Troy weekly news. (Troy, Idaho) 1897-1933, 1907-01-18
In the Navy.

Sandy Scott is in receipt of letter
from an old friend, Arthur G. Reed,
now serving in the U. S. navy, on
board the Maryland. Mr.. Reed joined
the navy in 1904, going aboard at
Norfork, W. Va. The letter was writ
ten at sea and dated Nov. Q, 1906.
A part of the letter follows:
am at present out in the Indian
ocean enroute from Bombay to Colon
bo, Ceylon, where we expect to stop
few days and give liberty to some of
the crew. I have seen lots OF sights
well worth seeing since joined the
navy. II gives person a good idea
Of what the World is made of. I
think when I get out of here will be
satisfied to settle down in sweet Amer
ica, the land Of plenty. Here in India
some of the people starye to death for
want of money, and they can live high
on two cents day. What do you
think OF that? have also seen some
of the ancient buildings that we used
to read SO much about. Some have
stood since long before Christ. l can
not tell you all in letter.
make good money and the best
of it all is that it comes easier than
swinging the axe as l did in Michigan.
find that the best thing a person can
have is a good education because it
helps to get through the world. After
l leave the navy l intend to get good
education-if I don't take a foolish
notion and get married. When you
write tell me about the kind of a
country it is out West. I will have
more than thousand dollars when my
time in the navy expires so l guess I
made no mistake when l joined the
navy instead of going West.
Well, here it is two days later. l
thought we would get liberty at Colon
bo, Ceylon, but we just stopped few
hours and then steamed out again, and
are now on our way to Singapore, our
last stop before we reach Manila, our
home. We have been out just two
months now coming this far but we
have sailed twelve thousand miles just
the same. How would you like to be
sailor? 1t is alright, but you need
a good set OF teeth and strong con-
stitution. A good education also
counts in the navy and here is a place
where one can see what it is to have
one. for there are all kinds of chances
for advancement to what there would
be if one had none. Any one can use
shovel or mop but it takes ar
education to push the pen to any adj
vantage.
Well, Sandy, you may think of me
now in Hong Kong, China, and it il
Christmas time? l have been in the
outfit twenty months now and for the
first five months got S22 per month anc
after that got S35.
Nov. IA, 'o6, at sea: We are nov
away out in the China sea where tht
breeze is quite brisk. We have had
great day Of it to-day. We have fou
ships in the feet and all OF US decided
to have race on the last part Of the
cruise, and that was the Admiral
plan too. We raced TO hours unde
forced draft and two under natura
draft The Admiral and his ship wa
left so far behind that we cannot Sc,
him and his ship. His engines got F.;
hot bearing and compelled them t
stop. We now have to communicate
with him by wireless. l guess that i
our ship had not been fouled by tn,
other ship, who left on forced draf
eleven minutes overtime and over
J coming our lead of a hundred yards
and leaving US little behind, W,
would have won. The last half hou
. we gained but the race ended with ou
( ship two or three hundred feet to tn
rear. 1t is now up to the Admiral t
decide.
Z When you remember that we racet
four hours and then only win by ths
length you can see how evenly tn
!. ships are matched. The speed unde
forced draft was between 25 and 3
4 miles an hour and the last two hour
from 20 to 81 miles. The third shi
! was a mile and half to our rear at tn
: end OF the race.
ARTHUR G. REID.