Evening star., 1928-06-09
BOOSTERS ENJOY
FIRST DAY OF TRIP
D. c. Merchants Stop al
,SparroWS Point to Inspect
Steel Plant.
BY WILLIAM J. WHEATLEY,

| STAN Correspondent of The Star
SPARRCwS POINT: Md. June g.
The curfew rang long and ceaselessly
early this morning aboard the booster
| ship Southland, cruising Chesapeake
Bay and its tributaries, in an effort TO
drive to bed WaShington's business men
who are making their annual pilgrim
| age into their distant trade territories,
carrying out their annual custom, now
| 10 years old. of spreading the slogan of
| Buy in and Boost for Washington"
| But il was difficult to down practice
nearly score of years old of the men,
bers setting their own time for going
to bed and arising.
Great signs of a bright yellow hue
announced that all activities must cease
| at am. The committee in charge OF
| this voyage of the Merchants and Man.
ufacturers' Association. set the example
| by all being in bed by that time. out
| with the committee safely tucked into
! the blankets. there we're many who be-
| lieved that the regulations should carry
no effect, and insisted on sitting out the
| night on deck, enjoying the bracing
breezes of the upper reaches of the
| Chesapeake as the Southland steamed
| northward to her first port of call here,
after l7-hour ride down the Potomac.
Night of Fun and FroIic.
! II was a night OF fun and frolic that
these members of the boosters organ
| ization spent aboard the vessel. Headed
| by Mai. Gen Anton Stephan, presi-
dent of the association, who, In ad-
dition TO his business activities heads
the National Guard of the District of
Columbia and the 29th National Guard
Division, the festivities were carried
forward without one thing to mar the
voyage.
The no mans land of bitter compeh-
ton which prevails among many OF
them throughout the year disappeared
and the flag of truce few during the
voyage as business opponents flgura-
lively held a love feast, merging into
strong alliance to focus attention on
the matter of getting some OF the trade
and business of their more distant COM
petitors. But 1t was not distinctly
nercenary for the members are doing
their annual bit of interesting the peo-
ple of the territory In the Federal City
as their National Capital. They are
irving to impress on the people OF Sec
tions they visit that this is the duty OF
all the people Of the United States, and
not the particular concern Of those who
are residing within its confines.
Committee Does Good Job.
THE booster committee, whose par
tscl1lar duty II is to see that provision is
made for all OF the needs OF the voy-
ayers. seemed to have left no detail ur-
provided for. There were games OF all
kinds and no one aboard either during
The day or night. either before or after
curfew figuratively rang. was at loss
for something to occupy his time to his
taste.
Early in the evening all hands we're
piped for an assembly on the freight
deck on the ship, for what was sched-
uied TO be series Of fights, but what
turned out TO be more or less Of caress-
ing matches. much to the displeasure
Of many who had been signaled from
their other pleasures. There was one
Knockout. when the head OF one came
In sudden contact with the hard deck
not started by the punch OF his oppo-
nent, but by slip Of the foot.
The matches finally had 10 give way
for some excellent buck and wing dane
ing. which brought forth the plaudits
of the crowd, together with several
solos. both Of which brought great
showers Of silver coins from those on
the ring side, that quickly mounted into
dollars The fights we're worth just
IS cents In the opinion Of these busi-
ness men, which was the total amount
thrown In the ring for all three nights
Food there was plenty, a continuous
round OF 1t, and there for the mere eff
fort Of walking up and taking 1t.
Tony" Auth superintended the dts
pensing Of the free lunch.
Market Site Arranged.
But business was matter little dis
cIissed until along about midnight, j.
L. Sherwood insisted on presenting the
Northeast market site argument 10 those
trying to drive away insomnia. and get
up a feeling for little sleep. This
optimistic individual announced finally
and esnphaticaily that the commission
merchants were going 10 the Patterson
| tract, any congressional action 10 the
contrary Notwithstanding. AS a climax
u this argument, In which there was
a barrage II voices from opponents. who
advanced on the lone exponent OF
| Northeast rather for the enjoyment Of
| his argument than a real opposition
| ~ the Northeast move, Charles Robey,
trim 0f form and active ~ body, tried
/ 10 interest sherwood, broad Of girth, In
| his reducing athletics,
Inspect Steel Plant.
| When the signal sounded for all
/ hands 10 90 ashore here for an in
| sDection of the steel plant, IL WAS quite
| evident that the csirfeW order had borne
I little fruit, for blinking eyes were pre-
/ dominant, but they were surrounded
1 by broad smiles indicative of night
/ fully enjoyed. despite the loss of sleep.
| Ideal weather has favored the cruisers
| 70 far on their voyage. fair weather
| overhead and cooling bfeezes. Shortly
/ after their start yesterday the boosters
| we're treated ~ a thriIl or two by a
| naval aviator IN q yellow plane who
came out Of the sky and headed directly
/ for the ship. and then when IL appeared
| that he surely would hit. he zD0tped IN
salute, vent over her head several times
/ and then waved o farewell
After spending three hours here the
| GoDthisDd VIII cast of and head down
| the hay for Annapolis. where the boost
/ efs win be the guests 0f Rear Admiral
/ Mutton guDeFintandfut Of the United