The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-12-24
SEIZE JACKIES' GIFTS
Customs Officers Make Rich
Haul on Battle Ship Ohio.
700 MEN RUMMAGE ORIENT
While ~ars Of other Nations Ca
reused, Uncle Sans sailors Invest
ed in Christmas Tokens Only TO
Have Them CoBfscated by the
Treasury Department at New York.

New York Dec. 22.-Anybody who has
husband or sweetheart aboard the ba
tie ship Ohio, in port from the far East
is liable to be shy a gift this year te-
cause the Treasury Departments customs
sleuths have pinched all the Christmas
gifts
II being holiday time. and the big
fighter Just returning from long stay in
the Philippines, naturally the officers and
men thought of loved ones at home
Every stray sheckel that was not working
they mustered into a fund for purehas-
ing presents. Everybody, from Capt.
Logan down TO Stoker Bill Simpson. who
cares for the fire under the port boilers.
invested
The way they unlimbered this junk Is
said to have made the merchants ard
traders who were lucky enough 10 be in
their wake blink with astonishmers
Where the Sail0smen Of other countries
war ships spent money for booze ana
such, Uncle Sans tars grinned. and H.
many cases invested in women's finery.
700 RummaEe Manila for Presents.
As the wholesale buying kept up It grew
into a shopping fever. After the buying
had been going on for month in Manila
port it assumed the proportion OF an i'm
mense shopping-fest. This was not =
starter, though, as the fad gained impetus
when the sailing date was definitely an
nounced. Every mothers son aboard re-
quested shore leave to make a final
roundup. OF the 200 men who steppcd
over the good ships side, for the first
time in history, probably. not one over
stayed his shore leave. Every man was
back on time to the minute. weighted
down to the lOw-water line with dozens
Of euriously wrapped Oriental baskets opd
bundles and boxes.
No wonder. then, when the ships band
aboard the Ohio crashed The Star
Spangled Banner followed by Home.
Sweet Home, as the anchor was hauled
in at Manila, that everybody was SO
tickled that they could not keep still. As
a mighty cheer rose from the home
bound vessel for Christmas. jackies on
the other craft who were destined to re-
main In Eastern waters, gulped down
huge Jumps in their throats and said
things.
HOmewaFd Trip Round of Pleasure.
The long journey home was one round
of pleasure. Instead of the bands con
cert lasting one hour in the evening all
hands applauded so vigorously that ii
amounted to a nightly jubilee minstrel
show. In the place of ballads were sub
stituted Christmas songs, the kind the
jacbies used to sing when they were
little boys back in the States.
Rough seas were met with and some
injuries in the Suez Canal. but nobody
cared. The big battle ship with a slight
limp steamed cheeriIy into the port
where every good saiIer hopes to go when
he dies. Here was encountered the only
real serious squaH of the voyage
The first warning came in the form of
a dapper IttIe-eustOms officer, who hoped
aboard at quarantine early on the morn
ing of December /.
Amy valuables to declare?" he said in
a busineSslike way to Gunner's Mate /
Hanson, who was acting as deck orderly.
Nothing Valuable TO Declare.
"Valuables? Valuables?" said the sailor
craftily making out great surprise.
at the same time deliberately shifting |
huge quid of cut plug in his mouth.
Say, young fellow, what do you think |
we be? This amt a merchant tramp /
A Nice Present for Your Wife
An CITE Radiator Omen evenings De-, /