The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-06-25
ODD HUM)RS OF
"Y' MOBILIZATION
Some of the Humorous Sidelights
of Picking Secretaries for
Overseas Service.

What can you say of his home
li.e?"
ideal. He is a bachelor" "a
"What, if any, special weakness OF
character has he?" j.
"Ho owns Ford"
What are his qualifications for re-
ligious leadership"
plays organ. Not much other
wise"
When approximately 100000 per
sons volunteered to go overseas for
the Y. M. 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 confes-
sions we're the unconscious bits OF
bumor that relieved the tension of the
drama Of "Y' mobilization. And now
that the crisis is past the curtain is
lifted on these comic interludes.
There stands revealed the minister
who, according to one of his refer
enees, plays in a band and uses his
horn to social advantage otherwise
Here is another who won this COM
pliment: "a smalltown preacher is
too often a gloom-dispeller, but
is The opposite" One would-be "Y'
secretary was recommended because
This 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"
"Ir any further Information is de-
sired" ran q letter commenting the
secretary of one of the leading mission
boards of the country, 81 shall be glad
to give it. l hope he will be able to
get his passport at an early date as it
will be for the good of the country to
have him go as soon as possible"
One candidate, facing the prospect
Of being sent TO Vladivostok or Meso-
puta:n;a, wrote
III | go to either of the countries
mentioned, would it be permissible to
carry q rife or two? l understand
that both are big game countries and
arc only semi-civilized. l have sew
oral 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 were to be nom
combatant. inquired:
Fighting on the Side.
"What is the chance of doing a lit
tie fighting on the side, if l am in the
front line, trenches or open? In other
words, ii l am carrying in casualty
or passing out cigarettes and a Boche
takes 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 so 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
ommendation, ''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
whon he should have said nothing"
Other "eccentricities" included being a
bachelor and being % lawyer and red
headed"
One applicant gave his ''build" as
"Scotch-Irish." Another, under "po-
sitions held" wrote: Have always
worked in the employment of myself"
Under "use Of intoxicants?' were
found these notations by applicants:
mot as intoxicants," do not use
tEem-oxcopt rarely" Total abstain
or, dry as punk" The motives of one
applicant for entering the work were
given as For the sake of humanity,
and making his expenses"