The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-09-21
THE ISLAND OF GUAM.
Mr.. Crews Talks About What He Saw
on this Tropical Territory OF the
United States.

GQapOf 4coScuSG.
While writing you from Manila in
May I told you about stopping FOR a
short while at the island of Guam
and gcing ashore and out to Agana,
the capital
With your permission, / will tell you
and the many readers Of The Messen-
ger more about it and its lonely and
far away people.
The way I travelled on the t%ranspor:
Grant, Guam is 5.4s5 miles from San
Francisco, 1880 from Honolulu and l.
05 fpm Manila By looking at the
map you will see that it is the south
ernmost Of the thirteen islands called
the Ldrones and is about thirteen de-
grees north Of the equator, making it
what we call a tropical country-so
warm that the people b have been
raised there and have never been away
from there do not know by experience
what winter is. and have never seen
the BEAUTIFUL snow, ice and frost as we
do uI here in America So you now
see how far away from any great
county these few people live-how far
outrif the broad Pacific ocean they are
and bow lonely they must be
Guam island Is a little country said
to be about twelve miles wide and thir-
ty maes long, with about 10, 900 people
O 1T We call them our people now.
since the island has become a part OF
Amenca's newly acquired possessions.
We night properly all them brother
Guanites-at least, fellow-citizens; for
we are all under one great government
at tbs time.
Ths little island, along with others,
rvo1 l1icnnt-nraI MO hn4ly -4~la~ -
1921, lit is said, n has been cruel old
Spaii's possession ever since, till the
war broke out between the United
Stats and that country in 1898.
On the Goth Of June of that year the
cruiser Charleston steamed along tina
wayland fired at the little old fort
which is or top of a high point al the
entrsnce to the harbor. Those o
lonely and far away people did not
even know that there was fighting go
ing On between the countries, and the
governor of the island actually apollo
giZe@ to the captain of the Charleston.
1t is said, for not having powder to re-
turn wha he thought was a salute by
our ship. He was informed that there
was war going on between Spain and
the United States and that possession
was being taken Of the island for this
country. No resistance was offered
then to our course and none has been
since to the extent Of fighting, and il
they continue to be quiet and submits
sive to the authority of u govern
ment they should be IS free and hap
py, and well protected from those who
you'd harm them, Is any people could
be Who are situated as they are.
As far as I saw Of the island in sail
ing up to it, going a few miles into the
interior and sailing some distance
alongside of it in leaving, I though.
1t vas as beautiful as any country I
had ever seen. It being the only real
TROPICAL country 1 had ever set foot
on, where there is never n frost or
cold weather, n where the vegetation
remains green n grow all the year
round, only as it natures and dies down
caused, perhaps, the fine impression
of !. more than anything else.
IL sailing that $3.50 miles from Hon
oIufu to Guam, during which time we
did not see a single ship nor any land.
neither was a stop made, we crossed
the noted 1SOth meridian. At this line
a day and night was dropped from the
calendar. In other words, we crossed
the line which divides eastern from
western time and it is what is under
stood as losing a day in going west
rou the world, the same as you will
gain a day and night at Greenwich in
going east around the world. But the
twenty-four hour we lost at the 1S0th
meridian going west we gained at
Greenwich when we crossed the line
back into western time. We crossed
this 1S0th line about midnight of Sum-
day, April 18th. We went to bed Sun
day night and got up TUESDAY morn
ing, I will say. On his Sunday April
18th a regular Easter dinner was en-
5oyed aboard the ship away in the mid
die Of the Pacific.
When the ship came in sight Of
Guam the fact of how near perfection
the science of navigation had become
was commented on. The run or $3.50
miles had been made by the Grant and
the island run right up to Is though it
had been in sight all the time, and
h ship had never been that way be-
fore.
AS o o as the ship entered the har-
Dor n cast anchor small sail boats
could be seen making for the ship. We
soon found that they were laden with
tropical fruits, shells, etc, brought out
by the natives to sell to the passengers.
AS the ship arrived Unexpectedly il
vas quite a while before anyone came
aboard that could give any information
in regard to Captain Richard T. Leary.
the governor of the island, or anything
else. After a while a young officer
came over from the old collier Brutus.
which was anchored in the harbor ari
used as a naval depot. and informed
Captain Baker, of the Grant, that
Governor Leary was at the palace out
at Agana, the capital, some sevA3
miles away, n that there was 10
way Of communicating with him eX-
cept 10 some one cut.
Instead of sending a message Cap
tain Baker and a few others made
ready and went at once out to Agana.
carrying Governor Leaays mail, etc.
Soon others got ready and went ashore
and got such conveyances as could be
had and started for the little capital.
The landing place is a small plat
form with a nipa roof scattered about
the shore end are a nhnber Of native
huts, some Of adobe with matched
TOPS, others mere wooden frames open
to the cooling breezes.
Agana, the capital, is seven miles
away, and the only means Of conImuni-
cation II two wheeled carts. generally
drawn by carabaos, or water buffalo.
The road followed is well built and
skirts the beach almost the entire dis
lance. On n side IS a continuous
line Of beautiful palms. This part Of
the island seems low q undulating,
and about equally divided between
tropical Jungle and cleared land. In