TRANSCRIBED FROM THE LITTLE RIVER NEWS DECEMBER 25, 1918 P. 2
S.S. Noord Brabant, 11-8-18.
Dear Mother:
We will arrive in Pisauga, Chile, today sometime if nothing happens, and we will be here about a week I think loading then back to the good old U.S.A. again although I dont know where we will go to unload but any place in the U.S. suits the crew.
I have certainly had a fine time at the different places that we stopped visiting as many places of interest as possible but of course we only spent about a day in each place except Key West, Fla., where we stopped three days.
Everyone was surprised at the little town of Christobal, Panama, now an American port. I think we were expecting to see an ancient country town and to our surprise, although there are just a few hundred people there mostly Americans, the streets were paved, and were bordered by all kinds of tropical trees bearing fruit such as bananas and cocoanuts. And it was the prettiest little place lying in a little hollow among the great mountains that almost completely surrounded it. There was just a few stores but the largest was the commissary run by the U.S. Government and it carried a complete stock of everything and the prices were very reasonable and the store would be a credit to any city in the world in fact I have never seen a cleaner or more up to date place in the largest cities.
And every one there seemed to be living in great style, having a Y.M.C.A. and gymnasium and post office. Then there was one of the swellest restaurants there that I have ever seen believe me, there was some style to that place, you could get anything that you wanted to eat and get it very cheap and the service is unsurpassable. You could hunt the cities over and never find a finer restaurant than they had there.
I think that the reason that every thing is fixed up so nice there is because it is owned and operated by the government. Sure and there were a few sailors and soldiers there to make the population complete.
Then the next day we passed through the canal, first we were towed into the locks by little electric engines that are on each side of the canal, and then the monstrous steel gates are closed and the ship was raised thirty feet in fifteen minutes by water pouring into the lock, then we passed into another lock and raised another thirty feet then another and we raised a total of eight-five feet in a very few minutes, then we could look back and see the ocean far below us. The engineers in those little engines wore collars and ties and had all kinds of reading matter and sat under a little awning on the rear of the engine so you can imagine what a hard lot is theirs, and they receive $200 per month and houses free.
But they have to pass a very hard examination to get the job, and the men that helped build the canal, that is the mechanics, were given preference over all others, because they had to go through all the hardships of building. All the buildings or residences are built several feet off the ground and screened to keep out the mosquitoes and so forth, and it is a healthy place to live in now. But before the American engineers came there it was nothing but a swamp with all kinds of fevers to dishearten even the strongest of men. It certainly was a complete transformation from a wilderness to a thriving little town.
The wharves and docks too, are all new and of the latest types with all the latest labor saving devices and are kept as clean as a pin you might say. In Boston it used to take us two days to unload and there they unloaded in twelve hours.
But the trip through the canal was sure great, we could sit out on the hatch and see the grand old mountains that raised their majestic peaks far above the clouds in places and every thing was as green and pretty as could be, and as the vegetation is very thick there, it certainly was some beautiful scenery. Then on the Pacific side we were lowered eight five feet to the level of the Pacific Ocean. I wish I could describe some of the marvelous engineering works they have but it is unlawful to describe any of the mechanical features of the locks of canal any where, and we were not allowed to take any pictures or buy any post card views of the place and even if we could have bought them we could not have mailed them for every thing is censored that is sent in or out.
But everything was run just like clockwork and everything seemed to be done by an invisible hand for there was no one in sight except the guards and the little electric tow boats yet the large gates were swung shut and the water would come gushing up from the bottom as though enormous springs were loosed and we could feel the ship rising as though it was an elevator lowering whichever the case might be.
But about the third day south of Balboa, we stopped there too for a day but it was something like Christobal so I will leave out any description of it. I had just gone to sleep when I felt a rough hand on my shoulder shaking me rudely, and I thought I must be dreaming but the strange voice said "Father Neptune wants you," in a gutteral voice or tone, and I turned on the light to see what was going on and there stood two of the weirest looking beings, and each had a large club in his hand and a pair of handcuffs in the other hand, so I rubbed my eyes to see if I was awake and then pinched myself but then I was satisfied that I was awake all right so I tried to argue with them but all they would say was to get out in a hurry that I was holding up Father Neptune so I turned out and was escorted back aft where a group of men were crowded around. Father Neptune and two more of his helpers and Father Neptune said he didn't think that he had ever seen me down this way before and I told him no that this was my first trip below the equator so I was told to have a seat, and the fun began, and what all they didn't do to me wasn't worth mentioning. I was painted with spots and circles and crosses with black paint then drank the favorite concoction of the deep which was castor oil, quinine, mustard pepper sauce and a few more things mixed, then I ate a little salt herring and some raw dough or rather flour, then I was told to proceed and I started to rise when his two helpers grabben me and threw me into a tank of water so after I got out of that I was handed a diploma signed by the Captain stating that I had that day passed over the equator and had been duly initiated under Neptunes doom. I think there was about twenty others initiated also. But believe me that sure was some initiation and they had saws, axes, razors and everything imaginable to make it a complete success.
We have been on the way ten days and yesterday we sighted land for the first time and it sure looked inviting, but there seemed to be a string of mountains all along the coast and some of the mountains are the highest found on the globe. We are thinking of hiring some burros and taking a trip up to the summit of one if we have time. Well I will close as it will soon be time to chow.
Your affectionate son,
Bennie.
NOTES: Benjamin Rufus Potts was born on January 21,1899 in Ashdown, Arkansas and died on November 29, 1976. He is buried in the Richmond Cemetery in Little River County, Arkansas. His military headstone only identifies him as a veteran of World War II. He was writing to his mother Mrs. Josie Potts of Ashdown.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD
S.S. Noord Brabant, 11-8-18.
Dear Mother:
We will arrive in Pisauga, Chile, today sometime if nothing happens, and we will be here about a week I think loading then back to the good old U.S.A. again although I dont know where we will go to unload but any place in the U.S. suits the crew.
I have certainly had a fine time at the different places that we stopped visiting as many places of interest as possible but of course we only spent about a day in each place except Key West, Fla., where we stopped three days.
Everyone was surprised at the little town of Christobal, Panama, now an American port. I think we were expecting to see an ancient country town and to our surprise, although there are just a few hundred people there mostly Americans, the streets were paved, and were bordered by all kinds of tropical trees bearing fruit such as bananas and cocoanuts. And it was the prettiest little place lying in a little hollow among the great mountains that almost completely surrounded it. There was just a few stores but the largest was the commissary run by the U.S. Government and it carried a complete stock of everything and the prices were very reasonable and the store would be a credit to any city in the world in fact I have never seen a cleaner or more up to date place in the largest cities.
And every one there seemed to be living in great style, having a Y.M.C.A. and gymnasium and post office. Then there was one of the swellest restaurants there that I have ever seen believe me, there was some style to that place, you could get anything that you wanted to eat and get it very cheap and the service is unsurpassable. You could hunt the cities over and never find a finer restaurant than they had there.
I think that the reason that every thing is fixed up so nice there is because it is owned and operated by the government. Sure and there were a few sailors and soldiers there to make the population complete.
Then the next day we passed through the canal, first we were towed into the locks by little electric engines that are on each side of the canal, and then the monstrous steel gates are closed and the ship was raised thirty feet in fifteen minutes by water pouring into the lock, then we passed into another lock and raised another thirty feet then another and we raised a total of eight-five feet in a very few minutes, then we could look back and see the ocean far below us. The engineers in those little engines wore collars and ties and had all kinds of reading matter and sat under a little awning on the rear of the engine so you can imagine what a hard lot is theirs, and they receive $200 per month and houses free.
But they have to pass a very hard examination to get the job, and the men that helped build the canal, that is the mechanics, were given preference over all others, because they had to go through all the hardships of building. All the buildings or residences are built several feet off the ground and screened to keep out the mosquitoes and so forth, and it is a healthy place to live in now. But before the American engineers came there it was nothing but a swamp with all kinds of fevers to dishearten even the strongest of men. It certainly was a complete transformation from a wilderness to a thriving little town.
The wharves and docks too, are all new and of the latest types with all the latest labor saving devices and are kept as clean as a pin you might say. In Boston it used to take us two days to unload and there they unloaded in twelve hours.
But the trip through the canal was sure great, we could sit out on the hatch and see the grand old mountains that raised their majestic peaks far above the clouds in places and every thing was as green and pretty as could be, and as the vegetation is very thick there, it certainly was some beautiful scenery. Then on the Pacific side we were lowered eight five feet to the level of the Pacific Ocean. I wish I could describe some of the marvelous engineering works they have but it is unlawful to describe any of the mechanical features of the locks of canal any where, and we were not allowed to take any pictures or buy any post card views of the place and even if we could have bought them we could not have mailed them for every thing is censored that is sent in or out.
But everything was run just like clockwork and everything seemed to be done by an invisible hand for there was no one in sight except the guards and the little electric tow boats yet the large gates were swung shut and the water would come gushing up from the bottom as though enormous springs were loosed and we could feel the ship rising as though it was an elevator lowering whichever the case might be.
But about the third day south of Balboa, we stopped there too for a day but it was something like Christobal so I will leave out any description of it. I had just gone to sleep when I felt a rough hand on my shoulder shaking me rudely, and I thought I must be dreaming but the strange voice said "Father Neptune wants you," in a gutteral voice or tone, and I turned on the light to see what was going on and there stood two of the weirest looking beings, and each had a large club in his hand and a pair of handcuffs in the other hand, so I rubbed my eyes to see if I was awake and then pinched myself but then I was satisfied that I was awake all right so I tried to argue with them but all they would say was to get out in a hurry that I was holding up Father Neptune so I turned out and was escorted back aft where a group of men were crowded around. Father Neptune and two more of his helpers and Father Neptune said he didn't think that he had ever seen me down this way before and I told him no that this was my first trip below the equator so I was told to have a seat, and the fun began, and what all they didn't do to me wasn't worth mentioning. I was painted with spots and circles and crosses with black paint then drank the favorite concoction of the deep which was castor oil, quinine, mustard pepper sauce and a few more things mixed, then I ate a little salt herring and some raw dough or rather flour, then I was told to proceed and I started to rise when his two helpers grabben me and threw me into a tank of water so after I got out of that I was handed a diploma signed by the Captain stating that I had that day passed over the equator and had been duly initiated under Neptunes doom. I think there was about twenty others initiated also. But believe me that sure was some initiation and they had saws, axes, razors and everything imaginable to make it a complete success.
We have been on the way ten days and yesterday we sighted land for the first time and it sure looked inviting, but there seemed to be a string of mountains all along the coast and some of the mountains are the highest found on the globe. We are thinking of hiring some burros and taking a trip up to the summit of one if we have time. Well I will close as it will soon be time to chow.
Your affectionate son,
Bennie.
NOTES: Benjamin Rufus Potts was born on January 21,1899 in Ashdown, Arkansas and died on November 29, 1976. He is buried in the Richmond Cemetery in Little River County, Arkansas. His military headstone only identifies him as a veteran of World War II. He was writing to his mother Mrs. Josie Potts of Ashdown.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD