The Oskaloosa herald., 1908-04-16
With THE BIG FLEET.
Mahaska County Boy Writes of His
y r N Experiences.
Callao, Peru, Feb. 30.


Dear MOther:-I received eighteen
letters when landed in Callao and
some of them so old that the hair had
begun to grow around the edges.
wrote you q letter the other day when
was feeling pretty blue / expect ii
is in the mail box on the ship yet and
you will get tins about the same time.
1t is so hard to write letters.
Most of the people at Beunos Ayres
who are white have been run out of
the United States and landed mere
| was talking with fellow from Iowa
and he said he lived in Des Moines,
but don't know whether he did or
not. There is another town where the
people are frightful' COOKERS" I bet
they would make your hair stand on
end If you should see them. .4
| cannot get leave at Frisco but !
am going to have an allotment after i
leave Frisco sent home to you all the
rest of the term. | may get home aft
er / get back to New York. | have
some souvenirs which I want to send
home and if can get box will send
them. l have one real old hard tack
plate from Rio, some beach nuts
from Puntarenas and a bag which
don't know what it is for. Did you
get the money sent from Rio?
will try to get something from here
to send
| wish George Thomas had joined
the navy so he could write a letter
home too. | get so tired writing; il
could only get a letter oftener
could write more, but | don't get one
only once in two months and | gel
them all in a bunch and | can't hard
ly thing of anything to write II
makes me feel SO good and l hardly
know how to act.
Yes / received the postal which Mrs
Casio sent me. Somebody from Ere
mont sent me a necktie and a pair Of
gloves. can't tell you who it was
have not worn a necktie since the last
one you tied on me the night | bic
you good bye. A fellow can't weal
them in the navy; we have to veal
what they want US to and we all have
to dress alike
| went to shore yesterday and had
fine time. Lima is quite a city.
went to a bull fight in the Afternoon
and went through the penitentiary In
the afternoon | would hate to gel
into the Pen down here. The bull
fight was the feat. The bull killed
two men and one horse. The first
man died in about five minutes II
was done in this way: The. bull gored
him through the sides and the horr
came out under his shoulder. The
killing was done about ten feet from
where | was sitting, and the second
one was killed about two rods from
me. The last one had the horns STUCK
in his threat, which came out around
his ear and the bull threw him ovei
his back. The man did not live unit
they could get to him. About Is mer
fight the bull, turn about killing him
They first stick a banderilla on the
bull and tease him awhile, then take
sword and stick him over the shout
der When he dies 1t is the rea
thing. Two men bring in four horses
and place the bulls head on pail
OF trucks and then away they go witt
him. A rest is taken while the band
plays few selections and then they
are ready to turn in another one
They killed six bulls. There will be
another fight on Wednesday, but
don't expect to get to go to shore to
morrow again II want to. fellow
gets use to ship board and never
wants to leave.
Yesterday when we went from Lima
to Calloa went on the street cal
and kept my eye open. In the countr,
the people live in mud houses ant
have rock fences There are many
horses. lamas. goats and mules raised
here; more mules than anything else
! do wish you could see the country