The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-11-03
GOT HIS DISCHARGE.
THINGS CAME JUST RIGHT FOR THE
NAVAL MACHiNlST.
An Incident Of n Three Years Cruise
on the Vermont Which Goes to
show How Small. After All. This
! Great World Of Ours Really In.

on the Vermont Which Goes tn
Show How small. After All. This
Great World Of Ours Really In.
Several years ago n quiet young
chap shipped as a machinist In the
navy aboard the receiving ship Ver-
mont at the Brooklyn navy yard. He
gave San Francisco as his place Of
nativity. He was assigned to n cruiser
about to start for the China station by
the Suez canal route. He was Il crack
mechanic and very Dol showed the
engineers that he knew how to earn
his rate and wages. He never said
much about himself. He wasn't any.
thing Of what Ia called a "man-o'-war
chaw,' and, although he had been
up and down the world a good deal,
he let others do the talking. He was
perhaps the quietest man in the Amer
lean navy at the time he served.
His ship got to the Asiatic station
all right and cruised back and forth
there between China and Japan for
close on to three years. Then she was
ordered back to the United States.
She had a lot Of Overtime men
aboard of her by that time, sailors
whose time had expired, but who pre-
ferred to wait until they reached the
United States before they took their
discharges. When the ship was or
dered back home, a lot Of overtime
men from other ships on the Asiatic
station were sent to her to be brought
back to this country.
This machinist-call him Beall-had
Just q days left Of his three year en-
listment when the ship left Yokohama
for San Francisco via the Hawaiian
Islands. All Of the overtime men
were talking about their trip around
from San francisco to New York by
passenger steamer. They had all ship
ped at the Brooklyn navy yard, md
the navy always sends men to the
point whence 1t takes them when they
enlist unless they waive ~transporta.
ton for the purpose Of stopping on
mt an intermediary point.
1t took the ship IA days to "fetch up
Honolulu from Yokohama, and then
Beall, the machinist, had five days yet
to erve.
"Are you going to waive t%ransporta-
ton and drop Off at San Francisco, or
are you going around to New York
with usW the men asked him when the
ship pulled into Honolulu.
Don't know yet" the machinist re-
piled.
After coaling ut Honolulu-which
took four days, done lelsurely-the
skipper Of the ship decided to take q
bit Of q run around the Hawaiian Is
lands before up anchoring for San
Francisco. Bealls time expired on the
morning that his ship was headed for
Lahaina, on the island Of Maui, a lit
tie sail Of about IS miles from Homo
lulu. The ship dropped her anchor
within about 300 yards of the Lahaina
beach along toward 3 o'clock In the
afternoon.
The island of Maui Is very beautiful
to look upon-a veritable gem of the
ocean, II such a one was ever fashion
ed by the hand Of the creator. Beall.
the machinist, was off watch and
standing on the to'gallant fo'c'sle,
smoking his pipe, when the ship cast
her anchor of Lahaina. There was
some longing in his quiet gray eyes.
He knocked the ashes out of his pipe,
stretched his arms and then walked
down to the mainmast and told the Of
ticer of the deck that he wanted to see
the commanding officer. The commands
ing officer came out of his cabin.
"What is 1t. my man" he asked the
machinist.
my time Is out, SIR" said the ma.
4chinist. II guess I'll take my dis
charge here"
The commanding officer looked sur.
prised.
'This IL rather a queer notion" ne
said. "You shipped in New York, did
you not? / should think you would
want to get back to the United States
after your three years on the China
station. Or, at any rate. that YOU
would prefer to wait until we get back
to Honolulu. IL you want to waive
transportation and take your discharge
down here among the islands. Why dc
you want your discharge today and
here"
The machinist smiled as he replied:
because this island here, Maui, II
my home. At this moment my father
and mother and seven brothers ant
sisters are on this island. They are a.
q place not very far from Lahaina, call
ed Spreckelsville. The girl that l an
going to marry Is also there. wal
born in Frisco, but my father cam
down to this island as engineer or &
sugar plantation when | was 2 years
old. None of them know that l an
within just a few miles Of home now
l want to give them a little surprise
i waive transportation, and I'll tax
my discharge now"
The commanding officer listened II
the recital with interest.
MOf conrsa we'll give YOu YOur dis