The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1918-08-01
SIDNEY HAlLOCK IN
. PHILIPPINE ISLANDS
Writes interestingly of Trip From
Honolulu to Manila.

Islands, where Sid is now and where
he may be stationed for some time.
The many friends of Young Hallock
in Heppner, his native city, will be
glad to hear from him.
Aboard U. S. A. T. Logan
Honolulu to Guam, May II, 1918.
Dear Mother;-
I'll just write my impressions of
Honolulu while | have them in mind.
l wrote the whole thing on shore
though so probably won't be able
to add much.
At my first view of the city | was
somewhat disappointed because l ex-
pected to see a much larger town.
All we could see was a few large
buildings around the docks, and trees
at the back of them But as we
went into the city W. found there
were houses underneath those trees.
Well, the first thing we had to do,
naturally, was to eat. So | looked
on the bill of fare and among other
things | saw turtle steak. So | or
dered the same and found it very
palatable 1t tasted more like veal
than anything l have eaten. Also
ate some fried bananas. Bananas
are cheap here, you can get them for
ten cents dozen, and cocoanuts
are ten cents each. There is a kind
of melon they grow on the
Hawaiian Islands called the papaai,
or something of the sort and they
look like very large cucumbers and
the meat is red like pumpkin.
don't like the taste Of them. There
are all kinds of trees and shrubs,
very few that | had ever seen before.
They have good car lines and
good service, the cars being all
open. After l wrote you my last
letter some of us went up to hill
they call the Punch Bowl. 1t is
lava formation and we had a fine
view of the city. 1t is very pretty
and no fooling. We also went out to
Waikiki and went in swimming.
The water is warm, actually |
never imagined the sea water could
be so warm You know at home, no
matter how hot the day, the water
will nearly always freeze the dickens
out of you but such is not the case
! here. l also went on one of those
surf boats you read about and had
more fun than little floating out
there and then taking the breakers
feet first. 1t is a long shallow beach
but it had coral bottom and hurts
your feet when you stand up.
However, Honolulu is not what is
before the war. The Government is
discouraging too much festivity.
The town is dry and everything i'm
moral is closed. The streets are
very clean and you don't see a heap
of rubbish anywhere. There are
cans along the streets to throw the
rubbish into. l tried to find dance
but there was no dance going on
that night, and some of the boys
were rather disgusted the next morn
ing because they were unable to find
any girls. | met fellow sailor
who had been stationed there for
three or four months and he was
plumb disgusted with the place,
He admitted that the scenery was
great but said you could see it all
in a week, and there wasn't any
thing else but scenery there. 1t was
funny, but anywhere you went
around the town, you saw some Of
the transport bunch. | only wish
YOU could see some of the stuff |
am seeing.
We are all in whites now. 1t is
so hot that you can't wear anything
else and feel decent 1t is quite q
lob to get your whites clean with
salt water but | would rather wash
than roast, so | wash. ! am sleeping
on the deck now all the time, and
have found a good place to swing
my hammock, but even outside it is
pretty hot. | just lay in my ham
mock without any covers. They tel
! me we will get to Manila just in time
for the rainy season, but that is all
right with me; anything like fresh
water has a peculiar fascination for
me-. We have to put out tarpaulius
to protect us from the hot sun,
May 21st, Tuesday. ! have lost
| day so | thought | would write and
see if you have seen anything of il
over there. Last night when We
went to bed, it was Sunday, May 10
but today | woke up to learn that il
was Tuesday. During the night We
crossed the international date line
! or the 180th meridian and lost day
by so doing | understand that VIZ
/ will pick it up when we come back
i but if anything should happen tina
! we circumnavigate the globe ant
4 come back by continuing to go west
I | shall always regret the day | lost
Z 1t seems that we will move int
+ the. rainy season out here or til,
!; season corresponding to winter
I Every day we get a heavy rain OF
i the ship but it does not last loni
q and it comes at about the SAM
+ hour.
Nearing Guam, May 20, 1918