The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1901-02-27
SURVEYING At GUAM.
Extracts from Letters from James
BeeCher and the Lieutenant.

ISIIOWdEu1 We dIG spefMlULOu stOSC SCOpy&
liberal extracts from letters of
/ Lieut.. Beecher and his brother
James now stationed at Guam as
members of a government survey
ing party. These letters were
originally addressed. to Mrs. Beech
er and by her forwarded to her
] daughter, Mrs. Howard. Speaking
Of the destructive typhoon last No
] vember, Lieut.. Beecher writes:
sssThe storm here must have been
terrific. About half the trees in the
island we're blown down, and most
of the houses blown down or un-
rooted. That there was compara
lively little loss of life is probably
due to the fact that the houses are
generally of light construction and
gave way easily to the wind. The
government is feeding about half
the people on the island, This will
| probably not. continue long, as
everything grows quickly. We,
the Guam Board, have built a house
45x15 feet, and with our three tents
are very comfortably housed, and
are fairly started on our work. All
hands are well and happy. We get
our drinking water from the dis
tilling plant at Agana, also 200
pounds Of ice every third day, which
is greatly appreciated.
1 AT no time since we have been
here has it been uncommonly hot
/ always want sheet over me at
night, and sometimes blanket is
comfortable.
James, I think, is very happy,
and is a great favorite with every
body. He and / live in the draught
ing room, which is the east room of
our house known as the Pitt pal
ace.
We have a fine cook house or
kitchen built across the. street from
our other building, and Hughes,
| the cook, is a past master in the
cu1inary art. We. turn IN about 8
o'clock aud turn out about 5:3O.s
The surveying parties take lunch
with them and return to camp about
i = t.t- ~
|5:30 p. m. This makes a long day,
but they lay off about two hours in
the middle of the day. We employ
the natives as laborers, and they
are willing and apt.
Since our arrival here we have
generally had fine weather. We.
have had some rain, but scarcely
enough to furnish wash water, and
so our native striker, Juan Jose,
has to lug water from the river,
about quarter of a mile away, to
fill the pitchers.
James Beecher gives some inter
esting glimpses of the island and
it's inhabitants
i Eve have been here almost a
month now, and are getting to be
/ pretty well shaken down. Directly
across the bay, distant about half a
| mile, is Cabras island The view
across the bay and out to sea is
beautiful. To the right of Cabras
4 island and extending along the
coast for several miles, is a barrier
reef The nearest point Of this
reef is perhaps three quarters of a
i mile from our house. The surf is
beating upon this reef constantly,
j. throwing the white spray into the
air for many feet. In heavy wealth
er the breakers roll in to the height
Of 20 to 25 feet
The actual survey work, the
i boring, etc. began nearly two
weeks ago. While ] think the work
/ is progressing satisfactorily, I am
Iinclined to believe that we shall be
1 here for at least four months. At
present we employ eight natives,
sandShave at our disposal a detail Of
/ four marines from the marine camp
i at Agana. These men have their
camp down the road a few hundred
i feet from us, and serve as rodmen
j for surveying parties.
{ Agana is not as uncivilized as
one might suppose, The Govern
er's palace there is quite a preten-
tious place, and there are several
buildings that would do credit to
any small city. The good buildings
are of course Spanish in architec-