The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-07-22
LIEUT.. CRONAN's
PRESENTATION WATCH

Lieutenant William z. Cronan, a tur-
ret officer on the Connecticut, and who
was well known in the Bohemian Club
in former years, star member of the
Lambs in New York, and one of the
best story tellers in the fleet, has been
trying for two months to conceal very
handsome present which was made to
him while the fleet was in Callao the
end of last February.
Cronan is the officer who stuck his
forefnger in the breech of the eight
inch gun on the Connecticut two years
ago off the coast of New England,
thereby losing finger, saving the lives
of eight men, and preserving the gun,
if not the ship He is therefore hero.
Also, Cronan is Irish, with fund of
the very best anecdotes, either naval,
civilian or military, as You please, and
is linguist who has seven languages
at command; therefore he is popular.
Moreover, Cronan has luck; therefore
he is interesting.
At Lima, the capital of Peru, Cronan,
with other officers, was the guest OF
the National Club, which is the center
of all the blooded life of that aristo-
cratic country. One day he left the
ship hurriedly without his watch, and
on the way to shore borrowed from a
divisional officer a stop watch, which
is used in the turrets for timing fire,
watch that could be duplicated for
$3.50.
That noon at the club Cronan mad
vertently left his watch on the wash-
stand for a few minutes, and when he
looked for it could not find it. In tell
ling some of his friends about the loss
a Peruvian member of the club, who
understood English, overheard the con-
versation, excused himself for interior
ing and asked how it had happened.
Cronan explained that the watch had
! been left for a few minutes on the
washstand, in which time it had dis
appeared, but in explaining TO the Peru
Wan he dwelt on the unusual character
of the watch, saying it was fitted with
peculiar devices for measuring time.
Not much was made of the incident,
which Cronan proceeded to forget. The
last day of the stay in Peru, Cronan
was called TO the deck to receive a
party of Peruvians who had come of
to pay him visit. They were exceed
ingly ceremonious and began by pay
ing him extravaganza compliments in
/ Spanish, to which Cronan replied in
| equally good Spanish, assuring them of
his distinguished consideration and end
| ing up by inviting them below for a
glass of champagne. They seemed
somewhat embarrassed, but accepted
the invitation.
The wine was drunk in polite and
ceremonious silence. On the conclusion
of that highly important function, af-
ter another prelude of complimentary
Spanish, the chairman of the delegation
drew from his frock coat huge plush
case, opened it and revealed a magnif-
cent gold watch. 1t was fitted with a
bell attachment which struck the quar-.
ter hours and carried dial with n
carefully engraved zodiacal sign. On
the case were set five Peruvian gems,
an emerald and four tOpazes. On the
back Cronan g name and his ship were
engraved under the navy anchor, above
which the Stars and Stripes were inter
twined with the Peruvian flag.
The chairman then proceeded to de-
liver an elaborate speech, in which he
assured the lieutenant that the club of
which he had the distinguished honor
to be member felt exceedingly humble
in its inability to return to him the
exact watch which it had been his mis-.
fortune to lose while a guest in its
house Phe club had, however, taken
the extreme liberty of making an at
tempt at restitution, not of the original
loss, which it would be ever their sor-
row that they could not replace, but
of poor and inadequate substitute. In
conclusion the chairman expressed the
club s SINGERS hope that Lieutenant
Cronan would accept this slight token
of their esteem and would not always
charge them too heavily with the ae-
count which they felt he would be en-
tirely justified in chalking up against
them.-CEoniele.