The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-04-02
RENGIS his Old Rome
BIG JIM BUSBY RETURNS AFTER
AN EXTENDED SOJOURN
IN GUAM
HAS BEEN MAN-o'-wAR's MAN
Likes the Island Which United
States Has Recently Acquired,
but Can't Stand for
Manila.

big Jim Busby," as he was Familiarity
known to the sporting fraternity, as We'll
as many other friends throughout the
Northwest, and who for the past three
years has been a jolly tar on the cruiser
Yosemite and other war vessels, arrived
in the city yesterday, attired in full navy
Uniform, and called on all his old st.
Paul acquaintance.
That Jim can spin a few yarns OF inter
est and not half unroll the ships log
was fully attested by the large circle
of the boys who gathered around him
in the composing room of the o b e
last night to bid him welcome home.
Jim was for years an employee Of the
G o b e. and though not a newspaper
man." he was the friend of every one
connected with it from the managing ed
itor to the galley boy, down to the press
room and out through the mailing room.
His appearance last night was the sig
nal for many a hearty handsha,ke, and
1t became almost necessary to call
time" for a brief period to allow all
to congratulate him.
Three years ago, lacking two days,
Jim left ST. Paul as one of Uncle Sam 8
navy, to fight the Spaniards, and his ex-
per1ence since then in many land and
many a cline is full of interest. Though
he encountered but little of battle, his
WaEderings brought him into contact
with events and scenes which made his
listeners look UP to his face (nearly
seven feet in the air. with wonder and
awe. After leaving ST. Paul he shipped
for Porto Rico, but while there the
cruiser to which he was attached sprung
a leak and had to be returned to the
United States for repairs. After cruising
up and down the Atlantic coast for scme
time, Busby was finally transferred to
the Yosemite, and started for Gibraltar.
After short stay there the boat went
through the Suez canal, and at Colombo
encountered Admiral Dewey and his fleet,
bomeward bound. Up to this time, Jim
says, the sailors had not been allowed
to leave deck to go on shore, owing to
the stringent orders of the captain. But
at Colombo they rebelled, and Admiral
Dewey was signalled to for leave to go
ashore and the answer came back:
Certainly, give the boys forty-eight
hours" Jim says they didn't do thing,
either, when they got on shore.
Thence the voyage took them to
Manila, where they were not allowed to
land either. On board was Capt Richard
P. Leary, who was to be the new gov
ernor Of Guam, and after a two-weeks
stay, they started for that port, to take
possession of the island in the name OF
Uncle Sam. Upon arrival there, Jim
says call we did was to ire twenty one
guns, drop the mud hook and the island
was ours" Here a pleasant time was
spent, every one receiving considerable
liberty to go ashore, and some of the
boys became owners of shack Al
together Mr.. Busby spent nearly two
years in Guam, making several cruises
to Yokahoma, Nagasaki and Manila
Finally one of those typhoons, so Sc .
we're and deadly in the Oriental seas,
swept over the island and left death and
destruction in it's path. The Yosemite,
which was anchored there at the time,
was driven upon the rocks and became a
total wreck The crew was left on the
island until the Buffalo came along and
took them away, with the exception or
Busby, Ericsson, his shipmate who halls
from Minneapolis, and three Others who
were left there through the kindness OF
the chief engineer, as they wished to
come home by way of San Francisco in
stead of the route taken by the Buffalo.
They remained four months on the ISL
and, which, Jim says, is a beautiful spot
when the weather is good. and then went
to Honolulu, thence to Frisco, arriving
home today, where he had left just three
years ago.
Mr.. Busby says the inhabitants of
Guam are all right; but Manila is
place he would not live in. He says 1t
seems good to be a free man agan and
not have to obey the captains order.
He has four months of time in which
to make up his mind whether he wishes
to continue in the service OR not At
the end of that time, If he appears at
headquarters, he will receive his punch
of discharge money! as he calls 1t, and
again become rollicking rover of the
sea, the money referred to being the
magnet which is supposed to draw the
: crew back into active service.