The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times., 1918-08-22
Cap'n Ben's
Spy Glass
n
By JONATHAN BANG
Of 7hs ViSifonses

figure that knew at once.
Taller than most men and slow In
his movements, his clothes a combina-
ton Of nautical and rustic, he stood
out like lone pine tree In field. He
wns the idenl type OF the old.fnsh.
Toned New England shlpmnster, with
IN eye as blue rs the sky on summer
day. / recalled how ] had first seen
him Mt little town down Enst 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 glnss
and had learned how greatly he val.
ued II and had carried II around the
world with him on several voyages.
Seeing him again now In the crowd.
cd station. l went up to him ut once.
"why, Cap'n Ben" exclaimed.
"where In the worlc did you come from
and what are you doing In Boston2"
"Oh. my daughter Is married to a
Teller 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"
swell, how Is the old spyglass7" I
said. II presume you go down every
little while and have look around
Just as you did last summer"
Capn Ben paused n minute before
he answered and then said. "There's
quite little yarn ter spin nbout that
old glass since you last saw her. My
train don't 20 for an hour and II you
have the time and would like to hear
II I'll spin It to yer"
swell, Captain. real yarn from a
real sailor isn't to be heard every day.
I think that we had better take one
Of these seats and you reel It of to
me-"
Old Man Did His Bit.
Eyer know" said Cnp'n Ben after
being scnted. II told yer last summer
thnt thought powerful lot OF That
glass and didn't think that she and
I would ever part company. and now,
by lingo, I've sold her. or just us good
bS sOIO ncr TOT u uOlinT.
why, Cnp'n Ben" exclaimed, chow
did that happen"
swell, I'll tell you" resumed Cnp'n
Ben. ever since Uncle Sam went in.
ter this war. I've felt meaner than
skunk thnt want In II. wrote to
Washington and to some kind OF n
shipping board here in Boston offerin'
my services, but they wrote back I
was too old. amt but seventy-three
mt that. md then. too. they said that
they wanted men who had experience
In steam and rs I'd been on wind.
jnmner nll the time went to sea.
they didn't seem ter have any place
Tor me.
swell, OF course. like everybody else,
Iwns 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 sen lice, aI,d one day saw a piece
saying that the navy was mighty shy
Of marine glasses Of oil kinds. II
seems that most Of them had been
make them here fast enough because
we Ind TO have lot of 'eT right
away quick, and this article said that
II anybody had n spyglnss or pnir
Of binoculars, If they ould send them
TO the navy department they could use
them to mighty good advantage; II
said that Uncle Sam would pay a dol
lar for the use Of them and return
them after the war. but II they were
lost the dollar was to be the purchase
price OF 'em. It 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.
swell, I got to thinking the thing
over, and ! concluded that II they
wouldn't give me n show, here was a
chance for the old glass to do her bit.
and sent her along. My name was
engraved on II, had that done years
ago, and In about week got a letter
from this man Roosevelt who IL as
= sistant secretary Of the navy, saying
he had received Il.
Glass Saved Thousands Of Men.
"Of course missed the old gal a
good deal. but didn't regret II fer q
minute. although I'll admit l didn't
bank much on ever seeing her ag'ln.
swell, do you know about three
weeks ago got one Of these letters
from across that had been opened by
the censor; couldn't imagine who II
wns from, end ! looked gt II quite a
while before I opened II, but when !
did sure got n good surprise. I've
got the letter here in my pocket and
you can read II for yourself"
He took out a large. old-fashioned
wallet from an inside coat pocket and
took n letter from Its spacious depths
and handed II TO me to read.
"Mr. Benz. +. Buck:
"Dcar Sir-I have In my possession,
aboard the u. y. torpedo destroyer
j. n spyglass on which your name
Is engraved. As I nm aware that n
great many patriotic citizens have con-
tributed such articles to the u. 3.
navy. take II for granted that you
were one Of that number. As this
glaoa wao nuly yastarday prohahly the