The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-06-04

the big, grim looking "peacemakers"
and eternally asking feminine questions
Of the patient young officers. Cutters
and steam launches were hurrying from
snip TO ship. Some of them brought
visitors, and some OF them carried Off
GERS and dispatches. Others hustled
fussily up with anxious eyed mothers
coming TO greet their long absent SONS.
Here and there some old sweetheart
clasped her lover in her arms, letting a
happy tear or two roll down her girlish
cheek before a whole deckful of envi-
Gus heroes.
The war was over and the sailor
boys We're on their way home! off
Fort Hamilton lay the Buffalo with
almost 600 men and officers fresh
from Deweys squadron, and it was
TO wonder every one on board was
light hearted and happy in the bright
sunshine that glistened on the waters
of New York harbOr and glimmered and
glinted on the towers and roofs and
skyscrapers of distant Manhattan.
From the peak of the mainmast of the
Buffalo trailed and huttered the 2SS feet
of pennant. which told plainly enough
that she was homeward bound. The
crew Of that gallant ship were even
lAG fl'ltI IMAM TIE OlItISr LOI Nut bulldiO
had raced home from Manila in just
43ie days and by SO doing had estab-
lished q record. Captain Hemphnl, ac-
cordingly. was genial. the officers were
happy, and the seamen were hilarious.
The war was Overt
When 1 stepped aboard the Buffalo
some of the men had already obtained
shore leave and were hurrying land
ward in the ships boats. Everything
was hustle. good nature and merriment
II you ever want TO see a happy man,
so and look at the homesick sailor
climbing into the cutter that is to land
him on his native shore. They We're all
brown as Patagonians. were those
sailors. and most of them had their
precious little souvenirs and mementos
from the battle Of Manila bay.
1t was about this battle that 7 want
ed them TO talk The tale of Dewey's
great victory from the seaman's point
of view was something new and inter
esting. The story had been told often
enough by officers. Naval commanders
had debated about il and theorizei over
il in print time and time again. But
the story as il might be told by the sea-
man himself was altogether a differ
ent matter. That was the story I was
after.
In getting such 4 story. however.
there were many difficulties. In the
first place. every self respecting iacky
has had ii duly impressed upon him
that il Is not precisely compatible with
his line Of duty 10 load Up interrogative
journalists with official information re-
Earding secrets Of the service. He has
been taught 10 keep his eye open and
his mouth shut. Another thing is the
fact that the ordinary Jack Tar is not
an accomplished conversationalist. He
Is usually a man of action, not words.
He cannot eXpatiate in eloquent Eng
lish on the thrilling scenes through
which ne has passed. But now the war
was over. and everybody was thinking
Of home and the old order of things
no longer held good. jacky was allowed
a little more leeway.'' the corporal Of
the guard smiled indulgenly upon
little Skylarking. and pipes and stories
and songs were the order OF the day
so its tn Shtory av tn f0ight yez
wants, is it?' said a big sunburned
gunner Of the Olympia as he Iounged in
the fo'c'SI OF the Buffalo pa ing medi-
tatively on his little black pipe. s.Weu.
thot's aisier sed. me young frird. thin
its done. Eechune me an YOU an tn
young lootenant beyant III gun there
telln state sacrets 10 his swateheart.