Waterbury Democrat., 1901-03-29
SEAMAN SHEA IS HOME
He Was With Dewey on That
 Bright May Morning.

His Many Friends Glad to See Him
 Once More-Will Spend Short Fur
 lough Visiting in Town, When He
 Will Return and Finish His Term
 of Enlistment, Which Expires ill
 About Two Years.
 Edward G. Shea arrived here last night on the : o'clock train and at once proceeded to the residence of hls auh'' Mrs Margaret Shea, 1oS baioWih street. Mir Shea is one of the Wal terbury boys who was with Admiral Dewey at the great battle of Manila bay, when the United States fleet put the Spaniards out of business ill snort order With Lieutenant Kellogg ana others, he was remembered by HIS tOwnSmen some time ago. recelVln% handsome medal and gold watch as tokens of appreciation Of the luslre his conduct bestowed upon the city of Waterbury. He was expected home the night before. and a big crowd col lected at the station to receive him. but he didn't show up and this threw ms friends off their guard, so that When he did arrive the number who met him was comparatively few compared With ] what was on hand Wednesday night. But it did not take long for the news 1 to get around, so that he had not been | in town many minutes when he was besieged by hosts of his old friends and associates. all of whom were de 1 lighted to meet him. He looks much 1 the same as when he worked in Bene- dict & Burnham's and lived on the hill, a little stouter. perhaps, but Just the selfsame, iovial. entertaining fel- low who helped make up the crowd of rollocking youths that resided i'll the 1 South end long before Shea ever dreamed of putting out to sea in the livery of one of Uncle Sans jolly tars Quite a few of those with whom he Isported in the time of his boyhood have been called to their reward, others have sought homes in various parts of the country. so that he will look in vain for many familiar faces. young and old. and wonder where all the strange ones hailed from. But while many of the old friends are missing. a goodly number of them is still here and when they learned that Shea was back on his early stamping ground they turned out to greet him and it 1 is no SuesSworll to state that he nev- pr put in d buSier few hours in his life than he did last night. handShak- ing and answering all kinds of ques- tions regarding his escapadeS in the Spanish war and other places.
 i He will remain here two weeks, and as every man and woman in town will 1 want to see him. it is probable that an effort will be made to so arrange things that this can be done in q manner which will inconvenience no one.
 Seaman Shea is chock full of inter- esting "reminiscences of life in the navy and possesses a decidedly happy way of imparting information to others. While he appears to lack much of the brag and display so noticeable in others who have not figured so prom inently in the late war as he, still he is wanting in nothing that goes to make an entertaining conversational iSt. Shea was always rather retiring. and tliose who talked with him last night were quick to perceive that the high honors he won since he left here had not changed his disposition one Jot. He prefers to recount deeds of l valor performed by his comrades rath- CT than discuss the part he played in the struggle himself, and this. coupled with the fact that he was popular with the boys when he lived here. and has managed to keep up an acquaintance | with them ever since. renders him donbly dear to those who know him and will add additional interest to him ill the minds of people who have no knowledge of the man except that he is one of the sons of this proud land who contributed to the honor and glory of the Stars and Stripes at time when grit and valor were the only things that counted for anything.
 Ed, Give us your hand! Welcome back to the old haunts beneath the shadow of Pine Hill! Glad to know that when duty demanded it. you dem- onstrated that you are made of the right kind of metal. We feel safe in hazarding the statement that we voice the sentiment of all your fellow towns men. when we proclaim that Water
 bury is yours during your short leave l of absence.