Show T 44 I I Newsy Lett Letter r From I i Glenn Ienn Ridge II IIi t r y t II 4 T Last Saturday the tho following Interesting Interesting Inter Inter- esting letter was wILS r received by Agent gen A A. A P P. Ridge from his boy Glenn who wito IB Is now flow a a. graduate radio operator Inthe in inthe the tM service of Uncle Sam Barn About miles miles' east of lower Cali Call fornia forma Somewhere on tho the Pa Tactile on board boardS S 3 S. 1 8 ah Yih May 1 1918 My Dear Doar Folks F Am going to start writing tills this letter flow now and try a and d keep you posted as to lo my first sea trip and mall Dlan It the first chance hance which wilt probably be some somo where around Panama Panama Panama Pan Pan- Pan Pan- ama or the East coast Myself and two other men Field and Willmoth were were assigned to this ship day we left the pier and dropped them the m mud d hook out In the b bay y about half a mile from Frisco On Friday A Aunt April it a. a m. m we passed out through Golden Gate Good bY bye t to dear old Frisco the City of wit wealth and fashion Sea was was as smooth as the floor noor on your office and I l was as only hoping It would stay BO so so I would not get sea sick too soon stood my first radio watch 1 Only on f four ur hours p p. p m. m to 4 4 p. p m m. m and off eight I am on ag again ln from 12 midnight until 4 p. p m. m On April we were out of sight of land and andI I have not seen any for five days On April 29 I was on forward of ship and looking the sea over and what would I 1 saw A Flying fish my first one and take It from me he sure cure could fly ni fly Up to date we have only had one day of ot rough weather and then It was not so very b bad d. d I probably will see much worse This ship Is le in the Merchant MarIne Marine Marine Mar Mar- ine service It Ii belongs to China We ha have a gang gang of ot fifty Chinese onboard on onboard onboard board as firemen quartermasters and deck crew cabin boys etc The n- n which i includes Chief chief hief engineer engineer en en- and three assistants and the Captain and his three mates also tEe i i lire r di P if rI including ludl g myself a are e the only only white men on board Outside of us three r radio radiomen dio men men and and the chinks chinks all all th the ot others oth ers are Englishmen Fine bunch of ot men All real real Englishmen and fine fellows all civilians I am practically ou out of ot the old navy now now Dont Don't have to salute any anyone anyone anyone one and wear what ever I please Noone No Noone Noone one to boss boes us around We do as we please so long as we we stand our watches matches Each of us operators have our own state slate room electric lights electric fans wash bowls and bunks A chink to keep o our our rooms clean and carry us water and to wait on us Some Same class They are at t our service service service ser ser- vice whenever w we w want nt them Eats The three thre ot of of us have havo a separate table and a chink to wit wait I on us ue and take it from me we sure have the feeds Everything a man could wish to have well cooked andl and l everything fin fine We have breakfast l J at a a. a m m. m lun lunch h at 1130 a a. m in m. m Tea Teas at 3 p. p m. m get It tea tea-tea-tea and dinner at p p. p m. m Any time that we want want wanta a drink of beer or any other kind of liquor we just ask the stew and out It comes I mean mean the beer Just for the asking Guess I didn't draw some This Is no small boat tons tona feet long long She She is old but is sure Ilea seaworthy worthy Not fast but keeps plugging along at ten knots per hour Sure can notice the change chango In climates climates climates cli cli- mates from tram Frisco down It is getting getting get get- ting warmer all the time and suppose will be hot as hades bade when we hit Panama It Is going to be one great sight going through Panama Our radio room Is about 10 by 10 got gota a d bunk t to lay around on 1 Klaus glare table and everything you could think of ot Our sending Bending ant receiving reedy y ing set is a set 1 att alt transmitting set good for tor miles tulles in day time and to miles mile at night Of Ot course It is impossible im tin po possible to say lay where we are goIng goIng go go- Ing but you fOU keep on sending ray ins wall mall to New law york Tork and I will probably probably proba proba- bly get it in a few tew months I will wm probably got get t in a fa few tew w and from New N w York you JOu c can an guess the r rest rest w without me rue guying The way yuu this ships ship's e name is like Ilko this wah web she zhe the theIs h his is III silent like In cow cowIt lf you canno t say ay It sneeze it My ships ship's call I U Is e 1 1 T I 0 O. O Some call callia la It not T TSure Sure am enjoying myself but a awe at e we Wit go further farther south It gets warmer r Have e sure noticed It already Guesby Gues by hy the time we wo get to Panama we y r i be about roasted Tomorrow at noon floor t the sun will be b directly over us ns Think I f will get Ket to mail mall this a al at some soma i ort around Panama Will d dit 11 it th the first tint chance I get Have gu guj got ot 1 I. I j I a V I camera now so will T t r keep you f sup sup- I I Ia plied with snap shots as much as ns I 11 tan can on This trip will consume about to miles before we we get to our destination I dont don't know where hero In thunder we are headed for Will not know until ten minutes minutes min min- utes after atter we get there Is Mr W W. D. D Lewis' Lewis address in London If It so and I get a chance will try try and hunt him up If It youCan you youcan youcan can let mo me know If any other Park people are around any of these places 1 a a. a m. m m. May May 9 Still at sea same ol old thing only It Is getting hotter hotter hot hot- ter as we wo keep going south Nearly roasted and only knows what will wilt become of me when we get to the and On the we had some some rough sea the only bad weather r we have had It was a great sight Haven't t got sea sick yet Though I would be as soon as the storm let up but up-but but it didn't bother me a bit Water was coming up on the decks Waves 40 to 60 50 feet high and coming In fast One of the other operators got sick Seen land y yesterday for the first time In many days but it was waa some distance awa aw y Have been seeing a few things as we go along Sunday we saw a whale and turtles from as big as a awash awash wash washtub tub to the size of the moon Also a whale killing fish that fish that is what they call them on board so you see If It we are so far away from land we see see something every once Ina In Ina ina a while Guess we will be going through Saturday possIbly possibly pos poe sibly Friday night may mall mail this either at Balboa or o- Colon Panama Will let you you know all all about It after atter we e go through Tell Joe W W. that I received receive his letter letter letter let let- ter before- before I went to sea and will wUl write the B B. B P. P O. O E E. when we e get around on the east will tell them all about the trip lI d ii brass braes pounding iff Is allright allright all allright right when a fellow is learning it at school where where- he has no interference e but when you get to working a station sta station station sta- sta tion it is different You will be receiving g a 11 man fine and dandy and then all of a sudden some other guy will start to sending and then you have to tune him out and at atthe atthe atthe the same same sam time listen for your man and be sure aure you dont don't loose him It t keeps you guessing Like tonight we have an electrical storm Cant Can't do anything and every night in this part of the world we e are bothered with static which Is electricity at ease or stand still which Is caused from the sun the sun Bun in the day time an and antt Itis It ItIs Is sure hard to buck Impossible to tune it out No matter watter where you set your sets it ft will come In Nothing Nothing Noth Nothing Noth- Noth ing like Morse I hold bold the long distance dis tance record between the the three of ot usson uton ull on board Made It Sunday it-Sunday y mornIng mornIng morning morn- morn Ing at a. a m. m over 1200 miles Received Key West Florida Just happened to hit good weather con con- Our Our set Is not good for much over miles at night and our sending set about to miles at night and in the day time set only miles and sending set about to miles miles' Find out If It my visiting B. B 1 P. P O. O E. E card has been sent Bent me The one I Inow Inow Inow now have Is about on one month old Got assigned to my life Ufe boat couple days ago go Got my life Ufe savers' savers belts and now If Kaiser Dill BUI lays oft off I will Hill be Jake fake If It he goes fooling around will have it put them then on and It Is a long ways to land land either either sIde side- or straight down We have plenty have plenty of If life boats boata on this old ship for tor all Had a rough sea Bell the One of my partners got sea iea sick It has not bothered mo me yet May 8 a 1 tn On OIl lU UK On east coast Vo Wo arrived at Balboa at 3 p p. p m m. the tho Stayed there there- all night Five of ofus us went up town to see sue the city Took In Balboa and Panama City It sure Is some place U U. U S 8 S. sailors and sol sot diem ran can buy drinks over the bar barat barat at will Talk about your rough h towns and Imd fast women they sure have them at Balboa Panama is II isa I a much h nicer place There are some I tine fine homes around there On the tho 11 th we wo started through the I canal at 8 a. a m. m and take It from fromme me Ole it Is sure Bure some trip Got Oot through I at 4 p p. p and m m m. m and took on coal at Colon on Pacific side The trip tripI I through the canal is III worth one year earI ear 11 I In the navy to see How they raise rale I the boats bouts over 1111 Mill and how they let them down that is I. through the he 1 docks Seen the place w where ere tb Ih the o big bigI big I I slide was wal Many are re reI In In this Ibis country and add Is 11 ce certainly some o e hot Very few white men consider consIder- ing They can raise most any thing around there there banan there as and all other kinds of fruit Got Oot every kind of animals from snakes up The The pilot to told d me there was deer cats cats every every like that Some Some- of the just live on what nature provides for them He lie said some Borne of them never turn a hand to do a days day's work We coaled ship at Colon and then anchored out in the bay for tor the night Left lett Colon the morning athe of at he ho for tor some where I dont don't I know We Ve are In a 11 rough sea sea raIn rain and a little bit of everything Cant Can't go out on deck May l 18 We 18 We Wo have now pawed passed through the W West t Indies and and are off oft th coast of Florida FIorillo We will soon be beto beto beto to our first por port Norfolk Va We passed the island where Columbus Col Cot umbus embus first first landed when he made his first trip over We looked looked that over good Not much news so 80 will not have much to say When we get getto getto getto to Norfolk Norfolk we will have been on the deep deol blue blue- sea t twenty three days Getting letting pretty tired of this trip but guess I will get u used ed to the sea ea before be bee fore fon I get out of ot service Dont Don't know now how bow long we will be at Norfolk May Maybe Maybe Maybe be two days daYI and maybe two weeks Send my malt mall to New Ne York Vork Have you I got my allotment yet et Let me knew w. w Guess queaa qu bud hud better close Will mall mail this I fa III s a couple cO o ot of da day days pont worry about Rie l I Iove ve ant and Is ell all A ever L oI GLENN OLENN |