The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-08-09
Rev. ]. H. Brown
Writes of Work In
Overseas Y. M. c. A.

WV OO0O . 4F1s We 4 IL
Hundreds of friends Of Rev. John
Brown, who a few months ago went
to England to work with the American
Y. NJ. c. A. forces, will be happy to
learn that he is in excellent health and
that Pensacola has, as ever, a warm
place in his heart. In an interesting
letter to Captain I. H. Aiken, he tells
of many incidents in his work which
will be read with much interest by his
friends here. An excerpt from said
letter is as follows:
MIR. Browns Letter.
American Y. NJ. C. A.. Ireland.
My Dear Capt. Aiken
| received your letter Of June 18th
several days ago and would have writ
ten to you Immediately but l have
many things to do here as / am the
only Y. M. C. A. man here. We have
Just completed our hut and as soon
as the painters get out / shall move in
permanently. l am having my Sunday
services in it now but am still using
the temporary building for writing
room for the men.
From the letters / have received
from home in the last few days I learn
that you have quite town full of ser
vice men,, and l suppose every one is
kept quite busy, and can tell you Pen
sacola is doing her part by the sailor
boys. The fellows over here who have
been in Pensacola cannot say enough
about the place and the good treat
ment they received there. In comparing
the places where they have been they
do not hesitate to say that they re-
ceived better treatment in Pensacola
than in any other place, and it always
makes me feel goea0%Shen hear them
say it.
1t seems very queer ITO me to be
stock off here in a corner of Ireland
with lot of American boys. Tney
are constant source of wonder to the
people over here. The snappy way
in which they do things nearly takes
the breath away from these "Limies'
as our boys have dubbed the British
outfit
You would have laughed if you could
have been down on one of the quaysy
and heard one of our Boatswain's re-
marks to the harbormaster as he was
docking a ship He had the ship come
off the dock and shut off her engines
then he passed his lines over the bits
on the dock and began by hand power
to bring her up. We'll" said our
boatswain, III be d. who ever saw
a boat locked like that? Why don't
you bring her up and lay her along
side of the dock under her steam?'
Then he looked down on the piles in
front of the dock and said with con-
tempt, why you haven't even got
scratch on your pilngs. What is the
matter with you fellows; are you
afraid of hurting the dock that you
are so sIow2 If it had been Yankee
docking that ship he would have come
in if he had to knock the dock down
to do it, especially in these war times
and then he would have built new
dock when the war is over. Yes"
said the harbormaster, Il guess you
are right" "Of course, am right and
that is the way we are going to lick
the Hun for you, too"
1t was at the end of a days hard /.
work when this boatswain. win |
small working party had done JOB |
that five times as many Irishmen |
would have taken five times as long |
to do. All day long a gaping crowd !!
stood looking on and he was ready to |
tell them something.
There is no doubt about it at all. our |
boys have the pep in them over mere
that is going to shorten up this war. !
1t is a wonder to me how they can do |
so much and yet you would think it |
great privilege to be permitted to work |
among them and | am making lots of |
good friends among them.
/ occupy a most unique position.
wear an officers uniform ana eat IN |
the officers mess right at the Com |
manding Officers right hand, and yet |
mingle with the enlisted men all day |
long. But you would be surprised to |
see how the officers mingle with the |
men. They play ball together and are |
together a great deal. 4
l am kept very close to the station |
all the time. | usually go into town !
on Monday morning to attend to what |
ever business / have but other than /
that l never leave the place. have |
not been off the station single night |
since first arrived. l have had four |
games of golf in the two months
have been here, but the prospects for
other games are very poor as the near
est course is some miles away and |
We are all very busy.
The mail is about to be sealed up so |
l must stop.
Affectionately.
Your Rector,