Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1919-02-13
TELLS OF CELEBRATION IN sgd
NEY AT TIME ARNIsTIcE
WAS SIGNED.
PUMPS WATER FROM BOAT
Jim Mason Has Unusual Experience in
Crossing Pacific to the Worlds
Largest Island.

I Pumping water from a leaking ship
I in the mid-Pacifc, eating bread in
which is mixed caraway seeds SO he
/ will not know the number of bugs he
eats with the bread. betting at horse
races and celebrating the signing of the
armistice with the people Of Australia,
are some of the experiences related by
Jim Manson, a former Salmon river boy
in a letter he writes to friends at
Whitebird from far-off Sydney, Aus
tralia. The letter was sent to the Free
Press for publication by Mrs. c. H.
Lyons of Whitebird, and is reproduced
herewith:
Sydney, Australia
5000 miles from a good old drink of
Salmon river.
My Old Pal Charlie, Mother and Girls;
Just word or two scratched off in
hurry to let you all know that I am
still on top or at least on the outside
of the earth. 1 swore l wouldn t write
to any one who didn It write to me
but you folks are different and have
something else to do besides writing
all over the world so here goes. I
left Bellingham on September l, as chief |
officer of the barkentine "Benicia -
Sydney, Australia and seventy-onc
with load of lumber, bound for
days later we dropped our anchor in
Sydney harbor.
Now that sounds pretty simple
doesn't it2 And easy.
But if you had been along with me
you would have thought a little diff
erent.
Vessel Proves Leaky.
We didn t any more than get started
when we found that our old scow leak
ed like basket and on our trip out here
believe the whole Pacific ocean leaked
in and was pumped out of our ship. i
Every two hours day and night we n
pumped not less than one-half hour and
believe me we can throw some water
with these ship pumps. If you had all ,.
he water, that we pumped in a reservoir
you could run the mine for four years :
without stopping for meals or sleep.
md then have water left.
This tub is nineteen years old but p,
% look at her you would think she was
'uilt shortly after Noah's Ark and
With few improvements. In fact the
Ark had it on this wagon in good
many ways. For instance, in the ArlsI T
hey had places for bugs and rats, but
n our ship the bugs and rats are every e
lace. We have loads of bugs all
trough our flour and sugar and every E
hing that a bug can live on and in h
ONE things buy can t live on, but II
rawls in anyhow. Our cook makes a IS
ind of bread that looks like rye bread Is
nd puts caraway seeds in it. You IN
IN t tell the bugs from caraway seeds M
tier they are baked so it's all right Is
Il surely have to take trip over and
Il you about this voyage. M
Paper Cost Is High.
1t would take too long to write all
out it and paper costs $11 a sheet
hat s good one) out here. This
lntry might make hit with some
the river gang as it is very wet. u
ey have a war law that closes up
oons at p. m, but from appearances
re is no need of them staying open
? longer than that. Everyone seems
be just about loaded before p. m.
} temperance bunch have pretty w
gh shedding out here and they are 10
ed ''Wowsers.' - mn,
here is plenty of horse racing here
? and you can bet your head off with
breaking any laws. In fact the gov
ment runs big pool on all the races
you can bet with the government or
rivate party just as you choose. HAe
ou know it's early summer here ~
and not winter. Christmas comes
It in the middle of the summer here. t.
got here just as the cherries and
wberries began to ripen. That was
November 10, so you see / got two
ry and strawberry seasons this -
and no snow. p.
Prices Cheaper Than in U S. =.
'uit is fairly good here and lots e.
per than in the states. Bananas its
oranges, 80 cents dozen; apples, 81
ents and so on. Eggs, % cents ,ms,
n; ham % cents and "a cents a szse
d, meat IL, IA and 16 ceats a
d and other stuff in proportion. s$
IN clothes cost more than wool and