The Colorado statesman., 1918-08-03
Cap'n Ben's
Spy Glass
n
By JONATHAN BANG
OF The VigilonfeS

Passing through the North station in
Boston on my way home one evening
last fall, l caught sight of striking
figure that l knew at once.
Taller than most men and slow In
his movements, his clothes combina-
tlon of nautical and rustic, he stood
out like lone pine tree in Il field. He
was the ideal type of the old-fush-
loned New England shipmaster. with
an eye as blue as the sky on n summer
day. l recalled how had first seen
him Mt little town down East where
[ was spending my summer vacation.
He was standing out on the wharf
looking out to sea through large spy
glass. We had got into conversation,
he had taught me how to use the glass
and I had learned how greatly he val
ued 1t and had carried it around the
world with him on several voyages.
Seeing him again now in the crowd
ed station, went up to him ut once.
"Why, Cap'n Ben" I exclaimed,
"where In the world did you come from
and what are you doing in BostonT
"Oh, my daughter is married TO
feller that works down in the market
district and I've been up here maxim
them visit. I'm gOin' back tonight
on the train. I'd rather go down by
boat, but they have pulled 'em all Off
on account of the war"
"well, how is the old spyglass" I
said. 81 presume you go down every
little while and have II look around
Just as you did last summer"
Cap'n Ben paused minute before
he answered and then said, 'There's
quite little yarn ter spin about that
old glass since you last saw her. My
train don't go for an hour and If you
have the time and would like to hear
1t I'll spin 1t to yer"
"Well, Captain, real yarn from
real sailor isn't to be heard every day.
/ think that we had better take one
of these seats and you reel it off to
me-"
Old Man Did His Bit -
Eyer KNOW" said Cap'p Ben after
being seated, 81 told yer last summer
that l thought powerful lot of that
glass and 1 didn't think that she and
! wouiS ever part company, and DOW,
by jingo, I've sold lrtr, 81 GUST as good
as sold her for n dollar"
why, Cap'n Ben," exclaimed, show
did that happen?"
"Well, I'll tell you" resumed Cap'n
Ben. "Ever since Uncle Sam went In
ter this war, I've felt meaner than
skunk that I want in it. l wrote to
Washington and to some kind Of
shipping board here in Boston offerin'
my services, but they wrote back
was too old. amt but seventy-three
Mt that, and then, too, they, said that
they wanted men who had experience
in steam and as I'd been on a wind
jammer all the time went to sea,
they didn't seem ter have any place
for me.
''Well, of course, like everybody else,
I was reading in the papers as how the
submarines were sinking vessels right
and left and how our boys on the de-
stroyers had gone over to help the
English ter destroy that special breed
of sea lice, and one day saw a piece
saying that the navy was mighty shy
of marine glasses of all kinds. 1t
seems that most of them had been
made in Germany and we couldn't
make them here fast enough because,
we had to have lot of 'em right
away quick. and this article said that
If anybody had spyglass or pair
of binoculars, If they would send them
to the navy department they could use
them to mighty good advantage; it
said that Uncle Sam would pay dol
lar for the use of them and return
them after the war; but If they were
lost the dollar was to be the purchase
price of 'em. 1t seems that they had
to give you the dollar, for there was
some kind of law that wouldn't let
you give 'em to the government.
"Well, I got to thinking the thing
over, and l concluded that If they
wouldn't give me show, here was
chance for the old glass to do her bit,
and I sent her along. My name was
engraved on it, had that done years
ago, and in about q week 1 got letter
from this man Roosevelt who is as
sistant secretary of the navy, saying
he had received 1t.
Glass Saved Thousands of Men.
"Of course I missed the old gal a
good deal, but didn't regret it fer a
minute, although I'll admit 1 didn't
bank much on ever seeing her ag'in.
"Well, do you know about three
weeks ago I got one of these letters
from across that had been opened by
the censor; couldn't imagine who it
was from, and looked at 1t quite a
while before I opened 1t, but when
did sure got a good surprise. I've
got the letter here in my pocket and
you can read 1t for yourself"
He took out large, old-fashioned
wallet from an inside coat pocket and
took letter from its spacious depths
md handed it to me to read.