The Dolores star., 1919-01-03

Joe Moore Writes from Eastern Waters.
U. S. s. Volunteer,
Shanghai, China.
October II, 1918
Dear Mother and Dad:
Will write you few lines to let you
know where am at and that am all
o. K.
We left the Hawaiian Islands on the
goth of September and have been 20
days on the water. we would have an
chored at Shanghai today but had to
wait for the tide so we could get up
the Yangtze river as it is we are an
chored out in the river for tonight.
The Hawaiian islands looked pretty
nice to me while / was there. l got
to see my first coconut trees growing
also bananas and sugar cane. Wehave
had pretty tough trip coming across,
the weather has been so hot, it is
good deal cooler here, but expect it will
be hot when we get down toward the
Philippine Islands. We were in storm
for too days and nights about week
out from Honolulu. never got sick
but got to feeling little tough and
missed four meals, but never felt a
bit hungry. l am not fireing any more
have made petty officers rating, l
wont get it till after we leave Manila
but the chief engineer told me he had
put me up.
This river here is about ten miles
wide but isn't very deep. there is so
much sediment comes down the river
that it keeps filled up. and the sea is
muddy for two hundred miles out from
the mouth of the river. don't mind
the water much in fact kind of like
to be out on it, but still never would
want to be sailor all my life.
We may get some mail here but !
don't have any hopes of getting any
before we get to Manila, it is only
about eight days run from here but
we will stop at Hong Kong for few
days. don't think we will be here
over four or five days, just long enough
to take off what cargo we have for
Shanghai.
suppose l will have hard time of
trying to talk to these chinks over here
but can take a look at the country
and that is all l care about, want to
get general idea of what every place
looks like.
You can tell Luna Morrison and fam
lily hello. and tell Luna that haven't
let any of these fish get me yet, and
don't intend too. JOE.
U. S. S. Volunteer
At Sea,
| November s. 1919.
Dear Mother and Dad:
Will try and write you few lines
this evening we are On the last stretch
of our journey before starting back for
the States. we unloaded the last of our
cargo in Manila and are running right
down to 1loilo to get cargo sugar. we
will get into Port sometime tonight,
it ia sure hot down here, we are Just
three degrees form the equator. I
haven't written since we were at
Shanghai, we have been awful busy
and haven't really had time to write.
We were in Shanghai two days and
nights and the same in Hong Kong We
will be here about two weeks and then
start for the U. S. A and am almost
sure we will land at New York. We
go back the same way we came until
we reach the Hawaiian islands and then
60 straight for the Panama.
Well from the way things are going
don't think the war will last very
much longer. want to make trip to
England and France while I am here.
Well this is quite trip and have
seen good bit of the world, l can't
tell about all that there is to tell in a
letter so will let it go till come home.
You folks will have to pass this letter
around to all the kids it is altogether
to warm down in our quarters to write
we all sleep out on the deck unless it
rains hard and that is very seldom.
Well this leaves me fine and dandy
and hoping this finds you all the same
l will close wishing you all Merry
Christmas and Happy New Year. as
ever your son. j. S. MOORE.
U. S. S. Volunteer. c Postmas ter.
San Francisco, Calf.