The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-01-17
BrattlebOrO Man Was on
Baltimore During Bat
tie of Manila Bay
WENT TO FLAGSHIP
FEW DAYS LATER
Jean J. Vanderveer, Steward at Brattle-
boro Retreat, Recalls characteristics
of Admiral in Whose Service He Was
for Eight Months.

of Admiral in Whose Service He Was
for Eight Months.
The death Of Admiral George Dew
ey brought vividly to Jean j. Van
derveer of II Chaplin street, steward
at the Brattleboro Retreat, recollec
tions of the battle of Manila Bay, Nav
/, lS9s, in which he served on the
Baltimore as a chief yeoman and a
few days later was transferred to the
Olympia, Admiral Dewey S flagship and
assigned to duty as chief clerk 10 the
admiral.
In that capacity ne handled all OF
the correspondence relating to the ae-
F., tiyities OF the Asiatic fleet. much of
il being of international Importance.
lie has letter of recommendation
from the admiral praising his services
ana stating that "tne naval service
is loser by his discharge.
Speaking OF the admiral this morn
ing, Mr.. Nandcrveer said that he was
q martinez in the matter OF discipline
his Interpretation OF the word duty was
that man must give every moment
of his time to the service OF his coun-
.ry.
The first letter which the admiral
started TO dictate after Mr.. Wander
/ Neer had been assigned to the position
Oh chlci clerk Mr.. Nandcrveer began
10 take IN shorthand The admiral
glanced over his shoulder and asked
"hat he WAS doing. Upon receiving
the reply that he was taking the die
taton in shorthand the admiral said !:
- None Of that here. We want only
one record OF what is done in this OF
ice. After that Mr.. Nandcrv aer said
olctatlon was taken directly on the
typewriter The admiral was a rapid
and very accurate dictator and never
changed a word or n phrase after it
came from the machine.
, 50 important was the correspondence
thai the desk Of the chief clerk was
convertible into q bunk and there the
chief clerk slept. lie never left the
httle office alone and when he was
not there the master at arms was re-
sponsible for the correspondence con
tained in it.
After the battle in Manila Bay the
: admiral slept very little at night, foi
, he feared some action on the part OF
, the German naval commander in tn,
, harbor. 1t was nothing unusual fol
! HIM to enter the Office of his clerk al
clock III the morning and dictate
letters
? He had marvellous memory anf
! months after having dictated a lette,
! he could ask the clerk for the copy OF
I 1t giving the date on which it had
: been dictated. He was a great student
r Of international law, being about a.
well informed on it as many interna
tional lawyers, and at the time trouble
i was expected with the Germans h,
cited from memory to the German flac
I lieutenant six eases bearing on the at
titude Of the powers IN situations like
= that then existing there
The admiral was q thorough GENTLE
. man and courteous in the extreme. Af
ter the battle, when the Filipino won
. en- would row to the sides of the war
ships TO sell fruits the admiral, wher
ne saw one Of them approaching tn,
+. flagship, would step to the side, bow
Il courteously and nearly always buy
. some article.
9 He believed always in letting credi
be given where credit was due. Tw,
months after the battle when the frs
papers from the United States con
tanning accounts of the battle were re
ceived by the men of the fleet in Ma
Mia Bay, tha admiral glanced at ;
front page Of one Of the papers whicl
had a picture of him and exclaime,
}, to his clerk:
Ism t that wickedl They are giy
ing me credit for what my officers an,
men did!
The admiral had no intention. Mr.
$ Nanderveer said, of remaining at Ma
Mia and in fact made arrangements +
{ . TO Honolulu after the battle bu
> when he sent word to Washington tha
!, he could take the city at any time tn
!, idea took root III Washington and h
i received orders 20 take it.
n Dewey had not been popular wit
d the bureau chiefs at Washington an
.e was sent to the command of the Asi
IS attic fleet, considered the worst eonsigu
A. ment of any in the navy. But alon
e came the Spanish American war an
in a few weeks more his name wa
r hcralded over the world as the man 0
y the hour.
Mr. Vanderveer was eight month
with the admiral as his chief clerk an
re had always been a staunch admirer O
At him, and although he had not seen hir
IS in several years, he feels sense of
-