The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1909-09-03
AN ocALA BOY IN THE PHILIP
PINES


TT VIM. Mckinley, P l., July 20. 'O9.
To the Editor Ocala Banner:
Feeling that you might appreciate
a letter from me, an old Ocala boy,
| will make an effort in that line.
Well, you may know that have
been a great traveller. 1t seems that
was born afflicted with what they
call wonder lust;" if SO, it was an
ambition that has been satisfied be-
yond degree. | have been on all the
continents, excepting Australia, and
strange to say have no desire to go
there. Probably if | had limited my
travels within the boundaries of Ma
rion county, l would have been better
of, financially, at least.
Travel is very well for the tourist
who sees things intelligently, but for
sailor, who has to work hard most,
if not all. OF the time. it is a different
case, or at least he cannot gain as
much by doing So
Well about the Philippines! l first
came out here in 1904, but no sooner
arrived in Manila than was sent to
Nindanao, which is the second, if not
the largest, island of the Philippines.
The Morros live there, and were
kicking up jack" at the time. Gen.
eral Wood, as you may recollect, was
campaigning against them. l remain
ed there almost two years, until my
enlistment was about to expire. l
thought the time would never get by,
as those Morros (Mohammedans)
were always making trouble for us.
| saw that Mohammedanism was not
near as good as Christianity, and
wrote a reverend friend in America
that if | ever got back to Gods coun-
try again would settle down, join the
church and then get married.
The time came at last for me to
sail away for the United States. Ply
sically speaking, | was better off for
/ the experience, although that service
had been very hard on the nervous
system Men were killed, murdered
| by night wounded and taken with
sickness, and died quite frequently,
but l was left unscathed.
On the way home, after leaving
Nagasaki, Japan, my patient, an artil-
lery captain, who had melanchOlia,
jumped overheard. Now, | was as
anxious to win a Carnegie medal as
the netx fellow, but it was squally
weather, and cold at that. besides the
free board of that vessel-Transport
Sherman-was almost too high for
one to enjoy taking a header. They
say a drowning person comes up three
times before they sink, but my cap
tain did not come up at all. He went
straight down, for l watched him.
You naturally ask what l was doing.
Well, a woman, who had more tongue
than 1 had (ahhough l have been &C
cused of having "some" myself) let
out a yell, and then l hollered. There
was much confusion aboard; then the
whistle commenced to blow, the big
ship was put about and stopped, a
boat was lowered, which got badly
stove in on. returning, but the captain,
| knew beforehand. went straight
down to Davy Jones' locker, and l sup
pose is there yet.
/ We were in Honolulu the day of the
earthquake in San Francisco april
is, 1905 We hoped the news was,
as in mbst cases of that kind, badly
Exaggerated, and sailed that day I'M
der that impression. Owing to the
currents in the Pacific, it takes longer
to go from Honolulu to the United
States than the other way. but We ar
rived in San Francisco eight days af-
lterward. and found things a great
Ideal worse than we had any idea of.
I saw the Hoboken fire in 1900, when
so many vessels were burned, and felt
very sorry, but / will never forget
sailing into the Golden Gates, april
2Sth. after that fearful holocaust, as
long as | live.
On arrival there our vessel was or
dered. to proceed to Seattle, Wash,
lOply some of the officers and the sick
were allowed to land. OF course,
being in the hospital corps, and de
y tailed with the sick. l landed with
lthem. and was sent Immediately to
I duty at the Preside.
do not like to boast, but honestly
, I nut in some of my best ticks that
, following two weeks. until the final
dav for my discharge. l worked with
some of the most eminent surgeons
on the Pacific coast, in one of the