White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1927-07-08
CECIL BAReE's LETTER
continued from page one

shore. The water was also terribly
rough The thrill OF gong ashore
was now at hand. They lowered the
STAIRS down The side OF the boat and
launch came out and pul,ed up a.ong
side. At one minute the launch would
be twenty feet below the bottom OF
the stairs and the next minute it
would come up even with The bottom
at this time the passengers would
jump aboard. About two passengers
rise OF the waves. 1t wasn't very
much tun-women and kids bawling-
natives yelling-all in all sweet time.
But we finally got the boat filed and
pulled for the harbor, the waves break
ing and flashing over the sides. A
nice. experience and very pleasing I'M
preston of the country from the first !!
We finally landed, our feet on dry
land once again. We were met by
the president of the company, who
took us to his home. where we have
lived since. We have a nice little
house though now and will move
into it the first Of July.
Now for a description of the
people, city and country. They raise
coffee, rice, tobacco, lemons, oranges,
pineapples Is cents each) cocoanuts,
cocoa beans. and they. raise many
other tropical fruits that are very
good. People here are mostly colored.
A few of them are nice people but
the majority are pretty low. It's the
custom for boys and girls to wear
nothing, to go absolutely bare until
they are about seven years of age.
The country here is fairly level and
along the Coast it is covered with
palm trees, cocoanuts and other native
vegetation.
"At present am chief engineer OF
the big power station here. The man
in charge was politely asked to resign
and the lob was willed on to me. /
have twelve steady men under me and
the balance of the crew hire and lire
almost every day. Native help here is
high 80 cents day for poor help
and $1.00 a day for good help. 1t
may sound cheap but for the way
they work, it's very dear. AS soon
as get things Strengthened out here
I am going on the construction end
and will be travelling around to the
various plants and have charge Of all
construction. !.
$50 far, we both like it very well
and if everything goes all right we
should get along O. K. Malarial fever
is quite prevalent but we drink
nothing but boiled water and cocoa
nut water. And by the way, this
place is wet, liquor of all kinds, no
need of our getting very dry.
Something that surprised me was
the way pineapples grow. had
always supposed they grew on trees,
but no, they grow on small bushes,
the foliage being something on the
order of lily.
"In the house that we are moving
into on July /, there are three bed
rooms, bath room, parlor, dining
room, wash room, kitchen and pantry.
Only $50, per ninth, cheapest you
can get. The president is paying $500
month fer his place. Their,
Americans here simply have to have
servants. The president of the firm
has five. We will probably have two
1 don't know, for sure vet, but !
think the company is oo;ng to furnish
us with car, since this job requires
one
'The station here has two steam
turbines and big Diesel engine witt
the expectation of putting in another
Diesel right away so I have to be
able TO be on the job at any time anc
all over.
"The natives do the work. hence all
I do is to direct. but not being able
to speak Spanish I have a sweet time
However,. / can speak cutie a httle
a1readv'