St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1917-12-26

one of two plaees.-to the radio
school at Harvard University, or to
the = S. fleet. Each week 20 men
are sent to Harvard, but only Is each
month are sent to the fleet
Those who go to Harvard are
given a training for four months,
then are rated first-class seamen, and
lhird-ciass radio electricians. Those
who go directly to the fleet are rated
first-class seamen and radio operat-
ors. but they get their training on
shipboard. I ought to be a second
class seaman now, but won't be
changed quite yet. Within few
days there are several to be rated,
SO we will all be rated together. Just
now the chances of my getting home
at Christmas are very good, but I am
far from being sure of coming, every
thing is so untertain in the Navy.
A few days ago books We're put on
sale at the station-innocent looking
little books containing $500 worth
of tickets good for five, ten and fif-
teen cents at the barber's shop, cob
sbler's shop, photographers, etc. Then
orders were given that no one could
set a shave, hair cut or anything of
that nature for cash. So many of
the fellows were out of money that
the paymaster gave each man five
dollars with which to get a book.
Well, several of the men said, 81
don't think they can make us spend
our money for a book if we don't
want to get one" SO few didn't buy
the ticket books. IS I thought I pre-
ferred the money to the book, but as
soon as | saw one fellow eating IAN
gel cake and wine,' by himself, .(eat-
ing bread and water, in solitary con-
finement for three days., because he
refused to buy a ticket book, I lost
no time in buying one of these books
before they had a chance to feed me
in the same way. Then too.
couldn't get any shore liberty with
out the book.
!. We sleep in hammOeks. again, only
this time our hammocks are much
, closer together than we used to have
them in Barracks A. AS the ham
mocks are. hung here there is not
more than a foot between the ham
mock ropes. Where the hammocks
j are spread there is no room between
them. In fact. they are so close to-
gether that when one hammock
turns over they all turn.
Instead OF eating down at Bar
racks A mess hall, we eat up at Bar
racks B. We are supposed to get
the same chow up here as Barracks
A gives out. but we notice that we are
getting little better chow, and a
little more of it. OF course we don't
object to this at ALL
Dec 16.-I don't recall that I ever
wrote letter before as early in the
morning. 1t is only five o'clock, and
am sitting down on a pail writing
before the mob gets back. Now we
have to get up at 445 a. m. and go
| over to Barracks C to take a shower
| don't mind taking a shower but ]
! don't like the idea of crawling out in
the middle of the night to do it. ]
have to get up with the others, but
don't get a shower till IL o'clock for
am on mess duty again. They are
very particular to have the mess
cooks clean. AS soon as we finish
work in the forenoon, we are march
ed down to the wash room to. wash a
suit of whites. Every day we have
| to put on a clean white suit for in
spection. We have rather a long day
over there-from six in the morning
until eight at night.
| Because of this mess duty I have
! been in the class room only half Ia
day, but I will be back in school again
after tomorrow. Just the same, I sc
in class once in "a while. We expect
to get a five day leave soon.
We are uncertain whether we will
come at Christmas or at New Years
Half of the school goes at Christmas
the other half as soon as the others
return.
Somehow there dosen't seem to be
much news. This mess duty is the
same thing over and over. We eat
few minutes before the others do
clear off the tables and then serve the
chow. I usually try to serve Out
oranges, cake or pie. 1t is very easy
to sly1y eat the crumbs-and I notice
that some of the crumbs are nearly
as large as the real article. YOU
ought to see how many cockroaches
there are in the mess hall. We don'
dare to go around alone for fear q
bunch of them will carry us off te
| their dens.
Well. pay day comes the goth and
I ought to get something if the yeo-
men get busy. Please send me the
State Treasurer's address so L can ap-
ply for the $1,000 per month from the
State. 1 will close for this time. Ny
present address is
] RAYMOND c.. HALL,
U. S. N. Training Station,