The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1897-03-23
THE MAN IN UNIFORM
WOES OF A NAVAL OFFICER ON THE
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PLATFORM.

HuAnBAy-Appeateu 70 ana ABUSED
by Helpers and Indignant Citizens-FIed
at Last From a Baby.
A man in the navy rushed aboard his
ship in the Brooklyn navy yard the other
day as if something terrible was after him.
The men in the wardroom looked up
amazed as he entered and sank down on
the leather couch.
whats the matter, old mani" asked
one of the officers. why, where are your
friendsS thought you got permission to
leave the ship to go to the Brooklyn bridge
to meet some friends who were coming
aboard
Il did, came a response in a muf1led
voice. "That's where I've been.'
But where are your friends2' persisted
No. f.
IT don't know, for 1 didn't wait for
theIn.''
Didn't wait for themP" exclaimed
chap whom they all call Lord Chesterfield.
why, that was beastly thing to do.
"Blankety, blank, blank" exclaimed
the exhausted one, jumping to his feet.
Wait till you hear my side of the story
before you condemn my manners. 1 look
as if | might have been bunkoed, sandbag.
ged or set upon by a gang of street thugs,
don't II Yes. Well, l haven't been.
merely made the mistake of going ashore
in uniform.
You see, I'd been very busy working all
morning, and when looked at the clock
l found that I barely had time to get to
the bridge to meet these friends, much less
to stop to put on civilians attire. l got
To 1rI,f
run, without once thinking of my uni.
form, but when got in the car had time
to realize what l was wearing. 'Oh,'I
thought to myself, I have on my service
dress uniform-plain blue trousers, a rather
neat but not gaudy blouse, with consider
able black braid on it, and an anchor on
the collar. Good. This won't attract much
attention Then looked at my cap, with
its sloping visor and its broad gold band
around the front ornamented with the
crossed anchors. eagle and shield wrought
together Fine, l said to myself No
body will guy me-. I'm sure, though, did
wish had thought in time to put on my
cts.
when 1 landed at the bridge, 1 got
permission, as a special favor, to go up on
the second story landing to meet my
friends as they got out of the train. Sew
eral people piped me off as l went up the
steps and that was the beginning of my
finish. stood there gazing at two trains
as they disgorged themselves without be
ing interfered with. When the third one
came up, man got ont, came up to me
and said:
+" Which is the way to the Kings Coun.
ty "L?'''
I don't know answered.
Why don't you know he asked
1 don't know that, either, was my
reply, and he passed on, glaring back at
me as if he would enjoy nothing more than
taking my scalp. By this time the next
train was in, and woman got out and |
made for me-
" Which way do you get to the navy
yard?' she asked.
Go down stairs and take the car un.
der the bridge to your right, madam, |
answered.
" Can't you go down and show me the
wayp she queried next.
I'm sorry l can't, answered, and |
I'LL be blamed if she didn't let in and say
that was disgusting thing and asked
me what was paid for.
81 Strengthened up as high as could, |
thinking that if assumed military all |
it would be a protection, but it didn't |
work. Although standing with heels and
knees together, toes out at an angle of 40 !
degrees, chest out and shoulders thrown |
back and chin held high in the air, my |
posture didn't produce the desired effect !
Soon became aware from a series of short |
whistles, such as are commonly used to !
summon bootblack or cabby, that some
one in the crowd from the next car was
Tt,al-i 81.
tention. 1t was a man. l turned to cast |
whitening glance. He grabbed me by the
elbow with his umbrella handle harnessed
me up to him and said: Although there
are signs in the cars prohibiting people |
from indulging ina certain pastime, either !
in the cars or on the platform, the man
who sat next to me coming on the bridge
spit on my foot, and 1 want to make
complaint against him. There the son OF
a gun goes now. thought of what Bill
Nye said when he was writing about one
of his personal difficulties with an enc.
my: I clinched my teeth and struck him
with bed slat. If you don't believe it, ]
can show you the elinched teeth and the
bed slat
"The fellow had his foot there all right,
and he thought he had his man, but he
could prove nothing. / told him that
could say nothing except that regretted
the occurrence, and 1 promised him that
it should never happen again and remind.
ed him that, although the offense was
heinous one, there was no specific penalty
for it. | was unable to arrest the offender
and would have to let him go. He thank.
ed me again and again and said he was
glad to know that, along with other i'm
provements, the bridge officials had secured
such intelligent employees.
II was about used up by this time and
kept wondering if my friends would even
come. Surely they'll be on the train just
coming in, thought. 1t came to a stop,
and young, fairly well dressed woman
motioned to me from the platform. Not
noticing anything unusual, 1 FASTENED
up to the car and found to my distress
that she had baby about months old in
her arms. She said she had very heavy
basket in the car and rather suggested by
a motion toward the baby, as she drew up
to me, that take that while she went in
after the basket But l didn't catch on
and rushed in and grabbed the basket by
preference.
'When came out with it, she said she
thought she'd better take the basket down
the steps as it had some things in it that
she wouldn't have broken for the world,
and finally insisted ON my swapping it
Tor that darned brat. What did dor 1
dropped the basket at the top of the steps,
shook the woman, baby and all, and made
tracks for the navy yard.
So here l am, or at least all that's left
of me- AS to my friends, don't know
where they are. I've been pulled and
tugged this way and that and yelled at in
the last half hour until l feel as if a battle
would be too tame"
II told you young fellows about going
out in your uniforms in the United Srates,''
said a gray haired man.
sit works in every other country, but it
don't go in this. " And the young officer
groaned.-New York Sun.
Gr,iu IL. 4