The Natchitoches enterprise., 1899-02-02
HE WANTED THE SHIP
THOUGHT He WIS ELIGIBLE TO COM
MAN0 A CRUISER.

Patriotic Greek BOILER Maker by
Some of Uncle Snrl's saIloes with
Whom lie Had Shipped.
"Ahout four years ago TIE cruiser on
which l was serving shipped u boiler
maker while we were Oh the Meditec-
ranean station" said a Washington
chief Petty officer of the navy, now on
leave of absence "Our former boiler
makers time expired while we were at
Gibraltar, and as he was not in good
physical shape be wasn't re-enliSted,
but took his discharge and returned to
the United States by mail steamer. So
the ship was shy boiler maker. very
important and necessary petty officer
down below in the engineers depart
ment, ard " hen the ship pulled into
Naples harbor the chief engineer went
ashore to see if he couldn't dig up
boiler maker.
There clause in the enlistment
regulations permitting cogrmnnding
officers to ship necessary men on foreign
stations in short handed emergencies.
The chief engineer brought back to the
ship a Greek named Charlie Maro. The
man couldn't speak any EE2liSh-to
speak of-but kc was a good man at
the boiler making business, and lie was
duly shipped aboard CT US for threo
years. He was a wild, hairy looking
lot, Marc was, and he get good deal
Of laugh at the hands Of the crew, es-
pecially the younger fellows, from the
l. ba
marc thought that there wasn't
any other country on tho map except
Greece. He thought that the 'GreCka
man was the hottest kind Of talnale
when it came to scrapping by land or
sea. and after he got hold Of enough
English to make himself understood he
used to take some Of the yoang nppren-
tice boys up into tho eyes Cf the ship
and tell them with many gesticulations
and furious words of the different kinds
Of tar Greece would knock out Of Turkey
if the two countries ever cane to an
open rupture.
"The ship was around on the Pacific
station when the war broke Cut Letween
Greece and Turkey When the news Of
the outbreak Of the war got 10 Marc, our
boiler maker, he nearly had Eeart dis.
ease and whole lot of other sudden
things from pure excitement He just
couldn't hold himself in, be looked so
tickled.
"'Da Grceka man villa him! bin
biml da Turka man. was Charlie
Msro's way Of putting it, ard be didn's
see that tbs, Turk had & host Of a show.
All hands forward encouraged him in
the beiief. They al acquies, y
essillst D, Is sss sa5. ~ -. ..o1.-
would SIM Ply eat Turkey up. Then a
bo'sun's mate who knew how to crack
the most impossible kind Of steers with
face as solemn and wooden as all In
dams took Charlie in hand and told
him some things He told Marc that the.
United States was so much i'll sympathy
with Greece in the struggle with Turkey
that the navy department had decided
to turn over all of the ships Of the
American navy to Greek commanders.
Here's a big ChaEce for you,
MaTo,' the bo'sun's mate told Marc
You just wait TO work yoCr edge.
Here you are already shipped on this
cruiser, and it's dollars to doughnuts
that il ycu ask for the command of this
ship in order 10 take her over to Greece
to mix it up with the Turks you'll get
it hands down. Better try it on.
THAT idea impressed Marc heap.
He asked the 10 sun s mate whom he'd
have to apply to to get command of the
cruiser.
"'Wby, TO the commanding officer,
Of course, was the reply.
"Maro was tremendously important
for day or so whiIo he let this huge,
idea grow within him, and he bullied
the men detailed TO work with him
down below in the boiler room good
deal The bos'n's mate kept working
him up to it, and finally Marc appeared
On deck one morning logged out i'll his
very best mastering suit Of blucjacket
clothes and went up to the officer Of the
deck and asked permission to see tho
commanding officer at the mast. The
officer of the deck was rather surprised
to see the man all done up in his mus
tering tugs when all hands were at
work, but, as be is obliged to do when
an enlisted man requests permission TO
see the commanding officer, be sent
word to the skipper, who soon emerged
from his cabin and appeared at the
stick
well, my nan?' said the skipper
to Marc, who stood bolt upright and
saluted with flourish.
90 'Sare, said Marc to the skipper, I
have-a da honor to her ably taxa ia COM
mand of da ship.
'HeyY said the commanding OFF,
Ger, putting his hard to his ear and
looking as If he hadn't beard Alright F.,
Da chip rerea ed Marc. Fora
da rayee of-a Heilas --da Greeka pgvee
i baya da bcLCF TO TAXA da command.
''Ali hands among the enlisted men
were rp on tho to'gallant fo'c'sle TAX
ing the tbiag in, and they broke into
roar that you couId have h,bfl five
cable lengths distance. Marc A tard Il,
and. suspeotirg that his contic #Dce lad
been abused, got red and fabbV Vrpasted.
He suddenly bolted for the eng Ine room
hatch and made his way below. and it
took three marines 10 drag him Gtt to
the sick bay, where the surgeon, at ihs
skipper's command, gave Iaro half
hours examination as to his sanity
Marc was game enough 10 decline 10
give the name of the enlisted mar who
lad told bim be was eligible for tho
command Of the ship upon its beipS
turned into the navy 0; Greece, bGt
the thrsshing bo gave that bcs'n's
mate when be got bin on the beach