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S.S. Yoro, Gulf of Mexico
Dearest Mother and
all:-
This is almost four
o'clock Sun. afternoon and we left N[ew] O[rleans] yesterday about 1 P.M. so you
see that we are well on our way and I am still able to enjoy the trip. I am
thankful to say that I have not been really sick yet. Once in a while I get a
little swimmy feeling but I lie down and it passes away. I have been to all
my meals and ate a good dinner this noon.
We were somewhat
surprised when we boarded to find that we were the only passengers with the
exception of three ship officials. This service has been opened only
three weeks and is mostly freight but we have very good accommodations.
A state room with an upper and lower berth and another sort of davenport on
the other side of the room. Then wash bowl, mirror etc. in the room and
ladies toilet right across from our room and bath next to it. By the way, I
am the only woman on board (Manly says, with the exception of our heifers).
Everything is spotlessly clean, and good well-cooked food, so we are faring
fine.
This ship has not
accommodations for many passengers anyway, but they are getting two new boats
for the service.
You can see there is
not much danger of picking up the company that you warned us of.
The water is not very
rough. I have seen it rougher there at L.A. I expect that is why I haven’t
been more sick. |
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Thurs
[26 Nov 1925] - 7:30 A.M.
This is Thanksgiving and we have just landed at the wharf.
Of course we are thankful for out safe journey.
It has not been very rough any of the way and I have not been
sick which has really surprized me. I have enjoyed the voyage as you know I
always like water. Last night both the sunset and the moonlight were especially
beautiful
I believe it was the second day, or else the third, we passed
near enough to see Cuba. It was green and pretty. That is all the land we saw
but saw a ship now and then and flying fish.
We are in Colon and can
see lots of Palm trees which make me think of California. Manly has gone
ashore to try to get in touch with Charley. There is an army post on one side
and a navy post on the other as we enter the breakwater. I will write again
when we land at David - God bless you my little mother. Lovingly Hazel and
Manly |
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Ancon,
C. Zone
Dearest Mother and all:-
Today we leave the Canal Zone and go up to our place, probably
arriving at David Friday A.M., the Lord willing.
My, but I like it down here! Everything green and beautiful
and tropical.
It is in its natural state (beautiful) what California is by
irrigation. Flowers trees and birds.
The sun is quite hot in the middle of the day to be out in
but it is a good deal like that of California and not the oppressive heat of the
east.
The mornings and evenings are cool, but not enough so that
you need a wrap nor any sign of a fire.
But when you stir around and work hard - washing, sweeping
etc., it doesn’t take any time to work up a perspiration.
We have had a very pleasant time while here. The morning we
came in Manly went to the club house to look up Charley (by the way we didn’t
get in touch with him all that day) and found one of his old friends.
As soon as we were thru breakfast on the ship, this friend
was down there with a nice big Studebaker and took us to their home. He lives
with his father and mother. They certainly entertained us find and made us feel
so at home. It was Thanksgiving and they had a fine turkey dinner.
We got Charley the next morning and he laid off and spent the
day with us, helping Manly get everything attended to and taking us around.
We went to the locks in the evening and watched them in operation.
The next morning we left for the Pacific side, went by train and it was a
very interesting ride. I am going to try to write some about the Canal and
its sights for the Y.P.F. [“Young Peoples Friend”- Church of God religious
paper; sister Jessie was editor of this or some other Church of God publications.]
Manly had called one of his friends on this side by phone and
he told him to come over and stay at his place as he and his mother live together,
but she is in the States, so he gave us the key and we have come and gone
just as we wished. It has been fine as we are quite centrally located. We get
our meals here and Mr. Wilson eats breakfast and supper with us.
Manly has taken me around his familiar haunts and I have enjoyed
it very much.
The natives live differently from any foreigners I ever saw.
One thing about them, they are very clean, as a rule. Of course it is warm,
and the children especially, are not burdened with clothing. I even saw one
little tot in back of the house, playing without a stitch on, then across the
street on a second story veranda, a "colo’d gen’leman" with white
shirt, vest and dress coat. People don’t seem to be slaves to custom of any
kind - Just live to suit themselves.
Well I could write on and on telling you the interesting sights
and experiences, but we leave this afternoon and I have some things to attend
to so will say Bye-bye - God bless you. We certainly feel that he has blessed
and protected us. So many things have worked together for our good on our
trip.
Lovingly your children
Hazel and Manly
P.S.
I am making something for Ruth’s girls and Fred’s girls for
Xmas and hardly think that I shall be able to finish it before I leave here,
so it will require duty and I will send it in one package so it will not be
so much. Will you please send the other on? We don’t have to pay duty on the
Zone but we do from David.
Charlie expects to
come up the 15th and stay a month. |
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David, Chiriqui, Panama
Dearest Jessie:-
After a safe and happy journey we have arrived at one of
the prettiest places I have ever seen, and I surely hope that you can visit
us sometime.
The woods before you arrive at our place are beautiful, following
along the river bank for some distance - we have to cross it too - ford it on
horseback then our place sets above the river. We cannot see it for the trees
but can hear a little creek that flows into it, and a little higher up where
we are going to build the house we will be able to see for miles and miles
down the valley and when it is clear to the Pacific.
The country not under irrigation is not dry and barren as in
California, but abounds in tropical trees, ferns flowers etc.
We have about two dozen orange and grapefruit trees besides
bananas pineapple and native fruits.
There are no vegetables here now as they have had no care,
but we are planting them and it will not be long before they will be ready, if
nothing happens, and of course we can have gardens the year round here.
The native family who have been on the place have nine children
and a neighboring family (German father and native mother [Ogden?]) have
five, also there are other natives not so far away, so I think I shall begin
my school right on the place and not where we had spoken of at the sugar
mill. There are many more families there but it is quite a difficult road to
travel and there are other Americans there too, who might not be in sympathy
with all I would teach and as they are employing these people in their sugar
mill and cane fields they might feel they had jurisdiction over them to some
extent too, so I feel the best is to begin on a smaller scale and right at
our place and it will not be so hard on me. This family here have three young
girls and they don’t let me do anything so far. They are in our house until
they can get one up for themselves, then we will tear this house down and use
the lumber for a new one. Charlie is coming up to help Manly build it. I will
be able to get those girls to do the heavy work for very little.
They watch everything I do so closely, even writing these letters.
They know nothing of reading or writing. I mean they aren’t able to do
either.
The boy that helps Manly has just come in with a very bad cut
on his finger. Manly thinks it is to the bone. I have dressed it as best I
could with what I had and we shall ask the Lord to heal it also.
If you like, you and mama may exchange letters as I have written
some things to her that I didn’t to you.
There are several American families around and I like some
of the women especially well. There is one elderly lady who kept two girls (whose
father is American and mother native) for two years and taught them to speak
English and they do very well.
I am putting in some small remembrances for you [handkerchief
and lingerie clasps]. Call one your birthday if you like - I should be glad
to do more but can’t this time. I had planned some hand work for you but
didn’t get it done. Write to me often little sis,
God bless you and keep you a blessing -
Lovingly yours
Hazel |
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David, Chiriqui, Panama
Dearest Jessie:-
I look in every mail for a letter from you but suppose you
are quite busy. We received your nice Xmas cards and appreciated the sentiment.
I am still enjoying my new experiences and am feeling fine
and I believe gaining in strength.
We are living in our new house but it isn’t finished yet, but
we can get along while Manly gets some work done on the place.
We have finished your book and enjoyed it very much. Manly
talks of Livingston and his experiences often and even though we have to endure
some hardnesses, I am sure that they will never be severe like those he
endured.
We have plenty to eat and is no trouble to keep warm. It gets
quite hot in the sun at times but is always comfortable in the shade and there
is almost always a nice breeze blowing thru our house as we are up on the
hill.
I went with Manly this morning, to see about a site for an
irrigation ditch for a dry season garden. We followed along the river for some
distance and it was so pretty, and the water rippled "right merrily"
over the stones. There is quite a fall to the river, so it flows quite
rapidly. There are many large boulders there, and plenty of stones to build a
stone house if one wished.
I went to David and back, horseback, this week and certainly
enjoyed the trip. We left at 9:30 P.M. and rode down in the moonlight to
within a few miles of the town, and then we stopped at a friends and slept
from 3 A.M. to 6 and started on after breakfast. There is a rise of 3000 ft.
to our place but it is quite gradual and one doesn’t notice it much but where
we cross the river the banks are quite steep and rocky and the river beds are
quite broad in some places as the streams swell so in the rainy season. This
is the dry season now.
Jessie, I forgot to tell you about the [sewing] machine. I
let Mernie Johnson Wing use it until you want it. They will crate it and send
it whenever you write for it. Her address is Mrs. F.E. Wing 1233N. 9 St. West
- Cedar Rapids. I told her you would pay the freight but they will crate it.
Did you ever get that money from Manly’s brother? Mama wrote
that you sent $5.00 from Fred for her but didn’t say anything about any from
me. Ethelyn wrote that her papa had sent the $15.00. It was coming to us and
he sent it after payday.
Then Fred was to send the interest money that he owes me to
you to send to mama part at a time. Let me know please when he sends it so I
may keep account of it. When that is used up, I am hoping to get Olmer to make
payments, so much a month on what he owes me.
Feb 17
Well we have sent no mail out since I started this, but a neighbor
brought our mail up yesterday and there was a nice letter from you also Mae’s
photo. Thank her for me and tell her I will write later.
Jessie you wondered if you were accomplishing much. I think
if the children love and appreciate you that speaks well. When I left Cedar
Rapids that little neighbor girl and Ethelyn and some old folks spoke their
regrets with tears in their eyes and I felt that they were sincere. Childhood
and age are just simple enough to be sincere, we cannot always tell about
others, sometimes it is mere flattery. So if the old folks and the children
love me I feel that life hasn’t been wholly selfish for they are not drawn to
you unless you make an effort to bring something into their lives.
I am so glad you have Amy Lopez for a friend. She is a wonderful
character, I think. Unless one has been among these people you cannot realize
just what their standard of morals is, and then too, the backwardness of
civilization makes it less pleasant to the natural man. I know that Amy has
ability that would cause her to be coveted by any congregation but I trust
that she will not be beguiled but will as Jesus says "loose her
life" for His sake. Such a life as hers is needed here. There are plenty
for there.
Well, the boy will be coming for the mail as he is going to
David this morning.
Our [heifers] Maybelle and Clarabelle are under the sod. They
got Tick fever. We thought that getting them from the South, there was little
danger as they have it there and they were likely to be immune.
Well write often please, as letters mean lots
to us.
God bless you, my dear, and make you always a blessing.
Lovingly
Hazel |