The Hawaiian gazette., 1909-01-29

where a retired officer of the United
States navy reigns supreme as govern
or, the United States navy station ship
Supply came into port yesterday morn
ing en- route to Bremerton to be over.
hauled and put in shape for another
about six days the vessel will proceed
to the navy yard on the Sound, and in
about three months will return to the
port of Agana, relieving the tiny gun.
boat Concord which will then proceed
to Bremerton, via Honolulu for repairs.
Guam is the little island once gov.
erned by a fiery sort of naval officer
for whom the poets on the station
framed up jingle which ended some.
think like this:
do you know who l amt
] IN the Governor of that
Tight island of Guam"
The island has had many American
governors, but none had SO romantic
career as the Spanish governor who
was aroused from his siesta late one
day about eleven years ago by the
announcement of a sleepy Spanish sol.
der that a warship was approaching
the island. The governor was informed
that it must be foreign vessel, be.
| cause it did not fly the Spanish flag.
The horror of the situation came over
| the governor when he knew he would
be called upon to offer the customary
salute by battery to the flag of the
stranger, and that he had no powder
| to fire a salute with. The governor
| perspired and was in an agony of mind,
but he donned his gold-laced uniform
| and waited the coming of the ship.
He was profuse in his apologies for
not firing the salute when an officer
of the warship, the u S. s. Charleston,
came ashore, and was dismayed then
to learn that the cruiser did not mind
the oversight, for it had come to cap
ture the island. The governor had not
heard of the war
The Supply has been the station ship
at Guam for several years. She is
a comfortable craft, suitable for the
home of officers and enlisted men in
the Guam climate. Before the Spanish
war she was one of the Morgan liners
and was purchased by the American
government to be converted into sup.
ply ship. The navy officials were at that
period somewhat at loss for names to
christen these new additions to the
navy, but one officer hit upon the hap.
Ply idea of naming such vessels after
famous restaurants, and the name of
Delmonico was picked out for this
! vessel. Other restaurateurs heard of
this novel proposal and asked that the
names of their establishments, also fam.
GUS, should be used for any additional
vessels of the type. That killed the
idea and the vessel was named the Sup.
ply instead as being more suitable.
The Supply started seventeen days
ago from Guam for Honolulu. She has
always been slow boat but on this
trip it is said that she was slightly off
her course at one time, but this was
quickly rectifed and she was brought
back to the usual steamship lane be.
tween Honolulu and Guam Practically
all the officers above the boatswain
were attached to the gunboat Concord,
which relieved the Supply at Guam. The
former Supply officers are now on the
Concord. The officers of the Supply
are: Commander r. NJ. Hughes, Lieu.
tenant ID. Z. Mannix, Ensign H. Il. Ir.
win, Ensign +. l.. Reichmutch, Ensign
A. w. Fitch, Ensign l.. B. Bernheim,
p A. Surgeon, A. w. Balch, p. A. Pay.
master w. l.. E. Simonpietri, Boatswain
ii. N. Huxford, Pharmacist G. E. Alex
ander, Paymaster s Clerk G. p. Seifert,
p. A. Surgeon A. j. Geiger, Warrant
Machinist ]. l. Ballinger.
Commander Hughes was here about
eight years ago on the gunboat Concord
and the executive officer, Lieut.. Man.
nix is one of the officers of the Cuban
campaign. Dr. Geiger was here a
couple of years ago.
The Supply brought four bags of
mail from Guam for the mainland, no
letters being addressed to island ports.
Guam furnishes few incidents of any
consequence, the daily life of the naval
station people being controlled largely
by the regulations governing the rou-
! tine of the garrison of marines. There
were seventy marines on the island and
when the new cruiser Charleston passed
by recently, she landed a large number
making total of about $50 at present
forming the garrison. Ii is said that
many more marines will be sent to
Guam.
AT present all vessels have to anchor
at a considerable distance from the
shore, there being no channel up to
/
about twenty-five minutes to go from
the Supply to the dock Officers aboard
the Supply state that preparations are
being made to dredge channel which
will be deep enough to tow lighters
through from ships to dock.
Captain j. Dorm, U. S. n. (retired) is
the present naval governor. He resides
ashore at Agana. The town is some
distance from the landing place and is
reached over a fine coral road There
is considerable road building on the
island. The government has some
horses and mules, but the natives de
pend on caribao for their transporta
ton. The automobile is yet an un
: known quantity on Guam.
The schools are maintained in splen
did shape and the children of the ma
tives are being taught along the same
+. lines as in the Philippines. AS to the
natives-Chimoras-they are said t.
have little ambition and prefer til,
siesta to work, waiting for the cocoa
nuts to fall to supply them with food
l. 1