The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1919-07-10

JULY I'D, 1919
like q park bench; when ] could get
that I called myself lucky; il is the
most comfortable place on board. But
this is hard on some who have bad
cases Of culture" or refinement" es-
pecially those in whom these maladies
are inherited. These two diseases
flourish in the tropics and il one has
the germs in his system, before he
comes out it is apt TO 60 hard with
him. II has been tough on
even an old saw mill hand like
myself sometimes. was just out Of
the hospital where | had been on milk
diet, then the smells, the food or the
sea sickness were any one enough to
produce certain, sudden, violent and
unpleasant agitations of the stomach.
Four hundred and fifty coolies were
aboard and they were packed in like
sheep. However, we had fairly
smooth sea down the west side to
Singapore, but here we learned that it
was the stormy season up the east
side in the China sea and that 1,400
more coolies were to be taken aboard
How they did pack them in! Armour
or Swift could get some pointers on
packing from that boat. There was
just room to stand between decks, but
they put up light platforms making
an intermediate deck. Thus they
packed them in like sardines, actually
more SO, for sardines in cans sleep "a
hours per day while the Chinamen
slept in shifts. Under these conditions
We have been fighting the storm for
seven days, the boat tossing like a
chip. Perhaps it does not seem good
TO feel smooth harbor water under
your boat Again, and also feel breath
OF real cool air, the first in many
months.
Shanghai, China, December 2l, 1918.
Waiting for Trans Pacific Boat.
n ! am enclosing couple Of pictures
from Burma. The little elephant lives
just below us. / had the idea of get
ting Mrs. B. and the baby elephant to
raressing each other and then to get
1 picture. Well, | tried, and they no
more than saw each other than they
took opposite directions. 1t took a
good share of forenoon to get these
two near enough to each other get
them in the same picture.
1t is real cold weather here. ! never
knew how to appreciate it before.
How it does brace one! had been
almost month out Of the hospital
when left Rangoon and had gained
practically nothing. | was % pounds
under weight. | gained but little en-
route to Hong Kong, but since ! scrib-
bled the last | have gained Is pounds.
can climb three flights of stairs or
walk a mile. | feel like myself again.
have had thorough physical exam
nation here and the doctors tell me
that | still have germs. apparently
it is only an armistice that have es-
tablished). | am not worrying, how
ever, these tropical diseases are US
ually easy to get rid of in a cold
climate. But am anxious to see old
U. S. A. again.
We secured passage from Hong
Kong to Shanghai on the Columbia af-
ter only three days wait. 1t is Pa
cific Mail Boat, U. S. registry and is
the finest boat that we have been on.
But how they do eat on these boats;
well there is nothing else to do. We
had our little breakfast in bed lat
least other passengers did; we still
stick tothe back woods custom of get
ting up frst,) big breakfast at s, at
10 apples were passed, at 1880 broth
and crackers were served on the decks,
at p. m. tiffin English for big
lunch), at tea including toast, jam
and cakes. The tea habit is another
thing that we have not caughtr it is
so hard to break away from our pro-
vincialisms. AT 7 dinner Of about
Y courses is served, at 9 coffee and
sandwiches on the deck, and later at
night lunch was served in the smoking
room and game room for those who
sat up. One could almost starve on
that boat, they gave us nothing from
the time we went to bed at night until
almost time to get up In the morning.
Fortunately they did not call the roll
at meals, so we skipped about two
thirds of the time.
This is the great metropolis Of the
East and most interesting city.
Judging by prices it is the most pro-