Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1918-03-28
SAILORS PAY
What the Boys Do with II When
They Get It.
Canteen and "Ofvlcia1 NewsbOy" Give
Chances for Spending-Insatiable
Desire for sweets-S1.b 800 Often
Taken in One Week.

when was told the bluejackets' pay
had been raised from 81 a month to $50,
I wondered what use those boys would
| make of the money. They do not pay
Tor room or board There seemed to be
leave or liberty. which does not come
often. But at the time was told Of the
raise had not been introduced to the
canteen or the newsboy.
Many of the boys, most of them, in fact,
have this to their credit-they send money
home. Many have good sized bank ac-
| counts; others haven't q cent few
days after pay day the improvident are
broke. II the truth were found out most
Of this class have the canteen fever, an
Unsuitable sweet tooth, and are for the
first time in their lives handling more than
u dollar or two at O time. says the WASH
ington Star.
How much business do you do here
month";" l asked the officer in charge
OF the cantecn, young man from the
nay department, on one of the largest
ships. where 1900 were enrolled.
| GOOD weeks I do $780," said he. 1--WE
don't think we have done a good bust
mes Il we fail to take in $3.50 a day. From
April to August / sold out 100000 worth
of stock. Can't keep supplied. I'm sold
out of everything. Those kids want candy
all tho time. The other day bought %
cases Of chocolate ana It was all gone in
two days. The only time I have any
peace is the first day the mon are aboard.
They don't want anything that day. Sea
| sickness gets EN-, ALL"
| The canteen, which o,cupics a space
perhaps 20 feet square in the center Of
the Ship is open three times a day for
a half each time. The first opening
is at 1880 a. m, the second at 1890 noon
| and the last at 4:30 p. m. Six hundred
| men Is the average number of custom
| ers each issue. They buy anything from
tobacco to candy, from soap to crackers
When first they come aboard those boys
| simply cannot get enough to eat, espe-
cially enough sweets
The change Of life. of air. of work
creates appetites. The hardened sailor
is not heavy eater and he never spends
his money on sweets. Malnutrition may
be the answer in many cases among the
new recruits, whose appetites seem alb
normal. 1t is fac that the scales show
gain for every new man the first months
In the service.
AS I looked over the records I saw
that many sailors added as much as 10
pounds during the first month. 1t re-
called my boarding schools days. We
used to enter the school slender. shapey
girls but before the year was through
the regularity Of The life. the plain
wholesome food and the outside stufflng
we did. changed us into young ladies'
Of avordupois not to be mentioned. I'm
like us girls. my sons did not seem to get
fat.
l saw only two or three who might be
called fat while 1 was with the fleet. I
M N-t~. R-A
Maybe they are a disgrace to the life
and are kept aboard ship. Those boys
filled out, broadened, grew like weeds.
They ran to muscle. Many of them are
only 16 and the average age is under q,
which accounts for the growth. At the
end of a few months Of their new life
they cease to put on weight and they
) eat less.
| The competitor of the canteen is the
ships newsboy. Each ship has a news
boy. This newsie is not officially a men,
Der of the ship. But he has a place all
his own and many privileges. The ship
would be as complete without him him
as without its guns or its gunners He
follows Ibis ship from one base to an
other. The newsie ] met aboard the
U. S. S. had followed her to China
a few years ago.
Before the fleet leaves one base for an
other. If the .newsboy is trustworthy, and
he usually is, he is told to go to a GER
tain place, where he will receive instruc-
tons where next to go. At times of peace
he is often carried by the ship from one
base to another.
He is character, this salt newsie. He
is young. He understands the needs and
the craving Of the bluejacket.
He learns the special weaknesses OF
the different men. their preferences, and
he caters to them. Each day he has a
new supply OF something to tempt the
pennies from the willing pockets of the
crew.
To-day he may sell patriotic silk hand.
. kerchiefs tomorrow picture PLAYING cards
the next day sets Of post cards of scene.
near the base or far away On pay da,
; he has large and varied stock Away.
he has supplies Of magazines and news
papers which are the most popular. Will,
many moEey-free lads grow poorer, HI
> economies plies his trade and grow,
richer.
The profit he makes Is his own. TIL,
= profit the cantecn makes ~ divided twt
ways. Half goes to the ships welfar,
fund and the other half to the govern
a ment to provide entertainment for til,
bluejackets.
Ahc t"o SHOPS OlHer IN ChQraCter.
found on the shelves of the canteen. ink
. paper, cigarettes. tobacco, boxes of swee
y crackers candy. moro candy Other edi
. bles were there, and tho things needed h,
). blueiacket in his private life--soap, tooti
paste and talcum powder. Tho powde
was FOR men only" 1t was a peculia
:, shade of brown, supposed to match In
= complexion Of rugged out-of-d doors man
1 suppose The newsboys store, which 4
a table set up in the loast used space. w.
a speciality shop changing its specialt,
with the seasons and the ports.
One day I helped the officers censo
the mail. thousands Of letters were o,
the wardroom table to be marked wit,
IT the censor's o. X. On SUNDAYS and ~
all legal holidays. of which the wear h.
p goodly number. the mails going ~,
- from the shap are very heavy. At ON
- end of the table saw pile of little how
es. They had been among the newshov,
a wares few hours earlier
l. All bore addresses and star,ns TT,
a opened one and a groan went nm roo
L. box contained IL small post cards, ~
card carried a written message IN CO..,
u best girl or mother! Each individua, 90 =
III had to be censored! 1t was many r..
. work. with eight officers on the iob
A. LITTLE ITEMS ON THE SIDE.