The Opelousas courier., 1899-10-07
Letter From J. I. Shute, u. S. N.
HONOLULU, H. ], Sept. I, 1899.
DEAR FATHER =

HONOLULU, H. ], Sept. l, 1899.
DEAR FATHER =
received IL letter from yon and ma
last week, and send you in to-day's mail
some Manila papers printed on the bat
tie field, also photos of myself, ship and
a native 'Lepcr," and some %sauveDlers
picked up in Egypt. China and Japan.
never told you how sick | was with
fever at Manila for | knew 1t would
worry you,a and you could not get to me,
the doctor finally told my ship mate that
| would be buried at sea the next day, 80
be could give me anything | wanted. |
asked for 10 grains of calomel and 40 of
quinine in 4 doses, | got it, then my
pardner got a bottle of native rum could
not get whiskey) put quinine in it and
recovered, have not been sick since. |
shall never forget my ship mate who
stuck to me day and night, lifting me IN
and out Of my hammock, and saved me
at last. When l was told | was TO go
overheard in IL sheet, | put $75 Gall l
had) in an envelope and had it mailed to
you, this was the money You scolded me
about sending in an open envelope. |
am now well and hearty, weigh 145
pounds, chest measure 43 inches, waist
80; not a pound of fat about me, don't
| think you could "faze' me with a sIedg
hammer, am sun burnt until | am gin
ger bread mulatto color. told You of
my promotion when [ was assigned to
this layout. our Chief Macbinest is or
dered to Frisco to take charge OF the
Iowa on the 18th, | will be left as Chief
Machinest of the layout if the depart
ment is short of men, and think and
! hope they are. | will hold it for
awhile" anyway.
In some cases it seems a disgrace TO
wear the uniform | once thought it an
honor to wear for instance, some days
ago myself and companions met some
American ladies IN the streets here,
and when we passed they stepped owe
to our side, pulled their skirts aside for
fear they would brush against us. When
returning We, then again about in the
same spot, got out in the street and
saluted. A lady friend OF one OF the
boys heard of IT,, sent for him, learned
all reported it, and it raised quite q
muss, that | would rather have avoided.
To show you how the uniform is taken,
a little girl playing on the street ran to
her mother when she saw US coming
auti said COB! Mamma, here comes
some sailors and they are not drunk A
little boy, wanting to be polite, voiun-
tarily informed us there was IA saloon
three.biocks below.
Americans are tlocking to this island,
and every kind OF industry is springing
up property has doubled in the past two
years, and still advancing. You can
live cheap here and make money at al
most anything. II | had about 5000 to
invest i'll il small steamship here to ply
between These islands, | could surely |
make money.
The sugar plantations on'the main ia
land have to dig wells 500 or 600
feet deep to irrigate. but it seems to be
profitable, as they are starting new ones
every day.
We expect to leave here shortly TO.
the Aisle of Hello; have locked and
cleared ship and now painting. | am
hard at work at present seeing that the
machinery is put in perfect order.
Ga our trip in search of hip-wrecksd
sailors, we were short OF men at the en-
CINE. The Master Mechanic and my
self stood watches 6 On aud 6 OFT. Ny
striker had cramps all night, laid in the
shaft hole in a lot Vt varnisl. while
did double duty. We had a high sea,
the vessel rolled and l was sea sick all
night, but had to stand at the irottle ali
the same.
| am still working On my patent, aud
the machine is going to work. You re-
member telling me many a man went
crazy over u patent" Well, | have not
said any more about it, but am going
to make it work.
What has become of Mr.. ZoderF |
never hear of him anymore. Give him |
my regards.
As it is growing late, | will close and
turn in. Will write you again by next
Write soon to your affectionate son,
JAMES |. SHUTE.