The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1919-06-26
odd HUMORS OF
"Y' MOBILIZATION
Some Of the Humorous Sidelights
Of Picking Secretaries for
Overseas Service.

What can you say of his HON,
lfe!"
Ideal. He Is u bachelor
What, IL any, special weakness oil
character has heT"
He owns Ford"
what are his qualifications for ~
ligious leadership"
Plays organ. Not much other
| wise"
When approximately 10000 per
sons volunteered to go overseas fol
the Y. NJ c. A.. 10000 were chosen
Some of the recommendations" that
applicants got had as much humor As
truth-and vice versa.
Among the responses and confess
sions were the unconscious bits OF
humor that relieved the tension of the
drama Of "Y' mobilization. And now
that the crisis is past the curtain 10
lifted on these comic interludes.
There stands revealed the minister
who. according to one of his refer
tutts, III u p0hu uhh uSNo ha"
horn to social advantage otherwise"
Here is another who won this com
plment. "A smalltown preacher is
too often a gloom-dispeller, but
is the opposite" One would-be ~"
secretary was recommended because
his right leg is about an inch shorter
than his left leg. Would use this man
because Of his ability to meet men on
their own level"
III any further information is de-
sired" ran letter commencing the
secretary Of one OF the leading mission
boards OF the country. II shall be glad
to give 1t. hope he will be able to
get his passport at an early date as 1t
will be for the good of the country to
have him 60 as soon as possible"
One candidate, facing the prospect
of being sent to vladivostok or MesO-
potamia wrote:
III | go to either Of the countries
mentioned. would it be permissible to
carry rife or two? understand
that both are big game countries and
are only semi-civilized. have sew.
eral high powered rifles and would like
to be allowed to carry at least one. II
not two"
Another. determined not to let
Jerry" get away" with anything just
because his own duties we're to be non
combatant, inquired:
Fighting on the Side.
What is the chance of doing a lit
tie fighting on the side, IL ! am in the
front line. trenches or open? In other
words, II | am carrying in casualty
or passing out cigarettes and a Boche
takes a shot at me, can | shoot back,
or will have to let him get away"
One secretary from a Western State
said that a woman called on him be-
fore he left to go overseas, She had
heard that some rare ferns grew in
No Mans Land and she wished he
would dig up few and send them to
her.
Like most preachers said one rec
concentration, "he is used to giving
orders rather than taking them" An.
other comment was: "He is perfectly
honest, but highly educated" This
was cited as an eccentricity of char
acter: He sometimes tells the truth
when he should have said nothing"
Other "eccentricities" included being a
and being "a lawyer and red
headed"
One applicant gave his build" as
"Scotch-lrish" Another, under 'po
sitions held" wrote: Have always |
worked in the employment of myself"
Under use Of intoxicants" were |
found these notations by applicants: |
Not as intoxicants," "Do not use
rarely" Total abstain |
err, dry as punk" The motives of one |
applicant for entering the work we're
oiu he ~ o,ft