that their lot was happy compared with that
Of the middies Of the still older days. Originally
midshipman was q sort of messenger boy on a
ship of war to run errands for the officers The
old sea dogs of early days did not believe In edu-
eating these embryo admirals and gave them few
advantages
In the American navy Of hundred years ago
the mlddes were so much to be pitied that they
came to be scandal. They were penniless
knocked-about, half-starved and ragged lot Here's
what usually happened when one of our warships
touched at foreign port. The middies took
ashore with them everything portable and salable
-sextants, chr0nOmeters and the like-determined
to have square meal at all COSTS
Nowadays a middle has clothes, lots of clothes
white service, blue SERVICE dress uniforms etc.
ETC., a whole wardrobe. In those days there
weren't clothes enough to go around. Why the
scarcity of clothing got to be Joke all along our
coast. It was well understood that not more than
third or half Of the smidshipmen's mess could
be counted on to attend governors ball or other
social function. So the hosts and hostesses had
good laugh over the minority representation and
the "bare majority" that staid aboard ship
Speaking of clothes. everyone knows that
uniform plays havoc with maiden's heart Why.
no less than ten of this years class got married
the minute the graduating exercises were over
Chaplain Sydney K. Evans performing seven mar
riages right on the spot. Doubtless there were
some real romances; the fame OF the sailor as
lover is worldwide. Anyway an ensign from Ari-
zona married maid from Charleston S. c.:
hero from New York city captured a bride from
Halifax. N s.. and embryonic admiral from
Utah made an Annapolis beauty strike her colors
And when the 1900 undergraduates went aboard
the warships for foreign waters bound-what d
scene staged at Santee basin. Girls girls,
girls in the crowd the dock to say farewell for
three long months-and maybe forever-and not
few Of them in tears as subchasers and cutters
carried away the middies to the big fighting ships
out on the bay.
These are the warships Of the squadron: wyo-
ming (fagship) New York, Texas and Arkansas.
Vice Admiral Newton A. McCully Is the squadron
commander. The senior officer aboard the flag
ship, representing the Naval academy and In d.
rect charge Of the mdd;es, is Commander Charles