The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-10-16

he cobbIes their march music. IE
In a surprisingly short time they
we're ali aboard. And there was
sreat number of them They were
lot pushed on heller SHELTER, Dut
we're assigned forward or aft, star
BOARD or port, to balance the craft.
And the orders were not to move from
side to side, which might we'll have
been a dangerous proceeding conslo-
ering their number. Ia
Such boys! An American would
have been proud Of each and every
one of them.
By and by, along came dawn. The
steamboat fully loaded, was still tied
UP at it's pier. Everything, to this
had been tremendously Sc
cret.
But all of a sudden there appeared
alongside the pier dozen or more
sellers Of sandwiches three for a
quarter and coffee ELL your canteen
for a dime"
Who were they7 How did they get
there? BY whose permission? II this
movement was 30 secret, why were |
such persons allowed to observe it I? |
The writer could not find the answer. |
The men were there. That is all.
There is one thing good to be said |
for them, that when the boat started
away from the pier, they flung aboard
it, gratis, every bag of sandwiches
they had left over, And they took
their hats off and waved them at the
boys in. farewell. They didn't yell,
since noise was forbidden. But who
were they?
1t was very early-as rising hours
go-when the steamboat began to
move. But there were some persons
49, \ a. n
they could not help seeing the steam
boat with it's khakf-clad load. And
there was another thing that appar-
emily they could not help doing
which was taking off their hats and
swinging them about their heads.
Some shouted,
60 get 'en1 fellows, 80 long, boys"
"Jab the Kaiser for me, BILL
The journey of the steamboat may
not be told about in detail But this
may be said. That 1t was hard upon
the young lads who were saluted and
Icheered wherever seen to maintain
| the silence which had been imposed
upon them by their officers and to
reply to their farewell greetings from
| Americans by merely waving their
hands or their Stetsons.
The steamboat was made fast pres
emily Alongside pier at which waited
] a big and modern transatlantic liner
with a long barreled, powerful naval
gun protruding over her stern.
| Five minutes had scarcely elapsed
after the tying up before some of the
boys in olive drab were marching to
the long pier. Not five minutes more
passed before, in single file, they were
proceeding UP the gangplank OF the
liner and to their quarters.
AS each man went aboard he was
given a card telling him the number
| of his berth, the deck he was assign
ed to and just what he was supposed
to do. And on the liner were military
men and civilian stewards to tell him
just how to find his place.
Half Of the men aboard the steam
boat having been disembarked and
/ marched aboard the liner at the pier
referred to, the other half were taken
to pier short distance away where
another liner-larger, but not so new
WAS waiting to receive them. This,
4 too, was armed with big guns and
smaller ones amidships, and SO was
4 fairly able to protect herself even If
she were going over without other
rotection--which, 1t may properly
be said, she wasn't.
The soldiers of this particular out
fit were delighted beyond words with
their accommodations. Most of them,
1t is true, were quart-red aft and in
the so-caled steerage. Some lucky
privates and noncoms drew second
class accommodations. All the COM
nissfoned officers travelled first class
and in the best cabins the ships af-
q forded.
Il But each man who started across
!. had comfortable individual bun, and
the prospect of three good hot meals
a day.
Since from the waters of this port
of embarkation the men might have
been seen by those on passing craft
1t is a pretty busy harbor-they were
the day and not show themselves up
\ on the decks.
Now, how many persons knew OF
the departure7
First, the lite group Of longshore-
men who had helped load the bag
gage at the railroad yard. Second
the food and coffee sellers at the rail
road. yard pier. Third, those early
4 risers who had seen the crowded
steamboat make Its way from ths
4 railroad yard to the steamship dock
IN addition, of course, the railroad
n and steamship officials civilians
who were necessarily engaged on tn.
4 Job.
And with the exception OF these lat.
I ter, no observer knew just what out
fit was being moved or where it wal
being moved to. On the whole, til,
job Is done very well, as well. perhaps
as 1t is possible to do It.
Night fell and the clatter about tn,
steamship pier ceased. Tugs nosee
the big liners out into the fairway
The chugging of the tugs engines wa
the only racket. The liners got unde
way headed East after time and tn
boys were off for France.
| nnnTnDc kDc