The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-06-01
A JAPANESE COMMODORE
MatSmulla Attended The u. S.
Naval Academy.
POPULAR WITH CADETS
At One Time He and His Friend Were
Hazed TO Omitted States
Smoker.'-Hazers Found Later
They Had Struck Pair OF Tar
tars.-is Reply to Dewey.

"I was at the Naval Academy with
commodore Matsmulla of the Japan
So Navy. who was recently wounded
the bridge of his ship" said an
American naval officer "a plucky
fellow, a more levclleaded chap you
have never met. i'1 was graduated
in 1873. Part Of tie time his friend
Sataro Ise was in the academy with
him.
AT the Academy Mats, as he was
called, was very popular and he was
midshipman when it tried mems souls
at the height of the hazing period. At
that time the plebes lived down in
the old quarters. herded, as it were,
to themselves, and there M1tsmulla
and Sataro began their experience.
They had never heard the word haze,
had no conception of its meaning.
"One night, hearing loud voice in
their room, | went over; and when l
opened the door, all ! could see was
a dense smoke cut of which came
several arms | was ierhCd headiong
into the room and the dcor slammed
to.
The Japs were being treated to /
United States smoker. The windows
were all closed and even the kcyhole
and crack under the door were
stuffed
"On the narrow mantelpioce stood
the future Japanese hero, Matsmuila,
looking like one of his old-fashioTod
idols, but as smiling as a basket Of
chips. He was ordered by The h2zers
to sing a song in Greek OF the laa.
guage he knew but two words-Alpha
and Omega-and these he worked
on so cleyerly and with such good
nature that he was lifted down.
"Sataro had sickly cast in though.
he was green about the gills, as one
of the boys expressed; but neither
said word They took the medicine
with a pluck which was their salva-
tion, as the man who resisted or took
exception to the horseplay had a hard
time.
"In half an hour the air in the
room was unbearable. You could cut
the tobacco smoke with a knife, t.
Tas so thick, and even the haZers
ore beginning to weaken. Two Of
he twenty hazers soon found it con-
Ionient to get out Then Mats spoke
Up.
1--WE sorry you third class men have
engagement" he said. we like you
stay and smoke another pipe"
"a few of the third class gentle.
men laughed, but nearly all evidently
realized that they were mp against the
real thing Another now retreated
while the rest loaded up their pipes
and puffed furiously, trying to make
a spurt which would run the Japs out
OF the room. had to join, and being
a hardened smoker ! filled a big pipe
and made up my mind that as | was
an ally Of Mats and Sarato perhaps
we could turn the tables.
81 puffed great volumes Of smoke
and never said a word. You have seen
the smokestack Of torpedo destroy
er getting up steam with soft coal?
Well, looked something like that.
mot word was spoken. Most OF
the third class men were al that stage
at which they did not dare to open
their mouths. The light became dim
mer and DINNER.
~ sat on the bed next to Mats and
he gave me nudge In the side and
fairly erupted with smoke. He not
only pumped up great Clouds but he
quietly blew 1t across the room where
the bunch Of third class men sat gasp.
ing and perspiring One of them told
me later that he would have given
800 TO have got out with honor.
"The minutes dragged along and I
was filling my fourth pipe when I saw
that Mats was smoking two. He had
got his second wind and was settling
down to real enjoyment while all |
could see OF Sats was black spot,
his hair in purple cloud,
81 don't know how long we could
have stood 1t. confess that | did
not feel altogether happy myself when
Mats said
"'Any third class gentleman like
another pipe? There are plenty
"The mere suggestion drove one OF
the hazers out. Then the others put
up a mean Job. One OF them cried
day was coming around. Thereupor
the crowed tossed their pipes into the
chimney place and ran
''It was merely subterfuge TO en-
able the men to get out Matsmullf
had smoked them out, and when nj
were gone he turned to me with thu
remark: Third class men dom
smoke much at which we laughed
heartily; then we opened the win
dows and door.
What clinched Matsmula's popu
larity was the fact that the officer o
the day-Dewey | think-did com,
along before all the smoke had dis
appeared and that Matsmulla took Il
the blame for the violation of IN
rule against smoking and that he al,
not give away any Of his hazers."
Shells of Duck Eaus Jet Black,