The University of Nebraska Office of Librarian

Lincoln 15 November 1927.

To Whom It May Concern:

This copy of the personal letters of Frank L. Haller (formerly a Regent of the University of Nebraska), written to his family from Europe in 1907, was presented to the Library of the University of Nebraska November 13, 1927 by a donor who wishes to remain anonymous.

This volume is not to be used by anyone for anything for a period of ten years or so. Its existence in the Library is to be kept a secret until the expiration of that period.

Gilbert H. Doane, Librarian

Haller, Frank Louis. Born. Nov. 21, 1861 Died Sept 16, 1922.

LETTERS HOME EUROPEAN TRIP

FRANK I. HALLER 1907

All Aboard. May 22, 1907. Left Omaha on the 7 a.m. Rock Island. Carrie Goff Templeton went with us as far as Council Bluffs. Had a good day's trip - quite warm but not dusty. Played with two babies most of the way. Reached Davenport at 6 p.m. Sister Alm met us. Spent the night with Mother. Had a terrific thunderstorm during the night. May 23, 1907. Go to Durant to-day to spend the day with Clara and Bertha. Then to the Aunts to-night. Mama and Alm went with us to the Aunts. Got caught in rainstorm. Supper at eight. Enjoyed country ham and fresh laid eggs. May 25, 1907. Came to Davenport from the Aunts at 11 a.m. Took dinner with Jennie in her nice new home - delightfully cooked dinner. Took Mary, Mama and Alm with us to Rose's in Rock Island for supper. Saw little Dorothy for the first time. Rose's happiness is complete. I do hope she will raise the little one. May 25, 1907. Left Rock Island for Chicago at six. Stopped at the Kaiserhoff overnight. Took the 8 a.m. trin Chicago for Buffalo. Florie got off a good one at the Aunts. Said she could not sleep after 5 a.m. because the roosters "howled so." May 26, 1907. Found we could save $15.00 by stopping over at Niagara Falls (i.e. making a break in the journey we avoid a fast through trip from Chicago to New York, thereby saving the $5.00 per ticket penalty). It was raining when we got to Buffalo. We stopped at the Hotel Arlington overnight, then left in the rain for Niagara. Took dinner at the New Clifton Hotel and sat at the next table to General Kuroki, the great Japanese general, who was visiting The Falls Sunday. The sun came out and we had a fine day. You can't see the Falls too often. The rainbow followed us down the river. Sunday night took sleeper for New York. Monday spent at Waldorf-Astoria. Rained. Went over to inspect the Deutschland in Hoboken. Thinks she's all right. Left card to have steamer chairs table chairs reserved. Visited the Princess Irene., the boat Marion was thinking of taking with her classmates. Is a nice little clean boat but nothing compared with the regular Atlantic fleet. Visited the Celtic, a nice plain big boat; La Provence, a fine French liner, - The New Amsterdam, a fine Holland-American boat but I am satisfied that The Deutschland in the best of the bunch now in. Monday took dinner at "The Antique Tea Room", a charming place on block from this "Robbers' Roost." Visited the Carmania of the Cunard line just in. A fine large plain finished boat; also visited the Minnetonka of the American Transport line. I think I should prefer this (Minnetonka) to any. It is so broad and loaded so heavily that it can't roll and the room are large, walks broad and everything clean. No smell at all.

3 May 29, 1907. We made a mistake getting on the boat Wednesday night. The clatter of loading and all night visits of friends seeing tourists off made it impossible to sleep but at fitful intervals. We arose at six under the impression that it was seven but were rewarded by a fine, sunshiny morning. New York, May 29, 1907. Dear Folks: Spent to-day at West Point and it was well worth seeing. It makes a better American citizen of one to see that great Institution, so plain but so effective. The view is one of the finest I have ever seen and the historic associations the finest. We did not stay to see the cavalry charge. The hotel charge was enough for us. On our return we find the card of Mrs. Beal. Will phone her to-morrow. The sun is out at least but the air is cool. We bought the Omaha Bee at the hotel. Sunday's issue. Made us feel at home. Hope to get a steamer letter from you. All well. Frank. New York, May 29, 1907 Dear Mother: Marion got her bundle by mail all right. We also got a lot of steamer letters which look good to us. We spent the day at West Point and took in the Military Academy. It was beautiful. Wish you and Alm had been there. The sun is out at last but it is cold. 4 The display of wealth in New York is over-powering and I am not surprised that there is a great deal of class hatred. Will write again from this side. Your loving son, Frank. May 30, 1907 First day out. Start A1 Breakfast O.K. Have seats #326 - 328 - 330. Explored the ship and slept during the day. Everyone up and around. Everything up and overboard by morning, I guess, from the feel of the rising and falling of the boat. Senator Millard sent us a $10.00 basket of fruit and telegram wishing good trip. We got about fifty steamer letters altogether. May 30, 1907 Well the first day is about over and we are still O.K. but there are certain premonitions that tell me that while we may have had a swell table d'hote dinner there is a swell in the old ocean that will claim most of it if it don't quiet down. We have certainly had our share of good things to eat and I guess it is fairly good policy to eat while we can and can when we can't to-morrow (Bum joke). We had a sight at dinner to-night. He was rather a good looking tall man about 250 pounds, blonde, but the way he was gotten up was a caution. I called him the "Horse Show." He was such a splendid show.

-5 In the first place, he wore an immense white shirt front (full dress) with embroidered bosom. He wore three diamond studs, about two carats each. He had a watch chain that was a wonder. It extended across his equator from pocket to pocket, consisting of a snake for each link and in the head of each snake was a diamond studded locket. Each cuff button was diamond studded and on the little finger of each hand he had two diamond rings. He alternately lifted first one hand to his mustache (a la Kaiser) turned up at the ends, and then the other. It was a continuous performance. Passengers who did not first nitice (sic) the rings on both hands had only to keep their seats to see the performance repeated. He had a seat in the center of the dining room and he was certainly the best satisfied creature you ever saw. Marion said she did not like the finale when the band played. It was such a lot of noise. I told her I thought I could explain the purpose of the finale. It was to give notice that conservation must cease as the music would soon be over and it would be embarrassing to be caught talking in a loud voice after a sudden stop on the part of the orchestra. May 30, 1907. First day out. It's a good thing to do to bring all your winter underwear and overcoats for a trip on the ocean wave. You can't dress too warm. I find my great old

-6 winter pea-green overcoat that Marion and Florie dislike so is just the thing to sleep in on deck. I put in several hours that way and hope to keep it up. Some people don't like the trembling of the ship. I don't find it unpleasant, nor any more than is experienced in a slower vessel. We have a lot of nice people on board with the usual proportion of German Jews that you find everywhere. Florie has retired for the night at 9 p.m. This ship, The Deutschland, is certainly the pride of the German nation. For years holding the record for speedy passage (now held by the Cunarder Lusitania). This ship is a most reliable time maker. The German Emperor has shown his appreciation of the enterprise shown in the building this floating palace in donating a life size painting of himself, which graces the gold and white writing room. Then on the stairway there is a photograph of the Kaiser and the Empress with his personal signature on the same. The ship is richly decorated, in good tase. The habit of spending thousands of dollars in decoration has been discontinued in recently built ships. I think that I shall have to write my letters in pencil as it’s hard to get a satisfactory performance with pen and ink. We had our first dinner - table d’hôtel to-night on our first day out. It certainly was a fine sight. Many men and most women in evening dress. Marion wore her pretty brown jumper frock and looked sweet and girlish and attracted favorable attention. Florie and I did not dress up. It was a good dinner. About half of the passengers ordered wine or beer and the women seems to like it as well as the men.

-7 I am confined to Apollinaris water by the orders of my two bosses, Marion and Florie. There are no entries in this diary for Friday. From this it is not to be inferred that Friday, the 31st, was not an eventful day. Friday- Black Friday - Friday the 13th, anything that will suggest the most frightful recollections. We awoke at 5 a.m. from peaceful dreams to find out room at the extreme end of a see-saw, going up and down about four hundred feet each way, and then alternating this agreeable sensation with a nice roll to the right and then to the left. All three of us tried to lift our enlarged, throbbing heads long enough to suggest that we be in no great hurry to arise. Florie opened the game. She leaned over the rail of her berth and looked into the tin can and said "Oh! my," and immediately explained "It's that catarrh," and the Marion tried to laugh and found it was splitting her head and hurting her sides. In a few minutes all around us came evidence of the same condition of affairs. I mildly remarked that there seemed to be an epidemic of catarrh on board. What hurt Florie and Marion the worst was that while I was evidently good and sick, I had not gotten to the "Oh! my," period. I thought of the various advices of how to overcome sea-sickness, the first about getting up and taking a hot bath, but I could no more have gotten up than eaten a square meal. The idea of fool was obnoxious and I would no sooner raise my head than I would tumble over. I said I could appreciate what Ma has passed through so often and I say she is a martyr. I then and there vowed that if I ever got my clothes on again -8 I should sleep in them till I got over being seasick. I still have them all on, twenty-four hours later, but will risk taking my shoes - or one of them - off to-night. Well, I finally thought of Ma's advice to strap something tight around my equator. But the question was, "What?" I found an extra long towel that barely went round but finally after many efforts got out our shawl straps and found two that would go round and I strapped that belligerent stomach of mine so tight against by backbone that it soon came to time. I say soon - I suppose it was soon but it seemed an age. Marion wasn't too sick to unfeelingly suggest that I take the trunk strap to go round. I ventured on deck Friday for three hours and the poor kid thought I really had carried out my threat to jump overboard. I can realize how a sick person is ready to slip off this mortal coil with alacrity and relief. The worst part of it all was to see Marion and Florie so sick and to be unable to do a thing to relieve them. There were mighty few on deck yesterday and most of them stood where it was convenient to say "Oh! my." The spray flew all over the ship and I could have given the Horse Show "High School steppers" a few fancy samples as I tottered down the deck. I would have given a dollar to have had some of my Christian Scientist friends with me to take my place for a few minutes. In talking with some passengers I learn that the Deutschland has the reputation of being a fearful rolling long and is unpopular on the account. When I strike land I shall exchange boats for home. If there were only some way to walk back.

-9 Florie and Marion, looking like ghosts and feeling like the devil, are on deck in their sea chairs now after the most heroic efforts of their lives. They are sampling everything that comes along in the tea and light cracker line. If I eat anything I have to let out a whole in my shawl strap. I shall never cease to look with respect and gratitude upon the humble shawl strap. "A life on the ocean Wave." - The fellow who wrote that song lived in Indiana and never was on anything larger than a ferry-boat on the Ohio. If George Gould would give me his yacht I would not accept it as a gift, no who knows; this experience of sea-sickness may save me lots of money some day. Florie harasses me by constant suggestion that it would be a good thing for me to eat something. The very thought of eating is so disgustingly vulgar that I have firmly decided never again to indulge in that debasing habit. When your head is splitting nothing is so soothing as to have the trumpeter come to your door and play a little fanfare announcing dinner and hear him repeat the ghastly summons evermore dimmer as he goes down the length of the ship, and a little while after to hear the band playing for dinner when the ship is standing alternately on end and about six out of six hundred passengers at the table in the salle de manger. I think an expensive painting might show an empty dining room on ship board with a few officers at one table and the band playing - (Picture entitled) "A storm at sea."

-10 Sunday morning, June 2, 1907. All awoke after a good night's sleep. Marion a little seasick. The band came to our door and played the most solemn dirge imaginable. The German idea of Sunday. In order to amuse Marion I pretended to be the leader of the band and with only the light cloth portiére between us I made quite a good leader of "Dot leetle German Pant." Upon deck we were delighted to see a large steamer, which turned out to be the New Amsterdam of the Holland-American Line. Soon after a freight steamer with a leiter pulling it along. The sea is covered with white caps. Florie is disconsolate because there are no church services but I am bearing up wonderfully. I waded down to breakfast - a slim crowd present. Life does not seem so bad after all. Last night some ladies played on the piano in the Social Hall. Some were stripped for dinner in "low and behold gowns" but most were clothed and in their right minds. Sunday, June 2, 1907. We were awakened this morning by the band playing the most solemn dirge at our door - the German idea of a hymn. Florie is disconsolate because there are no services to-day but Marion and I are more easily reconciled. The sea is rough but the sun is shining and, on the whole, the Dean's prayers have helped but I am afraid that he had a cattle ship in mind, which does not roll so terribly. I think nothing less than the Bishop could hold The Deutschland; even takes more than a Co-adjutor Bishop at that. But we are thankful to be well.

-11 Monday, June 3, 1907. Up on deck at 7 A. M. This boat is surely a mighty bad roller - high roller. The way she tips is a caution. Tootie is up on deck and had her breakfast served there. I took mine in the dining room. Florie is taking her bath. Last night we had beautiful rainbow and showers over the face of the waters. A Jew played the piano beautifully in the Social Hall yesterday. We have a Lord, - Sir Cooper, and his family on board. Wonder if it is Sir Sidney Cooper the painter. This boat tips more each day as the coal bunkers grow more empty. Our deck, the upper one, tips nearly to the water. She is too narrow to go steady. Poor Tootie and Florie won't get over it till they land in France. We will have to lay up a few days on shore to recuperate. You bet Papa says "D roller!" This is Marion's contribution this morning. Our daily paper brings Marooni news from both sides of the water and from passing vessels. It's wonderfully comforting to know we can reach land that way. The daily pool betting on each day's run amounts to five hundred dollars and over. Our steward says that in the old days when this ship was still "it," the pools ran up to five thousand dollars per day. There is a fast crowd on these boats that gamble and drink a great deal. Marion dressed up and went to dinner with us. I wore my Tuxedo. After dinner we danced in a pretty part of the deck fenced off with flags and lighted with many colored electric lights.

-12 Tuesday A. M. Another rough night. Marion sick this morning but up on deck. Had no black necktie for my Tuxedo last night so bought a black silk hat band with "Deutschland" on it and no one knew the difference. Just paused a sailing vessel with all sails full. This big ship of ours is a snob. She speaks to her equals but snubs the poorer boats. Hope things will quiet down for the captain's dinner and the concert to-night. We have not had a decent day since the first one. Heaven preserve us from a return trip like this. Florie seems to feel all right, is taking a bath now. Had a dance on board last night. Part of the deck was fenced off with flags and lighted up with many colored electric lights. A pretty sight. The women in their pretty evening gowns and the men in dress sits made a brave show. Had a few dances. One German asked Marion for a dance and not having had an introduction she froze the poor devil cold. the steerage passengers soon all to have babies and to drink Munich beer all the time. As we draw near to Europe we begin to see more vessels and a sailboat just passed with all sails set. That is, we passed her as if she were staked down. It was a pretty sight. To-night we have a concert and the Captain's dinner and I hope the sea will behave and not spoil the fun. We are promised to land at Cherborg to-morrow eve due in Paris at 12 P.M. I shall telegraph ahead for rooms and write to London to have mail forwarded. No one can realize how glad we shall be to get off this rolling old log of a boat. There are a lot of cheap Jews on board and not very nice people.

-13 However, we have made the acquaintance of several pleasant people. Wish we had one more in our party. Four would be just right. Well, if we keep our health we will have the time of our life the next ninety days. Here's hoping we may: On Board The Deutschland, June 3, 1907 Dear Sister Jennie: From time to time I will tear out leaves from this diary and mail them as letters. Under this page is a carbon paper that leaves a copy that I retain the copies as a diary and use the original as letters, thus killing two birds with one stone. We have had anything but a good passage (see letters written Mother for particulars). We had a pretty dance on deck last night. Colored electric lights, pretty dresses and pretty girls. The kid stacked up O.K. among the Dutchies. I am straining the German language at the stewards. They feed us about fourteen times a day, especially at times when we are too sick to eat anything. Way up among the smokestacks, June 4, 1907 By far the best place on the ship is on this small upper deck next to the Captain's bridge and where the Marconi telegraph operator has his square hut. Here you get all the sunshine and few people- you get the first sight of ships as they appear below the horizon. Just passed a large passenger boat bound for [Breren], a ten day boat. It eats the band how we walk away from everything in sight. Just

-14 passed a big sailing ship. It was a beautiful sight and reminded me of the fort-two days my father put in [coming] from Germany in a sail boat. June 4, 1907 We have not seen an hour since the first day when there have not been white caps on the ocean. The sun is shining to-day which has a good effect upon all our spirits. Instead of arriving in Cherbourg to-morrow morning at 9 A.M. We shall probably land at 9 P.M. We shall in all likelihood not take the night train for Paris for that gets us into Paris at 2 A.M. but will stay all night at Cherbourg, and leave the next morning for Paris, or possibly run down first to Mount St. Micael for a day. Will have to hurry down to Rome to get there before hot weather. Tuesday Evening, June 4, 1907 The Captain's dinner given the last night on the ship's journey is THE event of the trip. I send herewith a postal showing the dining room on The Deutschland. The plate glass dome extends from the bottom of the ship was overhead over the upper deck and gives the room dimensions that ae regal. Flags of all nations were draped from the balcony and the German and American flags intertwined at the main staircase. The tables were resplendent with out glass decanters and wine glasses of different sizes, boast loads of flowers in which were hidden bulbs of electric lights that were to be flashed upon us later. Also small Eiffel towers of wire filled with small flags of each nation for the guests.

-15 There were also on the towers paper kisses that explode when pulled apart and that contained jaunty paper caps and paper masks etc., which the ladies put on their heads towards the dessert part of the dinner-small statuettes of Liberty enlightening the World on each end of the center table with an electric bulb that became brilliant during a later function. Imagine five hundred passengers, most in full dress-the band playing, sea smooth, and the last night on board and you have the setting of the scene. I mail you a program showing the menu and the musical numbers and a paper rose. Whenever the band played a national sir the people belonging to that country would applaud, and when they played "God save the Queen" of course every Englishmen got onto his feet. When I came to that part of the menu which you will notice reads "Illuminated ice cream" the lights all went out suddenly and it was fairyland. From all over unexpected places electric lights of various colors and mottoes and designs came into view. The boats of flowers became alive with colors; the statues of Liberty etc. showed electric bulbs in their hands. Then came the unique part of the dinner. All the waiters entered dressed in Colonial paper hats and sashes, bearing each platter of ice cream on which there was a little design lighted from the inside with a candle- one a castle, one a church, one a palace etc., walking slowly to the music of an old march, they placed around the tables about fifty of them. Then all lights were turned on and we finished the dessert. It was a most brilliant sight, never to be forgotten. The ship rolling slightly, the engine's throb and the spraying green sea at the portholes.

-16 After this came the concert, program of which herewith. The collection amounted to $265.00. The toastmaster said of this vessel. It has small dining rooms for small appetites. It has large dining rooms for large appetites. It has a rail around each deck for those who have no appetites. A [Frenchman] on board told me he could not understand our American cocktail. He said "First you put in a little ginger to make it hot. Then you put in a little ice to make it cold. Then you put in a little lemon to make it sour. Then you put in a little sugar to make it sweet. Then you put in a little whiskey to make it strong. Then you put in a little water to make it weak. then you say 'Here's to you', and then you drink it Yourself." Well, all I can say is that I wish you had all been at the Captain's dinner with us. At 6 P.M. we land and I fall on my face and kiss the grass of La Belle France. Wednesday, June 4, 1907 We slept late after the concert last night. This morning our hearts are gladdened with the night of many sailing vessels, small fishing vessels, flocks of sea gulls and a great stack of mail bags to go off at Plymouth.

-17 1 P.M. Hip, Hip Harrah! Land in sight. Dirt never looked so good to me before. "Lunch is r-r-readie" has no charms for us. Lots of fishing [smacks?], sail and steam. Florie writing letters and postals. Must have sent two hundred postals up to date. Just sent a telegram for rooms tonight at Cherbourg and cabled home "arrived well." Plymouth Harbor, June 5, 1907. Nothing could be more charming than this harbor. The high hills are crowned with fortifications of all kinds. Huge guns on the sky line- barracks and tents- green fields and an English Church in the distance. Harbor full of grim English war vessels. One small war boat is shelling a target in the harbor. We are unloading six hundred sacks of mail and the tenders are taking off the passengers. A huge floating fort rides in the harbor. All in bustle and the excitement of landing. It is starting to rain. We shall land at Cherbourg at 10 P.M., over a day late.

-18 Paris, June 7, 1907 I find that I recognize some things to be the same as they were when I was here fourteen years ago. The elevator lift in the Binds (or rather the Montana) is the same ridiculous affair that it was then. When you get to the upper stories it weakens it weakens and hardly moves. The porter begins to pull the elevator and he looks so injured that it is laughable if we happen to ring for the elevator when we want to go down. No European can imagine why any one would want to use an elevator to go down. that's the reason they are called "Lifts." We went to the Annual French Salon where we saw all the new pictures and statuary. It is a great show. You wonder who in the world wants to buy so many pictures and some are frights, especially the Impressionists. We drove out to the great park, the Bois de Bologne, and of all the automobiles and carriages they were the limit. Such beauties, a constant procession, five miles long, four abreast, each way, thousands of vehicles and all manners and conditions of people. Met Mr. Charles Dietz of Omaha at Cook's. He said Bert Hitchcock, Mrs. J. J. Dickey and others are here. To-day the sun shone and things looked good once more. Went to the Bon Marche store and brought a trunk. The store looks poor and cheap after the fine New York stores and can't hold a candle to Marshall Field's Chicago.

-19 Paris, June 7, 1907. Marion put on one of her pretty dresses and hats and we started out, she and I, for supper at 9 p.m. We happened to drift into one of the most famous restaurants in Paris and say! the minute I got through the glass swinging doors I saw we were in for it, but you know I am game when it comes to go against the eat game. I saw that I was the only guy without a dream suit but I did not let that take my appetite away. Oh! such a swellness. Let me tell you. First, the walls are all plate glass mirrors with glass chandeliers up against them and reflected in them and, of course, immense cut glass chandeliers in the center of the room. Along the walls were silken divans and under the tables little foot cushions for the ladies dainty tootsies to rest on. You sat on these divans on one side of the tables only, so no one was looking at any one else's back. The tables were for two and when you came in with your girl they pulled out one of these little tables and let you get behind and sit down, and then they pushed the tables back and you were smugly placed side by each with your girl. On the table were the usual subdued candles, a vase of orchids and rose and the whitest and snowiest linen you ever saw. During the dinner a servant gave souvenir fans to the ladies. (I forgot - when you first came in a nice French maid takes your wraps and give you a gold plated check with a number on it. It costs twenty-five cents to get your wraps back.) Well, you look at the bill of fare and the first thing that strikes you is that you can afford

-20 tooth picks and water but not much else. Everything is $1.60 to $2.50 per entry. Marion stepped on my foot and made me look at the bill of the fellow next to us. It was $14.75 and he gave $1.00 to the waiter. My appetite began to leave in large chunks when I saw that bill but I determined that I would not spend more than I wanted (or had) to even if I lost the respect of several French waiters. They undoubtedly refer to me to-night as that "Cheap American Guy with the business suit on." Well, I refer to them in language not fit for young ladies' ears. Well, we had soup and I tell you it was soup, and fresh salmon, a salad, etc. Simple as it was Marion and I are sworn to secrecy as to what it cost us to get out of there. BUT the swells that were there. I could not tell you so much about the ladies' dresses as I didn't see much of them for most of their dresses were below the table, but jewelry, rings, hats, etc. Oh, Mama! Between courses the women as well as men smoked cigarettes (and they were not bad women, only French society) and the men made love to them in public. That is they did not hide the fact that they were squeezing women's hands and one fellow even kissed his partner's arm half way up between the wrist and the elbow. Marion stepped on my corn to call my attention to this and I guess anybody looking would have though I changed color because of that kiss but it was corn not kiss that hurt me. The lady next to me had what I though was a gold pocket book with her but during the mal she opened it, on the

-21 the rest of the purse contained a powder puff with which she calmly patted first one cheek then the other. But the diamonds and rubies and pearls and hate and laces. Marion's best hat she said was a salation bonnet in comparison and the dress she wore that cost me seventy-five plunks was (as Marion put it) "not fit to see a dog fight in." But all the same, I don't want more of that and Marion said she had enough of swelldom if that is what it means. But it was a most beautiful sight. Of course eight o'clock in the evening is breakfast time with a Frenchman of Paris. I have to laugh when I see American school [marms?] going down the streets trying not to see some of the things that are not nice and especially some of the Paris souvenir postal cards. My wife won't even let me see them. But the city is a "Bute." You can't imagine -most of the streets are no wider than our alleys- but the grand boulevards are two hundred feet, twice as wide as our streets. No street cars except in the suburbs, cabs cost fifteen to twenty-five cents per ride, three persons as cheap as one. I have lots of fun saying politely when any one speaks to me in French the one American word "Skidoo," much to the annoyance of Marion. Sunday, June 9, 1907. Left Paris at 9.15 A.M. on route for Marseilles. Think we shall break the journey at Lyons, where we arrive at 5 P.M. The country is beautiful. Poppies along the tracks in the green grass. The well-worked fields are

-22 practically gardens. The tall Normandy popular trees in long rows give an inhabited look to the country. The absence of farm houses in the country-everything being in villages- is noticeable. All buildings are of stone or brick, no wood anymore. Ideal automobile country. Prey wayside inns with shade trees and inviting tables out doors. Old houses are dark, new ones lighter colors. All look as if made of concrete, i.e. the outside of all houses are solid, plain surfaces, not square bricks as with us. The most noticeable thing in Paris is the use of two wheel vehicles for all heavy hauling. For instance, - should we be doing business in Paris, our dray would consist of a long ladder with one or two horses (if two, then hitched tandem), on one end and , in the middle, the leader would be supported by two immense wheels about six feet in diameter, and heavier than ever used on anything we see at home. Something like the two large wheels the Telephone Co. uses to haul spools of lead to the conduits. They balance this load ad lead or drive on foot the large, fat, contented horse that pulls the load. The whole business will string out fifty feet. The fields through which we are passing are different from those at home, being gardens in comparison. Fields not divided by fences. The earth seems a brick color instead of black as with us. There will be a strip of red clover in blossom - thirty feet wide clear across the fields - then next to it a strip same width of barley, green as emerald, making a picture pleasing to the eye.

-23 The streams are clear as crystal and generally flow over grassy bottoms through lanes of trees planted parallel with the water courses. The little rivers look civilized as their banks are grassy and the water seems so well behaved it never overflows. The railroad does not pay much attention to the little towns, leaving them to the right and left. Evidently the towns were built several hundred years before the railroad. Grapes and hops everywhere. All country roads are flanked by shade and fruit trees on either side and walls of stone on each side. In Paris it is a common sight to see a man and his wife hitched to a large push cart, or a dog and a man, or a dog and a women. the dog wears a straw collar by which he pulls. Neither the man nor the women wear any collars. The cabs have an automatic register that tells what your fare is at the end of your drive and thus prevents contention. Three people can ride comfortably in one of these cabs for twenty cents most any distance you are apt to go. When a funeral passes even the men in the street car take off their hats- principal mourners walk behind the hearse. Politeness is a national trait of the French. They don't mean anything by it though, it is pleasant. You can always tell an American by their shoes. First thing everyone does is to look at a stranger's foot. American shoes are the best in the world are sold at high prices. Foreign shoes have neither rights nor lefts and are absurdly too long for any one. Men are all poorly dressed. Women are well dressed over here. Large hats, big as a half bushel, are worn by women. Hats have paper flowers and are hideous.

-24 On July 7th and 6th the French have a flower festival to welcome summer. You buy all the flowers you can get into your carriage or automobile (they are cheap- roses twenty cents per dozen) then you go out to a park and throw your flowers at people in the other carriages and laugh and smile and bow and have a gay time generally. I am having lots of fun at Marion's expense over her French. We tried to tell the driver that we wanted to go to the Sacred Heart Church. First I told him per Marion's instructions, then Marion told him. No go. Then I took a map out of my pocket and pointed out the place to him. He understood and repeated just what we had been saying all the time. Now why didn't he catch on the first time round? It's getting hot at last. It is hard to find your way about in a foreign city because, unlike our cities, it is not laid out at right angles. You walk down a street and think by walking over a block you will get to the next street south, but you don't because the streets run in every old way. We see many fourteen year old girls walking along the streets all dressed in white with white veils. They are making their First Communion, quite an occasion in their lives. Monday, June 10, 1907. We arrived hot, tired and dusty at Marseilles last night at 11 P.M. Never so dirty in our lives. Got a room with bath and we all took a soak. Marion first. Then when we got through the hotel soaked us.

-25 We visited the church, built upon a high rock in the middle of the town reached by a cog railroad, the ancient citadel. The view from there out into the blue Mediterranean is one never to be forgotten. In the harbor lie several small islands, well fortified. On one is the "Chateau d'If", the scene of the prisons of the Count of Monte Cristo. - a most picturesque place. The street cars here are equipped with automobile horns and it is a constant "Honk, honk, honk." from 6 A. M. to 12 P. M. You can't sleep to save yourself. All hotel keepers are natural born thieves. I learned something about French red tape that costs me $4.00 to get my trunks from Paris to Marseilles. I did not get my checks for weighing the trunks exchanged for another kind of receipt. Hence a chance to stick me four plunks. Nice, June 11, 1907 Took a ride along the Bay, a most beautiful sight. The blue Mediterranean on one side in the shape of a horse shoe and palace-like hotels on the other. Along the shore great palm trees and roses etc. In the hotel elevator they push a button for the floor they wish to go to and the elevator stops there automatically. They do not dehorn their cattle as we do and the sheep have owners' marks painted on their fleece. An Italian is singing in the street under our window. Then the driver passes anyone on the street he shouts out one work "Puke." He has an automobile horn on his cab.

-26 Lots of eucalyptus trees here-like the horse chestnut. When the trains stop at stations a porter wheels up a cart from which you buy whatever you wish to drink. In one hour we leave for a drive to Monte Carlo by the Cornice Drive- said to be the finest in the world. June 11, 1907 We hired a brake and took the famous drive from Nice to Monte Carlo, known as the Cornice Drive. It is a military road hewn out of the sides of the mountains and winds along in and out zig-zag till the mountains are passed, and is one way from France to Italy. The military importance is recognized by strong forts costing millions of dollars crowing the commending summits of the highest mountains. You wonder how it is possible to get to those tops at all and when you think of the heaviest cannon mounted there and the garrison to be maintained, you can but wonder what that nations will put up with war and what it means. But the drive- probably the finest in the world- how can pen paint a picture! As you wind up the mountain side leaving Nice every hundred feet unfolded some new beauty. The blue waters of the Bay on one side over broadening out, wider and wider, as you mount higher. Then way up among the mountains where the clouds rest you now and then, through the parting clouds, see the show capped Alps. Dotting every height some ruined castle with old battlements is seen, or some fine modern chateau reflecting the sunshine on red tiled roof or marble wall.

-27 We passed the world renown Nice Observatory, perched on a green wooded mountain top, the Observatory so famous among astronomers. It did look so pure and white- typical of the pure truth of science. Down thousands of feet below us were the walled rivers with dry beds that become mountain torrents in winter. In the streets of Nice there is a little water running in the dry bed of the river, and there hundreds of men and women are washing clothes in the running water and hanging them to dry on improvised clothes racks. The cherry trees are loaded down with ripening fruit and we eat those large dark cherries for each meal. Apricots and lemons grow along the road sides. The flowers that grow along the store walls, hanging like scarlet banners on a wall, are a most gorgeous sight. The red poppy grows along the road side and adds color to the scene. The horses climb at a walk up the mountains and you are glad of it because the view changes constantly and you watch the unfolding [panoramas?] with rapture. Every now and then you look down- so far it makes your head swim- to some little city on the water's edge whose houses look like a cardboard and playthings,- the setting of a brilliant stage scene. Half way over the mountains we stopped at a wayside Inn over half an hour and had dinner. It was so quaint and picknicky. Then from the top of a high mountain Monte Carlo burst upon our view and we began the winding descent.

-29 Here we are. We have just been down to the Casino and, through the season is over and but few here, thousands of dollars changed hands while we looked on. Ladies in the majority. It looks at range to see ladies smoking cigarettes but it is the custom of the country. The tropical gardens about the Casino are the finest I ever saw. Great trees of pals and figs and cactus, eucalyptus, lemon, orange, olive, etc. etc. Music and flowers all set in by mountains like a half moon behind the town. It's like a stage setting. I am just about to crawl into a bed with a mosquito netting canopy. It does not occur to them to put screens in the windows. (Please mail these notes to the folks.) F.L.H. Wednesday, June 12, 1907. On the way from Monte Carlo to Genoa. Along the Mediterranean all the way. The railroad is built on a road bed cut out of the solid rock of the mountains, frequent tunnels- just the road for a bridal trip. Stopping at every station where little black eyed Italian girls- twelve to fourteen- tempt you to buy cherries huge strawberries, lunch baskets with little bottles of wine, postal cards, etc. The little beauties will cheat you on change every time if you don't watch them. We are stopping a few minutes at Albenga a rocky island about half a mile to a mile out at sea with winding paths up to the old castle three hundred feet at the top. It's a "Bute."

-29 About two miles from shore is some great battle ship steaming under four funnels, proceeded by two torpedo boat destroyers, the foam thrown out way ahead. How we pass a hundred school children in bathing a' la nature. The freight cars are the most ridiculously small affairs, smaller than a half size Omaha 16th street car. (A fourteen year old Italian girl in a garden smiled at me and bowed her head in a friendly manner. She was quite friendly and pretty.) They switch the freight cars by hand. All vehicles, including two wheel carts, have brakes on. They wind them up with a little wheel or by means of a lever in case of a cart wheel. All horses have bells on and it sounds odd to hear winter sleigh bells in summer. The police are wonderfully gotten up - like officers in the militia at home or like knights of Pythias. We are not yet oppressed with the heat. Here we are at the Hotel de Londres facing old Columbus on a Bust as Mark Twain has it. I wonder if this is where Pa was sick for a month. It's a nice town but as for being sick I don't know any place that would suit. I believe it is worth while to take a long five hours ride in the dust to enjoy the bath that you get at the end of it. They give you a crash towel as big as a sheet and lay it over a big arm chair. You sit on this as you leisurely dry yourself. But you do have to furnish you own soap.

-30 I often wonder what becomes of old iron sea vessels after they have outlived usefulness. I find them being dismantled at every cove here on the shore. The combination of high prices for iron and cheap labor does it, I suppose. I cannot help laughing at the elevator service at the best hotels. You ring a bell and by and by a boy comes and leisurely unlocks the door and the lift gets in its slow work. When he hits your floor he unlocks the door and lets you out. Total time seven to ten minutes. The old mills which used to irrigate the fields are quaint and must be hundreds of years old. The dry beds of mountain streams are used as roads in summer. In three days we hope to be in Rome and got our first mail. Genoa, June 13, 1907. Genoa is a hoodoo to thin family. Pa was sick here for a month and we missed our eleven o'clock train for Piss. The driver told me he could get us back for the train but we saw the train pull out under our noses. The Campo Santo is certainly a wonder. It rained this afternoon and we all took a nap i.e. two tried to and I snored. I woke up because Marion held my nose shut to stop the snoring. My! but I got it in the neck. I didn't sleep well last night so I caught up to-day. The weather is quite comfortable as yet.

-31 June 14, 1907. Got to Rome all right. Not bad sleeping in the sleeper. Don't quite understand why I feel so weak and have no appetite. We are certainly taking it easy and not overeating. June 14, 1907. Here we are at Rome. We drove to the Grand Hotel but they wanted ten frames a day for each person. I used our Cook's tickets. God bless old man Cook. He is the traveler's friend. We would pay twice if we didn't have some of these tickets to intimidate the landlords. The weather is quite cool, a backward season everywhere. We like our quiet rooms and hope to have a pleasant stay while in Rome. Rome, June 14, 1907. If I were a Catholic I should come to Italy if I had to sell the family furniture to do so. It must fill a devout Catholic with inspiration and pride to see there priceless Cathedrals and what they stand for. We have not visited St. Peter's yet, which cost sixty millions, but we have visited three churches out of the four hundred and three that are in Rome and they represent more money and more art than all of the churches that we have ever visited before. St. Lawrence's outside the city walls, a church for centuries lost till excavated, has one room

-32 The size of Mr. Lininger's Art Gallery that has been recently furnished in modern Venetian mosaic at a cost of over two million dollars. It is as fine as a beautiful piece of jewelry, in the richest gold and fine marbles. We saw the Church of St. Mary Maggiore, the ceiling of which man gilded with pure gold given by King Ferdinand from the gold brought over by Columbus on his first journey of discovery of America, and it is so bright as though put on only yesterday. This church represents millions of dollars and is over a thousand years old. I am staggered when I think what it means to be in these buildings that have been the pride and admiration of mankind for over a thousand years. At last I have found something that represents more money than Rockefeller has i. e. the churches of Rome, and when you see on the walls the priceless paintings of the greatest artists the world has known it makes you hold your breath. Poor old Italy! once the richest of nations and now on every hand beggary and rage. Outside of a few old women and a few men beggars the churches are empty of worshippers. It is so cool here that wraps are comfortable. The great Church of St. Paul's outside the city walls is a wonder. It contains the largest and finest room I have ever seen. I have to-day seen the tomb of St. Mark and St. Paul, -they say quite well authenticated. I quite agree with Mr. Lininger in saying that the Roman Catholic Church has all the Protestant Churches beat a thousand times when it comes to authentic monuments and relics of the early Christian faith. I must say, however, that the Italian priests that I have seen do not compare favorably with the Catholic priests of America. There is nothing intellectual or spiritual about them. However, I did not mingle with Cardinals or Archbishops, among whom I know are to be found the most learned and refined men of to-day. I hope to succeed in getting a private audience with the Pope. He is greatly liked on account of his simple and democratic way. In riding along the road in your carriage the small Italian boy turns summersaults, or wheels as we used to call them, so fast that he keeps up with the horses in hopes of getting a penny. I told Marion that in Rome we should do as the Romans do. She suggested I get out and turn some of the wheels the Romans were doing. Fancy me at it. It would take a life time to see Rome. I should like to spend the winter months here as many Americans do. Florie is renewing the days of her youth, when she spent six weeks here with her parents in (about) 1882. She is having the time of her life sending out postals. She brought along an old telephone book to get addresses and it is a good idea. She got indignant when I accused her of trying to send a postal to each address in the telephone book, but to my certain knowledge (i.e. stamps), she sent out over fifty in one day. I guess the European Governments get a large part of their revenue from postage.

-34 These Latin races have no false modesty and not much of the real. There are lots of things that shock an American girl, and some that staffer even me, that are taken as a matter of course. It's all in the way you are education, I guess. But I'm glad I belong to the Anglo-Saxon race, thank you. Rome, June 16, 1907. To-day we saw part of the Vatican Collection of marble statuary. It surpassed by far my highest expectations. I regret that we have mapped out anything besides Rome as our whole vacation could easily and profitably be spent here. St. Peter's will hold one hundred thousand people- that means twenty times as many as the Omaha Auditorium. They have been unable to build an organ large enough to be heard half way across so they have built a large organ on huge wooden rollers and move that around from chapel to chapel as needed. I have a high respect for the artistic ability of some of the Popes and their administrative powers in putting up and maintaining such immense undertakings as these churches represent. They beat the Methodists raising money sure. We were annoyed by a smart little Italian kid of about fourteen years who insisted that we should buy some postals from him. At last impatiently I leaned out of the carriage and said - kindly but firmly - "skiddo." He instantly replied in good English "23 to you, skiddo yourself."

-35 So the world is not so large after all. It seems to me that every palace we passed to-day the guide would say "That Italian nobleman married an American." One married Miss Mackey, one Miss Field, one 8 lady from Augusta, Maine. As these noblemen were very wealthy before they married the Americans there has been no divorce trouble as yet. So the Italians may be a shade better when it comes to the nobility than either the French or English. I hope to report a visit to the Pope to-morrow. We are seeing Rome in three days under the guidance of Prof. Venturini, who provides a four passenger two horse carriage, pays all charges, all for eight francs per person each day, it is a mighty good way to get yourself located. After this introduction we can find our way around by ourselves and visit the places we like. We don't like table d’hôtel meals. They don't begin till 7.30 and last an hour and have so much meat in them that we can't sleep nights after partaking, no we go it easy in the cat line. We like the French cooking so much better than any other. Fruit is fine but we have no melons yet. More rain to-day. Rome, Sunday, June 16, 1907. Went to American Episcopal Church this morning, in the same block with this hotel and heard a rattling good sermon on "the prodigal son." On the way out we stopped at a flower store and then that ran it charged 1 1/2 franc for a single jasmine blossom and all the good of the sermon was lost. The church is built of alternate brick and

-36 marble and looks too much like a barber pole to be really beautiful. It has some fine mosaics, however, and a good organ. This afternoon we take a drive. It is warmer, about seventy-five in the shade. Rome, Sunday afternoon, June 16, 1907 It would take months to digest all we saw to-day. We got caught in the worst kind of rainstorm while in the ruins of the Coliseum and had to take shelter in one of the ancient dens where the wild beasts were kept during the performance, ready to run out and eat the Christians. Marion said she "was afraid there might be one or two left." but I told her we were such poor Christians that no lion would recognize us as such, and therefore we were perfectly safe. It finally let up and we took carriages for the catacombs. The catacombs are a disappointment at first because you naturally get an idea from books that the passages were large and that the rooms where they held services were something like our chapels. To find the passages so narrow that I almost had to go sideways and the chapels where the early Christians held services not larger than a good sized bath room, i.e. could not hold more than ten to fifteen people, was rather disappointing, but the pictures, rude as they are, of early Christian life and faith are intensely interesting. I saw well authenticated drawings in color of the 3rd Century (I think) showing Christ with beard and without beard on the same sarcophagus and Jonah being [?] out of the best sea serpent you ever saw pictured. There is one thing dead sure, the early Christians practiced

-37 the rites of the church just as the Roman Catholic Church does to-day, if these rude drawings are genuine, and I have never heard them questioned. The bodies of Christians were buried in long holes, the bodies placed there without coffins, the front sealed with a flat stone slab, - one grave above the other. I recognized at first glance where Pullman got the idea of his upper berth for his sleeping cars. Think of over seven hundred miles of these catacombs. Whenever they had a good day at the Coliseum there would be so large a batch of Christians killed that they could not bury them in separate graves no they made an extra large grave and put them in all together. Those places are painfully frequent and I could not help but pity the poor fellows even if they have been dead a thousand years. Then you remember that over two million Christians were killed in the Roman Coliseum during its existence, you begin to have a faint idea what it meant to be a Christian in those days. I would change my religion (or swear I did) a thousand times rather than be eaten by lions once. I don't think it speaks well for the intelligence of those early Christians that they were so slow in learning to tell the truth with mental reservation. For a thousand years the world thought that God was only pleased by suffering of his loyal subjects and they sought cruel forms of life and death in order to please him. What a monstrous perversion of the truth. It was theology not religion that taught this horrible doctrine. The tomb of St. Cecilia is extremely touching and the monks keep lilies before it all the year round.

-38 She was found two hundred years after her death still well preserved and a marble reclining statue now rests where she was found in the catacombs. Poor girl: it was a shame. I was glad to get out into the light of the sun and buy some chocolate made by the monks who have the Catacombs under their charge. Excavations are continually going on and important finds may be expected at any time. On the way back we stopped at the stone in the Appian Way where Christ came in a vision to St. Peter and said "quo Vadis." Maybe you don't think I was glad to see all these places that I had read of during the six years I studied Latin. I shall re-read the history of Rome next winter in a new light. Rome, now half a million people, was then five millions. The ruins tell the story and a wonderful story it is. We stopped at a Roman garden and ate cherries off of trees no one knows how old. Great big fat, black cherries, and brought a branch with about two hundred cherries back to the hotel with us. We have many a laugh and Marion has many a blush over the sights and the people we see. Really, I have not seen a pretty native woman yet, nor have we seen any good looking native men. I'm glad for it gives us time to enjoy what we came to see. The people as a rule are too poor to go to dentists and teeth are few and far between. Guess they would kill a man for gold fillings. I am afraid you will get tired reading these notes but I will bust if I don't tell some one. The hotels are so different from ours. The outside is as plain and uninviting

-39 as a store box, they are built most often around a most charming court. It takes an hour to get anything to eat and they have a double entry system of bookkeeping to keep track of what you eat, and when they bring down the grand balance you lose your appetite. Marion says that they can't keep track of me because I bolt my food. We both the elevator boy to death. He is always doing something in the other part of the hotel when we ring the bell. He comes - unlocks the door with a large key that looks like a poker - and then we begin slowly to go up; when we ring for the elevator to do down it doesn't come after us half the time. You are expected to walk down but we don't. It is worth the price of admission to the injured look on the face of the elevator boy when we ring to go down. I sometimes give him a copper coin, worth two cents, and then the sun shines in Italy once more. I use pantomime and, if I need, I think I can make wages as Humpty Dumpy in a Punch and Judy show. It is sad to see the decay that time has brought to the richest and greatest nation of antiquity. Does the same await our present civilization? It does if history repeats itself. Well, we won't be here then. Monday, June 11, 1907. To-day we went again to the Vatican and saw the Raphael pictures and the Sistine Chapel. I wish I had not seen either because they are a great disappointment. I never could cheat myself into thinking things were fine just

-40 because some one else said so. I have no doubt but that the Sistine Chapel was glorious when it was first painted but it isn't now and I predict some day some great critic, whose word is authority, will make fun of all the sentimental gushing that is being done now. I would rather have the Dresden Madonna by Raphael than anything in the Vatican that he has done. I am glad that our art critic, Van Dyke, is telling the truth about some of the old masters. It isn't right to take their faded, patched, restored paintings out of their original settings, where they meant something, and put them in a poorly lighted room three or four hundred years later and judge them an paintings beside the present school. I like to see the pictures in the old churches over the altars for which they were painted and I like the mosaics immensely, especially the old ones. Rome, June 11, 1907. The first day we came to Rome we drove to the American College and called on Monsieur Thomas F. Kennedy and asked if we might have a private audience with the Pope. He was very gracious and promised to let us know later. We are just in receipt of his visiting card with the following: "Mr. Haller, Dear Sir- Please call at the American College to-morrow the 15th at 10.15 A.M. All prepared for audience with Mrs. Haller." The card reads:- "Mons. Thomas F. Kennedy pronatorio Apostolico Rettore del Collegio del Nord."

-41 So to-morrow we go, - women must wear black without hats with black veils. Gentlemen in evening dress. Fortunately I have my dress suit along. June 15th, 1907 dressed in swallow tail and feeling like a guy we took the two horse carriage as prescribed by the regulations and drove to the house of the President of the American College, Father Kennedy. There he handed us an official paper to present to the Pope's Chamberlain for admittance. When we arrived at the Vatican the Swiss Guards in their picturesque old costumes, designed by Michael Angelo, showed us which turn to take from staircase to staircase. Their uniform is most gorgeous - yellow and red slashed trousers and coats and caps. We were taken into a vast audience room and told to sit down and wait. The Chamberlain was gotten up in great regimentals with a chapeau like the Masons wear. A long graceful ostrich feather on it. He wore a sword and a dozen decorations. The walls of the Pope's room are in figured red plush and the under servants of the Chamberlain are dressed in uniforms of the same materials. They looked warm but the walls of the Vatican are so think that it is cool within. We waited until the Pope had given audience to a lot of monks and then to a lot of sisters, all in their various and picturesque costumes. Then at last a 12.30 we were advised that the Pope would come into our room and see us. There were by that time about thirty men and women waiting with us, every mother's son and daughter with from ten to three hundred rosaries in their hands to be blessed when the

-42 Pope entered. Every one dropped either on one or both knees. I went down on one. The Pope then went around holding our [sic] his right hand that had a large green sapphire ring surrounded by diamonds on the fourth finger and you were each supposed to kiss that ring. when he came to me I lifted his hand that had the ring to my lips and thus really touched the Pope's hand. I did not do as President Grant did when the Pope held out his hand for President Grant to kiss. Grant shook it good and hard and said "how are you?" Then he had slowly and, it seemed to me, painfully gone around the circle his slippers creaking with each step, he turned and gave us the Apostolic Blessing. The Pope was dressed in white robes, slippers of white, and white skull cap and looked old for his years and unutterably sad and worried. He is a plain, kindly small man - looks like somebody's good old Grandfather - but it is evident that he feels the great responsibilities that rest upon his shoulders and his utter inability to meet them. I suppose the Catholic Church never had a more serious question in modern times than the French situation. The present Pope knows that his reign will go down in history as the one in which the Church lost its oldest daughter "France." His face was a sad one and no one could wish to be in his shoes. We had a strange visitor with us. We met the Rev. Mr. Eckstrom, a Swedish minister from Worcester, Mass., at Mr. Kennedy's and invited him as the fourth member in our carriage. We found him a most jolly fellow who had begun his ministry at Lincoln, Nebraska. He was making about the same itinerary as we and doing it for the sum of $340.00.

-43 He was taking street cars and walking. He wanted so much to stay another day in Rome so I gave him enough money to stay several days more and a more grateful fellow you never saw in your life. He went to the Vatican with us to-day and visited the Library. He was the most enthusiastic fellow you ever saw. A man about fifty with the enthusiasm of a boy of twenty. Rome, Wednesday, June 19th, 1907. Went to the Vatican Library. Saw some interesting Latin books, especially the illuminated ones. Last librarian died in three days of a broken heart because the late Pope found fault with him for not catching a thief who, with a diamond ring out the glass out of the case in which a valuable manuscript was kept and stole the manuscript. Rather a severe penalty for so common an offence. We went through the Palace of the Knights of Malta and got the best view of Rome we have had. It is a delightful spot, covering one of the Seven Hills of Rome, and has a garden that is a surprise,- the best I have yet seen. Visited the Jews' Market, held every Wednesday. Pa would have spent some money there sure. Such odds and ends. Mostly stolen, I think. Rome, June 20th, 1907. This morning we got the Excelsior of June 8th and the Bee of the same date. Marion decided to stay at the hotel while we went to a museum that she had seen. When we came back within a couple of hours we found the poor kid in great

-44 distress. She found a notice in both papers that Pa was sick and you can imagine how it shocked her. I told them that the news was twelve days old and that he must be better or we would have received a telegram from you by this time. Of course, we are mighty uneasy and if we don't get some news to-morrow I will cable the firm for some. It makes us realize how far away we are when anything like this happens. I left word with Dr. Somers to keep me posted and, from the fact that I have not heard from him either by letter or telegram, I am encouraged to think that nothing serious is the matter. It is a great comfort to us to know that Carrie Goff is with you to help Ma. I find that the heaviest travel to Rome is in July and August when the Cook's parties of school marms are due. It is hot only at noon. The temperature of these large churches like St. Paul is the same the year around. Wish we knew how you are to-day. I shall always remember Rome because of the fountains. Think of over a thousand fountains of pure cold spring water in all parts of the city where the people can get pure, fresh water besides enjoying the works of art that the fountains represent. The cattle are not dehorned in this country but wear long graceful horns about three times as long as our cattle. In fact, they resemble the large horned Texas cattle of years ago. They have funny little street cars drawn by two horses. The cars do not run on rails but follow certain streets.

-45 Half way up the mountain between Nice and Monte Carlo we came across a brand new Oliver Chilled Plow. It looked like home. Electric street care in some Italian cities, also Nice are run with the electric third rail put down in the old cable slot. Does away with the unsightly overhead wires. Conductors give receipt for fare paid but no transfers. Cars two stories whenever there is any suburban mileage. Cars not as good as ours as to finish but run more carefully. Automobiles just as reckless here as at home, perhaps more so. June 21, 1907. In order to escape the heat we left Rome at 7 P.M. instead of 8 A.M. for Naples and it was a wise move for we shall never forget the evening ride out of Rome, over the hills and down the mountains. It was an inspiring sight as we wound out of the valley where Rome lies and worked our way with a double header over the mountains. We saw panorama after panorama unfold itself- ruined castles on the mountain tops, old walled towns, a convent here - a church there, reflecting the evening sun. Here an old Roman tomb by the wayside with a shrine embedded in its side. There cartloads of farmers riding home from the harvest fields to the villages. Workmen in the fields cutting grain with the small half round sickle used from time immemorial. We saw a fine peasant woman with a flat water cask on her head carrying water to the laborers in the

-46 fields from an old Roman aqueduct. At 12 P.M. on a moonlight night our train pulled into Naples. Our bus began to wind about circular streets - up hill, up, up, up till we thought we should never stop. At last we stopped as the bottom of a high wall, as high as the New York Life Building. The bus stopped at a hole in the wall and we went in, wondering. We walked through a long, old tunnel a block long, it seemed, and came to an elevator with odd folding seats that spring up against the wall when you get up in a most "Hanlan en Swisso" style. This elevator began to go up a chute of solid masonry without windows. At last we arrived at the top and were led through mysterious passage ways (mind you at 1 A. M.) till we came to the hotel clerk, who was and English girl. She lead us to our room. We walked out of the French windows on to the iron porch and, if ever heaven was vouchsafed to the eyes of man, we looked upon it then. It is 2.30 A. M. but I have got to write about it as I can't sleep for the beauty of the scene. Imagine yourself on the very crest of a precipice looking down, down, down on to circle after circle in a half moon of the city lighten following the streets, then the mountains to the right and left of the half moon, and in front way down below the Bay of Naples, the most beautiful bay in the world, with the city lights reflected in the waterland the ocean vessels with their red, green, blue and white lights at anchor in the bay. Overall the moon sinking over the mountains the sweet scent of Cape jasmines

-47 coming up from the garden, - and then say that heaven holds a more beautiful sight. Then tinkling church bells afar off and the solemn convent bells near add music to the scene and the only touch of sadness comes from the thought of dear ones and friends left home who are so much more deserving of seeing this and experiencing the enchantment of the scene than I am. But we never forget those left at home and a thousand we say "Oh, I wish no - and 0 so could be here this minute." Marion does not make much ado over things but you can see it in her eye and hear her catch her breath now and then. I take it our in pinching and other expressions of appreciation. We had dinner in what they call their triple extract of restaurant on wheels, or dining car. They think that to be swell you much change plates every two minutes and I am not exaggerating when I say that they changed plates twenty-three times during that meal. They would bring French peas and change the plate, - cheese and change the plate, - fruit and change the plate, - macaroni and change the plate. Finally tooth picks and change the plate, - and then you put change on the plate and climb into your private box car again. It's amusing but it's not business. Naples, Saturday, June 22, 1907. T0-day we visited the aquarium no famous in natural history, and I had to ask the folks whether I was awake or dreaming when I saw the strange forms of sea life there shown. It would not do to let a man with "snakes" over go into that place, such colors and shapes of sea animals I

-48 never imagined existed. We saw herds of goats driven about the streets and milked in the presence of the prospective purchasers. Marion said they were "working the goat." We thought we would save money by trying to reach our hotel by street car instead of cab. It cost us just ten cents more but the fun of the experience was worth the difference. Bought some long gloves for one dollar, Omaha price four dollars. The cabs here are the smallest, most uncomfortable things on the footstool. They are hung on four elliptic springs and have no reach. The cab horses wear no bits in their mouths. The cabs are so small I feel like I am riding in a baby carriage. Sorrento, June 24th, 1907. From Naples at 7 A. M. to Pompeii, where we took lunch - thence to Sorrento where we are now. If you can imagine getting more impressions in one day than that. I want to know where. Then they took us up in the lift from the street entrance across a part of the roof and long dark passageways we did not know that the hotel faced the Bay, but when the porter threw open the windows of our room we started back, - scared quite a bit - because we were separated from destruction by a narrow lodge of a window sill even with the floor and a little iron fence that looked like gingerbread to me, but I afterwards found it was safe

-49 enough. It was about half way up in height to the top of the New York Life Building at home i.e. six stories. We looked straight down into the blue of the Mediterranean. Across the Bay is old Mt. Vesuvius in the blue haze. The water is transparent and we can see the bottom with the sea weed and sea anemone. In fact, the bottom of the ocean seems to be covered by a plate glass that gives a greenish tinge to the water. Marion and I couldn't stand it more than a minute. We hired bathing suited and if we didn’t have the finest swim you ever heard of I don't want a cent. On the way here we drove through orange and lemon groves with trees in full fruit. Think of eating large, ripe orange from off the trees - yum-yum! I got the juice all over my shirt front. I was almost as bad as the boy who mussed his ear eating pumpkin pie. The sun is just setting behind a cloud -brilliant- leaving a track over the water. Some Italian fishermen are going home in their boat singing "la, la, la" in the most musical way imaginable, laughing and having a great time. The wisterias grown over the porch of this hotel in a most beautiful rambling plant and is in full bloom. Astor of New York has a villa to the right of us and Marion Crawford, the American writer, has an orange fern ancilla just to the left. A great white sulphur cloud is hanging over Vesuvius and makes it look gloomy, mysterious and treacherous. I cannot imagine anything more beneficial than to drink in this ocean air mingled with the odor of wisteria and jasmine. It is

-50 a shame for one person to see this at a time, every pair of eyes ought to be multiplied a thousand times so that these scenes might live to brighten the memory of thousands, instead of only one now and then. I should say to all travelers take it in Italy above all other countries. You find it all here art, climate, scenery, history, and a light hearted people ready to entertain you. Monday, June 24th 1907. To-day we left Sorrento in a boat for the Island of Capri for a visit to the famous Blue Grotto. It was a beautiful morning and our little steamer looked so jaunty and private-yacht-like that we felt quite chesty. Alas, and alack, the wind blew and we were seasick - every one of us. Florie and I in spite of our condition went into the Blye Grotto - got a good ducking and spent the afternoon lying in the seats in the boat's cabin, too sick to do anything else, Even Marion paid tribute to the sea. We landed in Naples and here I am at 2 A. M. writing because it is so infernally noisy that even I cannot sleep. The cabs have no rubber tires and the streets are made of square stone blocks, to feet square, and noisiest ever known. Even the guide books speak of the dreadful noise. I wonder if we will get a bit of sleep. If ever this city is destroyed by old Vesuvius. I shall feel that it has deserved its fate. It isn't fit for white people to live in. We thought it would be more convenient here than way up on the hill. We will know better next time. This

-51 It is fifteen hundred years old and had not a thing worth of seeing outside of the Pompeiian remains. It is really an object lesson of what a city should not do. I doubt if nature ever favored a city more with beauty and natural advantages and it is an everlasting shame that those advantages were not used for the building up and immortalizing the city along the lines of art, literature, or music. No great man ever came from Naples. She lives only form stomach down. I decided not to cable home about Pa's health because it would alarm you and besides by this time he must be O. K. or we would have had a cable from Dr. Somers who was to let us know if there was another attack like the one at Christmas. You know we are only ten days away or fourteen at best. I am having keeping Florie and Marion satisfied that no news is good news but we will get out mail at Florence to-morrow evening and be relieved of the uneasiness. I did not have mail sent here because we are making a flying trip and would miss it. Wish we could telephone you and here your voices. All well. Naples, Tuesday June 25, 1907. The Museum in Naples is the finest next to the Vatican we have seen. The view from the old monastery and fortress of St. Martino on the hill is the finest view I have ever beheld. We are on the way from Rome to Florence at 9 A. M. Got to Rome from Naples at 11.30 last night. Stopped at Hotel Continental across the street from the Railroad

-52 Station. Poor kid, she has been flea bitten so she can hardly sleep. Took a bath at 12 P.M. trying to get rid of them. The men in the harvest field are cutting grain with hand sickles. The weather if cool and delightful. We have a nice diner on the train. At Florence we get our mail. We ought to have lots of it. May it all be good news. Marion is trimming a hat for Florie that she got in Rome for her. We have hard times finding quiet places in hotels. I am anxious to hear about the crops and businesses. We need more covers nights here and I wonder if the season everywhere is wet and cold. Marion misses her breakfast food in the morning and grumbles about it. She doesn't eat much breakfast but makes it up at lunch. We all dislike table d-hotel it is so long and full of meats. It seems to me have been hear a year and yet it isn't a month. I hear from Lewis Reed quite regularly. Hope to meet him in Paris. Florence, June 26, 1907. This last page records the sad fact that to-day we hear for the first time of the death of Mr. G. W. Lininger, a sad day for us. It is hard to think that we had to be five thousand miles away from home when this happened.

-53 Florence, June 29, 1907 It is strange how these Catholic countries take Church feast days. For instance, this is a great day in the Catholic Church - St. Peter's day - and they treat it the same as we would the Fourth of July or any national holiday. The stores all close at ten o'clock. All the museums are closed. This is in contract to Sunday when everything, including all the shops, is wide open. We had a great experience this morning. We went to the great Cathedral - The Duomo - one of the most famous as well as one of the largest cathedrals in Europe. As we stepped through the door we heard a grand "Amen" reverberating through the immense arches. It sent the cold shivers down my backbone, which is my way of telling when I hear music which is really magnificent. We ran across a great service there. At one side raised upon a covered dais twenty feet high was a stringed ban of instruments and a choir of boys that sang the Gregorian Hymns, while about fifty feet away in the center of the dome, on the floor in a half circle around the high altar were over a hundred boys in vestments, a dozen cardinals or high churchmen in red robes, and all the gorgeous ceremonial of the Catholic Church at its best - two dozen boys with lighted candles, taller than the men, an army of incense swingers and priests galore. Once in a while the great organ, a hundred feet up on the wall in a niche, would drown out everything with a grand strain of music. It was an inspiring sight and, when I thought that for over a thousand years every day on that spot prayers were said, it seemed to me that our Roman Cath-

-54 olic friends have something that they may be proud of in the old forms that they observe and have observed throughout the ages. There is one fundamental difference between Catholic and Protestant churches and that is the Roman Church building is a "House of Prayer" first, last and all the time. We go to Church (that is the Protestants outside of the Episcopalians) to hear sermons and so forth, but to the Roman Catholic the sermon is an incident - he goes to Church to pray, and I believe that is the right purpose of a Church. I favor services in our Church consisting of prayer only without an address at all and I'm going to have a talk with Dean Beecher about it when I come back home. The other day Marion tried to help us out on a native who could not understand English. It was a waiter. She tackled him in her best boarding school French. He answered that he could not speak English but that he understood French. We can't get used to walking in the street. We constantly trying to stick to the two foot sidewalks with poor success. I should like to stay in Florence a month and study art and architecture. It is a great city - quite a contrast to Naples

-55 Florence, Italy Sunday Morning 11 A.M. June 30, 1907 We are just starting out to go to the American Episcopal Church of St. James Piazza del Corbolini, across the Arno from our hotel - Rev. H.A. Venables. (All in Baedeker). We found the Church closed for the summer so went to St. Mark's, an English High Church, and listened to the service. It is quite a pretty Church with candles and some imitation Fra Angelicos. We have the right kind of a bath tub in this house. There is a thermometer built into the faucets so that you can tell just how hot the water is at all times. It's a good thing that we ought to have when we get a new bath tub. We will leave for Venice on Tuesday and when through Venice will get into Switzerland where it's cool and quiet for Florie. She stands travel pretty well and is quite enthusiastic but can't stand much. I think some resort would help her rest up and that's what we will strike for. It must be fine here in March. Florence, July 12, 1907 A stay of a week in Florence is an aggravation as you ought to stay at least a month to see even casually the riches Florence has to offer in art, history and architecture. I never was so much impressed with a museum as with the Archaeological Museum at Florence. I saw an ancient Greek vase made long before Christ, with the finest angels with wings you ever saw. It shows that even the angels of the Christian religion were taken from paganism.

-56 I have a much higher conception of Fra Angelico than I had before I left home. Also the Pre-Raphaelites. While going through the Museum San Marco, where Fra Angelico's cell is, Marian ran across her friend, Alice Knott of Sioux City, who is going to follow us with her party to Venice and Milan and Lucerne, so we shall have company. We saw them but for a moment but will see them at Venice and hereafter. We are on the train between Florence and Venice and Marion is complaining about the frequent tunnels that we are passing through with the resulting smoke and discomforts. It keeps me jumping to close and open the windows. The views as we climb the mountains are magnificent and the air is getting cool and refreshing. We are from 2.30 to 9.30 on the train. Diner on train. Venice, July 3, 1907. We landed last night at Venice at 10 P.M. Went to the Hotel Grand Danielo and at 5.30 the Italian Navel Band wakened me with the most awful practicing for half an hour that I ever heard. It was abominable and got on my nerve very much. Then a church began to ring, and rang and rang for twenty minutes in the most absurd clang - clang - clang just as fast as it could like an old time fire bell. Till in shear desperation I got up at 6.15 and dressed and went down and told the hotel clerk what I thought about his putting a white man in that kind of a place.

-57 We went about and hunted up the different hotels and finally landed at the Hotel Roma where we are nicely fixed. One large room with one bed which we will use as a sitting room. It has three windows all opening upon the Grand Canal. It is quite cool with no mosquitoes nor flies. We are charmed with Venice but a little tired of traveling. We expect to stay here almost one week. There is but one Venice after all. At the antiquity shop we found an exact duplicate of Pa's large ivory plaque, which is in the gallery, and which he called an Albrecht Durer. They call it here a scene from the Doges etc., and give the name etc. This man claims there is only one in existence and that it belongs to an Italian family and that it was $12,000., now $800. Same old lie. Wonder how many of these there are in existence. Also saw almost a duplicate of that rock crystal plaque at Florence in the shop were Pa bought his. The proprietor remembered Pa very well - thought we were going to buy on the same scale. We didn't buy a cent's worth of him. Visited Lapini whom we found just across the street from our hotel in Florence. We have just had a ride in a gondola out to see the beautiful American yachts in the harbor. They had quite a joke on me. When we came to the largest yacht I put my hands in the form of a funnel and yelled out at the top of my voice "Whose yacht is that, please?", and the officer, who was smoking a cigar on the railing, quietly took the cigar out of his mouth and in an ordinary tone of voice, which reached us quite distinctly, said "Vanderbuilt."

-58 The contrast between my vociferous shout and his quiet answer convulsed Marion and Florie and the crew and officer joined in the fun. The shops are something bewildering. We went through a glass factory to-day and were surprised at its immensity and beauty of its product, and the fine carved wood and its reasonable price. There are no end of antiquities. Well, to-morrow is the 4th of July. Frank. It is mighty hard on Americans to climb the steps, often three flights, to every gallery worth seeing. We start out bright and fresh in the morning and strike a gallery and by the time we have climbed the steps we are exhausted and done for the day, as far as enthusiasm is concerned. We have been spoiled by having elevators everywhere. Marian gives our first. This morning we met Alice Knott (Marion's schoolmate) and party in St. Mark's and Marion will take dinner with them to-night. We will follow their itinerary some from now on for a couple of weeks. Probably go to Lucern, Switzerland from Mlian. Weather still cool and pleasant. At first St. Mark's Church, one of the most interesting if not THE most interesting church in Europe, is disappointing. It looks squatty and dingy and old. But, as you get used to it and realize what it stand for, and that nearly ever inch of the whole church is a beautiful mosaic, you begin to admire it more and more. So much of the church is a thousand years old, and more, that it connects the

-59 past with the present. The Campanile, or bell tower, which fell in 1904 is now about fifteen feet high. It will be rebuilt at a cost of a million dollars. I think it is a mistake to rebuild it. All the town turns out to the band concerts on the square. There must have been between five and ten thousand people there last night. Venice, July 9, 1907. On train leaving Venice. It is with great regret that we leave for Venice after a six days visit. We go to Milan for a day. To-morrow visit the Certose di Pavid, then join the Knoll party to Como and over the Simplon to Lucerne. The gondolas were so restful. We did enjoy the Square of St. Mark's and the shops. Lots of things we wanted to buy but didn't. Would not want to live always in Venice but could stand sixty days all right. Too slow getting along from place to place. Can't understand why the weather is so cool. Hope it's good and hot for the corn at home. Haven't hears [sic].