Jon Bouman to the Bouman Family
Title
Jon Bouman to the Bouman Family
Creator
Bouman, Jon Anthony, 1873-1958
Identifier
WWP23162
Date
1927 December 28
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
28 Zimmerst,
Berlin, Dec. 28, 1927
Dearest;
When I wrote yesterday, I didn’t know my cheque would arrive the next day. We are now all paid in dollars direct from New York, and the money came today, so that I could change it immediately. So I’m sending herewith the usual pound 45. I find I can live on pound 5 a week all right so long as I don’t need anything extra. 7 x 9 marks per day makes 63 M or 3 guineas, then they charge 10% on that for service, and a bath costs 2s/_, and with laundry &c, it soon runs up to pound 4 . But still I am on the right side. It has been fair but cold here during the holidays, my overcoat, muffler and wooly waistcoat doing good service. There has been skating on all the ponds and lakes here for days, and no break-up in sight. There doesn’t seem to be much holly here, but lots of mistletoe which they use for table decoration instead of hanging it up as we do. I am still munching away at the large plate of cookies &c they gave each of us at Xmas. Enderis is wearing the ghastliest check suit I have ever seen; I am told this was due to Smith pulling his leg when he was here; he said he admired the material (I don’t think) whereupon E. immediately ordered a suit. A strange man in Warsaw came up to me at a press luncheon and asked how Mr. E. was, adding immediately “Does he still wear check suits?” This was very funny. But one forgives these things readily, because he is such a good sort and after all his clothes are his affair.
This week I am again on the 5 p.m. till 1 a.m. trick. It is a new arrangement and we don’t know yet whether we will run it by the fortnight or the month. I don’t mind which, because now I can have good exercise in the day time. It was quite enjoyable today in the bright sunshine.
With love to all,
And a happy NYear to all of us Thine,
J.
T.O.
The Xmas tree is a rentable cult here. I saw them on brewers’ drays, on both
sides of the stage at a picture theatre, and one about 100 feet high on top of
a scaffolding when a house was being refaced!
Berlin, Dec. 28, 1927
Dearest;
When I wrote yesterday, I didn’t know my cheque would arrive the next day. We are now all paid in dollars direct from New York, and the money came today, so that I could change it immediately. So I’m sending herewith the usual pound 45. I find I can live on pound 5 a week all right so long as I don’t need anything extra. 7 x 9 marks per day makes 63 M or 3 guineas, then they charge 10% on that for service, and a bath costs 2s/_, and with laundry &c, it soon runs up to pound 4 . But still I am on the right side. It has been fair but cold here during the holidays, my overcoat, muffler and wooly waistcoat doing good service. There has been skating on all the ponds and lakes here for days, and no break-up in sight. There doesn’t seem to be much holly here, but lots of mistletoe which they use for table decoration instead of hanging it up as we do. I am still munching away at the large plate of cookies &c they gave each of us at Xmas. Enderis is wearing the ghastliest check suit I have ever seen; I am told this was due to Smith pulling his leg when he was here; he said he admired the material (I don’t think) whereupon E. immediately ordered a suit. A strange man in Warsaw came up to me at a press luncheon and asked how Mr. E. was, adding immediately “Does he still wear check suits?” This was very funny. But one forgives these things readily, because he is such a good sort and after all his clothes are his affair.
This week I am again on the 5 p.m. till 1 a.m. trick. It is a new arrangement and we don’t know yet whether we will run it by the fortnight or the month. I don’t mind which, because now I can have good exercise in the day time. It was quite enjoyable today in the bright sunshine.
With love to all,
And a happy NYear to all of us Thine,
J.
T.O.
The Xmas tree is a rentable cult here. I saw them on brewers’ drays, on both
sides of the stage at a picture theatre, and one about 100 feet high on top of
a scaffolding when a house was being refaced!
Original Format
Letter
To
Bouman Family
Files
Collection
Citation
Bouman, Jon Anthony, 1873-1958, “Jon Bouman to the Bouman Family,” 1927 December 28, WWP23162, Jon Anthony Bouman Collection, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.