TRANSCRIBED FROM THE COLUMBIA BANNER, DECEMBER 19, 1917 P. 1
Newport, R. I., Sunday p. m.
November 11, 1917.
My Dearest Mamma:
Have just finished eating dinner and will start this bright Sunday afternoon off right by writing to you the first thing I do.
As I have never told you much about my trip from San Francisco here, will take space here to give you an outline of it.
We left Goat Island at 3 p. m. November 14, Wednesday, crossing the bay to Oakland on the large Western Pacific steamer, Edward T. Jeffrey. As we left the island the Navy band stood at the end of the long dock and touchingly played “Farewell to You.” There were about 275 of us including 150 lands Yeoman, about 50 cooks and bakers for New York, _0 hospital men for Great Lakes, Ill., and the remainder Pillipino mess attendants.
We bade good bye to Mr. Hicks at Oakland and began speeding eastward over and around the mountains on the western Pacific, Thursday morning we awoke in Nevada, having passed through Sacramento and the Sierra Nevada mountaing in the night. We left our train for a few minutes at Winnennsco, Nevada, and marched up town in charge of the musician chief, petty officer in charge of the train. The second night we passed through Salt Lake City and traveled all next day in the wonder land of America in Utah and Colorado. Late in the afternoon we stopped for a few minutes in Grand Junction, Colorado, where we received a royal welcome. We went up town and upon leaving some generous Americans donated several boxes of apples and pears to us. The Red Cross of Salt Lake City did likewise giving us candy also. Having passed through the Royal Gorge of the Arkansas river and many other entertaining scenes, we reached Denver on Saturday morning. Stayed there about an hour and during the remainder of Saturday were in Colorado. Saw Pikes Peak.
Early Saturday night we were met the at Burlington C. B. S. R. Station at McCook, Neb., by the Boy Scouts and a reception committee generously showering us with good cheer, cigars, apples, etc. Our fruit lasted almost to the end of our journey. Saturday night we passed through Lincoln, capital of Nebraska and awoke Sunday morning in the beautiful prairie country of Iowa. Had another royal welcome at Burlington, where we crossed the Mississippi into Ill. Reached Chicago late Sunday after noon, spent an hour or so, mostly in the railroad yards besides Lake Mich, and crossed Ind. and a corner of Ohio into Michigan and reached Detroit at 3:30 a. m. At Detroit our whole train was put on a ferry and carried across Detroit river into Canada. We were now riding on the Wabash railroad, having made the previous stages of our journey on the Western Pacific, Denver and Rio Grande and C. B. & Q. All along we had a jolly time and the people every where gave us such a welcome we were almost proud of ourselves. Passed the Studebaker automobile factory in Detroit but saw no Ford factory it being night time.
On Monday we found ourselves in Ontario, Canada, stopped a while in St. Thomas. The Canadian country is very beautiful and as prosperous looking as Iowa and Illinois.
About noon on Monday we crossed the Niagara river into Buffalo, N. Y., just above and out of sight of Niagara Falls. We had now been riding quite a distance beside Lake Erie and had crossed the famous Welland Canal in Ontario. We had quite a jolly time with some Canadian school children in one city, it being recess at their school. One little girl told me she had no Uncle Sam but “Canada is better than the old Yankee U. S.”
The Red Cross welcomed us in Buffalo, mailed our letters and gave us stamped cards for mailing.
At Buffalo where President McKinley was killed we turned our eyes eastward across New York on the N. Y. Central railroad, passed through Syracuse, Rochester and Utica and awoke Tuesday morning in Massachusetts, finding ourselves in Newport about 9 o’clock having crossed 13 states and Canada from the Pacific to the Atlantic and by two of the great Lakes, through some of the principal cities of the U. S. We came into Newport on the N. I. N. H. & H. railroad.
The above is a mere outline of the trip and can give you only a slight idea of the wonderful scenery and length of the trip and its value in an educational way. Only wish you could have been with me to enjoy it too. We had first class berths and meals all the way.
This is a bright but very cold day. A sweater feels good all the time. The very day I left Frisco received a sweater from “sister Raymonde” of San Rafael, Calif, and it certainly did come in handy, I dropped her a card of thanks.
Went to church this morning, in line for church was the largest crowd of sailors I have ever seen together--- perhaps five thousand. We marched to the barracks where the Protestant service was held to the tune of “Onward Christian Soldiers” and “How Firm a Foundation” A Congregational preacher of Newport preached an excellent sermon, although the chaplain was present. The Catholics have a separate service. We have prayer out on the parade grounds every morning, the Catholic one morning and the Protestant one.
We do not know when we will get into yeoman school but hear it may be next week. Never can tell about the future of a young man in the navy.
A case of mumps and one of measles developed in our bunch soon after our arrival here and we are now quarantined in a brick building in the detention barracks.
The only improvement I noticed here over San Francisco station is that the officers here do not swear at us, also like the church service better.
I should really like to write a letter for the paper but cannot now. Guess maybe I’ll have a chance if I ever get into yeoman school.
Do not worry about me ever for I guess the four years will finally pass and I want each of the rest of you to get the most out of life.
Wish I could write to each of the family regularly but haven’t much opportunity at present. Kindly explain to them why I do not write. Shall be glad to get all the papers you can send me at any time.
Endless love,
Your sailor boy,
Harris M. Warren
NOTES: Harris Monroe Warren was born on December 1, 1893 at Magnolia, Arkansas and died on January 15, 1983 at Metairie, Louisiana. He enlisted in the Navy on June 15, 1917 for four years. He was described as being of medium weight and height with brown eyes and hair.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT
Newport, R. I., Sunday p. m.
November 11, 1917.
My Dearest Mamma:
Have just finished eating dinner and will start this bright Sunday afternoon off right by writing to you the first thing I do.
As I have never told you much about my trip from San Francisco here, will take space here to give you an outline of it.
We left Goat Island at 3 p. m. November 14, Wednesday, crossing the bay to Oakland on the large Western Pacific steamer, Edward T. Jeffrey. As we left the island the Navy band stood at the end of the long dock and touchingly played “Farewell to You.” There were about 275 of us including 150 lands Yeoman, about 50 cooks and bakers for New York, _0 hospital men for Great Lakes, Ill., and the remainder Pillipino mess attendants.
We bade good bye to Mr. Hicks at Oakland and began speeding eastward over and around the mountains on the western Pacific, Thursday morning we awoke in Nevada, having passed through Sacramento and the Sierra Nevada mountaing in the night. We left our train for a few minutes at Winnennsco, Nevada, and marched up town in charge of the musician chief, petty officer in charge of the train. The second night we passed through Salt Lake City and traveled all next day in the wonder land of America in Utah and Colorado. Late in the afternoon we stopped for a few minutes in Grand Junction, Colorado, where we received a royal welcome. We went up town and upon leaving some generous Americans donated several boxes of apples and pears to us. The Red Cross of Salt Lake City did likewise giving us candy also. Having passed through the Royal Gorge of the Arkansas river and many other entertaining scenes, we reached Denver on Saturday morning. Stayed there about an hour and during the remainder of Saturday were in Colorado. Saw Pikes Peak.
Early Saturday night we were met the at Burlington C. B. S. R. Station at McCook, Neb., by the Boy Scouts and a reception committee generously showering us with good cheer, cigars, apples, etc. Our fruit lasted almost to the end of our journey. Saturday night we passed through Lincoln, capital of Nebraska and awoke Sunday morning in the beautiful prairie country of Iowa. Had another royal welcome at Burlington, where we crossed the Mississippi into Ill. Reached Chicago late Sunday after noon, spent an hour or so, mostly in the railroad yards besides Lake Mich, and crossed Ind. and a corner of Ohio into Michigan and reached Detroit at 3:30 a. m. At Detroit our whole train was put on a ferry and carried across Detroit river into Canada. We were now riding on the Wabash railroad, having made the previous stages of our journey on the Western Pacific, Denver and Rio Grande and C. B. & Q. All along we had a jolly time and the people every where gave us such a welcome we were almost proud of ourselves. Passed the Studebaker automobile factory in Detroit but saw no Ford factory it being night time.
On Monday we found ourselves in Ontario, Canada, stopped a while in St. Thomas. The Canadian country is very beautiful and as prosperous looking as Iowa and Illinois.
About noon on Monday we crossed the Niagara river into Buffalo, N. Y., just above and out of sight of Niagara Falls. We had now been riding quite a distance beside Lake Erie and had crossed the famous Welland Canal in Ontario. We had quite a jolly time with some Canadian school children in one city, it being recess at their school. One little girl told me she had no Uncle Sam but “Canada is better than the old Yankee U. S.”
The Red Cross welcomed us in Buffalo, mailed our letters and gave us stamped cards for mailing.
At Buffalo where President McKinley was killed we turned our eyes eastward across New York on the N. Y. Central railroad, passed through Syracuse, Rochester and Utica and awoke Tuesday morning in Massachusetts, finding ourselves in Newport about 9 o’clock having crossed 13 states and Canada from the Pacific to the Atlantic and by two of the great Lakes, through some of the principal cities of the U. S. We came into Newport on the N. I. N. H. & H. railroad.
The above is a mere outline of the trip and can give you only a slight idea of the wonderful scenery and length of the trip and its value in an educational way. Only wish you could have been with me to enjoy it too. We had first class berths and meals all the way.
This is a bright but very cold day. A sweater feels good all the time. The very day I left Frisco received a sweater from “sister Raymonde” of San Rafael, Calif, and it certainly did come in handy, I dropped her a card of thanks.
Went to church this morning, in line for church was the largest crowd of sailors I have ever seen together--- perhaps five thousand. We marched to the barracks where the Protestant service was held to the tune of “Onward Christian Soldiers” and “How Firm a Foundation” A Congregational preacher of Newport preached an excellent sermon, although the chaplain was present. The Catholics have a separate service. We have prayer out on the parade grounds every morning, the Catholic one morning and the Protestant one.
We do not know when we will get into yeoman school but hear it may be next week. Never can tell about the future of a young man in the navy.
A case of mumps and one of measles developed in our bunch soon after our arrival here and we are now quarantined in a brick building in the detention barracks.
The only improvement I noticed here over San Francisco station is that the officers here do not swear at us, also like the church service better.
I should really like to write a letter for the paper but cannot now. Guess maybe I’ll have a chance if I ever get into yeoman school.
Do not worry about me ever for I guess the four years will finally pass and I want each of the rest of you to get the most out of life.
Wish I could write to each of the family regularly but haven’t much opportunity at present. Kindly explain to them why I do not write. Shall be glad to get all the papers you can send me at any time.
Endless love,
Your sailor boy,
Harris M. Warren
NOTES: Harris Monroe Warren was born on December 1, 1893 at Magnolia, Arkansas and died on January 15, 1983 at Metairie, Louisiana. He enlisted in the Navy on June 15, 1917 for four years. He was described as being of medium weight and height with brown eyes and hair.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT