Jon Bouman to the Bouman Family

Jon Bouman to the Bouman Family

Bouman, Jon Anthony, 1873-1958

WWP23035

1919 April

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;

    Here I am at the old game again, taking the confounded Saturday night job, as the man who used to do it before has been sent to Rome. An aged servitor appears with beer and ham – I have to provide my own bread. Fortunately I only have to walk a quarter of an hour instead of an hour as in the old days; -- and it is raining furiously. This is my first Saturday night, and it is much the same as in London except that the morning papers appear later, so that I have a little time just now.

    An automobile is coming to fetch me at 8:15 Monday morning; there will be a party of four, including two French officials and Bell of the Daily News. I expect I shall be able to send your postcards from the different points visited, which you must keep for the family archives.

    I was much interested in your description of the Betjeman home; they must have made money! As regards Tony, I would not encourage her coming to see you; I certainly don’t want to see that girl again after the annoyances we had to put up with. Charles Tower has been back in Berlin for the DMail for quite a long time, so I think Mrs. Wilkie, and Spray of the DTelegraph; are the only survivors.

    Jones Brothers sent me a bill for £3.6. - carriage on 2 cases which presumably contain the books. I will send them a cheque from here. I hope it’s worth it, but it seems a lot!

    I shall be quite interested to hear about the play the children acted at school. They have all written me about it. I wish I could see Bill as Sir Lancelot. The babe writes that “she is nothing”. How is that? She also writes that at the South Kensington Museum they saw a “planet (!)” that fell on the earth. She is still interested in astronomy, it appears. I notice that Bill’s letter was severely corrected by Mary, I suppose, or different points of spelling that he had wrestled with unsuccessfully. Their letters are very funny, and I love them.

    This afternoon I went to the Sorbonne by invitation to hear Sunday speeches by notabilities such as the Italian professor of history Guglielmo Ferrers and some South American ministers. The famous old university was crowded, and I enjoyed my first visit to it very much. I hear Van Oss is also in Paris but I have not come across him yet. There is talk now of Berry having to go back to Holland; he is furious about it. The Big Boss, Stone, has just sailed for America and he told him to remain here, but the other bosses in New York, and Collins in London, are urging him not to leave Holland uncovered. Roberts, the Paris correspondent has suggested that a man should be sent from London if they are so anxious about the Kaiser. All this amuses me vastly.

    I am very much looking forward to pictures of the children. I often wish I could jump across for an afternoon. The silly thing about it is that it is feasible, by aeroplane but they don’t let ordinary people go, besides passport difficulties &c. Those are troubles that I hope won’t bother our descendants.

    So next you may expect postcards from the stricken field, and when I get back I will write about my experiences. Much love, dear, to all,

Letter

Bouman Family