The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-06-24
EAGER
TO GET CANDY
Stewards of Ship Canteens Think the
Americans Have a Great Sweet
Tooth, as They Sell Out Before
Completing Their Voyage.

London, June a. Correspondence Of
Associated Press Next for candy"
cries the keeper of the ships eanteen.
In front of his booth is long queue of
American soldiers, patiently awaiting
| their turn to buy the sweets and souve.
Mrs displayed on the counter and in
the showcases. II is an incident of life
of American soldiers on transport
bound for France
The canteen keeper is tired. Never in
his experience on British vessels has he
encountered such a rush of business. He
has sold his wares in all the seven seas
TO people of many nationalities, and il
he were awarding prize TO the best
customer it would be bestowed prompt
ly on the American soldier,
81 say" he exclaimed to the chief
steward after he had closed shop the
first day out, what sweet tooth they
havel At the rate they're buying me
out, there won't be a gumdrop left by
the time we get halfway across"
On some of the British transports
that are taking Uncle Sans troops to
France, there are as many as five can.
teens.
The demand for chocolates is so great
that the supply, large though it may
have been, is quickly exhausted. Amer
lean chewing gum is next in popularity. |
After the home variety of corrections |
have been sold out, the soldiers begin |
to experiment with British sweets, of !
which toffee wins perhaps the most ia
vor. If American pop" could be had,
it would be consumed in large quantities.
Failing that, the troops drink Spanish
ginger ale.
One soldier is known to have spent
SIS for candy and ginger ale. He prob
ably would have spent more before the
ship reached port, but one day greatly
to his establishment, he became seasick.
The canteen curios, such as shells on
which are painted the American flag, at
tract many buyers, and before the trip is
ended almost every soldiers kit contains
one or more of these treasures.
On the British transports the barber
shop is advertised on the door as Hair
lresser." As rule this sign is not I'M
ierstood by the American looking for
i haircut or shave. He thinks it is
place for women to have their hair
lreSsed, and he passes it by. When he
,onfesses to his comrades that ne can't
ind the barber shop. he is made the vic
i'm of good deal of joshing from those
Who have fathomed the secret
The soldiers who patronize the hair q,
Iresser find the experience rather novel
I seems queer to b shaved in an i'm !
movable upright chair, and queerer still !
nut extremely satisfactory, to be charged :
bout half the price one pays in first :
lass American shop.
1t is on the ship that many Ameri- :
ans become acquainted for the first Z
ime with English money. Aside from
stray Canadian dime, they usually are !
.iven strange looking pieces of silver and {
Jig disks of copper, they register, in the h
anguage of the movies, wide-eyed inter !
st.
What are these stove lids for 7" asked a
n Iowan of Texan, puzzled and show v
ng some disdain for the big English pen i
les. a
you put EN- in a sock to bean Hun
18th, / reckon" replies the southerner, o
citing the coins. ''Or, maybe" he adds, g,
we can use 'em to throw at subma
mes" W
A sergeant steps up with informa- /,
on you use these things for tips"
e volunteers. They're worth two cents
piece. That's good sized tip in Lon
on''
You fellows" the sergeant goes on, y
aching for the Iowans coins, better
It wise to this English dough-" He
bids up silver coin. "You know what III
lat isl" Bi
A crowd has gathered to hear the lee tr
ire. w
That's shilling" says voice. OF
Shilling your grandmother That's a A
Ilfcrown. It's equal to two shillings We
id sixpence You want to be careful
It to get mixed up with one of these an
7o-shilling pieces that's nearly the su
me size" to
How much is a shillingf" queries the st
kan. SCI
about two bits says the sergeant, tn
10 halls from California. Its equal TO
% of these sixpences." We
He gives the coins back to their own. all
and stalks off, followed by admiring alc
es. col
Say" observes the Iowan, eve got pc
lot to learn. And when we get to We
ance, guess Wen run into some other 10
I'd of foolish money" TIL
War certainly is hell" says the Tex arr