The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-04-08
THE MAN In UNIFORM
WOES OF A NAVAL OFFICER ON THE
BROOKLYN BRIDGE PLATFORM.

by Helpers and Indignant Cltizens-Fied
at Last From Baby.
A man I'm 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
friends9 / thought you got permission to
leave the ship TO go to the Brooklyn bridge
TO meet some friends who were coming
aboard. "
81 Fdid, came a response in a mufiled
voice. CHATS where I've been. "
But where are your friendsY" persisted
No. 4.
II don't know, for 1 didn't wait for
them
"Didn't wait for themY" 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. look
as If 1 might have been bunkoed, sandbag.
ged or set upon by gang Of street thugs
don't II Yes. Well, 1 haven't been.
merely made the mistake of going ashore
i'm uniform.
"You see, I'd been very busy working all
morning, and when / looked at the clock
1 found that 1 barely had time TO get to
the bridge to meet these friends, much less
to stop TO put on civilians attire. got
permission to leave the ship and started on
fv,1~ sf,F vtv,f
FORM but when 1 got I'm the car I had time
TO realize what 1 was wearing. Oh,
thought to myself L 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 1 looked at my cap, with
it's 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 1 had thought in time to put on my
cits
"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 1 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 tho third one
came up, man got out, came up to me
and said
Which is the way to the Kings Coun-
ty ZIP"
" L don't know, answered,
why don you know he asked.
~ a..
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
way2' she queried next.
" I'm sorry 1 can't, I answered, and
I'll be blamed if she didn't let in and say
that was a disgusting thing and asked
me what 1 was paid for.
II Strengthened up MS high as I could,
thinking that if l assumed n military air
it would be u 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 1 became aware from a series of short
whistles, such as are commonly used to
summon u bootblack or cabby, that some
| one in the crowd from the next car was
making persistent efforts to attract my at
| tention. 1t was man. 1 turned to cast a
] 81
elbow with his umbrella handle, harnessed
me up to him and said: Although there
| are signs in the cars prohibiting people
I from indulging ina certain pastime, either
/ Ia the cars or on the platform, the man
who sat next TO me coming on the bridge
spit on my foot, and l want so make a
complaint against him. There the son Ci
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 hin
with bed slat. If you don't believe it,
can show you the clinched 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 1 regretted
the occurrence, and I promised him thet
1t should never happen again and remind.
ed him that, although the offense was a
heinous one there was no specific penalty
| for 1t. l 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 ever
come. Surely they'll be ON the train just
coming in, 1 thought. 1t came to stop,
and a young fairly we'll dressed woman
motioned to me from the platform. Not
noticing anything unusual, 1 hastened
up to the car and found to my distress
that she had baby about B months old in
her arms. She said she had a very heavy
basket in the car and rather suggested by
A motion toward the baby, as she drew up
TO me, that 1 take that while she went in
after the basket But 1 didn't catch on
and rushed in and grabbed the basket by
preference.
'When l came out with it, she said she
thought she'd better take the basket down
the steps aa 1t had somo things in it that
she wouldn't have broken for the world
and finally insisted on my swapping II
for that darned brat. What did do2 ]
dropped the basket at the top of the steps,
shook the woman, baby and all, and made
tracks for the navy yard
$50 here / am, or at least all that's left
Of me. As to my friends, l 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 | feel as if a hattie