The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1917-06-20
ATHLETICS
AMONG THE
NAVY BOYS
Some Things the Navy
League is Doing for
the JaCkieS
GOOD OUTDOOR SPORT
Young Fellows Who Run the Battle
ships Given Fine Opportunities
For Genuine Fun

WITH THE UNITED STATES AT
LANTIC FLEET-It is two bells in
the afternoon watch when the shrill
trill Of the bos'ns whistles are heard
piping the crews of the mighty dread
noughts to the rails and the sing-song
cries of the bosn'n's mates carry out
over the water, Liberty party to
muster"
This is the summons given three
times each week to the men of the At
Iantic fleet to take their hours of rec
reation on the immense athletic field
provided for them by the navy league.
BY the hundreds, on every battleship
and cruiser, the youthful, white uni
formed Jackies come rushing on deck
to form into line for the liberty in
spection.
Under Twenty Years.
Two long white lines form on deck
and every man stands rigidly at at
tention while officers pass along mark
ing the appearance of each one. Their
uniforms are spotlessly white. Their
shoes: freshly blackened. Off come
their little round white caps to show
that their hair is closely cropped. No
visitor to the fleet fails to be struck,
when he views that line at inspection,
with the extreme youth of the men,
their intelligent faces and happy,
smart appearance. The average age
appears to be less than 20 years and
many of them seem barely to have
passed their eighteenth birthday on
the date of their enlistment. From
every state in the union they hail and
thousands of them from the farms of
the middle west. A collection GER
tainly of Americas finest gathered on
the deck of floating fortress to form
the first line of the nations defense.
Wear Broad Smiles.
On every sun tanned face is worn
a broad smile in expectation of the
sport that the afternoon will bring.
Over the rail, the visitor sees the ships
launches bobbing 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 I
gangway and the men go over the side
to the waiting launches
When They Break Loose.
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 aftsFnoon's recreation has begun.
Thousands oEYsuperfluously healthy,
absolutely carefree and very young
men are turned loose. TO. be sure
there is the provost guard with their ;
sticks, but that is only to
guard against the chance Of ugly !
blood developing from the fun. which
loes not happen, .
When the dock at the athletic field =
s reached the men from the launches
umbIe out pell nell and Immediately
'egins 4 raid upon the canteen. Pop
S sold faster than corks can be pull
d. The man who gets anything over
he canteen counter fights for it. You :
aust come with your change ready or
o without. There is too much bust
ess to stop to change money
How Darkies Eat Melons. :.
A pump receives the overflow from
le canteen and those who have been
nabIe to spend their money for candy
r pop take their chances on getting
tucked under the pump. A farmer
rives onto the field with a load of +
atermelons. At fifty cents apiece his
last about fifty seconds.
colored cooks helper buys a melon
Id dives into it when a huge hand be- s..
nging to a Jackie from an Indiana
nm buries the darky's face into the
elon up to his ears Another enter .o<
Using farmer brings some old farm 'o
gs on the field to hire them out for -
entlemen's mounts" to the sailors.