The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1919-01-30
RETURNING BOYS
HAVE BIG TIMES
THEIR TALES OF LIFE ABROAD
AND AT SEA TELL OF STIR
RING EVENTS
DID THEIR DUTY BUT GLAD TO RETURN
Many Boys Write OF Enjoyable Exper-
fences And Incidents That Will
Interest You

The following letters from James
Bane, Jr., to his home folks, are quite
descriptive of life in our army and
navy abroad. The Register is indebt-
ed to Mr.. Bane's sister, Mrs. Frank
Hussey, for the use of these letters:
Monday, Dec. %, 191S-My Dear
Folks: Another little letter today as
this is Monday and we are under way
for New York, passed through the ca
nal yesterday, Sunday. 1t sure was
some great sight. We got in the har-
bar about 100 a. m. Sunday morning,
dropped the hook and stayed there un'
til $50 a. m. Sunday morning. Then
we started for the canal. Reached
the canal about 8 a. m. The canal
at the mouth is about 100 yards wide.
1t took about one hour until we came
to the first lock; pulled into the lock,
or rather were pulled in with little
cars, something like street cars, only
longer and a little lower. The first
lock We pulled into was all cement,
and on either side large iron gates.
When we got inside, the gates behind
us closed, then the water started to
come in from the bottom and sides.
Within about fifteen minutes W. were
at an elevation of 80 feet from the
sea level, the gates ahead opened and
we were on the level with the water
in that lock, so they towed us into
the second lock, this worked the same
as the first one, only we were 60 feet
above sea level instead of 80, SO they
opened the gates of the third and the
same way there. Now we were so
feet up. We were in view of a lake
in the canal, up in the hills so we
sailed four hours on our own power
to sea level. During the four hours
time We allied, we were vosy cl53e
to the dense forests, which consisted
of all kinds of trees, with many ami
mals-monkeys, etc. / didn't see any
monkeys, but some of the boys did.
But the palms and ferns were surely
great. Most of all that | fell for was
the song birds. They seem to be
nearly human, and the little bamboo
huts built by the colored race, Saw
quite a number of these. The water
was very calm and green; very I'M
healthful, | would think, n also hot
up there. | got sun-burned right and
all the boys got ~sun-burned. We just
wear our B.. V. DIS and short sleeves.
One sure can burn it is so hot, and
things were so numerous to look at,
hardly anyone went to chow for fear
they might miss something. Every
ones eyes were open to see what
there was to be seen. All hands had
a headache last night from it. The
little dark girls came along side and
looked very pretty but we, of course,
couldn't have any liberty down there.
We bought a few things from them.
I bought some pictures for you, and
they will give you some idea of the
canal and | can tell you the rest when
| come home. | will mail them from
New York.
mailed two letters to you from
Panama. | don't know how long be-
fore you get them but | wouldn't be
surprised if you would receive these
before you do those from Panama.
The little city of Panama is pretty,
BUT old-fashioned as car be. 1t is built
near several pretty islands. Colon IS
very pretty with fine buildings. We
could see this from the ship, also
Darien.
Now | must tell you how we got
out of the canal We came out the
very same way we went in only IT,
stead of the water filling in and bring
ing the ship up, it went out and The
ship came down on a level with the
other lock and so on until we had
come down our 80 feet, then we were
in the Limon Bay, and from there we
sailed to Colon where we anchored
until 2:30 a.. m. this morning. We
then got under way for New York
which we expect to reach by New
Years. | tried to send you a cable
for Christmas greeting. but it will cost
so cents a word SO l didn't end IT,
it's too much. l will wire you from
New York any way to let you kno |
am o. X. and | surely am. But as
said before, l would like to get back
to work again, l have had all OF 1t
7 care for now. The navy Is all right
IL q man likes sea life. but L I'm not
at all anxious for it.
Well, l hardly know what to write,
so all / can say is l am well and hap
py and will write some more and
mail them from New York. So bye
bye for now. Give my love to ali.
Your son and brother. Jim.
Christmas Day. 2:10 p. My Dear
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