New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1904-02-03
CRUISING N WEST INDIES
Paymaster Beecher Writes From
st. Thomas.
Negro Population Far in Excess
Of White Men.
Sailors Had Athletic Program
New Years Day.

Experiences of naval officer are
described interestingly in letter
which 81. Z. Beecher has received from
his brother, Paymaster James S. Beech
er, u. S. N. The latter is with the
training ship Monong ahela, now cruis-
ing in southern waters, and his letter
is as follows:
DANISH WEST INDIES, Jan. I, 1904.
We arrived here Saturday, Dec. 26,
after being three weeks out from
Portsmouth, N. Fl. The trip, as a
whole, was very pleasant. We OBJ
served New Years by having day of
sports. Prizes were given to the boys
winning in masthead races, boa traces,
sparring matches, etc. l sent to Porto
Rico for turkeys for the crews dinner.
The Alabama and Massachusetts
were here on January lst and I'd.
They came here from Culebra to spend
New Years and give the men liberty.
A long trip at sea gives ship a
dlsreputable appearance, but our ship
is getting to look very we'll. They have
been painting constantly since we
came in. The rigging is being tarred
down, the outsides and insides painted
SO everything looks new and bright.
The German man-of-war that was
here when we arrived left Monday.
Her officers called on US. They all
speak English we'll. One of them said
to me he regarded St. Thomas as the
most desirable port in the West Indies.
Wednesday evening our officers are
invited to a reception at the American
vice-consul's residence.
[ wish you could take a glimpse of
this harbor, it is almost land-locked
and on the northern side the hills rise
to heighth of fifteen hundred feet,
Immediately above the city. There is
considerable American shipping here
all the time. This island is much
greener than last winter, and the
mountains being covered with verdure
are much more attractive to the eye.
This is the rainy season and there are
frequent short showers which come up
and end with remarkable suddenness.
There is very little fruit raised in
the island. [ had to send to Eorto
Rico for three thousand oranges for
the crew. 1t is warm here, but not OPP
pressive. I like the climate very much,
but existence on an island that one
can ride around in a half day is not
very exciting. In the streets of ST.
Thomas one meets a hundred negros
before a white person is seen.
The English protected cruiser, Char
ybdis, came in from Halifax Wednes-
day. Her officers did not call GU us
until Sunday. You may remember
that service etiquet requires the last
to arrive to call first. She has her
war paint on-a dark drab, which is
their regulation color throug hout the
service now.
We received telegraphic dispatches
OF the theatre disaster in Chicago the
day after it happened.
Lieutenant Commander Clark and
called over in the city yesterday. One
particularly interesting home was that
of Mr.. Maron. His firm controls the
coal business, the principal industry
here. He is the Danish consul and in
addition represents in consular capa-
city Italy, Brazil, Chill, Mexico and
Russia. His home is the old home of
well-known character, an old pirate.
It is situated we'll up on the hill back
OF the city. His grounds are very ex-
tensive. One of his daughters mar
ried a Danish army officer; another
a Russian naval commander. While
here we met an officer from German
training ship for midshipmen; and an
English officer by the name of Martin
from the cable-ship, Grappler. The
old Grappler was destroyed at st.
Pierre at the time of the Martinique
disaster. Martin is a queer genius;
has been all over the world. He told
me his father was Paymaster General
of the English Royal Navy.
Yesterday was Three Kings Day,