The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-03-30
HOME BOY
WRITES
BRUCE HIGGENBOTHAM
TELLS OF TRIP WITH
PACIFIC FLEET

Nolney Iligginbotham, one of Logan
eountts active farmers has received
the h.Aowing interesting letter from
his son. who is with the Pacific fleet;
United States Ship Ohio.
Magdalena Bay
March y, 1908.
Dear Mother. Received your letter
today and was glad to hear that you
lare al in good health ! am Ia very
good health myself, and enjoying the
trip around very much ! viii try 10
give a short description OF it ! asked
for transfer TO the fleet and was
transferred We started from the
washington navy yard about three in
/ the afternoon and stopped at a hotel
/ that night and took the passenger
steamer down the Potomac next morn
Ing 90 Hampton Roads. While wait
ing there we took farewell Look at
the exposition grounds. lt was about
4 a. M when | first set foot on 5he
deck of the Ohio Decerlber l3, and
raised anchor on the 10th for the long
cruise. Spent seven line days at sea
when We sighted Trinidad. went
ashore in Port OF Spain which is III
English, ard had very leesant time.
After coaling ship we raised anchor
TO-. one more long stage Of 0nr voy'
age Eight days out we crossed the
line The men rugged canvas tank
land duckcd a few recruits, but you
may be sure they did not get me- on
one of the ships they broke a mans
lleg, but nobody was hurt aboard our
ship We steamed into Rio Janeiro
/ i'm the evening about sunset and the
/ beautiful harbor of Guanabara and sur
rounding hills iIanked on one side by
| the finest city OF South America is a
lpicture I shall never forget We wen.
ashore there several times and spent
/ half OF a day looking at the most
beautiful garden OF its kind in the
world. One part contains over one
Thousand varieties of palms alone,
then another part of it is all flowers
and another shrubs. All laid ont with
marble walks flanked with grass and
flowers. the like of which ! never saw
before. | took car about fifteen
miles inland then, from there rode up
to the top of high mountain on don
keys Up. up / went to the very top
From there ! had the fleet lying in the
lharbor and the whole city lying be-
low me like map The view ] got
lcertainly was worth the trouble.
went back 10 the city tired, and very
hungry but satisfied We stopped here
Item days. Then sailed for Punta
Arenas Sunday, 10Th we had some
trough weather, but carried safely
lgot liberty here also and was We'll
treated on shore. This is a very cold
lcountry from Cape Virgin TO Desola-
4 tiOn island they have arctic weather.
THE people here are half savage, and
WHOLLY SO inland "A short distance The
lcountry through the straits is Wild and
1.-THE scenery is rugged and beautiful,
the mountains are perDetaauy covered
with snow We passed one dazzling
lglacier. AT night we saw the auroral
lights This. the most dangerous part
lol our voyage. was safely passed with
out accident, however, and | can tell
you many a wreck can still be seen
along the beach from which never q
lsoul ilyyd - tell the tale ] have sat
on the forecastle Of The cool snip
ionic under the muzzle of i2incb
lguns and listened to tales OF chip
wrecked crews maroOned here Jl
whics one man escaped from those
lsavages 10 tell the tale of their hCr
lrible cruelty. From the strait We put
In at Valparaiso, fired a National sa
lutte of twenty-One guns, and again put
out 10 sea. There were thousands OF
people here 20 welcome the fleet We
had safe and fine voyage from here
10 Callao, Peru, which Is one of thC
most interesting towns you conld nos
sibiy visit A couple Of friends and
went out by rail 10 Lima, it is about
ten miles inland This Is one OF you
qaaint Old fashioned cities. with OF
Icastles, churches, mOnastaries Ever,
fellow yOu meet has lighting ooci
under his arm Several of us borrow
ed guns and went on a duck hunt Ia
in the hills viii ten about tina
lster We had one death on this shir
he WAS buried at sea- Tie had bcei
thirteen years Ia the service, Wl
lEicamed into this bag early tLis nom
. ine There Is a small village nea
wbcfe we are anchored. ! hear INA
We ARE 10 get q grand blowout elihe
az San Diego or az Santa Barbara
ieuess we viii be here az target rfae
} ticc Tor a month or more. Tell th
, boys that ] still play ipotball. base
ball AND race boat. also Ia rih
team and can swim like a fish anl
can climb a rope like a monkey. anl
/ also helned 20 catch a Wild monkey
We have two mascois a goat fnd
bui' dog Tho people around MaRda
llena bay have dogs that catch flsl
Iiof them and the Inhabitants ~ nhlt
land some are cannihaIa
II From your loving son.
BRUCE hlcCIAbOIitAM.