The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-05-24

squad a lot of trouble
The Presidents yacht Mayflower
has just visited the fleet. Aboard it
were Secretary Daniels and Secretary
Baker. The Presidential yacht, glist-
ening white in sharp contrast to the
dirty misunderstanding gray of the
fighting ships, slipped into the waters
one Sunday morning. Except for the
strains of the National Anthem, first
from one ship and then from another,
as the Mayflower, the two Secretar-
les flags flying from her masts, pass
ed down mile after mile of war YES
sells, there was quiet. Putting ships
launches and boats going to and from
shore lay to as the gEstening bow of
the yacht cut through the water Two
navy airp1anes circled high in the
air.
The tow secretaries inspected some
of the ships and men and then board
ed the AdmiraPs gig, which carried
them to a new recreation field fixed
up for the many thousand men of the
fleet by the Navy League. Baseball
diamonds cover acres of ground and
they are we'll patronized;4 many games
were in progress when the secretar-
les arrived.
Secretary Baker got so interested
in a game that he stepped over the
foul line. A husky sailor, not recog-
MIXING the visitor, addressed him by
yelling "Hey!" and then followed it
up with demand that he get back
in hurry, several choice adjectives
being added for the awe of force.
The Secretary moved and right
smartly, too.
Several bluejackets stepped up and
were recognized as boys from Cleve-
land, where Secretary Baker former
ly was mayor. All shook hands and
the Secretary of War chatted with
them for some time.
There are other recreations besides
those found ashore at the base of the
fleet. Every day mail comes and
goes. There are band concerts each
evening, and every ship has a NOV
ing picture machine. Screens are set
up on the decks and for an hour and
a half comedies, dramas and dark
myteries are shown. The men crave
amusement after a hard days work
and they get it. Pictures of children
are especially popular and lond "Ho-
Has resound from each ship show
ing a drama as the villain is foiled.
So-called custard pie comedies are
greeted with howls of delight.
Every ship has mascot. Some
times. it is a goat; more often it is
a dog, or several dogs. One big
dreadnaught has aboard a litter of
bull puppies, sons and daughters of
the ships chief mascot. When the
ship rolls the puppies slide across the
decks and into the scuppers, to be
fished out and set on their feet again
by the bluejackets, their mother all
the while watching the proceeding
with, a critical eye from around the
corner of hatchway.
Then there is a dog, half fox ter
rier and half something else, that an
swers to the name of "Pork Chops
He follows squads of sailors all over
the ship, but he hasn't become used
to the guns yet.
When a five-inch gun went off al
most over his head, he lit out for the
crews galley, skidded around the
door and disappeared for the rest of
the day. Whereupon the crew began
to run for his owner.
ga hell of a. fine mutt to be ,afloat
in this packet, yelled one sailor
The owner, himself, had no reply.
The disgrace of sePork Chops, re-
treat had overwhelmed him. It is
tradition that the American navy
never runs away from anything, and
a navy dog shouldn't violate tradi-
ton &