Quensell's "Autobiography"

In this letter of January 23, 1947, to his friend Charles S. Siger of Los Angeles, California, Quensell writes what comes close to being an "Autobiography " of the Tin Can Mailman.

My Dear friend Chas!

Well old boy how goes it? I hope you are in the best of health, and I can say the same for me. Well old Pal all your letters came duly to hand & I thank you very much for same. They are beautiful covers. Also, you sure must have spent a lot of money on them, you see I really have now given up collecting stamps since the largest part of mine went up in flames, still I always take pleasure in looking at nice covers.

I send you a few T.C.M. covers, those are getting scarce now, although I still have a couple thousand of Jubilee covers on hand, those I used to go keep here at Nukualofa always and sell them to tourists. I also have a fair lot of double (duplicates) saved, but it is of no use for me to start over again. You see friend through the eruption I am in so called reduced circumstances, as I lost, oh well say some $3,200 in that terrible fire, anyhow I sot mv life left and that is the main thing, what vou say.

Now old man, I shall come to a theme about you and myself, well as you know I am 68 years of age. I was born in Germany but left home in my early life and went to sea. My first trip was made in a Norwegian barque called "Skyold." I stood on board this vessel for about 5 years, made a trip to the former German East Africa the place was Dar-es-salam from there to New Castle in N.S.W. Australia then to the west coast to Chile to Santiago, Inquiqni and other places then home to Rotterdam with Saltpetre. The second trip on this vessel was about the same.

After that I was on a German four-master "Euterpe" with coal to the west coast again, but the vessel blew up near Dover, some were killed and wounded. I luckily escaped, so back to Hamburg. Here I picked up another German ship only 375 tons called the "Gertrude Henriques." While in her we went to "Ciudad Bolivar" that is some 300 mile up the Orinoco River. It was sure beautiful sailing, ketching or drifting up the river I can never forget it. On our way back we picked up a load of phosphate in the East Indian Island and back to Hamburg.

Then I went on my last ship the German Barque Waivera in her we went to the west coast again with General Cargo from there to Tonga for copra for home. As for me, I was now II mate I got this job through an accident to the former Mate II. Well I liked Tonga so well that I cleared out 3 times and being brought back to the vessel by the police, and as in them days put in irons, but when we left, we had a headwind out of port so I was let free to get up into the main mast to loose some of the sails. Well I was very slow about it but as I came down we were well 1 1/2 or 2 miles off the shore so I simply dived over-board and swam ashore, as I heard later that there are plenty of sharks about although I saw none. I found a small rock to have a spell, and then went for shore where I landed at the Haano Island. This is some 25 miles from the main port, but is populated, so a day or two after I got free passage to the main port.

I had a job on the day 1 as mate of a 25-ton schooner but the master, a young Dane, was not to my liking, so I left again after a few trips, and became a trader. This life I have kept on until now. I was trading 22 years at Niuafoou, then but out there I had to come back to here, and here I am having no job, as one gets too old I should say. I am staying with my son who runs a fair size store here.

My own place is some 100 miles to the north and is in a bad state at present owing we can not get any material needed for repairs, but I shall go there soon anyhow. The place is Lifuka Haapai, but my address can remain the same for the time being, they will find me, as I am known as a cat with six tails.

Look here re(garding) that man Ramsay's book, look here old chap, I can do nothing for you in that direction. That man Ramsay is still in Tonga, and is at Lifuka Haapai c/o Mssrs M.H. & Co.* I read the book years ago, but can see nothing in it, it is misleading and has some untruths, still it may be of interest to you being so far away from here.

* Morris, Headstrom ? Quensell must have been confused because Morris, Headstrom closed its station in May of 1932 and Charles Stuart Ramsay left the Island at that time.

Yes Mr. Woodbridge is still Postmaster General here, and I shall give him your message.

That book of Ramsay's was not written by himself. He has the help of an American artist called Charley Plum, this chap I think is in Hollywood or some where over there.

We have here at Nukualofa mail as a rule once a month, sometimes twice or 3 times. Your letter go I should say go by the Matson Liners Mariposa or Monterey or the Lurline to Suva in Fiji, there it gets picked up by a Union Company of N.Z. boat and is brought to Tonga, they connect fairly well. Those 3 Matson Liners used to call at Niuafoou twice a month on their outward and homeward trips. They sure had some fine Masters on those boats, and sent ashore some very good food etc etc.

Oh! yes, old Pal, we do live in a strange world these days. Greed, claim jumping, and hate goes on and will go on always. All those young lads lost in the last two wars will make no difference I am afraid, but their father, mother, brothers and sisters are still alive with sorely broken hearts. But that is nothing to the politicians or diplomats. I have 4 sons in the war some for 4 1/2 years another over 3 years one two years and one never really got away but was in the Army.

All have, thanks our Creator, returned in more or less healthy condition. You see my family lives in New Zealand for the last 20 years and they were there for their education but have now been to the war over in Europe and also in the war against Japan. I have 7 children all are well grown up now.

You may be right that that Atomic Bomb had something to do, as sure it must have made some disturbance some where. Yes it is a deadly weapon, as they said it shall never be used!!! Who is going to believe that? If another war comes, and that may be very soon, that Bomb will be used and what then? Even the scientists which made them do not know. They want to use the Atomic power for good purposes, but who is going to believe that when war comes there is no more law, and all the large nations will find that Atomic power out sooner or later, and then there will be H - - - to pay.

Oh well Chas such is life, although you and myself may hate all those things they will happen.

Sure as you say that Bomb should be outlawed I agree on that, but how is it going to be done, if Russia had it she would use it, and sooner or later the U.S.A. will be forced to use it, you people with them skyscrapers would suffer badly if it should be used on Chicago or Washington or New York. A half dozen of them bombs would destroy each of those cities then with Atomic Bombs will be murder of the first class but Chas in war many do not think that.

But it brought Japan to her knees much more quickly, therefore it was not a fair play war, still it fit in to make peace, which is still afar away. Will Peace ever come???

You said in your letter you did not put "Postmaster" on the cover, well Sir you are right I have never claimed to have ever been a Postmaster, still so many made the same mistake. All I was was the so Called "Tin Can Mailman" that means that I handle all "Tin Can Mail" which I made known to the world, although I do not claim to be the originator of that same mail, it was started long before I came to "Tin Can Island" that was in 1919. Still it was me that made it known to the world. On a Rock like Niuafoou you must have Tin Can service or you would not be able to get your letters dry on board of passing vessels, so that kind of service is in reality a necessity on the old Rock. Well that's all gone by now and will never start again.

Oh well Chas dear, such is life. You say you are retired, well so am I but it is against my will, although one is not so young as one used to be. Hard work makes the life worthwhile. I am out of work since June last year, the first time in my life. I have been a hard grafter all the time, and the present idleness drives me mad at times. It is hard here to get the right kind of work for a man of my age. My little savings will not last long, you see if you made up your mind in them days to live on say £ 200 a year, it cost you now*£ 400 with those high prices. I am not as you to draw a pension. I should have been fairly com­fortable off it it had not been for my losses at Niuafoou, but all the same Chas dear, we shall joke along.

Oh well Chas I think I shall close with this rubbish writing as it may be of no interest to you at all, still I think it shows if a sort of friendly feeling was all over the world, then there would be no d - - - wars, do you get me Chas.

Oh well Cheerio to you old boy. I hope this finds you in the best of health as it leaves me. Kindest regards to you and yours.

Yours always

WGQuensell, former T.C.M.M.

P.S. By the way Chas would it be possible for you to pick up for me a good fountain pen we can not get them here. I see advertised in American papers a pen named "Parker 57" but no price has been given. Should you be able to do so, I shall send the payment at once. WGQ