The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-05-14
Wlcblta Hrgcltaut
Sherman Gates WriteS Of Els Work
Tn Dry and CbirSty australia.

Tn Dry and CbirSty australia.
Sherman Gates. formerly Of Innes &
Ross store, Wichita, left this city about
seven years ago. He was employed in
Chicago for a while, constantly advancing
in his degree of prosperity. Then he went
to New York City. From that city he
was sent by a great mining corporation to
Australia as superintendent of mining
construction. He is now % years old. He
sends the following letter to his father,
Matt Gates, from Kalgoorlie, West Au-.
STRATA:
My Dear Father: I viii go back to
where I started from Chicago and try to
describe to you what I saw on my way
out here. I left Chicago November II, 'sS,
and Travelled to the Pacific coast via
St Paul and Minneapolis, then up through
Canada via the Canadian Pacific rail-
road to Vancouver, British Columbia. The
scenery along the Canadian Pacific rail-
road over the Rocky Mountains was grand
but somewhat obscured by mist and snow,
as it had already began to snow there and
snow slides had set in, and the railroad
sheds of heavy 12x12 cedar timber to keep
the slides from burying the tracks, and
after going through all this snow in the
Rockies we got to the other side and the
air began to get warmer and the snow was
left behind. On arrival at Vancouver the
weather was very mild and pleasant. but
it rained every day. 1 stopped in Van
couver three days until time for my ship
to SAIL and we left there November 17;h
We left Puget Sound behind and were
soon on the broad Pacific. The name of
our snip was "Aoragui" of the Canadian
Australian line of steamers.
Wen / was extremely sea sick the
first day and night out, but soon recover
ed, and was sick again during the forty
days that I spent reaching Freemouth,
W. A
About eight days out from Vancouver
We arrived at Honolulu. Hawaiian Isl
ands and as / had heard so much of the
beauties of this place 1 expected to be
disappointed but was not. It fully comes
up 10 all the praise that has been be-
slowed on it; it is little short of an earth
" paradise, and was indeed a contrast 90
Here were flowers blooming in profusion:
every variety of tropical fruit, plants and
IT ees IN growing, and birds of beautiful
plumage dying about. 1 walked about as
one IN dream out in the residence Dis
trlct and the parks, but my Illusion was
dispelled when l got back to the bust
ness part of the city, for I happened TO
run across the Chinese and japanese
quarters, as there are hordes of these
Asiarlcs in these islands. and some of
them are quite wealthy and have large
stores in Honolulu. I saw a great many
of their women and children. The child
ren are cute little things and look lust
Ike the Chinese dolls for sale in the
stores a. kome. The natives Of the Ha-
waiian Islands are big and strong looking.
and +'-~f- color is a light brown. and what
/ saw dress Ike the whites. but the wo-
men all wear big. bauoon-like Mother
Huhbards' Some Of them peddle fower.
and fruit around the streets, but none OF
the natives work any more than they
have to. They are a happy-s0-lucky lot
saw native woman coming into town
astrde a horse and dressed in a Mother
Hubbard, and il seemed TO 5e nothing I'M
usual, as nobody took any notice Of her
Our ship stayed in port until Il =. m. ST
] had chance TO see a tropical city ay
moorhghc- also electric light. I attended
band concert on the piazza o5 the best
hotel in The city. and good one at that
They played mostly American popular
airs. some native boys ana girls sang y
their own tongue and their music i sof
and plaiatiye. but pleasant 10 hear. Blu
the scene attending this concert IS one
snail never forget. The tropical faliae.
was illuminated by small electric Igh-
running through IL. The air was la5er
with the perfumes Of flowers and m,
bright tropical moon was shining through
the trees. and with the music and sf7c.2.
il reminded me of my idea Of paradise.
wanted ID stop there for the rest az N,
days. buc 7 soon had % leave Fl and +7rf
my way hack to the ship. but I was treat
cd 10 another scene almost as beautiful al
We were steaming our Of the harbo-
There was BAN IN progress In a boa
club house near by. and part OF the guesr
were ont IN a fotila az small boats sine
Ing, and near by was the [. 5 :. Ben
ningtoa al liz ~ and the singers yver
serenad.ng the officers and crew. WIZ
the moon shining bright over IL al. an
the music from the ban room, il mad