Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-03-03
Ottumwa Man Gets Sea Bath Not
Bargained For.
HENRY PHILLIPS IN CALIFORNIA
Gees After Star Fish and Falls Out of
Roat-ls Enjoying Western Trip as
Evidenced by Tone of Letter to Rel
atives Here-At Coronado.

Mr.. and Mrs. Henry Phillips are en-
ioying a western trip this winter and
have been doing" California with a
party Of tourists. 1t is needless to say
that the Ottumwans are enjoying them
selves, but just how they are doing it
is well told in a letter which has been
received by Mr.. and Mrs. John T.
Rowe of this city. The letter is written
from San Diego under date of Febru-
airy is and in part it is as follows:
I'VE arrived here last evening, away
down in the farthermost southwestern
corner of the United States. Today is
Sunday but we will not go to church.
Instead We will take an excursion into
Mexico and eat a Mexican dinner. Then
this afternoon we will enjoy a long
walk along the seashore. We are on
our return trip from Tai Juan, Mexi-
co. A Colorado nan and his wife who
are in our party, tried a Mexican din
ner favored with garlic, but they have
reported ~unfavorably and we are con-
graduating ourselves that we have let
well enough alone. At Tai Juan we
made some purchases and stayed near
" two hours. We took a small souvenir
from the abandoned adobe custom
house built some years ago by the
Mexican government. 1t was formerly
a large building of eight rooms, but
relic hunters and the elements have
almost destroyed it, and the roof,
doros and windows are gone.
A Sea Bath.
Il mustitell you about a little expe-
Renee of mine that was not all down
upon the program. l went to Redouds,
Q resort on the beach t~wenty-three
miles from Los Angeles. l wanted to
get some star fish and employed a
young man to take me out in a row
boat. The sea was a little rough, but
that was nothing worth considering,
for it was fish | wanted. We located
the star fish about a mile out from
shore. and | went to work with a hook
to =. one. | made several attempts
to l.Jok him, but the boat would lurch
just as | thought was succeeding and
l would miss every time. Finally, as
l was leaning to the utmost the boat
lurched my way and | started after
that fish with all my clothes on, even
my cyercoat. Well, the sea was a
little wet and tasted salty. l conclud-
ed it wasn't star fish l wanted just
then, and started cut to get aboard
again. AS l was scrambling after the
boat the man coolly asked me if
s could swim. Besides asking what he
thought | was doing, | may have made
some other remarks, but don't remem-
her.
well, | got back into the boat and
ordered the man TO go after that fish
without any more side trips. / got it
and cne or two more, all large ones,
and told him to pull for the shore. We
had to catch a large wave just right
to get in. Then I took my star fish
Pnd by running caught the street car
for a twenty-three mile ride to Los
Angeles, where / secured dry clothes.
1T took only q little while for the news
of my accident to spread. Every one
conso ed me and rastoratives galore
were recommended. It's all owe now
and l didn't get sick. in spite of the
many Dredirtions that ] would. While
I an thankful that l stayed some fifty
or sixty feet above where the sea.
weeds grow, it was an experience that
not every one gets and was well worth
the cost.
I'VE made one trip to Coronado by
boat. 1t is a beautiful place on a mar
row peninsula, across the bay from
San Diego. 1t has n of the finest
and largest hotels to be found any
where along the coast. we leave in
the morning for Los Angeles, feeling
that our trip to this section has been
very profitable.
yours, etc.,
800 tEIJ o,x Dl, ;l1,,, - T.