Rocky Ford enterprise. (Rocky Ford, Colo.) 1887-1950, 1898-09-15
Letter From q First Colo
RADIO Recruit.

h0Gto4 S&4A -
RADIO Recruit.
Roland Wyckoff, who is now en-
route to Manila to join the First
Colorado, writes a letter to his
father and family from Honolulu,
from which we make the following |
extracts:
We left camp with our KNAPP
sacks, haversacks, canteen, gun
and other equipments, which
weighed 50 pounds.
At the boat the Red Cross so
ciety met us in welcome and served
us with a lunch and hot coffee.
We then marched on the boat and
got our hunks picked out. In the
morning when we got up we found
ourselves out in the bay ready to
sail.
Our beds are fine. They are
wire-spring cots, six feet long, six
teen inches wide, two side by side,
three hunks high, with an aisle
eighteen inches wide between the
hunks. Each bunk has mattress
and pillow. We stay on the
main deck during the day, and
have canvas over us to keep off the
hot sun. Sunday morning the boat
got under Roadway. Inc people
lined up all along the wharf to see
us off. We cheered until our
Threats were sore.
Mrs. Scott-"the mascot" we
call her-hired tugboat and fol-
lowed US to the Gate. We reached
the sea ut 10 o'clock. The wind
was blowing from the west, and the
fog was coming in. We soon lost
sight of land.
| Next morning the sen was rough
and high. The waves would come
on the main deck. About break
fast time the boys began to get
seasick and kept throwing up.
Went out on main deck the next
morning to see the sun rise over
the water. 1t was a grand sight.
Tuesday the grub began to get
tough, feeding us on salt pork and
moidy bread. We did not stand
that ut all. Wednesday found us
in good humor-hardtack and cof-
fee for breakfast. Had sitting-up
exercises and still getting the ship
in shape and postel more guards
in different places on board. just
before noon the engine broke
down. We drifted out Of our
course while they were fixing the
engine. We went in swimming in
the deep, salt sea, and had a big
time. Toward evening we got
under headway again. Thursday
we had bareback and coffee for
breakfast. Noon got potatoes, bis
cults and meat.
1t is getting quite warm down
here. The crew say that it is
nothing like it will be in Manila.
Friday we got sour bread for
dinner, with hot potatoes and beef
steak, which we thought was quite
a square meal. We will make up
for lost time when we get into
camp again. 1t is a big job to
cook and bake for this big crew.
Honolulu is nice looking place.
Looks like Colorado Springs, with
high mountains on the east. NativeI
boys came around the ship. We
enjoyed ourselves by throwing
pennies and nickels into the water
and see them dive after them, and
they got every one. The climate
is not as hot here as one would
think. l like the looks of things.
guess when my time is out 1 will
locate here. We have not been off
the boat yet. We may go in camp
in the morning. IL the afternoon
and evening we enjoyed ourselves
bathing.
The gunboat Philadelphia is
here ana is worth looking at.
l will write more when we get
to see some of the sights of the
town, and let you know what things
are like.
The fire has not knocked Kearby
out OF the School Book trade. lie has
n f,,ll