The Press., 1908-04-08


chairman and r. H. Fisk clerk. 1t
was decided to limit the celebration
ITO one day and evening, and the fol-
lowing officers and committee we're
elected to have the matter in charge
President, Christopher Allen; vice.
presidents, VIM. Park. f. F. Patten
and F. FL. Baker; secretary, R. FL.
Fisk; treasurer, E. G. Sanford; com
mittee, O. B. Pinney, W. e. Hanley,
/ j. Fl. Valentine, J. M. Leach, Fred
Wildey, H. F. Cady, D. N, Brown,
David Robertson, r. W. Smith,
O. O. Pinney, Cyril johnson, Anthony
Adams, o. F. Beckwith. r. W. Ellis,
T.. F. Mullen. F. E. Fitzpatrick. The
officers and committee will hold a
meeting at the Springs House next
Monday evening.
Edward A. Ridge of this town,
who was on the Missouri on the trip
around South America, left the navy
at Magdalena. as his time was up.
Hs stopped at Los Angeles, Gal. for
Visit on his way home. The Los
Angeles Examiner contains his ac-
count of the trip as related at that
oity, and is given in part as follows:
The first of Uncle Sam g sailor boys
who made the trip with the feet
around South America and up to
Magdalena Bay to arrive in Los
Angeles is E. A. Rudge, quartermas-
ter's gunpointer "When we left
Hampton Roads everything was love-
ly, and we went along without mis-
sick. He had some kind of disease
Il don't know what it was. The
doctor on board thought it best that
we put for shore, SO we got into San
Juan and placed the sick boy in a
hospital. Nobody seemed to know
what the trouble was, but he died
there about two hours later. When
we got to Trinidad we all thought we
were going to have fine old time
We thought we could own the town.
We found that things were fixed up
pretty much for the officers. We saw
all there was to be seen, but that was
about all for us common folk. The
visit of old Neptune? The flagship
had figured out by the longitude and
latitude so that on the night before
we were to pass the equator we knew
what time we would be there. When
a ship passes the equator everyone
who has not passed before must be in
attendance when King Neptune pays
a visit The night before the flag
ship, in the lead, threw a burning.
blazing barrel overheard and that was
the signal. When the time arrived
the victims on each ship were then
brought to the forceastle, where
temporary canvas tank had been filled
with salt water. They were then
marched up spring board, which
projected out over the tank, and
examined by the doctor. who gave
them each a pill and felt of their
pulse. Then all of a sudden the
board was loosened and the men fell
into the tank. It might be mentioned
that he also fell into the hands of
q bunch of fellows, dressed to repre-
sent bears, who saw to it that he re-
ceived a good duoking. After the
ceremonies the men we're each taken
out and placed on the upper deck, SO
that they might watch the other
members of the crew take their turn.
After all the ceremonies were over,
each man who had passed through
the ordeal was presented with piece
of parchment, :. indicating that he
would never have to become victim
again. Our next stop was Rio
Janerio, Brazil, where we had a
better time than at Trinidad. The
only trouble saw at this port was
the lack of landing facilities. We
had difficulty getting the boys back
to the vessels. They wanted to stay
too long, and in great many cases
it was necessary to send the provost
guard to- round them up So they
wouldn't get left. After leaving Rio
We reached the soft breezes. At
Punta Arenas we again had shore
leave We didn't stay there very
long, just long enough to coal up and
then on through the straits. I was
surprised at the easy manner in which
we got through this dangerous place.
Why, we would look ahead what
seemed to be only few hundred feet