, 1899-02-24
EWANTEDT HESHIP
THOUGHT HE WAS ELIGIBLE TO CON-
MAND A CRUISER.

some of Uncle Sans Sailors with
whom liz Had shipped.
about four years ago the cruiser On
which | was serving shipped n boiler
maker while we were on the Mediter-
raupan 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 he wasn't re-enIisted,
bat took his discharge and returned to
the United States by mail steamer. So
the ship was shy a boiler maker, a very
important and necessary petty officer
down below in the engineers depart
ment, and when tine ship pulled into
Naples harbor the chief engineer went
ashore to see if he couldn't dig mp 2
boiler maker.
"There's a clause in the enlistment
regulations permitting commanding
officers to ship necessary men on foreign
stations in short handed emergencies.
The chief engineer brought back to the
ship a Greek named Charlie Marc. The
man couldn't speak any English-to
speak Of-but lie was a good man ut
the boiler making business, and he was
duly shipped aboard of us for three
years. He was "A wild, hairy looking
lot, Marc was, and he got a good deal
of a laugh at the hands of the crew, es-
pecially the younger fellows, from the
time he first came over the side.
MARC thought that there wasn't
any other country on the map except
Greece. He thought that the 'Greeka
man was the hottest kind of q tamale
when it came TO sCrapping by land or
sea, and after he got bold of enough
English to make himself understood he
used to take some Of the youug appren-
tiCe boys up into tho eyes of the ship
and tell them with many gesticulatiOns
end furious words of the different kinds
Gf tar Greece would knock ont of Turkey
if the two countries ever came to an
open rupture.
THE ship was around III the Pacific
station when the war broke ont between
Greece and Turkey. When the news of
the outbreak of the war got to Marc, our
boiler maker, he nearly had heart dis
ease and a whole lot of other sudden
things from pure excitement. He inst
couldn't hold himself in, he looked SO
tickled.
IDA Greeka man villa bin bin
BIN! da Turka man. was Charlie
Maro's way of putting it, and he didn't
see that the Turk had n ghost of "a show.
All hands forward encouraged him in
the belief. They all acquiesced in ex-
pressing the belief to Marc that Greece
would simply eat Turkey up. Then a
bo'suu's mate who knew how to crack
the most impossible kind of steers with
a face as solemn and wooden as an In
dian's took Charlie in hand and told
him some things. He told Marc that the
United States was SO much in 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 chance for you,
MarO,' the bo'sun's mate told Marc
You just want to work your edge
Hero you are already shipped on this
cruiser, and it's dollars to doughnuts
that if you ask for the command of this
ship i'll order to tax 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 n heap.
He asked the bo'sun's mate whom he'd
have to apply to to get command of the
cruiser.
".Why, to the commanding officer.
Of course, was the reply.
marc was tremendously important
for u day or so while he let this huge
idea grow within him, and he bullied
the men detailed to work with him
down below in the boiler room a good
deal. The bOs'n's mate kept working
him up to it, and finally Marc appeared
on deck one morning logged out in his
very best mastering suit of bluejacket
clothes and went up to the officer of the
deck and asked permission to see the
commanding officer at the mast. The
officer Of the deck was rather surprised
to see the man all lone up in his mus
terlng tOgs when all hands were at
work, but, as be is Obliged to do when
an enlisted man requests permission to
see the commanding officer, he sent
word to the skipper, who soon emerged
from his cabin and appeared at the
stick
well, nv man?' said the skipper
TO Marc, who stood bolt upright and
saluted with a flourish.
- 'Sare, said Marc to the skipper, i
have-a da honor to her-a-by taxa da com.
mund Of a da ship
Hey? said the commanding Off
GER, putting his hand to his ear and
looking as ii he hadn't heard Alright.
'Da ship, repeated Marc. Fora
da navee ola Hellas-da Greeka navee
i hava da honor to TAXA da command.
"All hands among the enlisted men
were up on the to'gallant fo'c'sle TAX
ing the thing in, and they broke into q
roar that you cOuld have heard five
cable lengths distance. Marc heard it,
and, suspeCting that his confidence had
ueen abused, got red and ~iabbergasted.
He suddenly bolted for the engine room
hatch and made his way below, and it
took three marines to drag him aft to
the sick bay, where the surgeon, at the
shippers command. gave Marc a half
hours examination as to his sanity.
Marc was game enough to decline to
give the name of the enlisted man who
had told him he was eligible for the
command of the ship upon its being
turned into the navy of Greece, but
the thrashing he gave that bos'n's
mate when be got him ON the beach
was certainly savape ~ WASHINGTON