Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1921-08-18
CAPT. SPOERRY
TO MANILA, P. |.

The Herald is in receipt of letter
from Capt. G. w. Spoerry, a former
resident here and for several years the
uperintendent of the city schools, in
which he writes that he and his family
left on August on the Transport
Thomas for Manila, p. l., where he
has been stationed with the 31st In
fantry. After a year of service at
Manila Capt. Spoerry plans to ask for
transfer to the 18th Infantry, sta
toned in China and at the end of a
two year detail he will take his ac-
cumulated leave of three months and
ask permission to return to the States
by way of Europe.
Capt. Spoerry has been stationed at
Alcatraz Island, California. since re-
ceiving his commission in the regular
army. He writes as follows
''Alcatraz Island is a small rock in
the center of San Francisco Bay. 1t
has an area of II acres and was once
occupied by the Spanish. However,
there are no remains of any works
which they might have had unless it
be the foundation of the former light
house. 1t is frequently reported that
the wall around the island, which is
II feet thick was built by the Spanish
the engineers office show that the
brick was paid for by the United
States and that Lucky" Baldwin was
the contractor furnishing them. Never
theless it is an interesting place.
Think of this old wall and the en-
trance being draw bridge over a
deep moat made of granite masonry.
Once inside the wall the road winds
to the top of the rock, where was To-
Gated the old bastile which was also
surrounded by deep moat which was
filled with water. Only the former is
intact, as the latter has been used as
a foundation for the immense prison
which by the way is known officially
here as the Lodge. Everything pos
sible is done to take away the sting of
sentence here. AT one time the
place was a federal penitentiary with
"lifers' but this has been changed and
only the lighter offenders are now
being sent here. Every sort of trade
is taught here, so that it is indeed a
very busy place. l have had charge
of the laundry, tailorshop, hatshop,
shoeshop, dry cleaning plant and the
packing plant. We do the laundry for
all organizations from Portland, Ore,
to San Diego, Calf, and in addition
ali pOll anu salvage lIOIu lUG
Pacific ocean. For the past two
months l have been busy renovating
thousands and thousands of fur caps
and gloves from Siberia. In the tailor
shop we repair all the uniforms for
these posts and in addition made to
order about so civilian suits each
month for the discharged prisoners at
a cost of $3.50 and believe me. you or
I would be very glad to have them.
They are as good as any suit on the
market and handsomely made. We
dry clean and press a suit for 35 cents.
The following prices are charged at
the laundry: Collars &c, shirts &c,
socks pair 1c, ladies' dresses zoe,
handkerchiefs 1c, bed spreads sc.
sheets &c, table cloths Sc, etc. The
work is done by Is civilian and 100
prisoners. The various departments
are in charge of a civilian instructor
and the work done by prisoners.
Laundry is brought in here by the ship
load and it looks like a lot of work,
yet we wade through it all and get
it back out in record time"