Jon Bouman to the Bouman Family

Jon Bouman to the Bouman Family

Bouman, Jon Anthony, 1873-1958

WWP23036

1919 May 1

Letter from Jon Bouman to his family.

Gift of William C. and Evelina Suhler

Correspondence

Paris Peace Conference (1919-1920)

Rachel Dark

Denise Montgomery

Austin Shifflett

English

Evelina Suhler is the granddaughter of Jon Anthony Bouman and inherited the family collection of his letters from the years of World War I. She and her husband gave the letters to the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum in 2013.

Dearest;

    Glad to get yours of April 28th with the school reports which I found extremely interesting, and I think the general tenor of them is more or less similar to those which we get in Holland. I am now looking forward to the oculist’s report about the boy’s eyesight. I confess I cannot quite understand his school report saying he has “very defective vision” and hope you have taken him to a good man who won’t fluster him, because if he is short sighted it is extremely difficult, when trying glasses, to hit on the right ones. I remember when mine were tested at the age of 15, I believe, I could not say for certain whether certain glasses put on my nose “made things clearer, but not smaller” which was my case, and I remember I tried the oculist’s patience rather by saying I couldn’t detect any difference between two grades of strength when I ought to have been able to do so.

    Otherwise I think their reports are very satisfactory, and I am always much cheered by hearing that you all are so well and happy. I am looking forward to coming home although I am now much at home in Paris too, as life here is so interesting at the present time. I have no doubt I shall like your wallpapers, after the impossible pattern that stares at me in my hotel room. It is the sort of large pattern one finds in country hotels, with no colour or shape to it – an abomination.

    Thankful to say I am keeping very well, and since I have been able to get better – only since April 15 though - meals are getting better though not cheaper. I cheerfully pay 8 shillings for a dinner and 5s/_ for a lunch – think of it! But then it all goes down on the account. Some of the bigger bugs of the staff don’t think anything of paying 16s/_ for their dinners; the prices here are simply exorbitant.

    I had an exciting time today, seeing it was May 1st and a general strike on; no food obtainable & everything closed, no hams, buses, or underground. I was able to get meals however at my hotel but no restaurants were open. I had gone out of the office to look at a crowd when the police made a sudden rush and I bolted back just in time for the man next to me was knocked down by a policeman. Yesterday the scuffles began with the little milliners who were trying to oust the strikebreakers at Paquin’s. The girls were rather roughly handled by the police, who don’t know how to handle a crowd except by hard hitting. Nothing but a London bobby can do that sort of thing satisfactorily.

    I am so glad your landlady is so good to you. Give my best to Auntie Pell when you see her again. So you had a snowstorm; I’ve had rain and hail, and a piercing wind. It simply pelted here all day today until this evening when it has faired somewhat. It seemed to make no difference to the street crowds of manifestants. I hear there are 3 killed, 26 badly injured, 200 less injured and 150 “run in”, and there may be more doing yet before midnight.

    Berry is getting his papers ready to go back to Holland, much to his chagrin, and he tells me his wife is furious. I don’t know why they brought him back here at all – however he has had had a month’s change here. Fortunately it appears that Mrs. B will not have to undergo that operation, which will ease his mind.

    If I have time tomorrow, I will write to the bairns. I am not surprised that Bill’s “lack of neatness” is again emphasized in his school report. One has only to look at his last letter to me – badly written, torn and altogether disreputable looking, although he writes a very nice style for a boy of his age. He doesn’t seem to feel the satisfaction of a piece of work properly turned out; maybe that will come yet, and his heart is in the right place, anyhow. Give my love to him and the others, I hope they will always be the joy and comfort to us that they are now. Much love to yourself, dearest from

Letter

Bouman Family