The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1916-03-17
]. SCHERF Home,
TELLS OF HIS 5
YEARS AS SAILOR
Cape Lad, Ships Steward,
Gets 2 Years Experience
Tn China.
TO RE-ENLIST AFTER
VISIT WITH HOMEFOLKS
Fails To Recognize Tony Hohler
As Bosom Companion As
Stepped From Train.

After having visited seaports il
nearly every country of the world il
his eight years experience as a sailor
Joe Scherf, son of Henry Scherf O.
112 South Henderson avenue, yester
day afternoon returned to the Cape.
He was accompanied by Joe Myers
of Troy, n. Y, friend bound to hin
by seven years of service in the navy
Myers, who will enlist for the fourth
time after he visits his father in New
York, has been in a seaport in every
country on the globe with the excep
ton of Russia.
The two men were met at the Frisco
station by Mr. end Mrs. Scherf anC
Tony Hohler, who was 4 warm com
panion of Scherf's before he Joined tia
navy. Scherf formerly was a foreman
at the Cape Brewery & Ice company's
plant.
It has been almost nine years since
Scherf had been in the Cape and il
was only by his uniform as ships
steward and his companions uniform
as first petty officer, that the rela.
tives and friends in the Cape were
able to recognize them.
As Scherf stepped from the train he
shook hands with his father anC
mother and then took the proffereC
hand of Tony Hohler. Scarcely had
the party edged away from the train
however, when Scherf said to his
mother:
Glow is my friend Tony Hob
Hohler said aothing, but Scherf'
mother replied: "Why, he's all right
l guess"
They then went on over to the River
view Hotel, where Scherf and his COM
panion registered He then turned to
Tony and said:
II ought to know who you are, but
you certainly have me confounded."
What! you don't know me?" Tony
exclaimed. why, I'm Tony Hohler."
Scherf declared that he never recog
nized Hohler till it had been repeated
to him that Hoh!er stood before him.
Hohlcr, at the time Scherf left tbs
Cape to join the navy, weighed abou'
$50 pounds. He now weighs 1872 and
is married. Tony yesterday declared
he believed that had something to dc
with the failure of recognition.
The most recent experiences that
Scherf and his companion have had
were over in China, where they were
assigned to the Asiatic squadron.
Both of them scored the American
foreign missionary in China, declaring
that in many cases the missionaries
have brought trouble upon their own
heads when they have been forced
call in the naval forces for protection.
The two men were assigned to small
gun-boats plying the Yangtze Kiang
in China, the longest navigable stream
in the world, and it was part of the
duty of such gun-boats to be in readi-
ness to respond to calls from the
American missionaries who got into
trouble with the native Chinese.
Myers yesterday afternoon told the
story of one missionary that he aided
in rescuing from revolt or uprising
among the coolies.
This was far in the interior of
China, where transportation facilities
were virtually lacking" he began.
The year this uprising occurred there
was shortage in the supply of rice,
which is about all that the Chinese
eat.
eve had an American missionary
over there. This man lived high and
had everything his way. When he saw
hat rice was going to go up, he bought
the supply out and held it for an adj
vance.
"When all TIE rest of the supply
vas gone and they had to come to him
Tor rice, he charged a price that the
coolies over there could not pay. Of
course there was going to be unrest
md revolt when a stranger came
n and took their food in a manner
hat they did not care to appreciate.
"They meant to have the food or
else. The missionary post
fastened to send for some of the navy |
o come and protect him.
81 was in the squad that sailed up
here with a gun-boat and We landed |
o see that everything was settled out |
Ill right. How were we treated?
"Our missionary friend showed US
o hut-it was only shack-and all |
he time we were there we had to live
N rice and coffee. Yes, and l know !
10 had other thinps That's how ve |