Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1918-08-15

Daniel Giro was the negro cook of
the schooner Edward II. Cole, which
was sent to the bottom by U-boat off
the Jersey coast; but therell be no
sons Of sea cooks in the Giro family
not if Daniel Giro knows it. and Dan
iel's "gwine ter keep fab, fab from de
oshun 70 evahmo'"
Daniel has gone to Maine, the home
of his ancestors. Not on the ragged
coast do Daniel and his family abide.
He comes not from a family of the
sea. He comes from a family of cooks
and has always lived in the interior.
Daniel went to the barge office to get
his discharge after he, with the rest OF
the crew, had told his story to the
United States authorities He said to
a reporter:
BOSS, what am de best way to get
to Maine? Nah folks don all live
dere and dey may have heard about
nah accident and be worried"
'Why, by way of Boston," was the
answer.
Sure, | know dat; but what am de
best way ter get to Boston?"
$50 on one Of the Fall River boats"
"Bowtw And a greenish hue over
spread the bronze Of the Giro frontis-
piece. did yo' say bowt, boss? Nevah
no bowt, no mo- for muh."
The cook gazed rehectively out Of
the window toward Battery park,
where a squad of naval reserve sailors
were drilling. a new light came into
his eye.
Gers for Him.
"See dem sailors?" he asked, "over
dere in de park. III nevah see sail
ors on the oshun any mo-. Dem sail
ors dey know sumpfin. Aim gwine to
Boston same way dey go. I'm gwine
in de cabs"
"What We're you doing when the
U-boat hove In sight, DanielW
"Twas on a Sunday aftnoon about
To- o'clock, boss, ah was gettin' dinner
ready for de crew. done kill TO- chick
ems and / wars gwine to have fried
chicken TO de sailors. De stove In de
galley was red hot. An de cap'n put
his face down in the companyun way,
and SEE to muh: 'Yo' done got ten
minutes ter leave de bowt.'
de cap'n done used to kid me often;
but when l done look up dey was no
lie on dat face in de do. I see de
cap'n he amt kiddin' muh dis time, an
I clum on deck. Suah huff. boss, der
was de U-bowt right off our bow, an
~ T,.. ,eyA
don couldn' berlieve muh eyes, OATS
all. / dun run down de ladder quick
again and All shut my eyes and put
muh finger on de red hot stove.
'Den All know 'twasn't no dream. l
run up the companyun way to de deck,
and den de rowbowt came 'longside
and de cap'n he jumped on deck and
says to muh in English just as good as
/ spoke: Yer done got ten minutes
ter get off de bowt,' and he held up his
ten fingers.
"'All I want is two, mistahp All
done tole him, an held up two fin
gers. Den de sailors came over de side
and dey all he'd bomms. Dey tole muh
ter 90 down in the fo-castle and get
muh buds. I looked at dem bomms,
and I don tole 'em All he'd all de close
/ needed right dere on de deck.
mo, sub, I done get right in de life
boat wild de cap'n, and de German
sailors put de bomms down on de deck
two In de front of de schoonah an
two In de back We was right be-
tween de scnoonah and de U-bowt.
Say, boss, doan let 'em tole yo' dose
U-bowts am little. Dat U-bowt was
suah the biggest thing All ever saw in
my life. nevah pulled an oah In nah
life.
Saw Another Sunk.
1--WE was off de schoonah bout five
minutes when de bomms went off and
de schoonah. wit all her sails up,
sailed right to de bottom of de oshun.
Den we knowed we was gwine ter
get It mex, but we jess KEEP pullin' on
de oahs. Den we see smoke on de
horyzon, and de U-bowt, he seen IT,
too. Fo' de fust time we felt safe.
De U-bowt put right TO- de smoke, an
twenty minutes later, by de capn's
WAtC0, we saw ne Slculiti tuiA w 49,
go down, jes like our own schoonah.
1--WE was picked up by a steamah
about eight o'clock dat night, an we
was mighty happy when de cap'n done
tole us we was bound TO New YORK
Den he tole us dey was short OF stoK-
abs. Say, boss, All doan nevar shuV-
vel coal In all nah life, but All was
the fust ter volunteer nah services
An de whole crew follered muh to De
stokehole. An ever time / don open
de furnace do All don see dat U-bowt'
an All shuyveled coal like coal neb-
Der was shuvveled befoh.
mo mo- bowt TO me, boss. ! wanna
get back to Maine, ter see nah folks
pow'ful bad, but not by de bowt, boss
not by de bowt. All wanna go by dc
cabs. An All nevah want to see no mo
sailors on de sea, nevah mo-. Ike de
sailors on de land, like dem sailors
ovah dere. Dey know sumhn, boss
dey know sumhn."