Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1915-05-13
California Sightseeing

California Sightseeing
Dear Rush: In my last let
ter, | told you / would finish
telling you of a few places l
have visited; wish / had time to
note all the interesting places
| have seen, but that is simply
out of the question. We were
in San Diego two weeks and
put in every day sight seeing,
and was just going to stay part
of the time till quite late in the
evening. Today we took a
launch to make a trip around
the Bay, passing North Island,
home of U. S. Govern ment
Aviation School, passing Rose
vile LaPlsza, mentioned in
Dana's book of "Two Years Be-
fore the Mast" q wonder if it
is in our library and I assing U.
IS. quarantine station, where
all ships must stop before
reaching main land. The coal
ing station, the only one be-
tween Panama and San Fran
cisco. TT. Rosecrans we step
out of launch and 60 ashore to
see the disappearing guns. a
solid breast work of cement.
The guns point out to sea and
fire then drop back in place. A
great many soldiers are sta
toned here the officers having
very fine quarters and coed
hospitals. After spending
about 80 minutes we again en-
ter our boat for home, now we
are out of the bay in the ocean
and enjoy the big waves and
swells as we glide over the
water; we pass Pt. Iona after
a two hours sail on the ocean,
we felt we'll repaid for our trip
The next day quite early we
went down to the wharf to see
the North Pacific, a large boat,
a sister ship to the Great North
land, but after waiting for
hours we learned there was
small pox on board and could
not leave quarantine. Strange
to say the patient was a Con-
gresham from Minnesota.
After eating lunch we visited
the Chinese Pirate, a battleship
"Tuing Po," the oldest ship
afnat, built in 1853 of camphor
and iron wood, said to be too
hard for the "Toredo", a big
boring worm of the ocean, to
make an impression on it. It
was used in opium smuggling
and slave traffic; there is not a
nail in the boat all put together
with wooden pins, and looks
very substantial, though not in
use any more, just to show what
has been done in shipbuilding
in early days. The dragon in
their flag, the oldest known,
which has been in use over 400
years and perhaps longer; it
was designed by Fah-Hi (Chi-
nese) in 1922, b. c. and is the
first known emblem. This boat
was captured by the Chinese
Government and became q pri-
son ship, but finding it expens-
i've to feed so many prisoners
the captain ordered a wholesale
execution, and one hundred and
fifty-eight we're beheaded, on
deck, in one day. The big knife
bone breakers, starving cages,
&c, are on boat. 1t makes one
glad they did not belong to
pirates in those days
The "Tuing POI was bought
by America last year, and
brought here to be exhibited at
the San Diego Fair and is the
only foreign warship at either
Fair.
The next being a lovely day,
we decided to take an auto
drive, so ferried across to Cora
nado Beach, down the strand
and into Tia Juana in old Mex
leo. Just as we came to the
line between the two countries,
a man halted us and climbed
upon the step of auto--we ex-
pected it was to examine our
baggage tut was only to take
our pictures, and we felt re-
lieved, as by paying toll, we
passed into Mexico. Tia Juana
pronounced TIE wans, is just q
small town, nothing much to
see but curios, and plenty of
gambling devices everywhere;
every once in awhile q few
struggling Mexicans come along
and they have q short skirmish,
then over the hills and away
they 60. We pass over q long
bridge, pay toll, then q man