Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-10-25
LETTER FROM WILBUR HERSCHLEB.
U. S Army Transport Sherman" Distant
from San Francisco 3049 Miles.

Sunday, Sept. 3, 19OO.-Dear
Parents: 1t will be some time before
you get this letter and am sorry l did
not hear from you in Frisco. L re-
ceived the photos from O. 7. Mcneil
and mail from Cincinnati but none
from home | did not get my mail
until after we were well out at sea as
it was the last thing to come aboard.
We sailed an hour after we got
aboard the ship SO you see we saw
very little of San Francisco. We had
a fine trip across the continent.
Passed the American desert and nearly
chOked with dust which was also fine
dust | mean. On the night Of the
Goth of August we passed the
Summit, SO called because Mr..
Captain, stop the ship till l finish
this letter. it is the highest point on
the Cascade range that the Union
Pacific reaches. We corkscrewed up
the mountains until we got 1880 feet
before and then we went down, down,
dOwneSt down that ever | went down.
Well, to 'c0me down" we descended
nearly 5000 feet in % miles and the
Ndt III U1lIeN UIlOSc CCtI . Ill ObIlNi NCiO a
sin. Our section was ten hours behind
the other one and they made up for
lost time going down. Lots OF the
boys had bumps on their heads that
would puzzle any phrenologlSt 1T
threw the porter out OF upper tel
and was near the cause of him needing
a bier. Beg pardon | wouldn't make
such bad pun but we had cabbage
for dinner and it was light headed.
| But to come back, the scenery was out
of sight I'VE passed through 40 miles
of snow Sheds.) Ha. Ha. We struck
Frisco at 1870 and by noon were we'll
out at sea and here we are. The
beautiful, calm Pacific is big fish
story. We have't seen the sun yet
and this is the 18th day out. 1t is blow
from the east and blow from the west.
| We have encountered several pretty
severe storms. A sight of old Mr..
Sea in rage is something immense
provided you are in an appreclatlve
mood. But when the ship is trans
formed into an immense teeter board
(she is 455 feet long and the forcastle
head can be seen from the stern rising
| higher, higher and still higher trying
| to bust hole in the sky and then
| thii. rs are reversed. The old ship
| bureS her nose in the deep and tries
| to do with her stern what she couldn't
| do with her PROV. Oh, its all right
going up, but when the motion is
reversed it's like one of the boys said.
Il wouldn't care if my stomach would
| only come down too" One is i'm
pressed with the emptiness Of certain
things in this world. Its like great
void in which your stomach floats
around attached to a parachute or
| some other old thing. The boys seem
| deeply interested in the wonders
| hiddenin the green depths. They are
always leaning over the rail trying to
| find something new. But the funny
part of it is that they are liable to be
taken with the investigation fever at
| night as well aS day when it is rather
difficult to see anything.
| Sept. 6. Distance from San
| Francisco 1870 mileS-ThiS is one of
the finest days | have ever seen. We
are going through the inland sea along
the coast of Japan. We passed
| through a channel less then a mile
wide and were in sight Of land all day.
! The part Of Japan | have seen is the
! prettieSt spot on Gods green earth
that 1t has ever been my luck to see.
| The country or rather the islands We
passed were very mountainous, but
were the more beautiful on account of
being so green and then they were all
covered with farms halfway up the
slopes. Along the foot were the most
curious little shackS you ever saw
made of bamboo and grass. The boats
were another great object of interest
ITO US. They are the most Outlandish
Hooking craft it is possible to imagine
with their molly bullS and sails rna6a