The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1916-01-13
CLAIMED THE SHIP
Marc Thought He Was Eligible 10
Command a Cruiser.
AN OLD TIME NAVAL PRANK.
The Shabby Trick That Was played
Upon Patriotic Greek Boisrunsser
BIZ Some 81 Uncle Sans Sailors With
Whom Ne Had Shipped.

Whom Ne Had Shipped.
A number uf yeats ago the cruiser
ou which WAS serving Shipped a boil,
ermaker while We were on the Mcdi.
terrancan station said u retired peity
officer ~ the navy our former boil
enDakers time expired while we were
at Gibraltar aud a. be- was not Ia got'd
physical shape he wasn't rc-enlisted.
but toDk hls discharge aud returned 10
she United States by mail steamer 80
the ship wits shy a boilermakcr, very
important aud necessary petty officer
down below IN the engineers depart.
ment. aud when the ship pulled into
Naples harbor the chief engineer vent
ashore 10 see II he couldn't dig up
boilermakcr
There was clause la the enlist
ment regulations permitting command
ing officers 10 ship necessary men on
foreign stations Ia short handed emer-
gencies The chief engineer brought
back 90 the ship "A Greek named Ch0r-
lie Marc Tile man couldn't speak any
English 10 speak Of, bat he was a
good man ut the bollermaking bust
ness. and be was duly shipped aboard
Of Us for three years. He was a Wild,
hairy looking lot. Marc was and he
got good deal Of laugh al the
hands Of the crew. especially the
younger fellows. from the time he FIRST
came over the side
Marc thought that there wasn't any
other country GA the map except
Greece, and after he got hold OF enough
English to make himself understood he
used 10 take some of the young appren.
tlee boys up into the eyes Of the ship
aud tell them. with many gesticula
tions aud furious words, OF the differ
ent kinds Of tar Greece could knock
out OF Turkey
The ship was around on the Pacific
station when the war broke out be
tween Greece and Turkey. When the
news of the outbreak Of the war got to
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
Ia Greek man villa bin, bin. bin, |
da Taurka man, was Charlie Maro's |
way of putting H. and he didn't see |
that the Turk had q ghost of a 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 "A
bo'sun's mate who knew how 10 crack
The most impossible jokes with a face
ms solemn and wooden as an Indians
took Charlie IA 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 TO Greek commanders.
Here's a chance FOR YOU, Marc
the bo'sun's mate told Marc. You just
want 10 work Your edge Here yOu are
already shipped on this cruiser, and its
dollars to doughnuts that IL you ash,
for the command OF this ship in order
20 take her over TO Greece 10 mix it ~
with the Turks youll get II hands
down. Better try il on
"That idea impressed Marc a heap
He asked the bo'sun's mate whom bed
have to apply TO TO get command of the
cruiser.
why to the commanding officer. of
rourse,' was the reply.
Marc was tremendously important
for n DAY or So while he let this huge
idea grow within him and he bullied
the men detailed to work with him
down below in the boiler room good
deal The bo'sun's mate kept working
him up 10 It. 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
pr..ed 10 see the man all done up la
bis mastering toys when all hands
were AZ work but. as he is obliged to
10 when an enlisted man requests per
mission TO see the commanding officer,
be sent word 10 the skipper. who soon
emerged from his cabin aud appeared
II the stick.
well. my mann said the skipper to
Marc, who stood bolt upright and "a
uted with flourish
'Sarc. said Marc ~ The skipper. i
lav.a da EoAor e. bcr-a ~ TAXA da
OLA da ship
Hey said the commanding officer
,utting hts hand 20 his ear and looking
is II he hada'i heard Alright
'na ship repeated Marc. Fora da
layee ola Helas--tle Greeka nlvee-I
Java da honor TO TAXA da command
IAN hands among the enlisted men !
we're up on the to'gallant fo'c'sle TAX. |
ne the thing Ia. aud they broke into a {
oar that you could have heard five q
able lengths distance. Marc heard IL !
nd. snspecting that bis confidence had I
'een abused, got red and fabbergasted.
he suddenly bottled for the engine !
com hatch and made his way below.
md II took three marines 20 drag him
IN 10 the sick bay. where the surgeon