CHARLIE WILLIAMSON: LETTERS 1915 – 1923
transcribed by Thora Ray, 2010

INTRODUCTION

Charles Benjamin Williamson

Charles Benjamin Williamson (1871 - 192?), my grandfather, was the fourteenth of the sixteen children of William Williamson and Elisabeth Barker of Smyrna. Twelve of the children survived to adult life. His father, William Williamson, was an engineer born in Yorkshire. His mother, Elisabeth Barker, was the daughter of Henry Barker, one of the youngest of the 20 children of Thomas Barker who had arrived in Smyrna in 1736. According to my mother, Charles Williamson never visited England, although he travelled widely both with his family and on business for his employer, MacAndrews and Forbes. A report in the London Daily Mail in November 1903 recorded that he was in the Caucuses on business for Mac Andrews and Forbes when he was attacked and stabbed, presumably as the robbers had learned that he had returned from St. Caterinburg with “his sister and £5,000”. This explains my grandmother’s story that he was stabbed by “the Bolsheviks.” Charlie married (Agnes) Maude Whiteman, the daughter of Spencer Whiteman (1841 – 1919) and Mary Harriet Peacock. Spencer Whiteman was born in Uddimore, near Rye in East Sussex. Mary Peacock was Spencer’s second wife. His diary from World War One, records that he had a surviving daughter (Nellie) and grandchildren from that marriage. Mary was the daughter of Francis Peacock, a railway superintendent in Smyrna.

Maude said that she initially turned Charlie Williamson down when he proposed because he was too old, had red hair and she disliked his moustache. However, he returned some time later and proposed on “the top of a Pyramid”. They eventually married in Smyrna in 1912, and their marriage certificate gives Maude’s residence at the time of their marriage as Cairo.

Their first daughter Grace Esther Williamson (1913 - 2002, known as Gresther, was born in 1913 and by 1915 the family was settled in Corigliano, Southern Italy where Charlie managed the Italian operation for MacAndrews and Forbes. Their second daughter, Thora Mary, was born in Corigliano in 1919.

They lived, according to a MacAndrews and Forbes staff publication of 1919, in the centre of the town near the castle owned by Baron Compagna, the largest local liquorice producer. Charlie’s letters mention the Baron and the liquorice contract discussions. He also refers to the summer house in the hills around Corigliano which the Baron leant to the Williamson family so that they could escape the summer heat.

Gresther described her childhood with a French governess (“Mamselle”), a goat called Geraldine and a donkey. The family visited their Smyrna relatives and one of Charlie’s brother’s-in-law Alfred Pengelley (married to Nellie Williamson) was also working with MacAndrews and Forbes in Italy. However, the letters confirm that there were no other English families nearby. My grandmother told us that a water shortage was blamed on the Williamson family “because the English wash their bottoms too often”.

Charlie ansd Maude remained in Corigliano until at least 1923, but Charlie became increasingly disabled by Parkinson’s disease. He could no longer work and the family returned to Smyrna so that the family could help Maude care for him. He died in 1925 and was buried in the cemetery of St. John the Evangelist, Bhoudja.

Maude and her daughters travelled to Manchester so that the girls could go to school. Thora died in 1928, aged 11.

Maude and Gresther settled in Egypt after Gresther had taken her school certificate and spent a year in Switzerland to improve her languages. Maude was needed to help her brothers, who had both settled in Egypt, care for their mother, Mary Harriet Whiteman who had joined them from Smyrna sometime after the death of her husband Spencer in 1919.

Gresther married Andrew Daniels in Egypt in 1943 and she and Maude returned to England with him at the end of the war when he was demobilized. They settled in Sevenoaks, Kent where Andy and Gresther brought up their daughters Thora and Alithea. Maude died in 1975 and Gresther in 2002.

THE LETTERS

Charlie made carbon copies of all the letters that he wrote, both business and personal. It is not clear why these few survived although I know that Maude did not receive many of the letters written whilst he was travelling to China and these letters form the bulk of those which have survived.

In addition there are two letters describing events in Corigliano as Italy came into the First World War; a letter of condolence following the news that his nephew, Donald Pengelley, had been killed in action; and miscellaneous letters to and from Karl Jungbluth, vice-president of Mac Andrews and Forbes in New York.

THE FIRST WORLD WAR: National and Local Events in 1915 as Italy Joins the Allies

6^th February 1915: Letter from Charlie Williamson to Mr. Karl Jungbluth, President of MacAndrews and Forbes in New York.

Dear Mr. Jungbluth,
Since writing to you on the 22^nd ult, your personal letters of the 11^th and 18^th idems have come to hand for both of which I thank you.
Your letter of the 11^th reached me only on the 1^st inst and I at once sent off your message to Arclens which, at the best, must have reached there late in the evening of the 1st. Feb. instead of the 31^st. Jan. as you wished it to.
Rain, hail, snow and stormy winds seem to have at least cried off and today Calabria is enjoying its first fine day after more than three weeks of really execrable weather. A snow-wrapped Corigliano was a pretty sight, - not so Corigliano with a leaden sky overhead, driving rain and low – lying heavy mists over the plain. Clouds above, clouds below and grey dirty walls all round. Our feelings were on a par, - grey and dreary and were not improved by the news of the Avezzano earthquake. Corigliano remembered past days and “il terremoto” was on everybody’s lips. Then on a particularly stormy day, came vague rumours, - Luzzi (close by here) destroyed, Cosenza had spent the night on foot, Bossano was camping out. etc. etc. All lies, but still fear was abroad that night and fear is infectious and I, for one, catch it easily! Sheets of rain, torn into shreds and tatters by the high wind, were dashed against the windows, - flash after flash of lightning and crack after crack of thunder. The electric light gave out and the narrow, steep, cobble-stone streets were plunged into inky darkness. To say I felt uncomfortable is to put it very mildly indeed! Fortunately before midnight the storm passed off, electric lights were switched on again and when, the next morning, the Luzzi rumours denied our jangled nerves soon came back to their normal state!
Baron Compagna¹ I see nothing of: - he is always writing that he is coming but he never comes.
The “Tribuna” of the other day had a telegram that the British troops have reached Amara on the Tigris. I more than doubt the truth of this but anyway, Bassorah² is free and I trust that you have got some of your root stocks out of there.
The “Times” of the 28th says Englishmen at Baghdad have all been removed to Aleppo. I have not heard a word of the Mesopotamian staff.
My brother-in–law Hitchens³ is out of Jerusalem. Enclosed cutting from “Times” may amuse you. I constantly hear praise of Mr. Morgenthau⁴, it is to his efforts and those of Dr. Glazebrook that Hitchens and others owe their release from an exceedingly uncomfortable position.
Remember us kindly to Mrs. Jungbluth. Let us hope that next year she will be Able to enjoy another trip to Italy.
I hope your weather is treating you well and not proving too trying
Yours sincerely



17^th May: Letter from Charlie Williamson to his cousin Ernest

My Dear Ernest,
Being idle I will write to you. My last was dated the 7^th inst and, in it, I referred to the use of poisonous gasses in war and said “Useless cruelty is damnable but we are out to kill the enemies’ soldiers” and obtain victories and anything that helps in that is quite right and legal! It strikes me as a curious coincidence that I should have written that just at about the very hour the Lusitania was sinking. There you have useless cruelty, thrice-damned, devlish, infernal cruelty, - and yet there are found people in Germany to exult and gloat over it! I am disappointed in the way the populace have taken the matter of the Lusitania⁵ in England. I see from the Italian papers that German shops have been wrecked and German heads broken but I have not heard of any German throats being cut!! Does this sound shocking? Think it over and you will find it is not. English people have blood in their veins and not water and the desire for revenge is a natural and healthy instinct and the sooner it is set alight and burning fiercely the better. No gloves can be worn in this war and unless we imbue ourselves with intense hatred of the Germans we will never see it through as we should. They have their “Hymn of Hate”; why should we not have ours? How would “Remember the ladies! Remember the babies! Remember Cawnpore”⁶ the cry of our soldiers in their march to the relief of Lucknow during the Mutiny time and it spurred them on fine!! Something similar would help on recruiting a lot just now, - but maybe that is unnecessary as we may get conscription before long. From all this you must not gather that I would advocate our Government doing anything in the way of revenge. No! they have got to act humanely in all cases and should not do anything in the way of retaliation but I would be pleased to see more hatred, intense bitter hatred, of Germany and the Germans amongst the people. Maybe such hatred does exist; I have no means of judging except by the papers I get and any hatred they show seems to come more from the intellect than the heart. Something has to be done for, it seems to me, that today we as far off from the end of the war as we were nine months ago. It is about six months since I last had a talk with an Englishman and I am longing myself, to get away to Taranto or Naples so as to see someone with whom I could compare notes. At Naples there are, of course, a good many English. At Taranto there is only our English vice-consul. The colony under his jurisdiction consists of myself, - at least he has adopted us as his but really I belong to Naples! He, poor chap, is very lonely also and has written asking me to go and see him. I will probably run over for a couple of days shortly. He cannot come here as he is not allowed to leave his post in “these critical times”.
Well! I wonder whether Italy will be at war by the time you get this? The country is going through strenuous and anxious times and the excitement has reached fever heat. I cannot give you any clear account of all that has taken place in the last week for I myself (though I read two Italian papers daily, - perhaps on that account!) have no clear idea of what it is all about. It is now about a week ago just when everything looked as if everything was plain sailing and the Salandra government would give the Austrian ambassador his passports that the Giornale d’Italia (Salandras organ) came out with a violent article against Giolitti, - the former prime-minister and real leader of majority in Parliament. The G. d’I. used very violent language indeed, - “Italian unity destroyed by the friend of Bulow” “our country sold to the German Chancellor” “traitors within and enemies without acting together” etc. etc. The storm of excitement was intense and violent and was fanned to fever heat when, two days after, came the official news that the Salandra cabinet had “owing to divided opinions in the Constitutional parties” (what that means I do not know) placed its resignation in the hands of the king. “There will be no war; Bulow now rules Italy” said the Italian Tom, Dick and Harry and promptly set to work to demonstrate and riot. Even Corigliano had its demonstrations, and, being the only Englishman in the place, I came in for some of the cheering. In Rome the Parliament house was invaded by the crowd, furniture smashed up and anti-war deputies got roughly handled. In Milan there was one killed and several wounded in the street and it really looks as if it is a question of war with Austria or revolution. Rightly or wrongly the King is (rather I should say “was”) supposed to be anti war and shouts of “abasso il Re” have been heard in the streets of some towns. Now things are quieting down for, after three days hesitation, the King has refused to accept Salandra’s resignation and the cabinet will remain in power as it was before the crisis. In the meanwhile preparations for mobilisation continue; reserves are being called out daily; mules, horses etc are being requisitioned daily; and trains with military equipment etc buzz through our railway station night and day. People say war is a dead certainty and will be declared before the twentieth i.e. two days from today when Parliament is to meet. The meeting of Parliament will be a mere formality to hear the declaration of war read and to give Government a free hand to deal with the situation. That is what people say but I am very much afraid that Bulow has not played his last card yet and, that if war is not declared before the meeting of Parliament the Government may find itself voted out of power. The Giolitti party is in a large majority in the Chamber but people here say that they will not support their chief even if he should set himself up against the Govt. There has, undoubtedly, been a great turn of feeling in favour of war within the last week. Many neutralists have turned violent interventionists and generally the country is disgusted at the signs there have been of German influence in Italian affairs.
Well! Are you much edified by my dissertations on Italian politics? I told you at the commencement of this letter that I was idle and I have therefore inflicted much bad English on you and that the subject of which I confessedly understand nothing. By the time that you get this all speculation will probably be over. I trust and pray that by that time Italian troops will be over the Austrian frontier and an Italian expedition on its way to help us on the Dardanelles. Surely Rumania, Greece and Bulgaria will follow Italy’s good example and the end of the war will be in sight.
Well! Don’t grouse at my wasting your time. There is no necessity to read this if you do not like.
Your affectionate cousin



27^th May 1915: Letter from Charlie Williamson to his cousin Ernest

My dear Ernest,
I last wrote on the 17^th and since then received yours and Louisa’s of the twelfth. Louisa’s letter I at once sent on to Smyrna; there was nothing in it that the Turkish Censor could object to and as, as yet, Italy is not officially at war with Turkey, perhaps it will be allowed through. A few days ago I posted Lou a copy of a letter from Alithea to Mary⁷. I trust it will reach her alright and doubtless she will pass on to you. They were well in Smyrna when Alithea wrote.
Maude has heard from Mrs. Foster who was applying the £5 sent her to the purchase of bedsheets for a hospital for the wounded in Manchester. It is very kind of Frits to undertake the distribution of my modest subscription. I say modest if you consider that I have not suffered financially from the war and have never paid a farthing of taxes to the British Govt (nearest approach is the annual two and six registration fee to the Consulate) and further to that I have done no work of any kind for the war, my contribution is by no means a large one. As promised I will send you another twenty pounds and will do so as soon as financial situation in Italy has quieted down. Sooner than I intended but I am so pleased at Italy having joined the war that I feel I must do something immediate. I am very glad that it pleases Frits to have the distributing of the money and as it also saves me trouble, -why! that is alright
My office windows here overlook a tiny square one side of which is occupied by the post office buildings. It was on Saturday the twenty-second instant at about 8 o’clock in the evening that I suddenly heard a great hubbub outside through which could be distinguished shouts of “viva la guerra” “ viva il re” etc. On running downstairs I found that a telegram had just come through saying that the King had authorised “the general mobilisation of Army and fleet and the requisitioning of horses, mules and motor vehicles”. We sat up late that night expecting the orders from the Ministry of War for the opening of the sealed orders (which have long been lying in the hands of local authorities) giving the classes etc of reserves called out. No instructions came till towards dawn and I had turned in long before that. The notices were all posted up on Sunday morning and by noon the reserves began to leave. So far as I can make out everything is going on very smoothly and passenger traffic on the railways has not been interfered with in any way. On Tuesday about 130 men had to leave Corigliano and a great crowd with the band, flags etc accompanied them to the railway station. It was a quaint and pretty sight to see the impromptu procession going down the steep, narrow streets. You once referred to my “surface feelings”; - I must confess they were rather stirred up. The women relatives of the departing soldiers made a great row and clatter and of course the little kids joined in the howling. The old women especially were pathetic, - such wrinkled, dirty, ugly old faces made all the uglier by dishevelled grey hair ( handfuls of which they had pulled out!) swollen, red eyes and floods of tears.
Relief work has been started in this town and I have been appointed a member of the committee which has been formed. As yet things are in the preliminary stage and I do not know what kind of work will be assigned to me, probably I will be asked to act as treasurer. I would have liked to refuse the honour but did not see my way to doing so as very complementary references were made to “our ally England” and very hearty cheers were given for “Inghilterra”.
Berlin and Vienna reports are no more allowed through so we only get the French, English and Russian “communiqués”. I will look out with greater interest now for English papers.
Very little is known about Italian military plans. Rumour says an over-sea expedition is being got ready and the Dardanelles has been suggested as probable destination.
Baron Compagna and three of his brothers have joined their regiments. That settles the question as to my movements for the summer for I now can have the use of the Baron’s mountain villa. It will be nice to get Maude and the youngster out on the mountains. Did I tell you in my last that there is a possibility of Effie and her family joining us? Henry⁸ wrote asking whether I could suggest any place in Italy to send them to. The place I am going to will suit down to the ground but it remains to be seen whether Henry will take the risk of sending them across from Alexandria to Brindisi. It is of course the risk of submarines I am referring to. The danger is microscopic for Brindisi is practically out of the Adriatic and I take it that that will be the real danger zone. He may consider it safer and more prudent to send them to Cyprus.
Love to you all. Thanks for list of the family tribe. You end it with “Finis”, - how do you know?
Your affectionate cousin



OCTOBER 1915 – APRIL 2016 – a Business Trip to China

28^th October 1915: letter to Maude from S.S. Stampolia at Messina

My Dear Maude,
Yesterday I wrote you a hurried note from the “Santa Lucia” Hotel. This I forgot on the writing table but Alfred promised to look for it and take it to you if found.
Alfred will tell you how he accompanied me on board, - he took more interest in the steamer than I did. Tell him I have stuck to the cabin I was given and do not intend to change. There are no higher priced cabins than the one I have. The real first class cabins are all on the same deck as mine and the first class dining salon is the small one next to my cabin. All the cabins on the deck below including the large dining salon are now reserved for what are called “Second class First Category” passengers. My cabin is a three berthed one and I am alone so it is very comfortable; - for two passengers it would be beastly and for three damnable!! It has only one wash basin! The voyage promises to be dull, - we are only twelve first class. – This includes four romping boys (one family) and two “artistic” girls. Don’t be afraid – I am not smitten, nor likely to be, with either of them. One is flashy, noisy, impudent and older, the other is a superior………………
( Rest of letter missing)


2^nd. November 1915: letter to Maude from S.S. Stampolia

My dear Maude,
I wrote to you on 28^th Oct. and posted letter from Messina. We did not stop at Gibraltar so I could not write from there. There will be no chance of posting this till we get to New York.
It is easy enough to begin a letter but not to continue it. We have stopped nowhere, seen nothing and done nothing worth describing or talking about since I last wrote. We left Messina at 6 o’clock (evening) of the 28^th. At 4 o’clock next afternoon we sighted Sardinia. On the 30^th there was a “swinging” kind of sea on and I felt “dicky” over my meals but got through them all safely. The coast of Spain was sighted at about 8.30 morning of Oct. 31^st and we passed the Straits of Gib. at about 11 o’clock that night. A search light was played upon us for a while and a torpedo destroyer – I am told – came close up to get a good look at us – but that was all. Yesterday evening found us out of sight of land and away on the Atlantic and a nasty, rolling, restless Atlantic I found it, - so much so that I felt decidedly unwell and got to bed early. Today the weather is much finer and we are all getting about quite normally.
Yesterday evening full lights were turned on all over the steamer, having got well away from the Straits we were out of the danger of submarines. I tried to send you a wireless message from Gib. But, for the time, the steamer is not allowed to send through any private messages. We will soon be in touch with the wireless station on the Azores and the purser holds our some hope that he may be allowed to send a message through that station but with the strict rule is that no private messages are accepted except through Cape Nace Wireless and New York. We will not be in touch with Cape Nace till the last three days of our journey so that I will not telegraph you until I land at New York.
Our steamer is a good sea boat but we are going very slow. We only do 325/330 knots per day. She could easily do 380 but is steaming slow to save coal. At this rate we will not be in New York till Wednesday or Thursday – 10^th or 11^th Nov., and as, according to Jungbluth’s last cable, I am due to leave for San Francisco on Monday 15^th. I will not have much time for sightseeing in New York. I am not disappointed at this, - I want to get on, get the job well under way and myself on the way back. The more I think of it, - the more likely it seems to me that early May should see me back in Corigliano! I hope it is not a case of “opios pinar (frsomia ???????)!
About my journey from San Francisco to China I can get no clear information from anyone. One of the ship’s officers estimated the journey is about 40 days but then reduced it to 30, - it cannot be more than 18 days I fancy. Whatever it is I trust there will be more amusing passengers to travel with than the present lot. The “artistic” girls get up games of dominoes and forfeits of an evening but that is about all there is doing. Our steamer is taking the Southern route, - i.e. passing to the south of the Azores Islands so will not sight land again until we are in reach of New York coast.
Besides our own “first class 1st category” of passengers I have made no acquaintances amongst the other departments of the ship. I have hunted for the baby that I mentioned you in my last but I have not been able to identify it. There are crowds of dirty, untidy kids down below and doubtless the one I am in search of is amongst them but I don’t feel inclined to search for it any more. Its voice sounded alright but it cannot be up to much so far as looks are concerned!
Well, old Maudie! I will stop for the present and continue another time.

Nov. 6th. Well! Old girl, - there is still not much to say except that, the more time passes, the more the longing to see you and Gresther once more increases. Dash it! It seems an age since I left you and I am not yet at New York and it is only after that place that my journey can be said to really commence! The ship’s Purser has given me some r’way timetables and steamer advertisements from which I have been able to form a very correct idea of what my journey from New York on is likely to be. New York to San Francisco is 41/2 days by rail. Frisco to Honolulu 6 days steaming; Honolulu – Yokohama 10 days. The Pacific Mail steamers stop one day at Honolulu and then go on to Yokohama. They are fine boats, turbines, 18,000 tons. There is also a Japanese line which follow same route, - also turbine boats, 14,000 tons. Yokohama is in Japan and from there steamers go on to Shanghai and other Chinese ports, but I have not attempted to work out my route form Yokohama on as I do not know what part of China I am bound for. I am very weary of the sea already but trust that from Frisco on it will not be so monotonous. If the war is over by spring time, - I have a great plan for coming back to Corigliano by land!! Pekin – Muchden- Trans Siberian Railway- Moscow-Vienna- Rome-Naples – Corigliano!! Hurrah!!
In the meanwhile I have no cause to grumble with the way the sea is treating me. I have not missed a single meal hitherto. We have not had it dead calm but neither has it been rough. Yesterday was the worst day and we rolled a good bit, - so much so that the “fiddles” were put on to keep the crockery from sliding off the dinner table. We are in the Gulf Stream now and long strings of sea wrack go floating past, - the weather of course is very mild and even warm. Captain hopes to dock in New York on Wednesday morning (the 10^th).
I have discovered the baby that reminded me of our Gresther. She is in quarantine as she has whooping cough,- ditto her baby brother and sister. The mother is a dowdy slatternly kind of women – Italian born in America. Her husband, also Italian, has a soap factory away in Texas and she is going back to him with the three kids. They are berthed right aft in the lazaretts of the ship and are not allowed to come beyond a barrier that has been put up. I have spoken to them across the barrier and given the kids chocolates. They are getting over the whooping cough as they have already had it for close on six months. The eldest is the one that reminds me of Gresther in her talk – she is over three – is a pretty little thing and would be prettier if well washed and scrubbed!
We seem to be passing through a very lonely part of the sea and we get very little news. Our operator was able to catch one or two messages concerning the war but nothing of importance. Of many messages he only licked up scraps.
Our weather is very variable. Early this morning it was almost dead calm - and now it is beginning to roll a little. What the Captain fears now is fog,- bar that he is very confident of reaching New York on Wednesday morning.
So long, for the time, my own Maude, - a big kiss to Gresther from her Daddy!

New York 11^th Nov. Nothing much happened last three days of our journey. We docked at about 6 o’clock. I landed promptly and was met by Mr. K.J. and Moynihan. K.J. brought his own car and drove me round to this hotel – The Waldorf Astoria - 1500 rooms!. I pay $5 for my room – has bath attached. Have just had my hair cut and shave in my room for which I paid $11/2! Went to the Hippodrome yesterday and I saw a most gorgeous show. But there! I must write all about things some other time when I have more leisure to do so. I can see that next few days are going to be pretty much of a dash for K.J. has that mapped them out beforehand with a view to business and amusements.
My own Maudie! I sent you a wire yesterday to tell you of my arrival. That sinking of the Anconia is a horrible affair and has produced a good deal of discussion and criticism here.
A big, big kiss to Gresther who must put her arms round mother’s neck and give her the kiss daddy himself cannot give.
Ever you loving husband
Charlie


Memo: November 1915
C.B.W. drew salary monthly at Corigliano. He drew September salary but not October.
C.B.W. wrote and informed Audit. Dept. that he had opened in Corigliano books an ac/t headed “C.B.Ws. Personal Ac/t”. In all, he has paid into this ac/t liras It. 6,000. and before leaving he verbally authorised Mr. A.W. Pengelley to keep this account at entire disposal of Mrs. C.B.W.
If it is considered necessary for CBW to draw October salary in same fashion as before, and to debit Italian business, he suggests Camden Audit Dept. should instruct Mr. A W. Pengelley to make necessary passes in Corigliano books crediting CBW’s personal account and adding amount to sum held at Mrs. CBW’s disposal.
How is CBW’s ac/t to be kept during duration of his mission to China? Mr. K Jungbluth mentioned a special rate of remuneration for said time and until “further consideration”. Suggest it be kept in Camden?
Corigliano accounts for October will show a total of liras It. 2,200 – drawn by CBW “on ac/t travel exes China”.


14^th November 1915: Letter to Alfred Pengelley⁹

First sheet of letter to Alfred P. dated New York Nov. 14^th (carbon placed wrong way and copy on back of original)
Told him of meeting held at 200 Fifth Avenue on Thursday. Present K.J., Geddes, Walker, Hanson, Moynihan self and rep. of engineers who are making China press. 18 inch ram. 700 ton pressure – I protested and asked for smaller and lighter press but was overruled. Boxes similar to (????) new press. Were going to have old fashioned false bottoms with slots for one hoop right round bale.
“I protested” ( see over) and got my way

(Letter continues on new sheet)

…. Geddes said “other factories use single bands and don’t have the trouble you speak of clearing out slots before hoops can be run through.” I said I did not care a damn what other factories did. I remembered years ago with far lighter presses having a good deal of bother and that with 700 tons pressure if you did not find your slots filled up solid then your root was either as tough as steel or as elastic as rubber and sprung out again! That floored Geddes!!!’’
Well! I am (??????) and you can imagine I have not much time to spare.
On Friday I went down to Camden. KJ junior accompanied me. Camden is wonderful and wonderfully confusing. We got back here in the evening. Everybody is very kind and anxious to assist. KJ sends theatre tickets to us every night. Yesterday we went to theatre and supper with Mr. and Mrs. KJ. Tonight we dine at KJ’s. Mrs. Catto will be there. Mr. Catto is in London. Dodo and Goodfellow are here but live far away, - one hour by subway and tram. This afternoon I may manage to see them. Yesterday I bought 4 pairs of shoes for Gresther, but very little time to choose them in and I am not inspired with what I got. Gimbles - the sellers – will forward them to Corigliano.
Tomorrow we leave for Frisco and on Saturday 20^th for Shanghai by Japanese boat. We arrive Shanghai 11th Dec. Address there to c/o British American Tobacco Company Limited. “We” consist of self, Moynihan, and Chambers. The latter is junior man with no commercial experience but has travelled in China. Root districts are along Mongolian frontier. Shipping port is Tientsin. Tientsin – Peking r’way goes on to Hokou. I am hazy over geography of these parts and so will not say more except that it is a hell of a long way off but that root undeniably exists in large quantities. British American Tobacco Co estimate 25,000 tons annually. M???? Jungbluth says it is not but 5000 can be got. As far as I can understand 1350 tons have already been contracted for and partly delivered at Tientsin. This is 1915 root. Digging commences in March and finishes in September. Winter most severe. Summer very hot and very dry, - and question suggests itself “is not ground too hard to dig in June let alone July August etc!!” They can’t explain it but say not and at the same time say that root dug late March is bone dry in May!! Chinese have dug for many years back in considerable quantities. They grade and select it and make it up into three qualities, - three different kinds of (??????). Unsuitable root is sold for firewood.
The B.A.T. Co. Shanghai will act as advisors to us. We are the “experienced” men” the “talent” K.J. promised to send out! “Talent”!!
First job will be to fix on where press is to be put up. For my part I have almost fixed on it and that is “railhead” – wherever that may be. K.J. says “go and see – may suit to put it up right inland where root fields are.” “Yes! And cart bales 200 or so miles overland, get them wet and have to break them up when they get to railhead!” To that KJ said “Well go and see!” and “go and see” applies to pretty well everything including the length of time that I will be out there. If I am to see one season’s root collected, baled and shipped, Xmas 1916 may see me back! It will be up to me to decide how long my presence there will be necessary and it may well prove that June, July will see things so far sorted that I can safely return leaving Moynihan, Chambers and one of the A-T-Co men to worry things out. I expect root buying will be by contract mostly.
My salary during duration of Chinese job and “until further notice” has been fixed at $3,600 dollars (£720 annually). I guess that has come to stay. All exs. are paid of course. Talking of exs. they are doing me proud in that respect. Reserved parlour compartment to Frisco, - best possible accommodation on steamer etc.
It looks very much as if I am not going to be back in time for the baling and taking over of Italian root. If you are still in charge mind you get competent assistance for weighing etc. Two men, - one Englishman and a Greek (?????) if no better can be done.
Do not send this letter on to Athens, let Maude read it and explain it to her. If I am not to get back till next winter why should she not go to England for the summer? As soon as I get to China. see how things are and am able to make a fair guess as to date of my return I will cable or write.
I do not believe that this China business has come to stay. War over – Chinese business over. Were it otherwise I would seriously entertain idea of staying there for good. Tientsin is a nice place and quite civilised. Tientsin will be “Smyrna” and Hokou will be” (??????)! CBW will be “D??” - see the idea.
Hope that you and Maude will write often. Give her my very best love. How I long to see her and Gresther. I got up late today. It is now 11.30 and I am waiting for Moynihan to come and call for me. I don’t like going out into the passages alone! I get lost! If you ask a waiter to show you the way he expects a quarter (1 shilling!!) as fee. It is expensive getting lost.
Gosh! This is a different kind of life and a different kind of place. It is alright being here for a short while on M and F’s expense, but I would not care for it for long and on my own expense, 15 minutes would give me a sickness of the place!!
For the time I will close this. Much love to you and a kiss to Gresther and Maude.
How I long to hear.
Yours affectionately
Charlie



17^th November 1915: Letter to Maude from the “Overland Limited”
“Overland Limited”
(Train Chicago – S. Francisco)
Wednesday 17th Nov. 1915

My Own Maude,
My handwriting is a pretty shaky one even under the best of circumstances. This train runs mighty smooth but still it adds a little to the jerkiness of my writing. I hope you will manage to read it.
Well Maudie my own, my last letter was dated 14th (Sunday) from New York and addressed to Alfred. That evening Moynihan and self dined at K.J’s. as also did Mrs. Catto. It was a pleasure to see a familiar Boudjah face, - she had a bad cold and looked rather thin. We spent a very pleasant evening and what is better still we got off early so that by 11 o’clock we were in bed.
The next morning things were a bit rushed but I found time to look up Goodfellow and Miller at their office. Goodfellow is going back to Egypt before long. He wants Dodo to stay behind but she refuses to be left. They will probably travel back by a Spanish boat and land in Spain and try to take another Spanish boat to Egypt. Goodfellow says Dodo is keeping very well and her kids thriving.
About my journey, - if I attempt to say much I will never have done. We left New York Central at 2 o’clock Monday afternoon. The route we travelled by to Chicago is, I judge, by no means the quickest or shortest. We ran up due north as far as Troy and Albany and then struck off due West to Buffalo and skirted Lake Erie as far as Toledo and then straight on to Chicago where we arrived at 5 o’clock yesterday afternoon or after a 27 hours ride. Along Lake Erie it was snowing and in some places the ground was quite covered. A most interesting and fertile country but far wilder than I thought it would be. America is by no means all sky scraper buildings and brick and iron. Even all the outskirts of New York are built of wood and, outside the big cities, one scarcely sees anything except wooden buildings of the bungalow style. We approached Chicago through a black dismal country of foundries and furnaces. The sky was black with the smoke of engines etc. – so was the ground and the houses. Of Chicago itself I can say nothing – we boarded the train we are now on at 6.30 and left at 7 o’clock sharp. Up to Chicago we had ordinary sleeping car accommodation and very comfortable it was too. From Chicago on we travel in state!! We have a small compartment to ourselves (self and Moynihan – Chambers is in the general compartment) with a private lavatory attached. Hot and cold water, shaded electric lights for reading in bed etc. It is in this compartment that I am writing. A removable table can be fixed up in it. I enclose you a little booklet which gives a description of our train. On page 25 I have marked with a X our compartment and with an O where Chambers is berthed. He, poor chap, has a bad cold and I have given him asperines. I am going to have a bath on this train. – I don’t require it but I want to be able to say I have done so! In the booklet you will find (page 20) how long the journey will take us. Gosh! I wish you and Gresther were here, - there is a maid on board who attends to kids. Gresther would be a handful though! There is one little girl on the train but she is younger and quieter than Gresther. The country we are passing through is flat, fertile well wooded and almost entirely under “dasi” cultivation – whether the big yellow “dasi” or the white I cannot say but we can see the dry, yellow stalks still standing for miles and miles. This beastly train (!) travels so fast that we cannot take in the details of plants close by and you know I am not much good at telling the difference between one kind of growth and another. How Alfred would enjoy this journey and how interested he would be in the “ranches” and farms we pass by. Why am I not a wealthy rancher out here! You, Gresther, your Pa and Ma, Alithea, Grace¹⁰ and, in fact, the whole family settled down peaceably her far away from war tormented Europe. –God Damn the Kaiser-. A peaceful country which is talking of building and running the biggest fleet in the world and preparing for next war!! I believe they will too, - They all seem dissatisfied with their present position. There is no doubt the great majority of Americans are out and out anti-German in their sentiments and would like to take a hand in this war. I find them a delightful people – only too glad to help a stranger in any way they can. They are proud of their country but do not boast of it, - maybe they keep all that for when they are out of their own country!! I have seen no card playing or drinking on these trains, - a great many of the passengers are ladies and many travel alone.
Newspapers are supplied gratis on this train. I saw in one Omaha paper this morning that a big rancher is experimenting with an aeroplane for watching his sheep as he is not satisfied with present method of motor cars. A shepherd in and aeroplane! Scata! After this indecent word I will stop and continue tomorrow.
Nov. 18th I do not know why I have started again on this letter, - nothing exciting has happened since yesterday. We are still rolling along very smoothly and rapidly. It turned cold and very windy yesterday afternoon and at Cheyenne – where we arrived at 8 o’clock and got out and walked rapidly up and down the platform for 15 minutes – it was freezing very hard indeed. There I got some quinine for Chambers who is not at all well. Only influenza I believe but a bad attack. In places there was a great deal of snow on the ground.
This morning was clear and bright. Hilly country with a good deal of snow on the ground. I got up early and went to the barbers and had a shave and a bath. Feeling good and pure and clean I thought it right that my breakfast should be in keeping so I had strawberries and cream, coffee, butter and hot rolls!! There was an extra big strawberry – How I longed to pop it into Gresther’s mouth!! I have made friends with the little girl on the train. Her name is Virginia and she is 23 months old. If you ask her her name she says “No” and if you insist she says “No Name”. She does not like her name, - her mother says. She says “no” to most everything. I gave her a small piece of chocolate and now she says “no - give me candy – no” whenever she sees me. She is not kept as clean as she ought to be and, with the conveniences this train has, there is no excuse for that. My blue suit was looking frowsy and crumpled so I have given it to be pressed, sponged and ironed. For that I will pay a dollar. There is a stenographer and typist on the train and he gives his services free of charge – except, of course, for what fee people may give him of their own free will. The Yanks as you know are awfully fond of iced water. My private compartment has an iced water depot and a supply of paper drinking cups and these ”iced water fountains” are to be found all over the train.
Well! We left Iglen (?) at 9.40 this morning and ran down a valley with snow clad hills on each side to the “Great Salt Lake” Valley. There there was no more snow and it was rather hot. The “Great Salt Lake” is about 30 miles broad where we crossed it. Rather than attempt to explain about it I will enclose you a little book which describes the place. It was rather monotonous going. It is now 2 o’clock in the afternoon by Pacific time – say 2 o’clock in the morning of tomorrow by your time. Get Alfred to explain to you the question of time. All I know is that on our journey across to Yokohama we will one morning get up and say “Oh! This is Wednesday the 10^th (for instance) and reply will be “No! There is no Wednesday this week and no 10^th in this month –“ this is Thursday 11^th !!” Question that bothers me now is whether someone is not cheating me out of a days’ pay! Moynihan says that it is the other way about!! I do not know what part of the country we are now in. It is desert looking and not pretty. We will cross the Sierra Nevadas during the night which is a pity as that is far and away the prettiest part of the journey and we rise to as high as 7,000 feet. Tomorrow at 10 o’clock morning we are due in Frisco and we have 24 hours there. There is the Panama Exhibition (Exposition they call it) going on there and Moynihan proposes we do not go to bed but go round seeing all that there is to see. I am not so greedy about seeing. I like my sleep.
Well Maudie mine, - goodbye for the present. A big kiss and hug to my Gresther how I do long to see her again. My love to “Tassiamas”!

San Francisco. Hotel St Francis. 19^th Nov.
Well Maudie I will close this letter so as to post it to you tomorrow morning. We got in here this morning punctually up to time. The country round here is wonderful and we had to cross a ferry boat with our complete train. I was doing up my luggage and had no idea we were on a ferryboat until Moynihan told me so. I thought that we had stopped at a station and was wondering at the long stay.
I cannot write more now as I am very tired. First we had a very long wait at at steamer office getting our tickets. On our return to the hotel we found the hotel doctor with Chambers and he gave it as his opinion that Chambers had pneumonia. This was an awful upset as you can imagine. We had a great deal of trouble in getting hold, through the phone, of C’s uncle who lives here. We got him at last and he came over with his own doctor – and took Chambers off to hospital. By this time it was getting on in the afternoon and we had to go back to steamer office and cancel tickets. After that was done we went to the “exposition” and saw what it looks by night. The fireworks were very fine and effects produced by smoke and jets of steam on which coloured electric lights were made to play was very pretty indeed. The banging would, I am afraid, have put our Gresther into fits. It is now getting on to 11 o’clock and I am very anxious to turn in so goodnight, my Maudie, I have travelled 4486 miles Naples –New York and 3254 New York to San Francisco and ½ my journey is not yet over.
Kisses to you both.
Yours affectionately
Charlie



Letter to Maude posted in Honolulu 24^th November 1915

My Dear Maude,
My last letter was posted from San Francisco on Saturday Nov. 20^th. I wonder whether it will ever reach you. It was a long and badly written scrawl and the question is will the Italian Censor have the patience to read it through or will solve the question by destroying it!
Well! My last letter left off on the night of the 19^th November. We got up early on the morning of 20^th November and phoned up the Hospital to inquire after Chambers. He was allowed to speak to us himself and said he felt ever so much better. Later on we drove to his uncle’s office and from him learnt that the specialist called in pronounced it a very light case and that three weeks time would see him quite fit again.
Our steamer was timed to leave S. Frisco. docks at 11.30 and we got on board in good time and Chambers’ uncle who accompanied us took off his (Chambers) luggage which had been sent direct to steamer from train the day before. We left the docks punctually to time but anchored a little way out in the harbour and waited there till 2.30 taking in more cargo, passengers and luggage.
Taking it all round this steamer is a disappointment to me. It is certainly a big and comfortable boat but cabins have a frowsy look and the kitchen leaves much to be desired. There are 200 first class passengers and a very mixed crowd they are. Tourists, engineers, missionaries, a bishop, a “toe dancer” (“ballerina”), one wickedly gay and dashing Shanghai widow, Japanese, a Chinese minister etc. On Sunday the Bishop held a short service which I attended. The sea was calm till Monday night when we encountered a very heavy swell, - evidently due to a bad north-east storm (typhoon) which had already spent itself. All day yesterday we rolled about heavily, things still all over the place and walking about was not very easy. A good deal of crockery was broken and so was my poor old head! Right on the bald patch too!! I have a lump of cotton wool plastered on it now and this sticks out like a little horn and makes me feel like a unicorn! Joking apart! I hit my head a pretty hard thwack. I was on the promenade deck talking to two fellows and I left them to go and light a cigarette inside the entrance hall (gangway, is, I believe correct name). You know the way doors are arranged on board steamers? A high door sill over which you step, - door is so low that if you stand on the sill your head will hit the lintel overhead. Well! I don’t know exactly what happened, - probably the ship gave a sudden lurch and I gave a spring through the door and crack went the top of my bald head against the door lintel and I came down in a heap! Luckily I had my cap on. I picked myself up without assistance and went to sit down in the smoking room and it was only after I had done so that I discovered that I had broken the skin pretty badly. The Doc soon fixed all that nicely but he has cut off some of my remaining bald hair! I had also to throw away my old cap and buy myself a new one from the ship’s barber who keeps quite a well stocked little shop on board. I was quite fit enough to attend lunch shortly afterwards and in the evening saw the cinema show and afterwards played three rubbers of bridge with Mr. and Mrs. Klimper and Moynihan. Very innocent bridge for very small stakes.
Mr. and Mrs. K. travelled with us from Chicago. He is a carpet merchant and has been to Smyrna and Constantinople. He and his wife are very pleasant people. From what I can make out his scheme is to organise Turkish and Persian carpet making in China!! We are I believe to have cinema shows every alternate evening, - one night dancing one night cinema. At noon everyday a bulletin of wireless news is printed and distributed gratis.
It is getting warmer everyday and a swimming tank is to be rigged up from tomorrow. Mixed bathing at certain hours, - ladies only at others. I will “spectate” and no more. We now looking forward to our arrival at Honolulu where we will spend 24 hours and be given an opportunity to go ashore. The islands are very beautiful I am told.
Well Maude mine, -there is not much more to say. The swell slackened down considerably yesterday evening and during the night and we are now very comfortable. A dullish sky overhead, a warm soft breeze, a limitless rolling ocean all round and a rather bored company of people on the ship! Just now the bugle has sounded for lunch and the Jap orchestra has tuned up. As the dining saloon is too small to seat all at one sitting, we Are divided into two relays and I come in with the second relay at 1.15 for lunch and 7.15 for dinner.
I suppose you will think I am having the time of my life. Well! so I am in a way for there is a good deal to interest one but there is also a good deal that is wearisome and monotonous and I cannot help longing to get to my destination so that I might tackle the rather tough business proposition that is before me and see how matters will shape. Also every mile we sail is one mile further from Corigliano, from you and from Gresther and that thought dampens all pleasure there may be in the voyage. A Shanghai man tells me that letters from England to Shanghai are sent via the Trans–Siberian railway and get out there in 15 days. No-one goes or comes between England and Shanghai accept by the Trans-Siberian railway unless they have children or much luggage. Well! It is no use making plans from now, - I will get back somehow or other in the early Autumn at latest I expect. K.J. spoke mysteriously about advisability of my returning via New York so “that you might spend some time here and get thoroughly acquainted with business on this side etc.”
Well Maude mine, I will go and wash my hands as my luncheon hour is approaching. My Gresther! A big kiss for her and one for my Maude. Am I to wish you “Merry Xmas”. I suppose this letter will be too late for that.
I will close and post this from Honolulu. Nov. 25th. We get in to Honolulu tomorrow morning early and there will be rush to get ashore for the day so I had better close this now. Nothing has happened since yesterday. Weather hot (781/2 deg. now in cabin) and sea calm. Wound on my scalp quite healed.
Much, much love to all
Yours ever and ever
Charlie


Letter to Maude posted in Yokohama December 6^th 1915

My Maude,
I posted a letter to you yesterday from Honolulu. This one will be posted in Yokohama.
I must try and give you some of my impressions of Honolulu. Having found by experience that pamphlets giving descriptions of places are generally frauds – i.e. praise up places far more than they deserve – I was prepared to be much disappointed in the Hawaiian Islands but I was not. Honolulu and its surroundings are really very beautiful. The gardens etc. are beautiful indeed; the weather as it should be, viz warm but not hot and tempered by cool sea breezes. Outside the town proper the houses are all bungalows (wooden) style; most of them are very pretty indeed with verandas, bay windows etc. All have a bit of garden round them and all are smothered in creepers of the flowering varieties. The wealth of blossom one sees is wonderful indeed and, of course, all of the tropical variety. The fruits too are tropical and weird, plantains, papaii, grapefruit, cocoanuts etc. etc. Of course there are any number of variety of palms – both ornamental and fruit growing. Mimosa trees (amberia) are seen everywhere and they border all the country roads and act as hedges around private grounds. They are finer and bigger trees that the “amberes” we see in Smyrna. The people (native) are very fond of flowers and gay colours. You see ordinary labourers working on road making with wreaths of gay blossoms pinned round their disreputable, battered, straw hats. The women folk are not content with wreaths of flowers but go in also for wreaths and strings of paper blossoms of all colours.
We were in sight of the islands at dawn yesterday but it was after 10 o’clock before we were finally at anchor and allowed to land. We had till 4.30 in the afternoon to see the place. Many passengers made a dash for it, - took motor cars and saw all they could at red hot speed. Moynihan and self landed with a man called Baisa who knows the place. We walked to the post office first and then to Young’s hotel where we visited the famous terrace bar, drank some excellent cocktails and admired the view. We did not stay long but took tram for the Aquarium which is nearly half an hours ride outside the town. Such numbers of bungalows we passed by and would not Gresther revel in the green lawns and lovely strips of sea beach.
The fish in the aquarium were simply gorgeous, - weird in shape and gorgeous in colouring. A white fish with a vivid blue belt round its waist; all the colours of the rainbow could be seen swimming about in the tank. From the Aquarium we walked to the Moana Hotel for lunch. This Hotel is situated on the famous Waikiki Beach which is the ideal bathing place of the world. There you see the great rollers coming in from the Pacific and “surf riding” is a great sport. Bathers go out in canoes and come back riding on these rollers. Between the line of surf and the shore there is a broad stretch of quiet water where even kids can bathe quite safely. Of course mixed bathing is much indulged in, - and about this I must tell you of something which I saw which really astonished me. We were standing in front of the Moana Hotel waiting for our return tram when we heard voices and there were two ladies dressed in the very scantiest of bathing costumes (pants did not reach four inches down the thighs!) coolly strolling through some private grounds on the other side of the road (which is traversed by two tram lines!) and across the Hotel grounds to the Beach! I consider all this positively indecent and uncalled for, for, of course, there are lovely bathing houses all along the beach and, if they preferred to undress at their own homes, they might, at least, have thrown some kind of a wrap over their naked limbs when crossing a public thoroughfare. I am told that such sights are not uncommon and do not surprise anyone in Hawaii!! I suppose some day some bolder lady will appear in public with “absolutely nothings” on and that will suffice to make it a custom!!
I do not know that there is much more to say about Honolulu, - it is undoubtedly a little earthly Paradise, - lovely climate, lovely flowers etc. and at first one is inclined to say “I could live her contentedly for always” but on second thoughts one is not quite so sure of that for I expect the perpetual damp and warmth of the place must be rather debilitating and I noticed that wire gauze stretched over windows and doors is very common so, I judge, there are, at certain seasons, a good many flies and midges going about.
We cast off from Honolulu Docks at 4.30. Crowds of swimmers accompanied us begging for coins to be thrown to them to dive for. Wreaths and bunches of flowers, natural and artificial, were thrown overboard and we left a trail of gay colour behind us. Temperature in my cabin tonight 79 to 82 degs. Sea calm.
I will stop now and tomorrow add some account of my fellow passengers especially of Mrs. Lew (Chinese) who is a most interesting person to talk to.

Nov. 30. Nothing much has happened these last three days. Weather has been calm and hot, - in fact very hot, - yesterday afternoon thermometer reached 871/2 in our cabin. Said cabin is on the sunny side of ship which also happens to be on the windless side. The other side is much cooler but still there is no getting over the fact that it is damnably hot. I wear no waistcoats and am very glad I brought those light “soo???” with me and only wish I had some of those light summer vests. “Malesh” – it is cooling down today and in a day or two, will be quite chilly. Today is an ideal day; the roll of the ship is scarcely perceptible and the sea and sky are beautifully blue. Dear me Maudie! Corigliano does look a tiny, wee speck at this distance and it is only the fact of its being a “city set on a hill” that makes it at all visible at this distance!! My Maudie and Gresther are far away in that speck but, the further I get away, the larger and larger they become. Well! We must not repine for now every mile we steam brings us nearer to you because, this morning at 38 minutes past midnight we passed the 180th Meridian so now Corigliano which we left so far to the East of us is now just appearing over the horizon to the West and we are travelling towards it, instead of away from, it!!. About this 180th Meridian, - had we crossed that line 40 minutes earlier, - that is to say at 2 minutes to 12 last night, today, instead of being Tuesday, Nov.30th , would be Wednesday 1st Dec. As matters now stand today began before we crossed the 180th Meridian so “today” is “today”! Tomorrow, however, will not be tomorrow for, instead of being Wednesday Dec 1st it will be after tomorrow viz, - Thursday Dec.2nd!!. December 1st, like Malta, is “mafush!”
I promised to give you some account of my fellow passengers. – That is rather a bigger job that I care to tackle. Of Mrs. Law, the Chinese lady, I have seen nothing since I last wrote. She is a graduate of Columbia College and a most highly educated person. From her talk I judge she does not quite approve of missionaries and I would very much like to know her better. My best friends are a Mr. and Mrs. Klimper, - I think I have already mentioned that they travelled with us from Chicago to S. Francisco so we were already acquainted when we met on board. We play bridge and old Klimper falls asleep and Mrs. K. wakes him up with a severe “Charlie! Wake up and pick up your cards.” Charlie always swears he had not fallen asleep but that his cards had “merely slipped”!! from his hand. I have entered a bridge competition and drew Mrs. Klimper as a partner. Monday we played our first match and won it. That was a peaceably good natured game but today’s match (which we also won) was quite exciting. Our lady opponent was Mrs. Pardee, a grand old lady with white hair which she wears something in your Aunt Eveline’s style and she and Mrs. Klimper struck sparks and, at times, I was afraid it would come to an open quarrel between the two ladies but fortunately it all ended with them both saying simultaneously “Thank you very, very much! I have never enjoyed a game more in my life”. Mrs. K. and I stand a very good chance of winning the tournament as we have only two more matches to play and against inferior opponents.
Since we have left Honolulu efforts have been made to make things gay for the passengers. A Sports Committee has been formed and all sorts of competitions are being held daily. The Japanese sailors gave us a sword dance and wrestling exhibition the other day. Tomorrow there is a fancy dress ball, - day after a concert and so on. All the same – I am bored –intensely bored.

Dec.6th Since last writing, nothing much has happened. The evening of the day I last wrote to you several of us made fools of ourselves. A Capt. Jordan remembered it was St. Andrew’s Day and he got hold of T???? – the only other Scotchman on board and they began to “celebrate” the occasion. I “volunteered” as a Scotchman for the day and raised great enthusiasm by renaming the ship “Mac Shingo Maru”. We sang Scotch songs – made a great deal of noise and the next day I, for one, had a very bad head indeed.
The weather has cooled down considerably and last night it was 68 ½ in my cabin. Sea very bad. Yesterday was the worst day and we pitched pretty heavily and portholes had to be tightly screwed down. It calmed down in the afternoon and today it is lovely, - blue sky – blue sea - and cool breezes.
Mrs. Klimper and I lost our Bridge Tournament being beaten in the semi finals. Three more band concerts and vaudeville shows almost every night and, really, the trip would be ideal if it lasted only say three or four days.

Tomorrow we get to Yokohama – I will then have travelled:-

Naples – Messina – New York	Miles 4486
New York – Chicago – rail	987
Chicago – S. Frisco - rail	2272
S. Frisco – Honolulu	2091
Honolulu – Yokohama	3394
	13230

At Yokohama I leave this steamer – go by rail to Tokio – then Kyoto – and then Kobe where I again join the steamer and go with it to Nagasaki where I tranship to Shanghai boat. We leave Kobe at 10 o’clock night of Friday so we will have three days between Kyoto and Tokio.
I will not turnover another page but close this now and post it tomorrow in Yokohama. Much love to Alfred and a kiss, oh such a big kiss, to you and Gresther, Has she forgotten her Daddy? God bless you and keep you.
Your affectionate husband
Charlie


Letter to Maude posted in Nagasaki 12^th December 1915:

My dear Maude,
I closed my former letter to you on the 6th and since then have sent you one or two postcards from different places in Japan.
We arrived in Yokohama early morning of 7th, but it was about 11 o’clock before we docked and could get on shore. Quarantine inspections etc. took up a great deal of time. The festivities for the coronation of the Mikado are still going on in Japan; the streets are decorated with paper lanterns, paper wreaths and flowers, and, of course, brightly illuminated by night with electricity. At Tokyo I saw some cherry trees with such a wealth of glorious blossom on them; they were really a beautiful sight and looked absolutely natural and yet were only paper.
Well! Well! Maudie – what am I to tell you about Japan? To attempt to give you anything beyond the roughest and shortest outline possible would be foolish of me. It is indeed a most marvellous country and such a tremendous contrast to New York and the States in general. The houses are almost all low wooden one storey or – at the most – 2 storey buildings and those very low storeys at that. As far as I can make out when a Jap decides to build a house he just buys a few shillings worth of timber, sixpence worth of nails, threepence of glue and a couple of packets of note paper and, there you are, he builds himself a house. This is furnished with a few mats and half a dozen cushions and is quite comfortable. There is nothing superfluous in Japan, - everything is simple and efficient. Take the rickshaws for example, - why keep a horse and carriage to go about with, - horses would dirty and cut up streets and besides require to be fed, shod, harnessed etc. No! a rickshaw is far cheaper, more convenient and just as efficient. Two bicycle wheels; rubber tyres, ball bearings; you just loll back comfortably and a coolie drags you swiftly and efficiently though the streets. Rickshaw riding is really the pleasantest means of locomotion I have ever tried. There is no jolting and jerking and the only sound is the rhythmic, steady, pat-pat-pat of the coolie’s bare feet. The transport of goods about the streets has also been similarly simplified. Why have a heavy cart and heavy horses when these light hand carts and their coolies will do the job just as well, - if not better. All told during these three/four days stay in the country inclusive of my twelve hour railway journey from Tokyo I certainly did not see more than forty vehicles drawn either by oxen or horses. I did not see a goat or a sheep, - doubtless these animals exist but not in the highly cultivated parts of the country I went through. You know how the Egyptians cultivate every noon and cranny, - the Japanese are the same, - only more so.
A Japanese crowd is a sombre one, - here and there one sees a little dash of colour where some young girls may be wearing gay ribbons in their hair, - otherwise most everybody seems to be wearing grey-black robes. A Japanese crowd is also a silent one except that their clogs (men and women wear them) make a considerable rattle. The quiet of Yokohama streets was most refreshing, - a rickshaw coolie does nor yell or shout when he wants someone to get out of his way, - he just gives a low guttural “o-o-ya” and the person steps out of the way. It is appalling to think what a row there would be were all these rickshaw coolies Egyptian ?????!
I cannot call the Japanese a beautiful race, - not by any means! They are decidedly ugly. Some of the younger women have very nice pleasant faces and are most gracefully clumsy (that is the only was I can describe it) in their walk and movements but I have not seen a single pretty Japanese face. They are very quick and intelligent; some of the serving girls at the Hotels cannot speak a word of English yet the seem to understand all you tell them as if by instinct and they smile such broad smiles at you and make such a pretty bow when you give an order that you eat your food with extra relish.
Dear me! What a lot I could tell but this letter will never get done if I let myself go. Tokio is a town of over 2 million inhabitants. Now all these 2 million live in small one storey or two storey shanties so you can imagine what a huge area the town must cover. Going through the streets of Tokio we passed by some smoking ruins “Been a fire here?” I said to our guide. “Yes-sir” “One house burnt or two?” “Eighty! Sir.” A mighty small area in which to pack eighty houses, - or rather I should say mighty small houses to allow of 80 being packed in such a small plot of land! Talking of the size of the buildings - yesterday on our way from Tokio to Kobe we passed by Osaka. Osaka has one million population, - it is called the Birmingham or the Chicago of Japan. There are forests of chimneys and black clouds of smoke hang all over the place, It is turning out arms and ammunition galore for the Russians (not sure of writing). You would think that surely here there would be tall brick warehouses, brick chimneys etc. Not a bit of it, - all the buildings are low wooden “Guaukes” (endless vistas of Guaukes) and all the chimneys are of iron.
Well! Well! What a lot of other things I would like to tell you Maude; about the cleanliness of Japanese houses, the beautiful mats they have on the floor, their sliding walls made of paper, etc. etc. also of the shops, - the light pretty furniture, the silks, brasswork etc etc. I bet you could furnish and make up a beautiful and comfortable home in Japan with very little trouble and expense and I like to picture to myself how you would sort out things and what you would buy. As for myself I have bought nothing except some postcards and one dozen handkerchiefs.
Well! As a matter of record” let me set down what I did since landing at Yokohama. We arrived and landed there at about 11 o’clock Tuesday. We put up at the Grand Hotel and slept there that night. There is not much to see at Yokohama. Next day we went to Tokio by the 10 o’clock train. ??? there in just over ½ hour. We put up at the Imperial Hotel. Before lunch we contented ourselves by walking about the place. After lunch we (Mr. and Mrs. Klimper, Moynihan and self) took a car and a guide and saw a good bit of the town and went to the reception held by Mr. Asano (very wealthy man - President of the Steamer Company) to which all Shingo Maru passengers were invited. His house is quite a show place in Japan and the old gentleman, his wife and daughters (all dressed Japanese fashion) received us very gracefully and cordially. Next day we took the 8.30 train from Tokyo for Kyoto where we arrived at 7.30 in the evening. Kyoto is the ancient capital and is more entirely Japanese than Tokyo. Nest day we saw many beautiful temples from the outside and the inside of two only. I will not attempt to describe them and will only mention the hair ropes we saw in one of them. When this temple was being built particularly strong ropes were requires for the transport of the enormous timbers used in the building. All, almost all, the women sacrificed their hair for the purpose and these ropes are made of human hair. It was cold in Tokio, at Kyoto it was almost bitter and was snowing all round on the hills. We left Kyoto yesterday at 3.30 and an hour and a half run brought us back to Kobe and so to our steamer which, however, did not sail until this morning at 8 o’clock. Ever since we have been steaming through what is known s the “Inland sea”. This is the sea between the two largest Japanese islands. It is scattered all over with islands, amongst which the steamer twists and turns. Of course it is dead calm and the sunset today was beautiful.

Nagasaki 12^th Dec. 1915
We got into port at 10 o’clock this morning and by 12.30 were installed in this hotel (the Belle Vue) after having booked our berths on tomorrow’s Russian steamer for Shanghai and having seen the majority of our luggage safely stored “in bond” at the custom house to be taken away tomorrow. The day is dull and cloudy but warmer than it was yesterday. Mr. and Mrs. Klimper and other passengers have taken rickshaws and gone for a 40 minute trip to a place called Moji: - the road to which passes through some beautiful scenery. I refused to go principally because I have a bad cold on and, secondly, because the day is dull and I trust tomorrow may be brighter and I will then do the trip to better advantage. My cold just began to bother me at Kyoto –you know the style – rasping hard cough at first and then burning eyes and nose and handkerchiefs galore! Last night I took aspirines –tonight I will take more and some quinine. There is a fire in this room; our steamer does not leave till 6 evening and I intend to take it right comfortable tonight and tomorrow. As for the famous rickshaw expedition to Moji – I will only take that if I feel absolutely fit and if there is bright sunshine.

Leaving this tomorrow evening at 6 o’clock we should be in Shanghai early morning of Wednesday the 15th. I will not be surprised if we spend Christmas in Shanghai. There will be a good deal of business to discuss there before we can start for Yienstsin, Pekin, Kalgan and that vaguely defined country where the licorice root comes from. Our job appears to me more and more difficult the nearer I get to it. There has been a sort of revolution in Shanghai and today we met a gentleman just arrived form there who was in a great state of excitement about it all. J???? however laughs at the idea of its being thought serious and the newspapers also treat it very coolly. Even an excited informant was obliged to admit that foreign residents in Shanghai went about their business just as usual and paid no attention to the firing going on in the native quarters. I saw in a Kobe paper a telegram saying that, owing to the severe cold and some cases of lawlessness in Manchuria, the Chinese govt. had closed the country to foreigners. Further in the course of a casual talk with some of the Shingo Maru passengers it was mentioned that foreigners cannot trade in China except at what are known as the Treaty Ports. Now this point was never mentioned by K.J. or anyone else in New York nor did it come up in the correspondence between New York and the British American Tobacco people. You see people in China take these limitations of trade so much as a matter of course that they would not think of mentioning them and they, the Shanghai people, will fall from the skies when they hear that expensive plant has been ordered with the intention of putting it up in the interior of the country. Altogether I foresee no end of complications but one thing is certain and that is that I will go ahead and buy all the darned root that I can and as for the baling, transport and shipping of it “Allah Kesim” (??) we will do it as best we can!

Well Maude! Will you be able to read this scrawl I wonder? There are many things I wonder about – have you got your usual winter cold? How is Alfred keeping? Does Dr. Pippino come round and see you? Have you got hold of a good supply of potatoes? And Gresther – what fresh tricks has she learnt I wonder? Nagasaki! A deuce of a long way from Corigliano! It was near here that the Japanese and Russians fought their great naval battle. I ought to be very much interested in the place but I am not – I am already blasé with sightseeing and I make a very poor tourist indeed. Old Mrs. Klimper surprises me with her energy. She is determined to see all that she can! For my part I am taking it coolly and comfy.
Bari has given me quinine.-I have got asperines, - and I am going to have a hot bath and some hot tea after dinner and regularly doctor myself up. I must say Americans are very kind people. The passengers left in board seemed genuinely sorry tom part with us and they all expressed the hope we would meet again and one man has invited me to stay with him in Buffalo on my way back and promised to show ne Niagara Falls etc. The Shingo Maru sin going on to Manilla.

Well! Girlie mine, I must close this – much love to Alfred and a fond, big kiss to you and Gresther. How are all the folks in Boudjah. I wonder when will I get letters from you. There must be several of your letters now on the way and perhaps I will find one waiting for me at Shanghai!!
Ever your affec^te husband
Charlie

Letter to Maude from Shanghai 1^st January 1916:

My own Maude,
Here is to wish you a happy New Year, - may the good God keep you and Gresther well; may you see this war over and us all united once more.
My Maude! We have much to be thankful for, - I especially thank God that I am sitting up writing this letter to you and that I am well once more after a short but rather sharp illness. I am writing this in the Victoria Nursing home. I could leave the place today if I liked as I am well enough to do so but I am comfy here and well looked after so I think I will stay on for another three or four days before going to the hotel.
Well! I had better tell you all about it from the beginning. My last letter to you was posted from Nagasaki (Japan) on the 12^th Dec. In it I told you that we were due to leave Nagasaki on the evening of the 13^th for shanghai by Russian boat “Penja” due Shanghai early morning the 15^th,
I also told you I was feeling extremely seedy. On the 13^th I was no better and I went on board the “Penja” with high fever. Passage across was very rough and what with fever and bad weather I passed a very bad time indeed. On arrival at Shanghai I went to the Astor House Hotel where Mr. Jeffries of the B.A.T. Co. met us and I asked him to phone up a Doctor. Dr. Murray came along and he ordered bed and advised that next day I should be sent here to the Victoria Nursing Home. I was inclined to rebel at first but submitted and next morning (the 16^th) found me here. What has my illness been? Principally pneumonia as far as I can make out.- Dr. Murray also says that an examination of the blood also showed the presence of “para-typhoid” germs, - these are not typhoid proper but something similar. Anyway, - let is drop all that,- one thing is certain I had a rather bad time of it for several days, - a good deal of pain when I coughed and very high fever accompanied as is usual with me, with delirium. That was the worst of it, - the mental part! Where was I? I was not one but I was many and I was very much afraid that some of “myselves” may have got lost or misplaced!! YOU and Gresther kept dancing about in my brain and, as for the Shingo Maru passengers, they were a regular nuisance, - it is all past and gone now and I am picking up strength finely every day. I now have my bath without assistance; this is generally about 7 o’clock in the morning; by 8 I am dressed and sitting up in a comfy chair reading. My meals are brought to my room; - it is a large airy room opening on to a balcony. I walk up and down the balcony when I like and generally take things easy. At 7.30 evening the last meal of the day is brought in and after that I immediately turn in to bed.
For a long time I was kept on a milk and chicken tea diet, - a cup of each alternately every two hours day and night. I think it was on 24^th that I was allowed to take some solids and, anyway, on Christmas Day I was allowed to have a slice of roast turkey! Talking of Christmas there were some very pretty Christmas carols sung outside this Home at dawn on Christmas day. The singers (quite a large number of ladies and gentlemen there must have been) had a harmonium with them in a motor car. They began with “Christians awake! Salute the happy morning!” and the sudden burst of music sounded very pretty and affecting.
Well Maude, I do not know what my movements are likely to be. In a day or two I leave this home and go to the Astor House Hotel where I have secured a good bedroom with bath attached. I have also already engaged a servant, - this is quite customary here. – Everyone engages a “boy” as soon as he arrives in the country. Moynihan left for Peking and Tientsin on the 28th or 27th. He is to come back here and report to me in a week’s time or so. There can be no question of my going up north for a long time to come,- in fact not till spring – for it is far too cold up there just now. I will stop now and continue this another time. There is no mail for several days.
Yours ever
Charlie

Letter to Maude from the Astor House Hotel, Shanghai.

Astor House Hotel,
Shanghai,
6th Jan. 1916

My own Maudie,
My letter from the Nursing Home ended rather abruptly; to tell the truth I suddenly felt tired so gave up. Since then there has been no inducement to go on with it as there is no mail to post by until the 8^th. Well girlie mine! I left the home on the 4^th and you must make your mind easy about me: I am getting on famously and my illness is now a thing of the past. I will not tell fibs and assert that I am as strong as ever I was. Far from it; I am still very rickety on my legs and can do very little walking about but, I have improved wonderfully the last two days and yesterday took a fairly long stroll from the Hotel tom the Br. Am. Tob. offices. As I said, my illness may be safely considered a thing of the past so we will say no more about it. I have not at all fixed on what I am going to do. As I have already told you, Moynihan is up at Peking. Yesterday I saw my Doctor and he told me most decidedly and emphatically that I must not go up North (20 to 30 degrees of frost up there!) but that I could stay on in Shanghai without the slightest risk as I had thrown off my illness much better than he thought I would. I must explain that at one time the Doc. talked of the advisability of my going down south to Hong-Kong to convalesce but he now says that that is not a bit necessary. Question now is; can I be of any use to the firm by staying on here? Of course later on in the spring I could safely go up to the root districts and have a look round but the Spring is a long way off yet. Of course if I cabled New York saying that I thought it best to leave Moynihan in full charge and asking for leave to return to Italy they would at once agree but you can easily understand how unwilling I am to do that and give them no work in return for all the expense I have put them to in travelling as far as here. I do not want to be like that old general who marched up to the top of the hill (“when he got up he was up”) and then marched down again. As you can see it is a bit of a problem to know what is best to do so I am for the time putting off coming to a decision. Yesterday I cabled New York telling them that I was out of hospital but that, for the time being I could not travel so was staying on here pending news of Moynihan. At the same time I telegraphed Moynihan asking what he was doing and I will now wait to hear from both quarters for the firm is pretty sure to cable some instructions and it is even possible they themselves may suggest advisability of my returning to Italy. Anyway their cable is pretty sure to give me a very good idea of what their ideas on the matter are and that will serve to guide me. As for how business stands out here I, today, know less about that than I did before I left New York for, of course, I have attended to nothing since I came here, and have forgotten much that I knew by hearsay. No! there is nothing to be done but to wait for news from K. J. and also for Moynihan’s report which I trust he will bring down himself. On the whole I am inclined to think that this will end by my staying on here for two or three months and then getting back home as best I can. This last is quite a problem with all these boats being torpedoed in the Mediterranean. One route is by steamer to Port Said, Greek Boat from Egypt to Greece and Greek boat from Greece to Italy. Then there is the Trans Siberian Railway through Sweden and Norway by rail, thence by steamer to England, across to France and so on to Italy. Yet another route is back to the States and from there Spanish steamer to Spain or Portugal and rail through to Italy.
Well Maude! About myself and my possible movements etc. I do not know there is much more to say. This letter in itself should be a proof to you that there cannot be much wrong with me especially when you consider that it is written on a machine that I am using for the first time in my life. What does Alfred think of its writing? It is a Corona; it is light and (so) small that I can easily lift it with one hand. It has 28 keys and each key writes three characters so there are two shift keys. It really is a wonderful little machine and I will buy one for myself before returning home. Moynihan did all his office work – accounts and all – with one of these machines all the time he was in Ahwaz and there is no doubt it is quite a reliable article. In the meantime, as I said, this letter should be a proof to you that there cannot be much wrong with me for a sick man could not tackle an entirely new kind of typewriter for the first time and make such a decent show of it. My room here is a very comfortable one, it has a good old fashioned grate and I keep a brisk coal fire going all day. Before turning in I replenish it so in the morning it is still going and my boy comes in early and does it up. Tea and a newspaper is brought to my bed at about 7.45 and about half past eight or so I get up have my bath and dress. My boy then brings breakfast (I never vary it – coffee, eggs toast, jam) to my room. That is the only meal I now have in my bedroom; for the others I go down to the dining room. Of Shanghai I can tell you little; it is a big place and it is not on the sea but on a river and a mighty big river too. It is very different to Japan in its architecture which is more after the European style viz, big brick buildings etc. there are evidently a good many factories in the place for I can see a good many tall chimneys and the air is sooty and grimy. One cannot call the climate cold but I find it very cheerless and gloomy. There has been no actual rain since I have been here but we have seen very little sunshine as it is generally misty and the sky overcast.
Well, Maudie mine! On the 4^th I got my first mail from New York and it brought me a whole budget of your letters the last of which is dated 14^th November – some 51 days stale but yet how welcome! So old Policastro gave you a shock over the Ancona disaster? You know I had been worrying over that and wondering how the news would reach you and I kept hoping that old Antonio Cimino would not give you a fright by calling something unintelligible from his balcony. It never struck me that anyone else would be the culprit and least of all old Policastro! So Gresther was disappointed at not getting “shee shoes” from Napoli and also wanted a “capello and a bambolla”. Give her a big, big kiss from her Daddy who will do his best to bring her lots of pretty things when he comes back from his travels. I wonder whether the shoes I sent from New York turned up safely or whether they have been torpedoed or otherwise done away with by the Austrians.
So, old girl! You are feeling a bit lonely and dull in Corigliano? Do you know it came to me with quite a shock of surprise to hear Corigliano talked of as dull etc? I have thought of the place and longed for the place so much of late that at last it began to assume the guise of a little earthly paradise!! A little analysis of my feelings however soon brought out the fact that it is not Corigliano that I long for but the dear folk I left behind in it. You mention dozing off at the tandour and ask whether I would not like to be there doing the same. “You bet your life!” as La’s friend said to him. Talking of La I wonder where he has got to? If only he were available for next year’s baling it would be a great weight off my mind. Let us trust I will be back in time for it myself. Many thanks to good old Alfred for his letters. I will be writing to him very shortly.
Tomorrow I am going to make out my account for travelling exs and after that I will have nothing to do till Moynihan turns up form Kalgan.
Much, much love to you my own wife and big kisses to Gresther. I will write constantly from now on and post via Trans Siberian for the Hotel clerk tells me letters go alright that way.
Yours ever

Letter to Ernest 6^th February 1916

My dear Ernest,
From one or two points on my journey out here I sent post-cards but never wrote. I believe I have received all your letters including one with an enclosure from the Norwich Union. With the help of my diary I will try and give you a compact and clear outline of all that has befallen me on this journey and, after reading same, I am sure you will forgive and excuse my slackness.
I left Italy on the 27^th Oct. by Italian boat direct for New York where, after an uneventful journey, we arrived on the 10^th Nov. I had a good but rather strenuous four days in New York, left New York by train for San Francisco on Nov. 15^th travelling via Chicago and in luxurious style – reserved parlour compartment with private lavatory attached – absolutely luxurious travelling and done regardless of expense. My party consisted of three viz, self, Moynihan (a member of our Mesopotamian staff, good man, plenty of experience), and a young chap called Chambers – picked up by the firm in New York , no experience of licorice root or business of any kind but knew Peking and speaks a little Chinese. Got to San Francisco on 19^th. Chambers was ill – we called in a doctor and he pronounced it pneumonia so we had to send him to hospital. Moynihan and self got off next day by Japanese boat, boat for Nagasaki – transhipment there for Shanghai to Russian boat. We got to Honolulu on the 26^th November and had a few hours on shore. We got to Yokohama on 7^th December - left steamer there and trained it to Tokyo, Kyoto and Kobe where we rejoined out steamer late at night on the 10^th and she sailed early next morning for Nagasaki. Trip through Japan was most delightful but, unfortunately, I must have caught cold at Kyoto for I got on board at Kobe feeling rather seedy. Nagasaki was reached on the 12^th – we landed, spent the night on shore and left next evening for this place by Russian steamer. I went on board very seedy indeed – high fever, bad cough. Journey across was very rough and what with high fever and high seas I had the time of my life. We landed here early morning of 15^th and I came to this hotel, went straight to bed and sent for the Doctor. The next day I was moved to the Victoria Nursing Home which I was only able to leave on the 4^th January. What was wrong? Doctor acknowledges my case was a puzzling one. He says certainly had pneumonia in a light form, typhoid ditto – para-typhoid he calls it, - I am inclined to add a little malaria (legacy from Corigliano) to all this. On my exit from hospital Doctor said I could safely stay on in Shanghai till warm weather but absolutely vetoed my going North to Peking and Tienstsin till ice there had broken – Tientsin port is ice bound at this season – and spring weather properly set in. I stayed on here, my health improved rapidly and Doctor began to think that I might venture up North a bit earlier. On 21^st January I felt seedy and went round to my Doctor, he said better get back to eth Hotel and keep to my room and that I probably had what he also was suffering from viz., influenza. Next day my Doctor was too seedy to come round himself but he sent another man round to see me who found nothing wrong with me except influenza and prescribed usual asperine, quinine, hot punch etc... Next day my own Doctor came round and he sent me to bed. Fever still continued very steady and high and to make a long story short, on 25^th Jan., I was back again in the Victoria Nursing Home where I stayed until two days ago viz., 4^th February. Doctor called it influenza but, as an extra precaution, treated me also for malaria giving me strong injections of quinine. My first illness was a rather serious one and the Doctor tells me that, once or twice, he was much afraid it would take a dangerous turn but it never actually did that. My second illness was a light one and, in my opinion, I stopped in hospital several days longer that I need have done. I feel very fit now and, the day I left hospital I told my Doctor that I hoped to go up North about middle of March and he raised no objection.

The rest can be more concisely told by quoting telegrams exchanged with New York. On the evening of the 4^th I received following:

OWING TO CONDITION YOUR HEALTH HARDSHIP CHINA RETURN SOONEST POSSIBLE SUITABLE FOR YOU AVAILING EVERY COMFORT ANSWER

And yesterday I cabled them:

LEFT HOSPITAL YESTERDAY VERY MUCH BETTER DO YOU WISH ME TO COME NEW YORK IF NOT I CAN LEAVE SIXTEENTH DAY OF FEBRUARY SUEZ

and now await to hear from them before deciding definitely.
You will notice that New York says “return soonest possible” Had they not been so definite, had they in any way left it optional to me, I would have answered that I would stay on and that, in the meanwhile. I would keep in touch with Moynihan (who is up North) and join him as soon as weather milder. As matters are I did not consider that I would be justified in telling them anything to the effect that I considered it would be safe for me to stay on so I contented myself by saying “very much better” and it is now up to them to say so if they wish me to stay on. Should they in any way hint at anything of the kind I will stay on but I do not think there is much chance of that. My question as to whether they wish me to return via New York is due to the conversation I had with our President there. He said that before my return to Italy he would like me to spend a “considerable time” in New York. I am pretty certain that they will answer that I must only consult my own comfort and convenience as to route I travel by and, in that case, I will leave this on the 11^th inst, by the Mesagerie Maritime boat “Andre Lebon” due at Port Said on 12^th March. This is a very fine steamer, 22, 000 tons, brand new, maiden trip, quite the blue ribbon ship of any now on the run. If they want me to go to New York I will leave on the 18^th by the “Tenyo Maru” also a very fine steamer and it should land me in Frisco about the middle of March.

You will see my excuse for not writing sooner is a good one this time. Naturally it was no good my sending a doctor’s certificate to the Insurance people from a hospital! I will however get a certificate from Dr. Murray before I leave this. I am quite sure it will be alright for he has repeatedly told me that he finds me perfectly sound.
My feelings about my return home are much mixed. The prospect of seeing the wife and kid so much sooner than I had expected to do is, of course, delightful, but equally of course, I am rather chagrined at not seeing job through. M and F have been very kind in cabling for news etc. You will notice that they take the trouble to tell me to travel with every comfort available. It is pleasant working for such people.

February 12^th
I kept this letter back in case there was any change of plan and I stayed on. Answer from New York only reached me on the 9^th and I was the caught in a little swirl of odd jobs and have not had time till now to go on with this. There is no change of plan: I will leave on the 16^th by the Andre Lebon” and will be at Port Said on the 14^th March.
I purpose cabling to Maude something to this effect:-
“Business settled arriving Port Said fourteenth March proceeding direct Italy unless you care meet me in Egypt for holiday”.
Poor old Maude must be desperately fed up with Corigliano but I do not suppose she will care to risk the crossing to Egypt. She knows of my first illness but not of my second for my last letter to her was dated 6^th January. I did not write for a fortnight after that owing to business and debility and then came my second illness. On receipt of this letter you might send a line to Alfred Pengelley telling him that you had heard from me, giving the name of the steamer I am travelling by and mentioning that if Maude met me in Egypt it was my intention to stay on there for a month or six weeks. You see this letter is going via Siberia and, I am told, should reach you in about a fortnight. If you write at once Alfred will get your letter long before I get to Port Said and, if Maude has smelt a rat and is anxious, it will quiet her mind to know that I have written to you. Send a post card, not letter. Post cards get much quicker through the censor offices. Well I will close this screed. Fate seems to be against my ever visiting England for had I stopped on here till summer it was my intention to tell Maude to go to England as soon as spring weather set in and to wait for me there and I would return via Siberia.
My love to Lou, Frits and anyone else who knows or cares for me in your parts.

Yours sincerely

16^th April 1916; Letter to his cousin Ernest


My Dear Ernest,
I have been here since the 10^th. I know you got my letter from Shanghai. I left that place on 16^th February. The “Andre Lebon” came up to all I had been left to expect. It is a most luxurious boat. Electric lift from one deck to another; comfortable lounge rooms; plenty of deck space for walking about and most excellent food. We had perfect weather all the way to Suez and the 28 days journey as far as there did me a power of good. What was especially beneficial to my health was the baths of sea water I took every day. It was cold and raw when we left Shanghai but by the time we got to Hong Kong (four days) it was already tropically warm and Siago, Singapore and Columbo were really hot. After Columbo it cooled a bit but got warmer at Djobouti and entering the Red Sea it cooled rapidly and we all got out of white summer kit and put on dark clothes. I will not attempt to tell you of the places we saw. The crowd in Ist. Class was not more than seventy all told and we each had a cabin to ourselves. At Saigon I saw a rather weird and ghastly sight viz. the execution of 38 Amenites. An attack on the Saigon prisons had taken place a few days before we got there and the 38 men executed were part of the rabble that had been taken prisoners on that occasion. They were shot down in batches of six at a time and the two leaders last of all.
I landed at Suez from where I caught the late afternoon train for Ismailia. Our train steamed out of Suez station just as the Ismailia train (rather behind time) steamed in. In it a rabid, furious Jack¹¹ who had come down to meet me and calculated that he would have just a quarter of an hour at Suez before my train left and that we would have a nice, long chat all the way to Ismailia! He had to spend the night in Suez and had not even put a toothbrush ion his pocket when he left Ismailia. He turned up at Ismailia next day. At Ismailia station I was met by Henry¹², Purdon and Fred. I found them all looking well at Ismailia. Mary¹³ complained that she had a bit of a cold but she looked better than when I last saw her in 1912. Mabel’s and Effie’s¹⁴ youngsters all had whooping cough but it did not seem to affect their general health or spirits much. Business with Jack and Henry I found brisk. Needless to say it is all connected with the Canal defences but there I touch on forbidden ground and must not incur the Censor’s wrath by saying anything except that none need have any uneasiness as to what will happen if the Turks are foolish enough to attempt a move against Egypt again. A very different Ismailia to the sleepy place you know I stayed at Ismailia four days and then went over to Maedi. In all I spent 14 days in Egypt many of which were a weary waiting for a steamed that was always putting off its departure. We got away at last – by “we” I mean Doris Pengelley and myself – by the S/S “Margarita”, a first class Greek loner of about 1000 tons, ten million bugs, 6 knots an hour, filthy food, no life belts and rotten old boats. We took 86 hours actual steaming to get to Pireus and we had the worst weather possible. I think I may claim to be a good sailor but, for the first and only time on this journey round the world, I was prostrate on my back for a whole 48 hours. After that I struggled into my clothes and was able to take my meals – such as they were-regularly. Poor Doris did not move out of her birth until we got to Pireus. She looked so wan and frail towards the end that I was really anxious about her. On the last day I managed to get her to swallow two lightly boiled eggs and half a cup of broth and, with the assistance of a drop of brandy she bucked up and was able to land at Pireus and walk about quitre would have been had anythink gobe wrong! The deck passengers e briskly. Rowlie¹⁵ met us and took us out to Kephissia. I found all well at Athens except Nellie¹⁶ who decidely (sic) looks old and pinched. Beckie¹⁷ however tells me that Nelly is much better than she has been for a long time in the past. Her ailments are mostly imaginary but, to her, none the less real for all that. She had of course given up all hope of seeing Doris for she made quite sure that if we had not been sunk by the storm a German submarine must have done for us. Poor old Pomps! It is a pity her nerves are so bad. I stayed only four days in Greece and left Pireus for Messina by the “Nafcrastussa” a ship of less than 1000 tons but a bettr boat than the “Margarita”. She took us to Messina in some 52 hours which is not bad but it was absolutely scandalous the way she was crowded. She had more than 850 deck passengers(;) inclusive of first and second class passengers and crew something like 1000 souls on board. I think only one of her boats was fit to launch and what a disaster there would have been had anything gone wrong! The deck passengers were all bound for the U.S. and went on to Naples where they transhipped into one of the Italian liners for the States. For the privilege of sleeping on the deck of this Greek tub they were made to pay Frs.85 per head and not even awnings were spread over them to keep off the rain. It is damnable the way Greek steamers are run without any Government control of what they do and how they overcrowd the passengers and the absolute lack of any life saving apparatus.

My steamer reached Messina in the afternoon and, what with Customs and police delays, I was only just in time to catch night train for Corigliano which brought me here at six the next morning. I found Maude, Alfred and my little lass all very well. The latter grown longer, lankier and more loveable than ever. She was rather shy of me and for the first day, would insist on calling me “uncle”!

When I wrote to you from Shanghai I told you that I had written to Maude on the 6^th January telling her of my illness. That letter never reached her so she was surprised to hear that I had had such a bad time of it.

Alfred is staying on here for the time. He may have to go to Switzerland shortly to stay there as a sort of corresponding agent for M and F company. This is Birds idea but I fancy it will not be approved of by New York. Anyway Alfred stays on here for the time and, if the Switzerland idea falls through, he will be given long leave by the firm and, in that case will join the others in Athens and put in some more weary waiting till the war is over.

What about my life insurance? I suppose I need not send in any fresh doctor’s certificate now that I am back here and that the fact of my having exceeded the free limits does not vitiate the policy in any way. Let me know. I am confident I could pass another medical examination easily should the company require same.

How is Lou getting on? Tell her I expect her to write to me. Maude has set her heart on coming to England this summer so I expect we will come over in late August or early September. I want her to leave early so as to escape the hot weather but she looks so vicious when I mention her doing so and says that she will not go anywhere without me or allow me to go anywhere without her.

Much love to you all
Your affectionate cousin



A LETTER OF CONDOLENCE following the death of his nephew.

3rd. September 1917: letter to Rowley Pengelly
Letter of condolence from Charlie Williamson to his brother-in-law Rowlie Pengelley and sister Becky Pengelley, after their son Donald was killed in action.

“Sacred to the memory of Rowland Donald Pengelly aged 26 Second Lieut. Royal Engineers, the beloved son of Rowland Annesly and Rebecca Pengelly of Boudjah, who was killed in action on the night of August 19^th 1917 whilst going to the succour of his men who were in great danger. For this act he was mentioned in a despatch from the Field Marshall Sir Douglas Haig for “Gallant and Distinguished Service in the Field”
Lieut. Pengelley is buried in the Cemetery at Voormezeele, enclosure No.3 Grave reference XV.B.2
(memorial tablet in the Church of St. John Evangelist, Boudjah)


My Dear Rowlie,
The original of enclosed copies arrived last night. One was open and the other I opened as I did not think it right to let it go forward without keeping a copy. Early this morning the originals were sent down to Corigliano and posted “Espresso” so you should get them tomorrow after lunch. I am writing to Jack today and posting him a copy of these letters; Stanley will be glad to have one. I like both letters and, more especially, that of Major Briggs – it is of a man and a soldier and there is a sincere, true ring about the praise Donald gets both form him and his Colonel.
I was glad to hear from Alfred that both you and dear Becky were bearing up bravely under your great grief. Alfred says Becky’s (and yours, I am sure) great anxiety was as to how the girls would bear up. They are young and, being young, their grief will be acuter and rawer than even yours but the wounds and griefs of the young heal faster and, although they will never forget their brother Donald, time will very soon deaden their grief into a happy and sweet memory.
Looking back at all the many griefs we have been through. Have they not passed and mellowed until they are not much more than sweet memories? Thank God we have no bitter memories left, - no memories of hatred, injustice and serious misunderstandings. My idea of a future life is, perhaps, not quite the orthodox Christian one but one thing I am quite sure of and that is that, after death, when our bruised hearts are healed , our shattered nerves at rest, and our clouded vision made clearer, we will know more, understand more, sympathise more forgive more and love more. Knowing more, forgiving more and loving more we are bound to be happier and therefore I believe in a future happier life but not in a sadder one, - no, not even for the very worst of men. We live in Time, not in Eternity and Time passes quickly and brings us every day nearer to a happier Eternity and to more sympathy, forgiveness and love.
All here send you much sympathy and love. Maude and Bessie were much cut up when I came up from Corigliano (yesterday, a week ago) and gave them the sad news. All the Italians you got to know here send you “saluti” and condolences. Baron Compagna in particular was very sympathetic and spoke with real emotion.
With fond, fond love to you both,
I am, dear Becky and Rowley,
Your affectionate brother,

P.S. In envelope with letters from Donald’s officers I enclose you a p-c from Mrs. La Fontaine. Today I am re-addressing you a letter from Spain for Becky and one for Rowley from Rhodesia.


CORRESPONDENCE WITH MR. JUNGBLUTH, President MacAndrews and Forbes, 1920 - 1923

LETTER TO MR. JUNGBLUTH 27^TH MAY 1920

PERSONAL AND PRIVATE

Dear Mr. Jungbluth

Your letter of the 29^th April came to hand yesterday. I trust mine of even date has reached you safely.

I was very glad to hear from you and to learn that you were back, in good health and fit for work. I too “touched wood” when I read paragraph saying how well you felt.

I got back yesterday from Naples where I settled up matters with Baron Guido both as concerns late season’s work and also for new (1920/21 contract) season. It entailed some tough bargaining but, on the whole, Compagna proved reasonable. I called at Chiatamone and saw the Old Baron and Baroness who both look very fit. They are preparing for the wedding of their son Pierro who marries a very good partie (sic). Guido acts the beneficent brother and is spending money freely in getting hoes brother married. Although a regular Jew at a bargain Guido is very generous indeed to all his relatives and to all in need. He has many very admirable qualities.

Now - touching your quotations from Smyrna letters:- I am very grateful to you for letting me know and quite appreciate delicacy of the matter.

On the 14^th November 1919 I received Company’s telegram reading “ELEVENTH – COMPANY CREDITS YOU BONUS THIRTY PER CENT COMMENCING JANUARY FIRST NINETEEN EIGHTEEN”

Mrs. Williamson was then in Smyrna and both she and I were worrying a little over financial matters. Instead of adding to we were reducing our savings and that, for people situated as we are, is equivalent to living beyond our means. If you look up my letter to the Company dated 1st November 1919 you will see more clearly what I mean. Naturally on getting Company’s telegram I hastened to pass on contents to my wife and this I did in a letter marked “private” and I told her not to mention the matter to anyone although I had reason to believe all Smyrna employees would be getting similar treatment (sic) shortly. Mrs. Williamson never mentioned the matter to anyone.

On, or about, 18^th December I received Company’s letter dated 21^st November telling me my salary was to be increased to $6,000. – to date from 1^st January 1920 and it must have been shortly after this date (i.e. 16th December) that I received a letter from one of my sisters saying that all the “M and F –ites” were very pleased at having received an allowance of 60%. In replying to this letter it was only natural that I should say that although I had received a 30% allowance (instead of 60%) it was made up to me by an increase in salary. I have no copies or notes of this correspondence with my sister so am uncertain as to dates and wording. I am only certain of one thing and that is that the matter never was openly referred to by me until after I had heard from my sister that Smyrna staff had all had a bonus given them. Mrs Williamson arrived in Naples shortly before X/mas and, on my mentioning the matter to her, replied that she had never heard of any bonus or allowance to the Smyrna staff. How the talk got about I do not know but from last Autumn I had understood that it was contemplated giving a bonus to the Smyrna staff and that 60% was probable figure. Anyway long before any news of any allowance made me could have reached Smyrna (in fact before I knew it myself) it was a matter of common talk that such an allowance was to be made to them and that is quite sufficient to account for the “disturbing effect……..on our staff” Smyrna complains of.

I do not know that I have anything more to add. – I am quite aware of Smyrna management’s morbid dislike of what they call “gossip” and sometimes, in more courteous language, “chattering women”, but I am quite sure that after reading this explanation you, in New York, will not attach to me the least shadow of blame in the matter.

As for remark that “idea seems to be abroad that, where questions of remuneration are settled on our side. etc. etc.” that, undoubtedly, so as is also the further fact that New York treats its employees with invariable courtesy and consideration instead of with rudeness and inconsideration.

I have marked this letter “Private” but it is unnecessary for me to say that you are free to make its contents known should you think it right to do so.

I have probably dealt with the matter at a greater length than you will think it deserves; any way I do not think there is anything in this letter that is not already known to you.

Trusting this will find you in the best of health,
Yours very sincerely

C.B. WILLIAMSON


LETTER FROM MR. JUNGBLUTH JULY 8^TH 1921


Dear Mr. Williamson:-

I guess you have been wondering what’s the matter – not hearing anything from me in answer to your always welcome letters, but I trust you’ll forgive me when I tell you that for over a year my condition has been such as to render writing a good deal of a task, which I was ordered by my Doctor to avoid as much as possible, although that order was really superfluous because I simply was not up to it - excepting favourable intervals.

During May 1920 I had a sort of breakdown which was the forerunner to a condition my Doctor thought might yield to treatment at the old Spa Wildungen in Germany, the waters of which are not known to exist elsewhere and specifies in cases such as mine., but an operation became necessary, and it was a rather severe one of considerable shock to the nervous system. This probably caused an aggravating eczema resulting in many sleepless nights. In fact from September to April I had no really restful night, which caused general weakness and often difficulty in concentrating my thoughts on any occupation for any length of time.

Just before Christmas, Dec. 23^rd, we left N.Y., my Doctor urging me to get away to the mild climate of Florida, where I very slowly recovered and continued to do so after our return here in April. I am not yet up to normal by any means and generally have a rotten hour or two in the morning, but my Doctor promises that I’ll get over it all before long, and tells me that I made – for my age- unusually quick recovery. It certainly seems a long time to me. Some of all that you have meanwhile learned from Geddes, who had caught a bad case of ptomaine poisoning in Paris, which after Syria caused him to go to Salsomaggiore, where it was taken out of him , and he is now almost up to normal again.

I have just been reading over your letters of 29^th April and 27^th May 1920, and the more recent one of 24^th April, enjoying again their entertaining contents, although partly serious enough, for instance the series of broken bones in the Williamson family. They were truly remarkable. No doubt they have all been mended long ere this, and may the series have cone to their end for good.

I hope that you and your family enjoyed your stay up in the mountain last year, and Mrs. Williamson her garden, poultry, cow and butter making. Truly wish we had something like it. There is plenty of it in New York’s neighbourhood, but we continue to stick in town – fond as we both are of the country.

Referring to what you write in yours of May 27^th, 1920, after the line: “Now touching your quotation from Smyrna letters &c.,” somewhat post festum now, I’ll just say that I enjoyed several smiles over your dissertation on the subject. It certainly agreed with my own feelings.
In your letter of 24^th April you gave me some Corigliano news in connection with the coming elections, which I read with much interest seeing that Guido Compagna was a candidate, and from your later letter to Geddes I learned that he came out with colors flying. Well – I am glad he won. He has much about him that is likeable and some standard traits. Please thank him for his inquiry regarding me, tell him that I enjoyed very much news of his triumphant victory in the elections, also convey my congratulations and best wishes for his success on the road to fame.

There is much to say about our business and the effect upon it of the conditions resulting from the general savage disturbance, and I apprehend it will be some time before we get out of the woods of liquidation, but I’ll not dwell on that unsatisfactory subject. We’ll just have to play the game!

I am glad that you and your family are in your new place, and find it more comfortable. It must be a decided betterment.

My wife had an anxious time taking care of me during my invalid condition. She was a devoted and excellent nurse without whom I might not have pulled through, for I was pretty close to the brink for a while. Just wanted to let you know that you are in my thoughts same as ever, and to send you and yours our pleasant greetings with our hearty good wishes for your health and happiness.

Sincerely yours,

Karl Jungbluth.

LETTER FROM MR. JUNGBLUTH MAY 15^TH 1923


Dear Mr. Williamson,

It has been many times in my thoughts to “drop you a line” and to thank you for your kind letter of 23^rd. December last. The plea of press of business is one that I am always reluctant to make, yet to a great extent it applies, leaving me less time than ever before to follow my inclination by personal correspondence withy those with whom I like to keep in touch, as in your case. My business hours have generally been and are late and the day all too short in these times, when twice the time is needed to carry on, and in the evening I am glad to get over the reaction from more or less intense talk and the rush of the day. However, you continue in my thoughts as before; they like to dwell on the pleasant days we have spent together.

Although rather post festum – I now wish to thank you for your good Christmas and New Year wishes, trusting that ours reached you on schedule time.

I was glad to read from yours that you were then in much better health than unfortunately you were at our last meeting. I know what a handicap that means from much experience before that inopportune attack of bronchial pneumonia at Paris, from the weakening effect of which it took me some time to recover. I could not risk the harsh and changeable New York winter, so my wife and I spent some time at St. Petersburg, Florida, where we have a small place with a comfy bungalow, and where the climate is really wonderful – quite excelling that of Egypt, not to speak of the Riviera. It was of great benefit to us both, and I returned from there in good form, able to perform my duties, for which considering previous conditions of servitude and the passing of my 75^th last month – I feel truly grateful.

My wife remained in Florida to complete the cure of her long-standing ailment – neurtitis –under electro – therapeutic treatment by an expert specialist, whose recent verdict was “90% well, the remaining 10 sure to follow.” Q.D. b. v! She left St. Petersburg tonight and I am to meet her on arrival in Washington, where I’ll be going to-morrow to attend a two days’ convention of tobacco men, thus combining the ornamental with the useful, and no longer a grass-widower – you know how that is yourself!

I may mention, however, that the New York office supplied me with enough material to keep me from having anything like a dolce far niente in Florida.

Well, no worth – while progress has been made in connection with the plan for Italy (the Baron and others) discussed at Paris. However, the longer I think of it (and the feasibility of including France and Spain) the more I believe in its ultimate accomplishment under proper presentation of its benefits. Underlying such presentation must be to convince that it will mean the lowest reasonable cost of tenth and stabilized prices for all its products to all concerned. Once that is thoroughly understood – the rest ought not be difficult. Each tub would stand on its own bottom, resp. share according to let us say merits – pro rata, as it were – plus the advantages just mentioned. Mr. Bird may be talking the matter over with you at this writing, which I am doing in the evening, and being time for bed, I’ll say: Good night! But not to that plan!

May this find you and yours in fine health and contentment.

With kindest regards to you and Mrs. Williamson, and best wishes for your welfare.

Yours sincerely,

Karl Jungbluth

P.S. looking over my files, it seems my letter dated July 8^th 1921, is unacknowledged. Although hardly worthwhile – I enclose copy in case you did not receive it.
My best regards to Baron Compagna when you see him.