The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-03-14
I WAR THROBS |
TALKED TOO MUCH
American Spoiled Azores Trip
for Lieut.. Keilmann.
Naval Officers Ordered All Men
To Go on Board.
BEAUTY OF THESE ISLANDS
LYMAN Howe Never Pictured
Anything More Beautiful.
Ford of 1905 Was Chariot
Thru Enchanted Land.
BEAUTY OF THESE ISLANDS
nv EARL D. KEILMANN.

BY EARL D. KEILMANN-
tFormer Lieutenant American c. A c. In
FranceO
ooh yes, but you must consider the
price of gasoline, the essence" 1t
was our prospective cabbie who stood
up in his car on the public square OF
Ponto Del Cato, the capital of the
Acre islands and bargained with u.s.
We wanted to make trip to Las
Furnas the famous gardens and hot
springs of the islands He only
wanted S25 in American money to
take US there, and the price looked
avfuIiy big THE essence, you know.
it costs 81 40 the gallon" he said. and
that clinched the argument, tho we
knew the entire trip could not take
more than five of those gallons.
We climbed in, five of US and the
old chariot started away at "a snalfs
pace. 1t was a Ford, of the vintage
of 1906 at least. 1t was a four hours
ride that took US in and out about
winding highway, passed the Plaza
del Theodore Roosevelt and many
lake and quaint farm house. We grew
more contented with our bargain as
we progressed. for never had any of us
seen such fields of pineapple3 or vine
yards terraced up the side of the
mountain. Again and again we passed
homes of old Portuguese seniors that
we're public parks themselves. On
the road we wheezed by many cart
loaded with garden produce hauled by
a donkey and a barefooted farmer
yoked together.
A Beautiful Picture.
We finally reached the lip of the
crater of the old volcano, and with a
swoop descended to the edge of the
most beautiful lake ever pictured by
Lyman Howe. There were cattle
standing in it's icy waters making
picture that made us all say things
about the officers who had interned
our cameras Stretching back away
from the lake that is fed by under
ground springs, grew the most luxuri-
Gus vegetation ever-so we thought
and some of us had seen tropical
gardens, too. 1 cannot begin &c pic
ture the scene, and for the best rea-
sons. We were preparing to get out
of the car and investigate the place;
another car, real one this time,
painted war gray and bearing United
States army number and flag, Swooped
down upon us. Out of it came a naval
officer.
Sorry, gentlemen, but by orders of
the admiral of the port, you are to
Immediately return to Ponta Del Cato
and go aboard ship" We protested
that we had not had luncheon yet,
but well we knew that our protests
would avail us nothing. We had been
in the army long enough to know
that orders were orders, etc. We did
not enjoy the scenery on the way
back.
Someone 'Squealed."
Arriving on the old Teutonic liner.
which had been renovated and was
now honored with the title U. S. S.
Mercury, we found out what had
caused the trouble. Some of the
bunch who had liberty the night be-
fore had failed to remember the
warning of the executive officer,
Know nothing about where we are
going or where we came from" The
admiral of the port had learned of
the babbler and our holiday was
spoiled. Oh, well.
We now had a day and a half to
loaf about on board observing the
Azorean coal passers heave several
thousand tons of steam coal into the
side of our ship. They worked bare
footed, bareheaded and almost bare
everything else, but they did heave
coal. They must have been paid by
the ton the way they worked. 1t took
just a half hour for fifteen passers to
get a bargeload of a hundred tons
into our bunkers. One scoop of
shovel filled a basket and one heave
sent the basket flying thru the air
and into the open hatchway. 1t was
a steady stream of baskets going in
and empties coming out. 1t was in
tersting for an hour or So but we
finally tired Of the scene and went
back to The card games reading.
writing and cussing of the boob who
had spoiled our fun on shore, as
wei as the endless discussion of when
we would be on our way once more