Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-23
By George Ethelbert Walsh
WTHEN our war vessels
" enter port after a


long cruise, the receipt and
distribution of mail among the officers and
jackies of prime importance, and every man
eagerly looks forward to this event. Uncle Sam
makes special postal facilities for his sailors and
marines During the recent cruise OF the fleet
round the globe, mail for the ships aggregated
several tons at many of the ports where they
touched, and any failure to make connections
with the mail would have cast gloom and
dependency upon officers and crews.
When the mail is brought aboard inn
promptu postoffice is Immediately established,
and amateur sorting clerks are impressed INTO
service. These may not be so sk1lful as the
professional postal clerk in sorting and dis
tributing mail; but as they chosen for this
work on account of their readiness IN reading
and deciphering queer hieroglyphics they are
not by any means novlces There was the case
of Jack Bennett, of the old Maine, who had
record of sorting one hundred letters minute
and Tipping them into their proper piles.
Benny Winthrop, who served on the Chicago.
of the old White Squadron, ran him close
second with record of ninety minute.
Too many letters for Jacky means guy1ng
from his companions. A half-dozen letters
look suspicious: dozen call forth words OF
surprise. The man has been too free with his
distribution of affection, and so many sweet
hearts is sign that requires careful 1nvestlga-
ton. The postman calls forth the names with
more or less monotony; but occasionally there
is much merriment.
Billy WOfoen and his Sisters
RILLY WORDEN!" he drawls and fips the
Henry Ketcham, Billy Worden again!" He
pauses for Just an instant and then continues,
Jack Simmons, George Wilson. Billy Worden
again! Hey. Billy, you're hearing from her!"
A smile, and then, Sam Foster, Will Kerr,
Don Burns. Billy Worden! Why, Billy. she's
mailing you this trip sure Got license to
marry?" There is grin and litter round the
circle as Billy receives the fourth letter and
4
shuffles the pile and reads one carefully, and
stops long enough to be impressive. Billy,
here's her postscript" he adds. "No, it's from
the other girl. It's different writing. Billy.
you don't want to get too gay in your old age
Some friendly hand takes it to shove over to
blushing Billy, and reading the postmark on
the envelop the man volunteers the information
for the crowd. Baltimore. Say Billy, that
must be from the black eyed bouncer you had
in tow in Simmons. She writes real educated
hand"
''Ah. cut it out!' snaps Billy, snatching at
the letter. That's from my sister"
The assembled crew takes up the cue. Sew
eral voices call out, I" / want one from my SIS
ter too. Hey shove em out!"
The postman f1ips out few more, and then
once more Another for Billy Worden-from
sister Jane in Norfolk! How many sisters you
got Billy"
of letters is fairly buried under of con-
fusion and modification. He wishes now that
his mail was smaller, and he knows that he will
have hard time reading the letters without
prying eyes helping him. 1t may take several
days for him to go through all of them surrep-
titiously.
The Man Who Didn't Get Any
THE man without any mail is looked upon
as a poor, forlorn outcast or one lacking in
all sentiment. If he belongs to the former
class, the crew respects his feelings and shares
with him the good news from home If he is
simply cold hard, unsentimental chap, there
is no mercy shown him.