Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1899-12-14
MY TRIP TO
AND FROM MANILA.
BY A. P. sLOCUMB.

'Tis nearly eighteen months now,
since I left my native shore for the
far off Philippines, and looking
back on it from the quiet restful-
ness of my old North Carolina home,
it seems to me more like a dream
than reality. I could not even.
though I tried a hundred years, tell
of everything I have seen, done.
heard, and experienced since [ left
Goldsboro, but will endeavor. as best
/ know how. to give the readers of
your most excellent paper an &C
count of my trip to and from Ma
Mia aboard a government transport.
We broke camp, after a pleasant
three weeks stay IN San Francisco,
about four o'clock on Friday morn
ing July 22nd, 1898, and about ten
o'clock that day, IN company with
the First South Dakota Regiment
and a battery of the Utah Artillery,
we're marched with kindling eyes,
and hearts beating high from excite
ment, through the streets of San
Francisco, thronged with people
and gayly bedecked with flags, down
to the dock and aboard the trans
port, The City of Rio de Janeiro,"
which was to bear US off to Manila,
the scene of our future labors. We
left next morning about eleven
o'clock amid the booming of canons
and the shouts of the populace, and
as we steamed slowly out of the Col
den Gate, with banners flying and
bands playing, into old ocean, there
was an indescribable feeling of sad
ness among US, and not a man, but
who thought of the morrow, and
wondered what the future held in
store for him. and if he should ever
see his native home again. How
many of that gallant band who did,
it would be impossible to say. OF
our number only thirty eight out OF
the ffty-fve who went, came back,
and fully a fifth of the others are
sleeping their last sleep, thous nds
OF miles from their native land,
where the wind as it blows through
dropping bamboos, whisper sweet
things to them, OF the home and
friends they shall see no more.
Death claimed one Of our number
before we had been gone six days
from San Francisco, and we buried
the poor fellow at sea, within two
days sail of Honolulu. We arrived
at Honolulu about day light, the
morning of Aug. 1st. '98 and, after
having eaten our breakfast, were
marched ashore. where we we're
given the freedom of the city for
the next three days Honolulu is,
without exception, the most beauti-
full city l have ever seen The gar
den Of the Queens Palace being SUI
perb in their magnificent elegance
and tropical luxuriousnes. We were
given an elegant banquet in the gar
dens by the citizens of Honolulu
and its needless to say we enjoyed it
very much, after our eight days diet
of beans and bacon aboard the trans
port. I saw Hugh Dortch there.
Hugh IS the same clever, genial
fellow as of old, and added much to
my pleasant stay, by driving me
round and showing me everything
worthy of note and interest in the
city. We left Honolulu the morning
of Aug. 4th 1898. and after an un-
-eventful voyage arrived at Manila
about day break the morning OF
Aug. oath. only to find that Spain
had surrendered the city. Aug. 18th,
and our dreams of glory ended. We
had very pleasant weather all the
way across, and the trip was one,
which will doubtless be pleasantly
remembered by each and every one
of us. There is not every transport
in the government service, you know.
that has the honor of having a North
Carolinian for her commanding of
fcer. The Rioss"de Janeilo had one,'
however, in the person of Capt. VIM.
Ward, Of Raleigh. N. G. "May his
shadow never grow less" and not a
mo1 manly, gallant, courteous, ge
NAL, gentleman, ever trod the quar-
ter deck of a brave ship. than did
this sunny-tempered son of old
North Carolina. He was goodness
itself to all of US, especially to me.
and in his many trips across the
broad expanse of the blue and ma
jestic Pacific I bid him bon voyage
ard God speed, and sincerely trust
that when he casts anchor for the
last time, that it may be in a safe
port where storms and typhoons are
unknown. Ali honor to Capt. Ward,
the gallant skipper of the good ship
Rio de Janeiro.
After the novelty of our first three
OF four weeks stay in Manila wore
off, life became very hum-drum and
monotonous to us all, and we were
all very anxious to come home