Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-06-06
WAS In PORTO RICO
Ralph Mahon, a Former Ottunwa
Boy, on Board U. S. S. Dixie.
AN INTERESTING LETTER FROM HIM
His Impressions of the Voyage South
From New York-Had Delightful
Trip and Well Pleasud With His Sur
roundings-The Letter.

A. w. Mahon, 427 North Jefferson
street, is in receipt of letteY from his
son, Ralph, member of the crew of
the U. S. S. Dixie, which is now on a
cruise through southern waters around
Porto Rico and the East and West In
dies. The letter is very interesting,
and tells of Mr.. Mahons trip south
and his impressions of the countries
where the vessel has touched. He
says sea life agrees with him and he
is very much pleased with his pros
poets. Following is Mr. Mahon's let
ter: s
On Board the U. S. S. Dixie, Off the
Coast of Puerto Rico. and Just With
in Sight of Cape San Juan; Latitude
1870 Degrees North and Longitude Ga
Degrees West, May Is, 1901:
Dear Father This is the first land
we have seen since we left Sandy
Hook, New York, and we are now
about 700 miles east and l,40O miles
south of New York. The weather is
perfect and has been at all times since
We started but it is great deal warm
er here than it is in New York, as you
would naturally expect. Although the
thermometer registers about 80 de-
grees, we are very comfortable for We
are wearing linen clothes and there is
cool breeze blowing. ! am enjoying
this trip immensely and do not believe
/ ever felt better in my life. l have
not had a touch of sea-sickness, and
believe the voyage will have anything
but a bad effect on my health. The
scenery, consisting only of the water,
which here is beautiful, blue color
and the heavens is something / do not
think / ever could tire of
But One Case of Sickness.
We have had only one case of sick
ness on board and that is combina.
ton of brain fever and sea-sickness.
The patient will be left in the hospital
at st. Lucia when we arrive there to.
morrow morning at which time I will
finish this letter and mail it from that
place, SO goodbye for the present.
st. Lucia. British West Indies, May IA,
1901:
We arrived here this morning at 6
o'clock. This is an English island
and the natives are all black, but they
speak good English and dress about
as they do, in the states. There are
two military stations here, one for the
native soldiers and one for the English
men,. Both are very imposing struc-
lures and the harbor on which they
are situated is one of the finest small
harbors in the world. All the islands
about here are similar in nature, be-
ing mountainous, except Barbados,
which is more level. AL. kinds of trop,
lical plants grow here and / have eaten
pineapples, bananas, oranges, alligat-
or pears, mangoes and several other
fruits.
Preparing for Cruise.
have stored away four big cans OF
preserves in my locker, for it will be
some time before we touch land again
and such opportunities are few and
far. between, All the money | have
spent while here amounts to only nine
ty cents. There are now about twenty
"bum-boats" (boats of fruit vendors
and peddlers) around the Dixie. We
are now anchored about two hundred
yards from shore but will pull I'D to
the dock in the morning and coal up
before proceeding south.
Natives Are Shrewd.
AAiS9S iiiio liS SoNCIcu Will COCOA
nut trees, but the officers will not al.
low this luxury on board because the
natives are in the habit of filling them
with whisky and then selling them to
the boys for a pretty fair price. The
weather continues to be all that any
body could desire and men who have
been here number of times tell me
1t IS the same the year around.
There's more fun than can be had
at circus in watching the little negro
wharf rats dive after coins thrown ov.
erboard by the boys. Some of them
dive down and come up on the other
side OF the boat, although the Dixie
draws twenty-one feet of water.
Well, | don't know of anything more
to write so will close for this time.
Your son,
Ralph Mahon.