Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-03-10


pose of enlisting and forwarding recruits
for the service who are between the ages
of IA and 10. These youth mostly hope
to be admirals as soon as they can get a
move on their mustaches. Some of
them, L regret TO say, are disappointed.
1t was my good fortune not long ago,
in company with Commodore Roeder
who may be seen on pleasant days walk
ing the poop of the Pulitzer building, to
visit the Minnesota and watch the ex-
aiming board engaged in the arduous
task of selecting proper young men for
the service, and forwarding sound can
didates to join them that do go down to
the sea in ships.
Dressing myself daintily in fine IA
tiguo dress, with hectic necktie and high
silk hat, and with hair thrown carelessly
back to about the time of Queen Anne,
l joined the commodore, and we rode to-
gether up Ninth avenue on palatial
train of elevated cars, each of which had
a blase air, like that you notice on a
spring morning when you ride mile or
two through clover meads and blooming
peach orchards and then suddenly step
into nice air tight sleeping car. Did
you eyer, oh! dove eyed reader. with the
delicately chiseled Graco-Roman nose
and also delicately chiseled pocketbook,
enter sleeping car just as it was wax
ing up? Didst ever ramble up and down
a meadowy brook at early dawn, crush
ing the heather, and the sweet fern, and
the bull frog for an hour, and then.
flushed with success, unjoint your rod
and, with the dew and the daisies cling
ing to your high boots, catch an early
train and step quickly into the great
Shore Works of a through car? Did You
ever wiring the rough, warm hand of
Uncle Eben at the way station at 5
o'clock a. m, and with the memory of
tansy and timothy and mignonette and
fresh fried cakes and cherry blossoms,
blunder hurriedly, while your eyes We're
little moist from the parting, into the
funky aisle of the sleeping catacombs,
where you would think Gabriel could
hardly get bugleful of fresh air?
Well, that is how an all night elevated
train strikes me occasionally. 1t gives
me heart failure and keen neck pain
NbiNAl SOiilC "a III CI4NC Lit W IIit uSt
of creme de menthe.
Fiftieth street is a pleasing locality on
the hill where the cathedral and Wander
bilt property are; but few blocks away,
where she bathes her neglected feet in
the North river, you can get q fiat very
reasonably if you do not care much
about environments. 1t is rather rocky
neighborhood, musical with the bleat of
the nanny goat reeking with the blended
odors of passe New York-odors that take
one back to the malarial summer fol-
lowing the flood, or the days when
Pharaoh and his hosts began to swell up
and float ashore.
Stale beer, overstimulated asparagus
beds, i'll ventilated hotbeds OF vice, poor
iy corked all night rum holes, cast off
clothing, cast off children. old and dam
| aged marriage ties, unsecured and non
| dividend declaring bonds of wedlock,
purple nosed politicians, dignihed and
greatly overestimated billy goats, mud,
ooze, slime, pestilence, frog works,
stencil and one long, piercing, wailing
cry to heaven for soap, salvation and
Street Superintendent Beatty, mark the
| locality.
In strong contrast to all this came the
clean and glistening decks of the Mime
sofa, and ttS trim and well fed officers
who welcomed us. We went down to
the wardroom, where l removed my
beautifully dimpled high hat, and we
sat down to breakfast. At the head of
the table sat Lieutenant Commander E.
s. Houston, commanding; on his right
sat Pay Inspector j. E. Talfree, of the
delirious signature. Next to the f. E.
Spinner of the navy came Chaplain S.
D. Boorom, a gentle looking warrior as
ever manned menu or poulticed sin
sick soul. Then came Assistant Sur
geon James F. Keeney, who has to ex-
anime the boys who apply and scruti-
nize them for physical blemishes. On the
left of the commander sat Lieut.. A. B.
Speyers. He was pleasantly situated
next to me. Then came Commodore
Roeder, and next Ensign ]. L. Purcell.
l rather like the rough sea fare we
had. Shall tell you, gentle reader,
you sweet thing, you-shall I tell you
what we had? Yes, / fancy hear you
say. with mellow ripple Of laughter