Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1916-04-13
CLAIMED THE SHIP
Maro Thought He Was Eligible to
command a Cruiser.
AN OLD TIME NAVAL PRANK,
The Shabby Trick That Was Played
Upon a Patriotic Greek Boilsrrak
by Some OF Uncle Sans Sailors With
Whom He Had Shipped.

Whom He Had Shipped.
"A number of years ago the cruiser
on which l was serving shipped boil
ermaker while we were on the Medi-
terranean station" said retired petty
officer of the navy. Our former boil
ermakers time expired while we were
at Gibraltar. and as he was not in good
physical shape he wasn't re-enlisted.
but took his discharge and returned 10
the United States by mail steamer SO
the ship was shy bollermaker, a very
important and necessary petty officer
down below In the engineers depart
ment, and when the ship pulled into
Naples harbor the chief engineer went
ashore 10 see III he couldn't dig up
boilermaker
There was clause in the enlist
ment regulations permitting command
ing officers TO ship necessary men ON
foreign stations in short handed emer-
gencies. The chief engineer brought
back TO the ship Greek named Char
lie Marc. The man couldn't speak any
English To speak OF. but he was
good man at the boilermakipg bust
ness. and he was duly shipped aboard
Of as for three years. He was . Wild.
hairy looking Iof. Marc was. and he
got q good deal OF q laugh at the
hands Of the crew. especially the
younger fellows. from the time he first
came over the side.
"Msro thought that there wasn't any
other couA<ry on the map except
Greece. ard after he got hold Of enough
English tn make himself understood he
used TO take some OF the young appren-
tice boys up into the eyes OF the ship
and tell them, with many gesticula.
tons and furious words, Of the differ
out Of Turkey.
The ship WAS around on thc Pacific
station when the war broke ont be
tween Greece and Turkey. When the
news OF the outbreak OF the war got 10
Marc. our boilermaker. he nearly had
heart disease and whole lot OF other
sudden things from pure excitement
He just couldn't hold himself IN. he
looked so tickled
1Da Greek man villa BIN. bin. BIN.
da Taufka man. was Charlie Maro's
way of putting it, and he didn't see
that the Turk had a ghost OF show
All hands forward encouraged him in
the belief. They all acquiesced in ex-
pressing the belief to Marc that Greece
would simply eat Turkey up. Then II
bo'sun's mate who knew how TO crack
the most impossible jokes with a face
as solemn and wooden as an Indians
took Charlie In hand and told him some
things. He told Marc that the United
States was so much In sympathy with
Greece In the struggle with Turkey
that the navy department had decided
TO turn over all of the ships OF the
American navy 10 Greek commanders.
Here's a chance for You. Marc.
the bo'sun's mate told Marc. 'You just
want to work your edge. Here you are
already shipped on this cruiser, and it's
dollars TO doughnuts that If you ask
for the command OF this ship i'm order
to take her over 10 Greece To mix il IN
with the Turks you'll get 1t hands
down. Better try il on
That idea impressed Marc heap
He asked the bo'sun's mate whom he'd
have to apply to to get command OF the
cruiser.
why, to the commanding officer. OF
course, was the reply.
Marc was tremendously important
for day or so while he let this huge
Idea grow within him. and he bullied
the men detailed 10 work with him
down below in the boiler room a good
deal. The bo'suns mate kept working
him up to 1t. and finally Marc appeared
on deck one morning logged out in his
very best mastering suit of bluejacket
clothes and went up 10 the officer OF
the deck and asked permission to see
the commanding officer at the mast
The officer OF the deck was rather sur
prised TO see the man all done up in
his mastering toys when all hands
were at work; bat. as he is obliged to
do when an enlisted man requests per
mission TO see the commanding officer
he sent word to the skipper, who soon
emerged from his cabin and appeared
at the stick
We'll, my MANI said the skipper to
Marc. who stood bolt upright and sa-
luted with q flourish
Sare.' said Marc TO the skipper. 4
hay-a da honor to her-a-by taxa da
command OLA da ship
'HeyT said the commanding officer.
putting his hand to his ear and looking
as IL he hadn't heard Alright
"'Da ship repeated Marc. Fora da
navee ola Hellas-de Greeka navee-I
hava da honor TO TAXA da command
"All hands among the enlisted men
were up ON the to'gallant fo'c'sle TAX
ing the thing In. and they broke into
roar that you could have heard five
cable lengths distance. Marc heard IL