Jon Bouman to the Bouman Family

Jon Bouman to the Bouman Family

Bouman, Jon Anthony, 1873-1958

WWP23025

1919 March 5

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.

Now all you hotelly people,

    When you get this, you will be back in London I suppose, after a glorious time in Newcastle. Did any of you remember the town? I suppose Bill would remember the bridges and the ships. Betty says that everybody has been spoiling you that's a nice thing for Daddy to hear. It is high time he should come home and give you

------------------------SMACKS!!------------------------------

I am anxious to hear when you are going to that new school and how you like it. Thanks very much to everybody except Bill for the story of your crossing to England. Your letters were very interesting. You must have got up early on the boat. I was wondering how you would get on. On the ship I was on there were just rough bunks, and pillows stuffed with grass that didn’t smell very sweet, and next to my cabin there was the wireless telegraphist and every time he sent out a message the machine gave a wail like doeje in agony; I don’t think I ever went to sleep. What a nuisance it must have been about the laundry not coming in time; just like those people, eh?

    Do you get Puck now regularly? They don’t seem to have it here; I never see it at the bookstalls. Whenever I go out I rattle like a snake; that’s my sugarbox with lumps of sugar in it, because they don’t give you any at restaurants. Think of your poor father with no sugar, and eating dry bread. He never gets any tea either, so you had better remind mother to get a store cupboard full of those things for I shall want to EAT, if not, I shall eat you all up.

    Do you ever talk Dutch to each other? And tell me what is bobbed hair? I have never had mine bobbed. I suppose its the latest fashion --------------

    [Drawing of hairstyle] Anything like this? This looks like bob to me. Oh this is a funny place I am staying at. The water in the bathroom is heated from a little coal furnace in the bathroom and the handles of the doors all turn the wrong way. And there aren’t double windows, but double windowpanes. And the breakfast cups are about six times the size of ordinary ones, like little baths. Just like Doggy Diarlog Land. And they sell postage stamps at the tobacco shops. And you never get puddings at meal. If you want a sweet, they bring you a little jam on a saucer. I had a banana today, and it cost ninepence. I shan’t have any more.

     What a lovely day it was today. I quite enjoyed the bright sunshine. I had to go to a great many places in one of the two motorcars that are kept by the office so you see we keep up style even if we have no butter on our bread. Until now the weather has been very bad and especially on Sundays when I am supposed to have my day off. So that wasn’t very fortunate, was it?

    Tomorrow I’m going to eat snails. Luscious steaming snails, they look brown and fat, and you hoist them out of their shells with a special little fork with two prongs. Lovely! They come out with a plop.

    Now when you get settled down in London you must write and tell me all about it and if they have put fresh turf on Parliament Hill and if they still sail boats on Highgate Ponds and if the Flagstaff still stands. And all these things, you know, you persons.

[Drawing] This is Hugh, Duggy’s boy, with a moustache and the pimple on his head, as you must know. Now all together, hug mother very hard for me and kisses all around

Letter

Bouman Family