The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1898-07-29
FROM THE PHILIPPINE TROOPS.
Letter from Honolulu Written by Sergt. H.
B. Winkler, of Co. G, rst Colorado
Infantry.

b. Winkler, OF GO. u, rst Colorado
Infantry.
BY the courtesy OF Miss Mary E. Wink
Ter we are permitted to make the following
extracts from two letters received from her
brother, Herbert p. Winker. The letters
were written on board the transport China
and mailed from Honolulu. The first was
carried back to San Francisco before being
stamped and bears the postmark of that Of
fee; the other bears the postmark of Homo
lulu. Under date of June % he writes:
1--WE broke camp at Frisco the morning
of the 14th aud went aboard at about three
o'clock, then pulling out into the bay where
we lay until one o'clock OF the 10Th when
we pulled out, and you bet We were given
great send off There are four thousand
of us on the four ships. We are on the
China, the flagship.
We have had no sickness so far except
some sea sickness, though they had the
measles on one of the other boats before we
left. We haven't been getting very good
grub but it is getting better now. The
trouble is they haven't the cooking facili-
ties for the mum Der of men, which is 1,400,
besides the crew who are Chinese, and don't
count.
We left the other ships Monday morning
and are to get TO Honolulu aud get
coaled up before they get there.
We will get in there tomorrow moin-
ing. This boat ordinarily makes the
run in five days. The other boats are slo Ner
and that keeps US back. They make about
IL knots an hour Zone and one sixth miles)
while this boat is a nineteen knot ship. l
expect we will go slow again after we leave
Honolulu, as we will have the Monitor
Monterey for an escort and she has speed
of but ten knots The length of this ship
is 462 feet and its breadth is so feet, SO you
see she isn't so small, ard she has thirty-six
furnaces under her boilers.
We have met but one steamer, the Peru
from Hong King, with load of Cinnamon,
since we started, and about the only pastime
we have is to read and watch flying fish.
We have seen two whales but they were
small ones.
June 23:-We arrived here at six this
morning and got great reception. They
have been feeding us on pine apples and
bananas for an hour. haven't been ashore
vet, but from what eau see the town is all
low buildings aud is backed up against the
mountains. The natives are very intelli-
gent looking class and are very enthusiastic
over annexation. We are going ashore in
few minutes and will take bath In the
surf. Will close, as there is 50 much noise
l can't WRITE
June 25:-t understand we are to leave
in couple of hours, though | can't learn
anything definite. am ready to go, how
ever, as l was on shore all day yesterday
and had fine time. l never was treated
better. 1t seems as though they couldn't
do enough for US fellows.
The town here has a population of about
80, 000 of whom about 5000 are whites,
that is Americans and English, the balance
being Chinese, Portuguese, and natives.
You can't see the town for the trees, which
are all tropical principally palms and
cocoanuts The streets are narrow and the
houses low, mostly one and two story, built
so on account of earthquakes. The executive
building is five story and is a fine building.
Living is about the same here as In the
J United States, and wages somewhat lower.
The natives are fairly intelligent. The
, women are handsome, some of them par
, ticularly so. They are of very dark COM
plexou, but their eyes and hair are fine;
: the men also have fine features.
} The majority of the people are 10 favor
I of annexation; the opposition Is from the
natives, that Is few of them, and very
few whites who are In the Spreckels' gang.
We are now lying about two miles of
+, shore and 1t Is raining little shower. The
rest of our fleet got in yesterday morning
3 and the Monitor Monterey got In last night"
In addition to the letters from which we
y have been permitted to maze the above ex-
Q tracts, ID. l.. Winkler favors us with souy-
enir copy of the Pacific Commercial Adver-
. tiser, dated at Honolulu, June %. The edi-
ton Is printed In red and blue and Is devoted
' almost entirely to news concerning the boys
Q of the second expedition, description OF the
z reception given them and every possible
y item of interest concerning them. Edit0ri'
: ally the paper Is somewhat at loss tt
y know the exact status of the islands politi
d cally, but all its hopes seemed centered or
annexation.
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