By “Sailor” Gaddy
It was the first week of school, and, as usual, all teachers wanted to find out what I knew. In order to do this they overworked my brain can. This caused me to dislike y studies and turn to seek my fortune. I walked home at noon, and on the way home a little blue-bird sang:
“Enlist in the navy, my son, today,
And serve your country far away;
Uncle Sam needs young men to do work,
And you, as your duty, should never shirk.”
I quickly replied to the little bird,
The maker of the music I had heard:
“I will come today, and hope it may be
That I may serve Uncle Sam on the dark blue sea.”
I ran my hand down into my pocket and found that I had $1.25, just enough to pay my way to the Recruiting Station at Salisbury, and 25 cents to tip the porter when I got to the Pennsylvania Hotel in New York City. I decided then that I would leave to join the Navy the next day. After going to bed, I did not sleep much, owing to fear that I would miss my train next morning.
Therefore, I got up early and told my ma and pa that I had to go down town on business. They believed me, for they knew that I was a man of brains. I managed to “swipe” a biscuit and some jelly, so that when I arrived at the train station I might have something to divide with Uncle Sam. I purchased my ticket, but I had to watch the other people and do as they did, because it was the first ticket I had ever bought. Really, I felt just like “John D.” Soon the train came in. I tried to get a drawing room, but the conductor said that they were all taken by people going to New London to the baseball game between New London and Farmville. So I had to go back into the smoker. While there, I managed to slip a cigar off a man. I did not smoke it, however, for fear I would lose weight and fail to pass my examination. Anyways, I felt my importance. I had a very enjoyable conversation with Governor Morrison on the cotton future, but I seemed to know more about it than he did.
It was not long before the conductor came through and cried: “Salisbury! Change trains for New Yor, Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia.” Of course I changed. I then went up to the Recruiting Office and stood my “exam.” This is one time I passed without any condition. The recruiting officer said: “young man, we feel honored in having a man of your ‘calibre’ in the navy. What do you wish to enlist as? I told him that I wanted to enlist as a musician; that I was a fine one—my father owned a banjo when he was a little boy. He gave me my ticket to Raleigh, and here I stood another examination. Here the officer stripped me, took my finger prints, tickled me, laughed at me, and made me put my clothes back on. I passed again. From here they sent me to the Great Lakes Naval Training Station, Great Lakes, Ill., to take Sousa’s place as band instructor.
On the way I stopped at Washington to have a talk with Secretary Daniels and President Wilson. They both felt honored. After Daniels told me all the changes that he desired made, I went to Chicago. While there, I called around at Sears-Roebuck Company and bought a postal card at wholesale price. The next day I went over to the Great Lakes Training Station, about 41 miles from Chicago. The “Blue Jackets” were all glad to meet their new instructor, and presented me with a pair of aluminum cuff links. I don’t know what they thought I was going to do with them. All the boys liked me and felt that I was a good instructor.
I stayed there six months, and then came back to school. I had learned a lesson.
P.S. The musical instruments we used with shovels and mops, which were usually handled to the tune of “Home Sweet Home.”
From The Midget, by the students of Albemarle High School, May, 1922
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