The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1935-03-02
BY DIR. E. p. GUAM

BY DIR. E. r. GUAM
We were to sail from New York
at midnight on January Goth on the
Southern Prince" Of the English
Furness Line. This steamer makes
regular trips between New York and
Rio de Janeiro.
The usual scurrying about to find
your baggage was the first duty after
going on board. You are not al
lowed to carry even your hand bag
gage aboard. That's the porter's job
IN the dock (for the purpose Of
caching you how to give tips before
:ou start out on q journey abroad.
It is their duty also to pile up every
oody's trunks, valises, and grips in
enc big "haystack" on q lower deck
and q good Job they performed here
also. From this heap the ships
rev Is supposed to jerk out the pieces
of baggage for each passenger. This
is successful, provided the labels and
tags have not already been lost.
Since I had been one Of the first
to go on board and my labeled prop
erty had been espied on the deck. 1t
was assumed my things would soon
find me in my cabin. The suitcase
and grip came but the steamer trunk
did not. Until 1900 p. m. 1t was not
possible to arouse anybody to a
serious search for it. Questions
arose in my mind whether 1t would
be wise to 60 on trip II the trunk,
after all, had been left on shore. It
was to be q two-months' journey,
mostly in tropical climates. was
wearing one wooden suit, also one
shirt. and heavy underwear. All my
hot-weather clothing was in the
trunk. Fortunately I had in my val
Use q few collars, some neckties,
tooth-paste, razor blades, books, pa
jamas and a bathing suit. I con-
cluded to take long chance: I would
wear my pajamas and bathing suit
on alternate days when my wooden
clothes became intolerable.
The Lost Il Found
About 1880. after the visiting
crowd had been sent ashore. the
trunk was found, damned into the
hold where it supposedly would not
be disturbed during the trip. The
worry had been largely groundless.
as so many worries are.
There was crunching OF ice and
the pulling of many tugs to get our
boat into the open North River.
Then the Southern Prince" turned
on his OTIS a Prince. you see) own
power and we were off for Rio.
Leaving or arriving in New York
harbor is always memorable sight.
The myriads OF lights, even at mid
night, and the heavy layer Of snow
on everything gave the impression OF
a gigantic Christmas Eve. Heaps Of
snow drifts were piled on the decks
Of the steamer, to add to the cele-
bration. The biggest snowstorm in
New York's history had occurred two
days before; so said young news
paper reporter. But the "old timers"
knew better. They always carry a
yardstick Of fact and fancy In some
dusty corner Of their memories, so
there was considerable back talk on
the part of those who remembered
"once upon time when =. etc.
The verdict, when We left, was that
the storm Of 1888 was much worse
than this one of 1885, but the one OF
1920 was not so productive Of extra
labor to clear the streets: nothing
was said about the eight below in IS
as against 20. Anyhow, there was
much less snow in New York after
we left-we are carrying tons and
tons of it on the boat-to cool Oft
the equator, maybe.
Seamen Are Careful Now
A few hours after leaving New
York We passed over the very spot
where the Mohawk went down two
days ago. with the loss Of 80 or more
lives. Some said, and wisely. ! believe.
that now is the safest time to take an
ocean voyage. An accident OF that
kind is q challenge to the science and
art of seamanship. Yet the line to
which the Mohawk belongs has had
three major accidents within q few
months. Is it accident, carelessness,
or the wrath Of God? We are on a
British steamer and have no worry
about any Of these eventualities.
January 9th Sunday:
One important reason for my
ocean trip was to obtain restful
sleep. It's come. Had four-hour
map" after lunch. The weather has
been what they call "rough-sea" but
the wind comes from the north
(abaft) and there has been but
slight rolling. The wind Is chilly
and raw but over 80 degrees F. evil
IDENTIFY, for our snowdrifts are sink
ing this evening.
Have become acquainted with two
or three gentlemen of the type !
like most on q trip Of this kind
world travellers. More about them
later. A good many evidently did
not seem to have good appetites for
lunch, nor for dinner. judging from