The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1917-08-02
PLAYTIME With
MEN OF The NAVY
What Happens When Several
Hundred tackles Are Turned
Loose for Shore Liberty.
MAKES FOR The HAPPY SHIP
Llberallty of Private Citizens Has
Given Men of the Fleet Big Attn
letic Field for Their
Recreation.

With the United States Atlantic
Fleet.-It Is two bells In the afternoon
watch when the shrill trill of the
bos'n's whistles are heard piping the
crews of the mighty dreadnaughts to
the rails and the sing-song cries OF
the bos'n's mates carry out over the
water, Liberty party to muster"
This Is the summons given three
times ench week TO the men of the At
lantic fleet to take their hours OF recre-
alton on the immense athletic field pro-
yided for them by the Navy league.
BY the hundreds, on every battleship
and cruiser, the youthful, whte-uni-
formed Jackies come rushing on deck
10 form into line for the liberty in
spectlon.
Two long white lines form on deck
and every man stands rlgidly at atten-
tion while officers pass along marking
the appearance of each one. Their uni
forms are spotlessly white. Their shoes
freshly blackened. OF come their lit
tie round white caps 10 show that their
hair Is closely cropped. No visitor to
views that line at inspection, with the
extreme youth of the men, their intelll- !
gent faces and happy, smart appear
ance. The average age appears TO be |
less than twenty years and many of |
them seem barely TO have passed their |
eighteenth birthday on the date of |
their enlistment. From every state in
tho Ifnfnn fbaM hufl md fbyngnnfIr Of |
them from the farms of the middle
West. A collection certainly of Amer
icas finest gathered on the deck of
floating fortress TO form me first line
of the nations defense.
of for Day Of Sport.
On every sun-tanned face is worn
broad smile in expectation Of the sport
that the afternoon will bring. over
the rail, the visitor sees the ships
launches bobbng about in the seaway
with the bowmen holding fast to the
ships side with their boathooks. Then
the sharp word of command rings out
on deck and the white line of sailors
begins to move forward toward the
gangway and the men go over the side
to the waiting launches.
Discipline begins to give way lit
tie at this point, although the cox
swain of the boat is all business as
he calls TO the bowmen to shove OFF
The afternoons recreation has begun.
Thousands of superfluously healthy.
absolutely carefree and very young
men are turned loose. To be sure
~ 10. /
pollcemen's sticks, but that is only to
guard against the chance of ugly blood
developing from the fun. which does
not happen.
When the dock at the athletic field
is reached the men from the launches
tumble out pel-mell and Immediately
begins raid upon the canteen. Pop
Is sold faster than corks can be pulled .
The man who gets anything over the
ranteen counter fights for 1t. You :
must come with your change reody or
90 without. There is too much bust
ness TO stop TO change money.
Watermelons Last Quick.
A pump receives the overflow from s
he canteen and those who have been
Unable TO spend their money for candy
'r pop take their chances on getting
tucked under rfe pump. A farmer
lrives onto the field with load of b
At so cents apiece his q
last about fifty seconds v
\ colored cooks helper buys melon $
nd dives into it when huge hand /
slonging to Jackie from an Indiana a
arm buries the darkS face into the b
lelon up TO his ears Another enter s.
rising farmer brings some old farm a