The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1907-12-27
Christmas In The Navy.

The old woman picked up his pipe, and
as he jammed the tobacco in the black
ened bowl with his thumb, said:
christmas on man. war, eh? Well
that depends a good deal upon what
part of the world one happens to be in.
Funny thing about Christmas; it is the
one holiday that is celebrated the world
over, and it is one of the greatest days OF
the year on board ship. Yes, we cele-
brate it just the same as you folks on
shore, only more so, as it were. l have
eaten my Christmas dinner with TIE
thermometer standing 100 in the shade,
and also when it was monkeying down
around the zero mark; but, as l said be-
fore, Christmas is Christmas-the day we
all expect to sit down to roast turkey
with fxin's. l passed one Christmas,
some years ago, down at Magdalena
Bay, Mexico. Not much there but fish,
sand and few Mexicans; but we had
our turkey and cranberry sauce just the
same.
"Christmas trees? Well, guess yes.
Ever see a man-o- war on Christmas
day? No; well, there will be Christmas
tree at every mast head and one on the
end of every boom, and the ship general
ly decorated with green and holly, with
perhaps a bunch of mistletoe hanging
under the iorecastle. All hands turn out
in the morning, and it is Merry Christ
mas, Jack! Wonder what the kids at
home got in their stockings this morning.
If old Santa would visit this ship, we
would give him an AdmiraPs salute, and
pipe him over the side with eight boys.
Funny how a mans mind travels back
home on Christmas day; kind O. takes a
fellow back to the time when he used to
go to Sunday school regular just before
the 25th of December, and then gradual
" drop off as swimming time and the
Fourth of July came along.
"No washing down decks on battle
ship on Christmas; just a clean sweep
down and get ready for the sports;
smoking allowed all day, and it is one
event after another. Night start in with
tug Of war port watch against the
starboard, to see which W. CHI goes
ashore in the evening. Potato, sack and
three-Iegged races, mast head races, OBJ
stacle race. If the water permits, a
swimming race, free for all. Boat races,
tub and catamaran races with scoop
shovels tor oars. A race between the
cooks and marines, coal passers and
ward room BOYS.
speaking of boat races reminds me of
one Christmas while l was serving on
the old South Pacific Station. We were
at the time lying at Callao, Peru. 1t
was gig race between our ship and
the flag ship, five miles straight away.
We made up purse, all we could rake
and scrape, some four thousand dollars.
We took it over to the flagship, where it
was promptly covered. The race was
pulled about three O'Clock in the after
noon. 1t was a beautiful race-but-yes
they beat US by half boats length, and
we leaned on the rail that evening,
watching the crew of the flagship going
on twenty-four hours leave to try and
spend our money.
las a rule, the boat races take place
after dinner; and, say, what a dinner.
The last dinner had at sea was hum
rler: the cooks had been busy for week
getting up that dinner the Commissary
Steward had not slept for days for fear
that something would go wrong. Every
Commissary exerts himself to make the
Christmas dinner on his ship the best in
the fleet The tables are decorated in
style.
The dinner itself, what did we have!
Well, let's see. Raw oysters, shrimp
salad, cream of celery soup, roast turkey
of course, stuffed with oysters, mashed
cream potatoes, hot slaw, green peas
cranberry sauce, olives, pickles, oranges
grapes and other fruits, ice cream, cake
mince pie, nuts, crackers and cheese
coffee and cigars. to say nothing of the
duff or plumb pudding.
After dinner, as l said, comes the boat
races; after the boat races perhaps E
| game of base ball. Rooters-say, il
would do you good to see bunch o
sailors root for the ships ball team. l
the ships happen to be up north some
where, it will probably be game of foo
ball instead of base bali. In the evening
shore leave for every man that possibly
can be spared; on some Of the ships per
haps a minstrel show, to which the en-
tire feet will be invited, as we'll as friends
from shore; and let me tell you thes
MINISTRIES are we'll worth seeing. Th
friends of the officers and crew are NOR
than pleased to receive an invitation t.
attend a minstrel show to be given a
eight bells, Christmas night. on board ;
u. S. man-o'-war.
Instead of minstrel show perhap
the crews of the different ships will ge
together and&ive ball on shore, tt
which the officers are invited, and al
hands forget the ship for the time beini
and enjoy themselves as only health
young Americans can.
Eyes, l have spent good many Christ
mas DAYS at sea. | remember on on
occasions when we had a monste
Christmas tree on the quarter deck; w
all hung our socks up that night, an