Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1909-12-23
Christmas az
Sea
BY "A dn1frai Bob Exo7<

@ N Christmas morning" said
w Admiral Evans (Fighting Bob).
W II thank God that he made
three times as much water as land.
Every old seadog will Join me in
this. The sea is his home; he loves 1t
Is the farmer loves his broad acres
Apart from it he is restless and dissat-
irfed, but with voyage ahead of him
he is as happy as a clam at high tide.
NJ true sailor would exchange Christ
mas at sea for one on shore. 1t would
BE- like Thanksgiving dinner without
ths turkey.
'Of all the Christmases spent at sea
ths one that rises before me most
wildly is that of 1865. when the fed
erSl army and the gunboat fleet were
trying to capture Fort Fisher. The
only presents we received. and they
came fast and furious, were solid shot
and shell from the guns of the enemy.
But this didn't destroy our sense of
humor. The boys would write on
each solid shot or STEEL before placing
1t in the gun. presented BY aud add
the name Of the vessel from which it
happened to be fired. Mighty few
hurled at the fort that day lacked this
Christmas greeting. All the gurners
caught the spirit of the grim jest, for
the fighting lire Is no place for se.i>
GUS faces.
despite the excitement OF the
fierce combat we managed to have the
mastheads of all the ships trimmed
with Christme,s green. even though
The sailors had to risk their lives in
going ashore to get them, and you
may be assured the sentiment OF the
day was not wasted.
Last year Santa Claus followed our
heet of 16 vessels. He anticipated our
12,O00-n,iie voyage and furnished US tn
advance with the pick of his best. On
board the supply vessels when wo
sailed from hampton roads were thor,
sands Of pas kages containing every
imaginable Christmas gift, from Il
whisky flask to smoking jacket, each
package labeled. Don't open until
Christmas
Along with those gifts he sent
thousands OF yards of bunting to dec
crate the mastheads Of the battleships.
1t would be difficult to imagine more
beautiful sight than these ships lined
up Christmas morning with the sail
nrs breaking out the Christmas trim
miDgs with as much zest az the small
boy displays when he lights sns
candles on his Christmas tree.
Then comes the opening Of the
Christmas packages. This 10 always q
gala occasion Not man on board
would dare ignore the instruction any
more than he would think of disobey.
ing his superior officer. 1t has become
custom through years Of faithful OBJ
servance. Always bottle of wine 10
broken in christening these tokens
from the loved ones at homo.
III I hadn't been . lieutenant myself
I wouldn't dare give away oflcial
secrets.
Last year W practically had two
Christmases. We received our first
mail at Trinidad. West Indies, some
time Christmas week and delayed
ChristmAs mall reached W q sCallao,
when the vessels we're approaching
their own country on The ] western
side. ... =.
mo nation provides more plentiful.
II for the Christmas cheer Of IL sail.
ors than does Uncis Sam. Each Of
the battleship crews has i dinner a
roast turkey. plum PUDDING. pumpkin
pie and oil the trimmings which 70
with It. The men are served n
Dsssss Of - ~ II o'clock and each
man il allowed one sniftsr Of grog @
On appetizer, In celebration of the %
casi0n.
'..rhe oficers dine ct ok O'clock,
and. a. II the custom when spending
the holiday Ut sea. ars guests oe the
commanding ofiicer."