St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1917-11-28

enjoyed myself today on guard duty
inside a shack, with the sun pouring
in through the windows and DOORS
withsny ovcrcoat and gloves on.
Nov 10
I realize that you may have to
strain your eyes trying to decipher
this writing but it is the best can do
under the circumstances, you see dur
ing the day we have to put our cots
bags, and ditty boxes outside, SO we
have to do our writing outdoors in
the ever present wind.
We had swell time yesterday.
Every Saturday Capt. Johnson inspects
all the men on the island. At eight
o'clock we all fell in, with clean hats,
leggings and polished shoes. The band
and bpgle squads led the procession
down the road past the L. S. S. Con-
stellation, and over to the South
Field company, after company of the
bluejackets with rifles and bayonets.
followed by the artillery lined up in
front of the Administration building
for the inspection. Everyone looked
cheerful, and eager to do his best, for
the day was one of those rare fall
days tht seems TOO good to be true.
Very soon the companies came to- at
tention'' for the captain. followed by
several officers and a civilian appear
ed at the door.
The first thing the officers did was
to give d. d. (dishonorable dis
charged to three fellows who jumped
ship. After this the officers inspected
the sailors carefully, stopped at each
company commander to let the oldish
looking civilian shake hands and speak
to them, Then Capt. johnson announ-
ced that the Secretary of the Navy
would speak TO rs.
Now Mr. Daniels may be a good
indoor speaker, he probably is, but his
voice is not strong enough for out door
speaking. He seems TO speak with an
effort. Alter the short talk we passed
I " review. before the officers, circled
around the field to our former position
sang our songs that the apprentice
seaTnen are required to learn, and then
marched off the field to snappy music
from both bands We had hardly put
oar equipment away before chow
call,' sounded (dinner).
Liberty Party sounded at exactly
5ne 0 clock SO we hustled to get ashore
| with the first liberty. party. We just
made the party, and were soon past
1 the last guard on the mainland
| We couldn't afford 10 waitwait for the
next car SO we walked to town and
got ct the Z II. C. ~ at the same
! time the car did. We spent most OF
the afternoon here at tire " reading
playing checkers ard chatting with
/ the other fellows. About four in the
afternoon we walked oyer to the beach
( follov4ed the Cliff walk for q mile or
/ two then walked back through the
| residential part Of the town back 10
tine Z N. c. a
| While l was writing the Y. M. c. a.
man saw me writing ST. Johnsbury,
| and he said on are from ST. Johns
! bury Vermont are your | asked how
I he happened to know about St. Johns
bury, he said, why Mr.. Moody lives
at St. Johnsbury.
There was a lunch cart nearby 50
we paid il a visit and talk about eat
ling pie--we just waded into it Perry
/ and / then went back to the s4Y'' to
/! have three more games of checkers,
Although the fellows at the '.Y'' were
/ having fine time free movies and
/ musc) Perry suggested that we go to
/! the movies for he had two tickets.
At the sllom we had q fine time got
oat just in time to catch the car, had
to be inspected at the sentry box and
finally got back to our shack at eleven
o'clock.