Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1918-07-18
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Oy CLARENCE OUolMcToN KEEL.
LAND.

LAND.
PaFiA-ThIrty sailors on an Ameri.
en- was vessel hired 4 motor truck and
drove nine miles to get to the Y. n. C.
A. club h . famous French city. ! ask
ID them Why.
"Because it's q regular hangOut." one
Of them said. and another added. "Be.
cause ye1 get white bread with butter
on It. and eggs fried on both sides and
coffee with plano accompaniment"
As soon IS ] broke into the place l
found why men would ride nine miles
on a truck to loaf there from eight un-
til eleven.
1t wasn't the sort Of place folks in
the United States imagine a Y. NJ. G.
4. to be. It was a swelteringly hot
right. and the broad front steps were
tined from end to end with men in
khaki and men in navy blue. They
were gassing and smoking until the
place looked as II the captain had
ordered a smoke screen to help him
through the submarine zone.
From the street you could hear a
piano doing business and a lot more
men In uniform bowling, Joan of
Arc" II the mothers Of these boys
could have heard that racket their
hearts would have dropped off a pound
Of weight and increased their beat by
ten to the second. They sang US il
they were glad to be alive.
Right on the Job.
And then somebody busted up the
game. A sailorman came In and made
the announcement that the driver of
their truck refused to take them back
to quarters again. and it was a walk
OF nine miles on Il hot night. or a
stretch In the brig for them. Gloom
descended. Then somebody turned |
around and beloved, "Where's one Of
them " guysI'"
A ~" guy happened to be on the |
spot and In a second he was surround
ed, not by a crowd of men who were
angry or In n mood to demand some
thing, but by fellows who were mighty |
courteous In an unpleasant situation.
That was something worth remarking, |
nnd 1t made you sort Of glad to be |
hround.
They put the thing up to the ~"
guy and n fellow said sort Of BASH
ful-like, I'VE don't want to act like we
was putin this up to you. Tain't
your fault, but"
1t was apparent they had gotten the |
Idea somehow that you could depend |
on a ~" guy to get a move on him, and
the ~" guy allowed as much.
Sure. it's up to u.s." he said, that's |
why we're here"
inside of twenty minutes he was !
back with u big truck with a red tri- !
angle on the side Of it. He tucked the !
thirty sailormen into 1t and Off they |
went to keep their appointment with
their boss.
That, quite likely, is II reason why |
they rode nine miles to spend an eve
ming In the Y. NJ. G. A.. because they /
knew somebody was on the job.
Like You Owned the Place.
Another reason Is that you don't have
to knock, show a ticket. wiggle your
first finger or roll over and play dead !
to get In. You just walk in like you
were there to foreclose a first mort
gage on the place.
When you walk through the from,
door You don't run into a lecture hall,
though there Is one upstairs. and the
0dor TINT comes to your nose Isn't the
odor Of sanctlty. It's the smell Of
fried eggs. The cafeteria Is the first
thing you meet, and IL you are wise
you get acquainted with 1t and stay
acquainted while you are in this 10.
cality, for 1t Is the hest and cheapest
place to eat In town. I know because
! tried several.
The most impressive thing about It
10 the complete absence Of an osten.
tattous welcome. You just help your.
self and nobody says u word. You
wander In and eat and wipe your