The Washington herald., 1918-04-09

cpe1Al Corc pondent OF Inc vi 1snlnGton herah1.
New York. April Sin the five
years during which George Martin.
ESQ, has been employed as a chicken
and wild goose chaperon in the
West Washington Market he has
never encountered a more belliger-
ent or ornery flock of poultry than
ten frivolous chickens which ac-
compsnied him the other day.
They were consigned to a some
what worried butcher in the Bronx,
but so far as George Martin. Esq.
is concerned. he has grave doubts
that they will ever reach there.
They were not going that way when
he last saw them
Mr.. Martin, bearing covered
basket, got aboard a Bronx local
train of the Third avenue elevated
line at 2 o'clock in the afternoon.
Aside from the fact that something
about him seemed to be clucking
he attracted no especial attention,
as usual.
Having seated himself at the
Fourteenth station, he opened q
somewhat frayed newspaper which
he had inherited and proceeded to
center his entire attention upon
conditions at the west front. At
Twenty-third street a chicken stuck
its head from under the lid OF the
basket, counted the passengers,
read Mr.. Shonts' poem for the day.
and withdrew into the basket
again.
At Thirty-fourth street Mr.. Martin
was far more excited about the Ger
man drive than Gen. Haig or as
sociates. He had his rather heavy
glasses one inch about a headline and
his mouth, which he usually wears
closed, was either sjsr or akimbo.
Two chickens stuck their heads out
Of the backet, conversed nervously
and with sudden bravado showed the
cover up and began sweeping around
the car. Eight others followed and
when Mr.. Martin came out of Europe
and slammed the basket cover down
there was nothing in It but two eggs.
Mr.. Martin made an enemy for life of
every passenger in the car in his et-
fort at retrieving the birds, and when
the doors of the cars were opened, at
Thirty-eighth street, all but one Of
the retired broilers few out into the
great metropolis. Mr.. Martin in
rage killed this chicken. slammed his
basket to the station platform and
went home or somewhere.
He came from a part OF Maine
where potatoes grow small and stones
grow large, and in the naval training
school at New York he learned one
thing perfectly-to do as he was told
Report anything unusual you sec
and give direction and range" an OIL
ficer told him when his ship left land
behind and he went on lookout for
the first time.
After an hour OF monotony. feel
ing that he wasn't doing his duty rose
in the breast of the erstwhile farmer.
Officers on the bridge presently were
startled by this wall from aloft.
"SeaguI settin' on the ocean, 10
degrees, range about 200 yards"
Reports that the Germans have fall
en- short of their objectives in the
battle of somme recalls a remark
made once by "HuckIeberry'' Charlie
Of Pine Plains, n. Y. Charles sum
mer occupation is picking huckleber-
ries. He sells them to nearby towns.
On one occasion he visited nearoy
village and a native asked him how
he made out with his berries. He was
rewarded with this retort from
Charlie: 81 didn't get as much as l
expected to, and 1 didn't expect to.
Two painters on a scanold' high
above lower Broadway. swung their
brushes to the accompaniment Of the
Star SpangIed Banner" ground out
by a hand organ, attached to a re-
cruiting committee on the street be-
low. The crowd below saw something
impressive. The painters were Oh
Iitera ting the sign Of the Hamburg
American Steamship Company with
paint Of blood red.