| Feb 23 1933
On Board The SS General Lee We
arrive in Yokohama tomorrow night so I am going to write a volume to be
posted there. First of all I want to thank you for you lovely birthday
remembrances, and the birthday box. It surely seemed good to have your
notes and the nuts (did you mean--sweets to the sweet and nuts to the
nuts?) I almost missed my birthday. We crossed the International Date
Line Feb.15, at 6 P.M. It was immediately Feb. 16th, 6 P.M. As I only
had 6 hours before the 17th I went to my cabin and opened my boxes.
Believe me it was nice to have them. It was a bit lonely in my room.
The Steward had a consolation Birthday cake for me at dinner the 17th.
Everyone had a piece. Nice of them wasn't it.
Terrill is a peach and now that I know Deeds he proves to be one too.
Makes it mighty nice that we all get along so well.
The boat isn't very big -just 400 feet, but it is seaworthy and the food
is marvelous. There are only seventeen, rather 21 passengers aboard.
Quite a select group aren't we. We seem to be the mystery boys.
Everyone else tells all about themselves. We don't and the
gossip is rife. In fact, some are so curious that they accuse us of
being snobs, lacking ship etiquette and so forth. Aren't people nosey?
The trip has been a dreary one. The boat has no orchestra--only a
radio. Has all kinds of deck games tho. However I have been so busy
studying every day that I haven't had much time for that. My day
goes--breakfast, medicine ball or deck tennis, study till lunch, study
until just before dinner, dinner, movies or study, then to bed.
We have been quite fortunate as to weather. The first seven days were
pretty good. Since then it has been stormy--in fact my chair just
tipped over and spilled me a little while ago. This ship will make a
sailor of me. I haven’t missed a meal yet. There is nothing
particularly interesting that has happened except the storm with seas
and spray going over the ship and with it all quite a bit of snow. Some
mornings everything is covered with ice. It is quite cold and has been
all the way. We have followed a great circle course from Portland up by
he Aleutian Islands and back down to Japan.
We won't arrive at our destination until March 4th if we are on time.
So far the storm has made us two days late. Probably won't arrive
finally until around March 8th. Which means Jeannette can't leave
untill the April 12th boat. I hope that I can see my way clear to send
for her bythen. Means she won’t get there until May 6th oi
yoi! I don’t like that but I must be absolutely sure of every
thing before I send for her.
I have my outline and study pretty well complete. I imagine that I will
have to continue pretty intensive study most of the time. Things look
pretty good and I believe everything will be O. K. I am sending this
under U. S. Postage because I have heard that letters are censored at
Yokohama. I haven’t anything to conceal but I don’t
like the idea of someone reading my letters.
I will cable Jeannette when I arrive safely and will write her to let
you know. I can’t send many cables at 60 cents a word,
address included. Jeannette may have company on her trip. Terrill is
having a girl come over--to be married the day she arrives. When he
found that I was married and that Jeannette was coming over probably
the 12th of April, he wirelessed his gal to contact Jeannette and come
with her. Would make it nice for both of them. Deeds has a lady friend
coming over about June first. Quite a colony we will have.
I think of you all every day and wonder what you are doing, how things
are going, how you are. Believe me I will be glad to get your letters.
I hope the Scotts are happy with the car. Every time I think of the
deal I feel better.
A round trip ticket on this line is $300 during the summer months. I am
hoping I may see you all some summer soon. Thank you for the bon voyage
letters. I received them on the boat in Portland. Pretty nice being
remembered and a word of cheer just as I left.
We go right down the coast of Japan tomorrow so I am going to take a
few peeps at the land of the rising sun. I haven’t any more
information so will have to sign off. I am thinking of you all every
day and anxious to know what you are doing, so please write. I wish you
all every bit of happiness and success.
Love,
Stu | |
