The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1903-01-29
Lsttesfrom R. !. DoIhson.

Presedio, California,

hBoln ano Ieellng Detterl tnan i
have for six months. | om still in
the hospital, and if keep on i'm
proving will be all right in a short
time. A change of climate is GER
tainly the onlyIcure for;dysentery
1t is just cold enough here to see
your breath; two days out of Ma
nilla and it began to get chilly.
Inever wanted to see any "mud"
as bad as ] did the west end of the
United States. | went aboard the
u. S. A. Transport, Logan, on the
morning of December 8, 1902, and
landed here the morning of Janu-
airy l3, 1908. We lay two days in
Manila Bay, and sailed 80 miles
to Marivale's quarantine station;
was there FIVE days in quarantine:
no cholera aboard: left there on
the evening Of the Is of December
and was five days sailing to Nagas-
XII, Japan, for coal and water; was
in Nagaski three days, and left
there the evening of the % of De-
cember and was 30 days coming to
San Francisco; 30 days on the big
transport. The transport was "a
bout like that of the Thomas, and
brought 2200 people over on her;
over 200 dysentery patients.
We had the worst kind of wealth
er all the way, except the last three
days. Xmas night was the worst
night ever put through regu-
lar typhone struck us and that
$500 tons of steel we were on was
floating around and pumping like
a cork no one was allowed on deck
the wind blew tables, boxes, and
every thing loose, clear off the up
per deck, and waves washing all
over the boat, and her two propell-
ers We're out of the water every
other minute. | never did come so
near to actually giving up hope as
/ did that night. 1t was twelve
o'clock, midnight when the worst
came; men were rolled clear out Of
their hunks and | had to laugh too
even if it was dangerous. IT was
funny to see some one start across
the lower deck where we were, and
roll clear over to the other side and
turn summer saults ;dishes. knives
and forks, spoons, toilet articles,
shoes and evrey thing rolling all
over the place. | started to my
bunk once and the boat was Just
rocking like a cradle; l grabbed
for bracing rod in front of me
and missed it, and | did a few
"stunts" around there: went back
and forth across that deck about
four times before | got hold of any
thing. But the storm finally ceas-
ed and we could start up but was
hgrd work. 1t was the worst trip
l ever went through. l have had
the niggers on Cebu Island to shoot
at me when | was out with only
two native police with me, but |
would rather risk that than that
typhone. Was it any wonder we
stayed up all night the last night
looking for land. l can tell you,
you feel mighty queer when two or
three thousand miles from land in
a storm like that and can't even
see muddy water.
The General Hospital here is the
finest place ever saw. We wear
our own clothes, have good beds,
plenty to eat and are allowed two
passes a week, from / to 8 80 D. m
can walk around the Hospital
grounds; have good bathes, comis-
sary clothes and every thing con-
venient. 1t is lovely place; elec-
trio line runs right into San Fran
cisco over 1000 patients in all the
wards. here and about two thirds of
then dysentery.
When we were in Nagasli, Japan,
/ went ashore and got some articles
as suveniers. Nagaki is a fine city
and the Japs are the finest people
ever saw except Americans. They
are very wise nation. When we
sailed into Nagaski harbor it look
ed like prosperity; steam and
smoke coming in clouds from all
over the place; ship yards, coal
mines etc. / took ride in a gin
rickshaw ga little carriage pulled
by Jap and it was fine, only l
got pretty cold. went into Jap
anasa bazar and of a II tho tbi,,,, |