Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-11-03
FROM C1lCTTTA,
Interesting Letter From n Former spring
| n Id tsoy.

|
| MIA Toy.
| From Morning Edition.l
| Mr. and Mrs. b. +. Weigel, the parents OF
Samuel Il. Weigel, a Sprn, field boy who LEFT
home two years ago last June at the age OF
seventeen, have received letter from him
the first since last February. At the time OF
writing, (Sept. 49, he was at Calcutta
India, on board the ship "Reliance." Since
be left home young Weigel first spent one
year in Canada, after which he visited
various European countries, aud returning to
America, shipped for Calcutta. Mr.. Weigel
has kindly permitted the GLcRE-REPuBLIc to
publish the letter, which is as follows.
| CALCUTTA, Sept. 10, 1888.
| DEAR FATHER AND MorHER:--l have been
| wpiting tor long time In expectation OF an
answer hut as | have recsived none will
| write myself. | arrived here on the 2s,h OF
| May, after a passage o' % days. We had
very fine passage, taken altogether, hut some
| times we had very heavy "blows.' ! am
| very well and hope you are the same. The
| fever is raging here, and most Of our men are
IN the hospital. | should like to see you all
| very much, and as we are going to New York
with a cargo composed of jate, castor oil, old
iron, saItpetre, indigo, tea, India rubber and
other stuff hope TO see Americas shores
about the middle Of Jauuary next We leave
here about or on the first OF Ottoter. am
giving her (the ship about three months
and half passage. which is quite enough,
| think. suppose you should like to know
wba, kind OF a ship am in. will tell you.
She is an iron ship, four masts, and
exactly 372 feet long, inclusive of the jib
boom, which is about - feet long; height Of
main mast from the deck 70 the iruck-that
| s, the top--2lO feet. She hos a registered
| tonnage OF 2,jij tons, and she will carry
| about 4, 500 tots Of cargo. She has her fore
castle cabin, stOraroom and locker and pan
Try amidshps, together with the first, second
| third and fourth mates rooms; also the boats
waiL and his mate, carpenter and
engineer, and four apprentices also a
| large room called the forecsstle, fIr the sea-
men. The ship carries twenty-five A. b
which is abe-boded sesmen; also a couple
of ordinarics.
The pc Jpe here are called cooliea They
speak the Ilniostan Language. was up
country a short time ago. aud saw the people
in their own costumes Well, need not say
| much about costumes, because it is very
scsnt indeed. II a man was to go to half
civilized country in these peoples dress he
| would Toe arrested as n maniac. But we
must excuse these people here on
account OF their barbarous state they are a
| very stupid race. You have to drive knowl-
| edge into their hard heads with piece OF
| bamboo. They are sl,o the worst beggars in
the world. Every one you meet wants what
| he calls "boxies," that is a present, and il
| you give him anything you are mobbed by
about 80 more or so. Yor mus, not give
anything to any OF them. The rich men
| called "babboO,' such as Bibboo Chunder
| Dago Dass and another called Babboo Cashee
Dass; very queer names. Their money is ru-
| pees, annss, and pice Cowies. One rupee is
| silver piece OF money the size OF a halt dol
| lar and is worth two shillings and seven
| pence half penny, about fourteen cents. Also
sixteen annas TO the rupee, sixty-four pice
| to The rupee, four pice to the anna, and ky
| tour cowi's to the pce. Now a pce is of very
little value, and what must cowie be?
also, II silver two aHna piece and a four
| anna piece. and five, ten, twenty, aud fifty
rupee bill. Well, when | arrive in New
Yo X, should like TO hear from you ALL
| You need not write ill after New Years, be-
| cause will not get it il you do. Address
SAMUEL +. WEIGEL,
Ship "Reiance"
New York City Postotfice.
p. .S-Sept. rs, 1885.
The Reliances cargo has taken fire, and
we shall tave to take it all out again. II is
| the ships fault, because the officers did no,
| put on the matches when it started to ram.
| You see # n bale OF jute gets wet and then is
| slowed away in ships hold where no air can
! get to it, Il is bound to catch FIRE; Just
| the same with bale OF cotton. When q car-
| go of jute cotton catches fire out at sea, it
is a case generally with the ship. You will
| then have to try and put 1t out by pouring
water down. or else take it all out and heave
| il overheard, and sometimes you have to
| scuttle your ship and sink her. then take to
| the boats and likely be in them
| Tor two or three weeks or Il month. There is
| II ships crew here in the sailors home who
had to sink their ship and then they were
| taken aboard OF Calcutta bound ship This
jute is bad cargo. We will have to stop
| here tor about six more weeks. Six more
| weeks OF heat and suffering. | have seen
myself in the lower hold pairing and the
sweat running of my elbows and the tips of
| my fingers in regular stream, but am
| getting better used to it now. II we were
going t. Liverpool, | should not go in her,
| because she ia such hard ship, hard tor
| work and everything. Well, because she is
| going home | overl ,ok that | don't know
what else to say except goodbye.
| From SAMUEL + WEIGEL.
80 long all.