The Washington herald., 1908-04-25

Los Angeles April 24-This town went
almost without sleep last night so as to
be UP early this morning for the last day
of the fleets stay in the neighboring
ports.
Crowds upon crowds swamped trolley
lines all day. Every kind of boat that
could be impressed into service was used
20 take out .those who had been unable
tC get to the ships before.
on the land. there we're things doing.
About 1900 bluejaekets came to town
early and were pouneed upon by commit
tees and bundled into automobiles for a
days outing. All the town came out TO
see the men. As fast as the machines
could be loaded the men were started OF
for the country. and for an hour or more
the streets were a mass Of cheering
people
The boys were taken miles upon miles
into the country. They visited the orange
groves, the mountain resorts. the club
houses. and were whirled through town
after town. village after village. Nothing
was too good for them The machines
didn't begin TO straggle into town until
about dark Every load got its quota Of
cheers from the people, who seemed to
have waited all day just for another look
at the sailors. That uniform looks good
to US. was the one comment.
All Asked to Eat or Drink.
In town. every bluejaeket was snapped
up on the street and made to eat or
drink something or so somewhere. It
made no matter that the entertainers
didn't know the sailor boy He wore the
uniform and that was enough. and the
entire city gave Itself up to trying TO
spoil those bluejackets forever. 1t was
good cheer. It was what will We have
all around and sorry you're going to-
morrow"
At the various beaches where the divi-
sions Of the fleet anchored there were
lots OF things doing on shore. such as re-
ceptions, drills, races. and Iuncheons.
The Connecticut alone was closed TO Wis
itors, because Admiral Thomas gave a
luncheon to the representative people Of
the city.
All the members Of the feet committee
and the other committees of the city en-
gagged in giving the officers and sailors
whiTi here were on hand. The admiral
told his guests that the hospitality here
was simply Overwhelming. and that not
one man in the feet ever could or would
forget It to his dying day.
ReassembIes To-day.
The feet will reassemble tomorrow
morning in Santa Monica Bay at o'clock.
The trolley companies are making ar
rangements to start out their fullest serv-
ice at 4 a. m. It promises to be a bigger
crowd there than the one at San Pedro,
when the fleet came in. The feet will be
put through evoutions for about an hour.
The desire to see the ships swing and
turn and cut rings in and about one an
other Is such that tonight bids fair 10
be another sleepless one.
Los Angeles is pretty near winded to-
night, but is still going some. Up at
Santa Barbara. where the feet viii ar
rive tomorrow, the citizens say that
there will be something different IN the
way of receptions. The officers and men
are somewhat staggered at the prospect.
but say they VIII keep going until they
drop In their tracks.
They hope there won't be too many
funerals for Uncle Sam to pay for but If
the death rate in the fleet does go up out
this way, there will be just one reason.
and only one, 10 account for il. That rea-
son viii be KILLED by California hospi-
tality.