Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1936-01-17
~
from the
Democrats Pen

Well, Sir, I see by the papers that
it's "Style all the WHILE" over II
Crabtown, alias Annapolis, the sea-
of learning, law-making, and Holsters
Down at the Naval Academy, they're
going to put on lot of lugs-if that's
what is meant by evening clothes
One has to get out ones "glad rags
to attend the athletic events scheduled
for the near future.
That is to say that when the nava
"Kaydets" rassle, swim, box, play
basketball, fence, play water polo
and the rest of it, spectators have got
to have on a "biled" shirt, a tux
swallow-tail, patent feathers, and ev'
erything else that goes with it. Ano
further-some-more, when one OF those
heavyweight rasslers gets a strange
hold around his vis-a-vis, the specta'
tors must get strangle hold on their
vocal apparatus, so as not to let out
one teensy-weensy cheer. Reminds
me of the remark made by a sea COM
mander one time down in the South
Sea Islands or some other sea oprt
You remember when tidal wave
struck the ships in the harbor, lash
ing them to death, one vessel succeed
ed in steaming out to sea.
AS the crew realized they were sail
ing to safety, they started to give
lusty cheer. The captain said, Don't
cheer, boys, those other fellows are
dying" That's what I think some
times, when / see a powerful right
squeezing a mans gullett-"Don't
cheer, boys, that mans dying. May
be that's what is in the minds of those
Academy managers, when the order
goes out, there must be the silence OF
the tomb at these jousts. That, or
else a bit of human expression is not
consistent with full dress unifroms
They fit so close, it's impossible for
the wearer to unbend, physically, or
mentally.
Speaking of dressin' up, want to
hand it to Ed Brockman-he's some
versatile scout. Sometimes he referees
these boxing bouts down to Uncle
Sans headquarters. I have also sene
him in less imposing surroundings;
viz, the outdoor and indoor arenas
of the Shore localities. How the heck
is he to know how to act up, when he
gets on prescribed outfit. Shirt
sleeves are far removed from broad
cloth, white gloves and shiny shoes.
And if he should recognize some of his
Shore friends in the audience, am
sure he'd be sort of embarrassed, and
disdain all ownership of the rig, and
excuse himself by saying it was hired.
Nevertheless, if those guys think
they can scare Eastern Shore boys
away from those exhibitions, they got
another think coming to them. Dur
ing the World War, the American and
German trenches were almost within
speaking distance of one another,
awaiting the time when they should
be given the order, "Over the Top!'
The Germans thinking to instill fear
into the hearts of the Americans,
raised a board just above the trench
line, on which was painted Scott nit
uns," meaning of course, "God with
u.s." the claim that the Hun always
made.
But, evidently, they did not exact
ly estimate the Yankee spirit nor his
knowledge of the German tongue
Pretty soon a sign went up from the
American side and this read: eve
Got mit-tens, too" And hundreds
of hands were waved into view, show
ing how warmly clad they were.
So, want those sassiety dudes over
there in Annapolis to know that we
country galoots on this old Eastern
Shore have some glad rags, too. And
if they want US to get all dressed up
before we go anywhere, why, we're
going, that's all. You can't keep an
Eastern Shoreman down. My old
chump, H. l.. Mencken says we are
all backwoodsmen, but he wouldn't
know us if he'd see us just once strut
our stuff in the way of outside toggery
And when we amble up to the door
way with our little pasteboard admit
ting us to the various athletic events
at the Academy, that boy at the gate
is not going to know whether we are
from the trans-C hoptankian wilder
ness, or from the Court of St. James,
b'gosh!
In honor of their twenty-third we'd