The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-02-15
THE NAN In UNIFORM
WOES or AaNAvAt oFrceR ON THE
!" BROOKLYN BRIDGE PLATFORM.

Mistaken Fer Station Master and ReviIed
Acknowledgements to and Abused
by Helpers snd Indisna Citi.ens-Fle
at Last From . Baby. ttA -
A man iu1 the navy rushed aboard his
shipsih the Brooklyn navy yard the other
day as II something terrible was after him.
The. men In the wardroom looked ,up
smaeedas he entered and sank down on
the leather couch.
WHAT'S the matter. old mans' asked
one OF the officers. "Why, where are your
friends' thought you got permission to
leave the ship to go to the Brooklyn bridge
20 meet some friends who were coming
aboard" fWev am TFNfU
"Idid, "came a response 'in . mufied
voice. That's where I've been"
But where are your friends?" persisted
."I don't know, for I didn't wait for
them" Ah fH." '''s
Didn't wait for themt exclaimed
chap whom they all call Lord Chesterfield.
Why that was a 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
- II might have been bunkoed, sandbsg
ged or set upon by gang Of street thugs,
don't 1? Yes. Well, haven't been
merely made the mistake of going ashore
in uniform. Tf>
"You see, I'd been very busy working all
morning, and when looked at the clock
I found that / 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
rum, without once thinking of my uni
form, but when got In the car had time
to realize what was wearing. oh,
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 IL, and an anchor on
the collar. Good. This won't attract much
attention Then looked at my cap, with
its eloping visor and ITS broad gold band
around the front ornamented with the
crossed anchors. eagle and shield wrought
together. Fine said to myself No
body will guy me-. I'm sure, though, did
wish had thought in time to put on my
cts
when ] landed at the bridge, got
permission, as a special favor, to go up on
tho second story landing to meet my
friends as they got out of the train. Sew
eral R,ople pipcd me of as 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, a man got out, came up to me
and said: Er1r4
Z" Which is the way to the Kings Coun-
ty "Lrh
I don't know answered.
Why don't you know?' he asked.
i don't know that, either, was my
reply, and he passed on, glaring back at
me as II he would enjoy nothing more than
train was in, and a woman got out and
made for me. w
Which way do you get to the navy
yardP' she asked.
Go down stairs and take the car un-
der the bridge to your right, madam I
answered
Cant you go down and show me the
wayr she queried next.
Pm sorry 1 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.
"I Strengthened up as high as I could,
thinking that IL I assumed a military air
it would be 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
making persistent efforts to attract my at
tention. 1t was q man. / turned to cast q
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 in a 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 l want to make a
complaint against him. There the son Of
q gun goes now I Il Jught of what Bill
Nye said when he was writing about one
Of his personal difficulties with an enc.
my: 4 clincbed my teeth and struck him
with bed slat. II you don't believe 1t, 1
can show you the clinched teeth and the
bed slat'
1.-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 I regretted
the occurrence, and promised him that
1t should never happen again and remind
ed him that, although the ofense was Q
heinous one, there was no specific penalty
for IL. was unable to arrest the offender
and would have to let him 60. 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. &
"I was about used up by this time and
kept wondering II my friends would ever
come Surely they'll be on the train just
coming in, I thought. It came to stop,
and young, fairly well dressed woman
motioned to me from the platform. Not
noticing anything unusual 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
n vvSot;or <cxro 4 he, ho hy nc che drexv m