Jon Bouman to the Bouman Family
Title
Jon Bouman to the Bouman Family
Creator
Bouman, Jon Anthony, 1873-1958
Identifier
WWP23151
Date
1927 November 10
Description
Letter from Jon Bouman to his family.
Source
Gift of William C. and Evelina Suhler
Subject
Germany--History--1918-1933
Correspondence
Berlin, Germany
Contributor
Rachel Dark
Denise Montgomery
Language
English
Requires
PROOFREADING
Provenance
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.
Text
Thurs. Nov. 10, 1927
Dearest,
The railway journey to Berlin from the Hook was uneventful; it was a murky day and soon dark. Across the Dutch-German frontier it began to rain and it rained the rest of the day. Company unexciting: one English businessman on his way to Moscow, and an Irishman from Belfast were the only ones I conversed with. Curious was a notice stuck up in the corridor saying that seven floor mats from that particular carriage had “unaccountably disappeared”.
Can you imagine people stealing floor mats from an English railway?
With my luggage I had not the slightest trouble. I had to open nothing, not even the trunk in the luggage van which was examined by the German customs officers but when I offered to unlock to show I had nothing dutiable, they said “Oh all right” and made their chalk mark without further ado.
A porter carried the whole lot, trunk on shoulders and suitcases slung across him, over to this hotel where my room was ready, only 5s/6 per day very nice and clean, h & c. central heating, fine large wardrobe all I wanted, on second floor. I ought to have gone there earlier.
Then I phoned Enderis who had already ordered dinner for two; I really didn’t want a dinner but I ate some; the faithful Lisbeth made her curtsey and then of course we talked shop until nine when Enderis had to meet old S.S. McClure (of McClure’s Magazine, the “father” of American magazines) at the Adlon which he was leaving for Bucharest to see Queen Marie. I said I’d like to see McClure again as I had met him in 1916 at The Hague. So we went and sat in the Adlon Hall talking to the old Colonel who kept us spellbound with stories of his old personal connections with Robert L. Stevenson, Geo. Meredith, J.M. Barrie, Rudyard Kipling, Conan Doyle, and many others; most fascinating; this you would have thoroughly enjoyed if you had been there. He became so immersed in his recollections that he had to be reminded at 11 pm. that his train started in a quarter of an hour so he skipped off. He is 70 but hale and hearty, is old Samuel.
At the office, everybody interested of course in what I was going to do; old Jacob said his advice was letting the London flat furnished and renting a Berlin furnished flat with the proceeds; this seems simple but then you would have to get a kind of permanent tenant. Bodker says empty flats are much more difficulty to get than furnished ones; I think I shall have to get some really qualified adviser. I discovered that Howe paid 250 marks pound 12.10 ._ a month for his furnished flat; I don’t know how many rooms, though.
Looking through phone book, came upon Petri, rang up number and spoke to “Mrs. P. who was much amazed and professed to be delighted; she remembered us after I had made myself known, immediately invited me to come & see them, but when I heard one of the children had a bad attack of ‘flu and another girl recovered I agreed to her proposal to ring up again next week. They live in Wilmersdorf, a near suburb comparable to say St. John’s Wood, from the centre. Friedman, where Jim Howe lived, is just beyond that.
I see by the “Editor and Publisher” that Van Lear Black got back to his home from Baltimore and two hours after arrival sat down to a Lucullan feast, together with his two Dutch pilots, Fokker the builder of airplanes, the Dutch minister and all the notabilities of the city. From all appearances it was another scrumptious affair and went off with much eclat and of course the Dutch minister claimed him as a Dutchman – by descent. I wonder how long he will keep quiet now.
I shall see about that Pension tomorrow although I think I’ll stay a couple of weeks here.
Yet, full board would work out considerably cheaper, so I will see what’s on offer.
Quite cold today, but fair. With love to all,
Thine,
J.
Dearest,
The railway journey to Berlin from the Hook was uneventful; it was a murky day and soon dark. Across the Dutch-German frontier it began to rain and it rained the rest of the day. Company unexciting: one English businessman on his way to Moscow, and an Irishman from Belfast were the only ones I conversed with. Curious was a notice stuck up in the corridor saying that seven floor mats from that particular carriage had “unaccountably disappeared”.
Can you imagine people stealing floor mats from an English railway?
With my luggage I had not the slightest trouble. I had to open nothing, not even the trunk in the luggage van which was examined by the German customs officers but when I offered to unlock to show I had nothing dutiable, they said “Oh all right” and made their chalk mark without further ado.
A porter carried the whole lot, trunk on shoulders and suitcases slung across him, over to this hotel where my room was ready, only 5s/6 per day very nice and clean, h & c. central heating, fine large wardrobe all I wanted, on second floor. I ought to have gone there earlier.
Then I phoned Enderis who had already ordered dinner for two; I really didn’t want a dinner but I ate some; the faithful Lisbeth made her curtsey and then of course we talked shop until nine when Enderis had to meet old S.S. McClure (of McClure’s Magazine, the “father” of American magazines) at the Adlon which he was leaving for Bucharest to see Queen Marie. I said I’d like to see McClure again as I had met him in 1916 at The Hague. So we went and sat in the Adlon Hall talking to the old Colonel who kept us spellbound with stories of his old personal connections with Robert L. Stevenson, Geo. Meredith, J.M. Barrie, Rudyard Kipling, Conan Doyle, and many others; most fascinating; this you would have thoroughly enjoyed if you had been there. He became so immersed in his recollections that he had to be reminded at 11 pm. that his train started in a quarter of an hour so he skipped off. He is 70 but hale and hearty, is old Samuel.
At the office, everybody interested of course in what I was going to do; old Jacob said his advice was letting the London flat furnished and renting a Berlin furnished flat with the proceeds; this seems simple but then you would have to get a kind of permanent tenant. Bodker says empty flats are much more difficulty to get than furnished ones; I think I shall have to get some really qualified adviser. I discovered that Howe paid 250 marks pound 12.10 ._ a month for his furnished flat; I don’t know how many rooms, though.
Looking through phone book, came upon Petri, rang up number and spoke to “Mrs. P. who was much amazed and professed to be delighted; she remembered us after I had made myself known, immediately invited me to come & see them, but when I heard one of the children had a bad attack of ‘flu and another girl recovered I agreed to her proposal to ring up again next week. They live in Wilmersdorf, a near suburb comparable to say St. John’s Wood, from the centre. Friedman, where Jim Howe lived, is just beyond that.
I see by the “Editor and Publisher” that Van Lear Black got back to his home from Baltimore and two hours after arrival sat down to a Lucullan feast, together with his two Dutch pilots, Fokker the builder of airplanes, the Dutch minister and all the notabilities of the city. From all appearances it was another scrumptious affair and went off with much eclat and of course the Dutch minister claimed him as a Dutchman – by descent. I wonder how long he will keep quiet now.
I shall see about that Pension tomorrow although I think I’ll stay a couple of weeks here.
Yet, full board would work out considerably cheaper, so I will see what’s on offer.
Quite cold today, but fair. With love to all,
Thine,
J.
Original Format
Letter
To
Bouman Family
Collection
Citation
Bouman, Jon Anthony, 1873-1958, “Jon Bouman to the Bouman Family,” 1927 November 10, WWP23151, Jon Anthony Bouman Collection, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.