Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 October 1900 — Three Jasper Boys’ Strange Meeting. [ARTICLE]

Three Jasper Boys’ Strange Meeting.

The relatives here of J. H. Marshall of the Ist U. S. Cavalry, have just received a letter from him, under dates of August 29 and 30, written partly from a board steamer, near Nagasaki, Japan and partly from that place. Nagasaki, Japan. 8,. 29-00 We are at present on the trasport Garonne threading our way through the inland sea and thousand islands of Japan. It is a won. derful ride through the narrow channels and among islands that seems like the tops of mountains rising above the flood? We are fating a mountain trip in a steam boat. Some of the slopes are cultivated in terraces rising one above another like steps. The weather is uncomfortably hot, especially so for the blue clothes we are still wearing. The first part of our voyage is not worthy of mention, being very remarkable only for its monotony. For nearly three weeks we saw neither sail nor land, only water wihout end. We sighted Japan on the 26 inst. We pulled into Kobe yesterday nr rning and were joined there by our horse boat, the Pack Ling. She was delayed 4 four days at Seattle, but being a faster boat, caught up wjth us. She brought our mail. Last night I heard two fellows speak of the Kankakee swamps, so I asked them who they were and where from. One turned out to be Earle Baylor formerly of Rensselaer. and the other, young Reed from the Thompson faun at Parr. We had quite a reunion, talking of old places and friends till far into the night. The funniest part of it all was that Baylor and 1 had formed a" speaking acquaintance at. an impromtu clam-bake on the beach at Camp-Kirkpatrick and i never found out we .were old neighbors till after we had crossedj the Pacific together. The China war is over a’d we arc going to the Philippines. Something of a dissapointment. but we may see some warm times with the Philippines. I had 4 hours pass on shore this p. m*. W«* arrived about 7a. m. Also the battle ship. Oregon. Hot as h of. Yours, Joe.