Chgo. Ill. July 1.19.14.

Dear bro. Ed. You will half to excus this pensil & they dont seem to be no ink in the bottle. your post cards come ok and you & Kate must of had 1 grand time up to mackinac and I and Minnie was sore we couldent go a long with you but I was right in the mist of fixing up the summer garden & Minnie says she dident have no close tho from the looks of the bills I got to day from the dept. stores she must of spend most of last mo. buying close but you been marred long enough to know what these women is tho I guess the irish girls dont come no wheres near the dutch girls when it come to spending money. When we was 1st marred & I had the place on 31th st. & was cleaning up 2 hunderd a mo. she spend most of that and I offten says to my self if I ever clean up 1 hunderd a mo. more I will be on easy st. but here I am cleaning up over $1000.00 a mo. in the new place & I dont have no more of it left then I did in the old days. & she dont look no better. I dont know where would you of been at if you had of marred a dutch girl on your 1 hunderd & 50 a mo. but you was wise & picked out the right kind of a girl that dont throw a way all there money on close & Kate dont look so sloppy at that.

Well Ed the reason I am writeing to you so soon after you got back to Det. is I want to tell you the news a bout I & Minnie and if this wasent your busy season I would ask you to come over here & spend the next 2 mos. and look after the place and you and Kate could live in the house & probly in joy the change but I know they must be a lot doing in your busness in Det. at this time of yr. and you dont want to over look O so I cant ask you to pass up your busness on my acct. & we will half to shut up the house & leave Louis Shaffer in charge of the place & I hate to trust a dutch man to look after my busness & a speshauly when I am opening the new summer garden but what else can I do & he is the only 1 that knows the ins & outs of the busness and dont drink nothing him self at lest he says he dont & I never seen him with a drink in front of him. & besides him being Minnies cousin its to his intrust to run things right and not steal nothing off of me & he knows I will treat him right if he treats me right. besides if I found out that he was grafting off of me a round the place I would brake him in 2 and he knows it & he knows it dont pay for no dutch man to monky with a irish man.

But I havent told you where is it we are going to and you wont beleive it & I dont hardly beleive it my self only I know its true because all day yest. I was husling a round and stratening things up & seeing the boys and fixing up whats to be did at the primeries & I hate to be a way when the primeries comes off because they aint no body that can handle the boys like I if I do say it my self. I all ways figured a man was a sucker to make his wife a promise because they dont never forget nothing but I made Minnie a promise with out thinking & now I am getting payed for it. It come off last winter the time the boys wanted I should go down to french lick with them and they wouldent take no for a anser so I says to Minnie I was going down to french lick & she says I was not going un less I took her a long & I says that this here was going to be a stagg party and they wasent no skirts invited and then she says she wouldent let me go neither & we had it back & 4th and finely she agrede I could go but she made me promise that I was to take her any wheres she wanted to go this summer and thats the only way I got her to leave me go down to french lick.

Well the other day she sprung it on me and says do you remember what you promised me when I left you go down to french lick with them stews and I remembered all right but I says no what did I promise & she says you promised you would take me any wheres I want to go this summer & I says o yes I remember but things is going to be busy down to the place and I cant get a way for very long & where would you like to go to benton harbor or south haven or may be cedar lake or some wheres & we can stay a week. & she says I am not asking you where is it we are going because I know where it is & it aint to none of them places a round here & if your a good sport like your all ways clameing you will take me where I say. Then I says all right we will make it atlantic city or N.Y. city or niagara falls & we will stay 2 wks. and then she says if you will shut up your big mouth a min. I will tell you where is it where I want to go & then she sprung it on me & I would of dropt dead if it hadent of been a Sat. & things had to be looked after down to the place. Where do you think she says we was going no wheres but europe & 1st I looked her in the eye to see was she may be kiding but she wasent kiding and so I says you must be crazy & did she think I was a million air & how could I leave the place all summer when the new summer garden was just open & she begin to bello and says I cared more for my busness then for she and I was a cheap sport and she knowed I was dirty with money but what good did it do her and if I was going to brake my promise she would brake hern that she made when we was marred & would go back to milwaukee & stay there till she found some body that was not tight with there money & she knowed of a hunderd men that would be tickelld to death to be in my place & I knowed she was telling the truth because they is that many right here in Chi judgeing from the way they lamp her when her & I go out any wheres to gather. May be I was a sucker to marry a dutch girl & a girl as pretty as her but I done it & I aint sorry and if these willy boys gets to fresh a round her I will brake them in 2. Well if I had of wanted to be mean I could of turn her down & after she pretty near drownd the house out crying she would of been ok again but I figured a promise was a promise and if a mans ever going to do some thing for any body his wife should ought to get in on it 1st & it aint like I was broke & cant a ford it and we done a $1300.00 busness this last mo. and pretty near that good in may and Minnie knows it to.

Well shes went up to milwaukee to brake the news to mother & all them other dutch men and she left me orders to go down to 1 of the steam boat co. & see what kind of a trip can we make. You can bet I wont go no futher then I half to. I wisht you & Kate could go a long with us but I know a trip like this here is going to cost more then you can a ford & if it wasent for youre leaveing your busness I would take you a long as our guest & pay for it but I know you will say no & its busness before plesure. Any way we will keep you posted & may be bring back a present for you & Kate.

Well Ed. take good care of your self and go home nights.

Chgo. Ill. July 3.19.14.

Dear bro. Ed. I guess I put 1 over & I wont half to be a way all summer but only a little over 3 wks. & I will be keeping my promise at that. I went downtown to a steam boat co. yest. and asked them what was the shortest trip they had to europe & back and they tells me I could go over to plymouth & England and that would take 6 days on the boat & I could start back the 1st day after I got there if I want to and get back here 2 wks. after I left here but they wouldent hardly be no sence in makeing a trip over there with out staying a wile so I & the man at the steam boat co. figured it out where we could spend 6 days getting over to England & then stay there a wk. & take in Ireland and see some of the places uncle Johnny use to tell us a bout & then come back on the boat to N.Y. city and then if Minnie hasent had enough travveling we can stop up to niagara falls on the way back home from N.Y. city or may be stop off in Det. & make you a little visit or I could leave Minnie in Det. with you and Kate & come home a lone by my self. I thot it took more then a wk. to get a crost the ocean or I wouldent of never made no holler in the 1st place & it wont put me out none to be a way 3 wks. but I was scared I would half to be a way 2 mos. & miss the primeries. It will cost me a bout $240.00 for I & Minnie on the boat & that includs meals and thats in the 2nd cabin which is right behind the 1st cabin so the wind is broke for us and it aint near so cold as if we had to ride in the 1st cabin. Besides the 2nd cabin must be near the center of the boat where it aint such ruff rideing but some people that has did a lot of travveling on the ocean likes ruff rideing and pays a little more money to ride up in the 1st cabin near the head end of the boat. All to gather with the $240.00 for boat fair & meals and R. R. fair & every thing acrost the ocean & from here to N.Y. city & back wont be over $500.00 for the 2 of us and theys X curshons on all the R. R. to N.Y. city and back this time of year so may be it wont be up to my figure $500.00 and the place if Shaffer takes care of it right should ought to clear at lest 2 times that sum dureing the time wile we are a way. Theys a boat leaves N.Y. city Tues. the 21 of the mo. and thats the 1 I guess I & Minnie will take but I will half to see if that dates all ok with her & that she aint got no dutch picknicks to go to a long a bout that time. She is comeing back from milwaukee for the 4th and will be home when I get home tonight and if the 21 of the mo. is all right with her I will buy the boat fair Monday.

Well Ed. enough for this time and hopeing you dont run up against no full hands.

Chgo. Ill. July 10.19.14.

Dear bro. Ed. You will excus this pensil I got pen & ink but the pen dont work good. Well Ed. I couldent put that over a bout going to England & Ireland and comeing right back again because Minnie wouldent stand for it & says I was welshing & I says what do you mean by welshing I promised to take you any wheres you want to go & you says you want to go to europe so what kick you got come ing because if Ireland & England is not europe where is they. Then she says You dont know if there europe or not but that dont make no diffrunce because if thats where your going to take me I aint going for who cares a bout them places. I says I am irish & thats why I want to go to Ireland & she says yes your people was irish but you couldent never make no body beleive you was irish because your nose turns the wrong way and you cant talk no more irish then I can and if you was to go over there and tell them you was irish they would run you out & besides if all the irish is as tight as you I dont want to see no more of them & I will give you your choise ether you can take me on a real trip to europe or I will go up to milwaukee and stay there. For a wile I felt like telling her to go to milwaukee or some wheres else but you know how it is & a man dont feel like being nasty to a woman even his wife it dont make no diffrunce what a fool she makes out of her self. So finely I give up argueing with her & let her have her own way and Monday I & her went down to gather to the steam boat co. and heres what we got framed up and its all framed up. We are going all over the world and we are going to see all they is to see and then sum & I got the hole trip right here in a book.

The trip what we are going to take is what they call tour no. 2 & they will be 6 or 7 people going a long with us and I dont know what is there name but Minnies got there name and we never seen them but the steam boat co. fixed it up that we all was to go to gather & when a gang gos to gather like that it dont cost no body so much money but it is with a gang I would hate to go a lone or I & Minnie a lone to gather & no body with us. In the 1st place we go from N.Y. city to Bremen & from there to Germany & the fair on the boat will be $70.00 a peace & that includs meals & our party are going to ride in the 2nd cabin & have the wind broke for us. We dont stop at ether England or Ireland so you see its a fast boat we are takeing & we leave N.Y. city on Thurs. the 23 of July & the name of the boat is prince S. N. katrina and we will be 7 days getting to bremen the 1st stop so we should ought to get to bremen the 30 of this mo. but may be not till the 31. when ever we get to bremen we hop right on a train and go to handover a old town that must be older then Chgo. but we dont only stop there a part of 1 day so I dont mind if its old and you know Det. & Chgo. is both old but they got new hotels so whats the diffrunce and we probly wont half to stay over night any way. Then theys an other old town hildesheim thats a bout as old as handover & we wont stay there no longer then we half to and after we get out of there we go to Germany & berlin & we stay there 4 or 5 days but as Minnie says the dutch word for beer is the same as the american so I will get a long ok and 1 of the places there that we got to visit is sans souci & may be its a immatashon of the 1 in Chgo. & they got a dance hall & tables & if thats right we will have a good time. after we get threw germany we go to dresden & prague & Vienna & then we go up to Venice where they got the boats in stead of the st. cars and the Dog house & I guess I can show them wops a thing or 2 a bout puting the spagety a way & then we spend 4 or 5 days a round them wop lakes & may be I can catch a few musky and then we go to switzerland & lucerne & then back to germany and I dont see why should we go back unless they think may be we would of left some of our bagage when we was there before. & some of the places we got to go to is heidelberg & frank fort & may be while I am there I can buy some sausige cheap for the place eh Ed. Then we go to mayence & cologne & amsterdam and the hague where all them diffrunt countrys met to gather & fixed it up that they wasent to be no more fighting back & 4th and brussels & Bellijum & then we finely get to Paris and we stay in Paris 5 days & they got a lot of places down in the book where there going to take us to in Paris but they dont look good to me & I wouldent be suprized if I snuck off by my self and done a little sight seen only if I snuck a way and left Minnie a lone some of them french willy boys would probly get fresh or else she would go in to 1 of them Paris hat & dress stores & start chargeing things like she does a round here only there even worse burglers in Paris then in Chgo. & she would come back here looking swell probly but I would half to eat the free lunch down to the place the rest of the winter.

When we get threw Paris we go to a place called cherbourg where they got a steam boat co. that will bring us back to N.Y. city & the hole trip costs us $395.00 a peace and thats just wile we are in europe & dont includ the boat fair over & back and thats a bout $140.00 a peace but the $395.00 includes the fair on the trains & boats we ride on in europe & the hotel bill but we got to pay for the drinks but the $395.00 includs guides to guide us a round & hacks to take us a round to diffrunt places only the guides probly talks there own languidge & they wont do me no good. & it dont includ tiping the waiters but if there any thing like the waiters down to the place they wont build no bungleohs off of what I give them. The trip will take us 64 days all to gather & I figure I will be lucky if I get off with less then $1200.00 figureing $1070.00 for boat & R. R. fair & hotel bord bill & loging & the other $130.00 for drinks & what ever Minnie buys in Paris and may be a little present for your self.

We leave here on the 21 of this mo. & we got X curshon rates 2 & from N.Y. city & the round trip is $26.00 a peace not includeing birth & meals on the train & I forgot to put that in wile I was figureing the expences so you see it will cost me nearer $1300.00 then $1200.00 & I guess a trip like that would bankrup you wouldent it Ed. so your lucky you dident marry no dutch girl or no pretty 1 thats got these nosions in there head a bout travveling. I wisht I had of stayed a way from french lick last winter because evry body accept I & Pat was on the wagon.

I will be pretty busy before we start but may be I will get time to write to you from N.Y. city because I aint going to spend no time monking around before we take the boat.

my regards to Kate & be good Ed.

N.Y. city. July 22.19.14.

Dear bro. Ed. Here we are I & Minnie & Minnie is all dressed up like a horse and got a bunch of new close and she got them in Chgo. the day before yest. so the bill will be waiting to wellcome me home the last of Sept. The boys give me some send off & when I got on the train I dident know weather I was going to europe or oak park & Minnies folks from milwaukee was down to the train to see us off & I guess Minnie was sore a bout me being lit up but a man dont start for europe evry day & if I am spending $1300.00 I am going to get a run for my money.

We got here this a m & come to the king charles hotel & thats where I am at now & Minnies takeing a nap & shes sore at me now because I turned her down when she wanted to get some money off of me to go over on 5th av. & get more close & I turned her down because she dont know when to stop and shes got enough close now to start a dept. store & shes got a trunk a long with her besides 2 suit cases and a grip she borrowed off of her mother that looks like it was boughten before the fire and all I got for my close is 2 grips but I brung pretty near all the good close I got includeing the dress suit that I bought for the sullivan banquit & ½ a doz. shirts besides my sox & 3 changes of under ware and 1 doz. collars and a couple extra ties & my patent lether low shoes and a cap to ware on the boat & my over coat that Minnie made me bring a long tho we will be back home the last of Sept. and then of corse a couple of night gowns. I guess them other passengers on the boat will look at me when I get that old soup & fish on eh Ed.

1st thing this a.m. after we got our breakfast we went down to the steam boat co. N.Y. office & fixed things up and was interduced to the rest of the party that is going a long with us in our party and they is 7 of them besides I & Minnie and 2 of them is a marred couple & then theys a couple men that Minnie says is school teachers and 3 girls a bout 25 yrs. of age and pretty good lookers but they acted like they was proud & stuck on there self. I cant tell you there names but Minnies got them wrote down some wheres.

The steam boat co. man asked us how many cabins did we want & he looked right at me because I guess he figured I looked more like ready money then the rest of them and may be he thought I was paying all there fair and I says 1 cabin is all we want and he says I mean for the hole party & I says we are all going to gather in the 2nd cabin and he says how do you want to sleep and I says as good as we can & then 1 of the girls buts in & says us 3 girls is to gather and we want 1 cabin and I says all right you can take the 1st cabin and pay the diffrunce besides brakeing the wind for us. I guess that woke her up because she dident say nothing more. Minnie horned in then and fixed up a bout our rooms while I was talking to 1 of the school teachers and he acts like a pretty good guy and we laughed & joked to gather while the rest of them was fighting over there rooms. I told him that story a bout the 2 irish men pat & mike that come over on the boat to gather & I thot he would bust laughing. After we was fixed up some of them went down to the dock to take a look at the boat but I figure I will see enough of it while I am on it & I & Minnie come back to the hotel to get rested up and tonight may be we will go to a pitcher show some wheres & I guess they must be some good ones a round here if you know where to find them at.

Now I got to see a bout getting our bagage took down to the dock & speaking of bagage I musent forget to open up the trunk again & slip in a couple cakes of soap and a couple towls thats got the king charles printed on them and they is to good to use down to the place but we can spring them at home when Minnies folks or some body comes to visit.

Well Ed. be good & dont take no wooden nickles & of corse you wont get no male from me till we get acrost on the other side of the ocean because they aint much chance of us runing in to a male box on the ocean eh Ed. With out no jokeing this is going to be a grand trip & I wisht you could go a long & may be some day I will have enough saved up so as I can take you a long on an other trip. With out no jokeing I wouldent miss this trip for nothing now I got started on it and just think of going a round the world & seeing all they is to be seen & I feel sorry for men that aint had my luck or aint good busness men like I or what ever it is that I owe my sucess to and cant take these trips but has got to stay in 1 place all the time and not never see nothing. But be good & give our regards the wifes & mine to Kate and dont take no wooden nickles & if you do get a chance run over to Chgo. & see how the place is getting a long but I guess Louis Shaffer will run things ok and he should ought to.

Well be good Ed.

on the prinzessin Katrina. July. 25.19.14.

Dear bro. Ed. I bet you dident think you would get a letter from me so quick & I wouldent of knew enough to write 1 only I was walking a long the deck with prof. Baker 1 of the school teachers in our party and we come to a male box right on the boat and I dident know what it was at 1st but I asked him & he told me and it says on it some thing in german or dutch and it means the male closes for N.Y. city at noon evry day so I asked prof. Baker how they got the male back to N.Y. city and he says they put it in a bbl. & throw it over bord & the boats comeing from the other way is suposed to pick up these bbls. & take them a long & there speed boats so it dont take them hardly no time at all to get back to N.Y. city so you will rec. this letter a lot sooner then if I maled it over acrost on the other side.

Well Ed. this is some boat & its a bout 3 times as big as the city of benton harbor & its 4 storys high & 600 ft. long & has got electrick lights & they must have there own electrick light plt. on the boat or else they got wires conecting with the cabels on the bottom. & I am glad we pickt out the 2nd cabin in stead of the 1st because the 1st cabin has got 4 hunderd pgrs. & we only got 330 so we aint so crowded but I was wrong a bout the 2nd cabin being back of the 1st 1 because the 1st 1 is right in the middle of the boat and they must begin numbring from the middle but it dont make no diffrunce because the weather has been grand & if we was in the 1st cabin where they dont get no breeze we would probly suffakate. The book all so speaks a bout they being 4 saloons on the boat but I only seen 3 of them so far but 3 is a plenty & if a man drinks all they got in 1 of them hes doing pretty good. I been all over the boat wile Minnie hasent did nothing but set in the parlor & walk up & down the deck a couple times a day & chin with the other skirts & I been trying to get her to livun up but nothing doing & may be she is sea sick but I dont see how even a woman could get sea sick because the weathers been grand & the oceans just as smoth as mich. av. prof. Baker who has been acrost before I dont know how many times showed me all over the boat from the engine room to the steerage where the steering is done at. I told Minnie a bout they being a jimnasum on the boat & she says I better go in there evry day & work some of the fat off of me & may be thats a good tip because I have fated up some since I got a chance to rest up my self & let others do the heavy work a round the place. The boat is 20 thous. horse power so prof. Baker tells me but I guess it gets a long better then 20 thous. horses would if they was pulling out here in the middle of the ocean. they got a wire lest tellegram on the boat & we get all the news from all countrys evry day but they aint been nothing from Chgo. as yet & I aint seen your name menshoned Ed. so may be they dont know who you are. Then they got a barber shop & them saloons I was telling you a bout and 2 or 3 rooms to smoke in & play cards & I am going to get in to a game tonight with some men I met on the boat & I wouldent play no cards if Minnie would livun up & pal a round with me but any way I am haveing the time of my life & if she aint haveing a good time with them skirts its her own falt.

I wisht you could see the meals they hand out & no wonder they soak a man for the boat fair because the meals is included in it. I thot breakfast must be there big meal when I seen it but they come back at noon with 9 or 10 corses & then at supper they hand you enough to choke a horse but they aint managed to choke me yet but Minnie makes me ware the soup & fish at supper because the 2 school teachers done it the 1st night & the collars enough to choke me. It is some swell dinning room where we eat at & its full of pretty pitchers drawed by a man named Louis Seize & there pretty good for a dutch man. Our party of 9 eats at 1 table but we dont all get there at onct most of the time but we was all there to supper to gather last night & we had a swell time because this here prof. Baker got after me to tell some storys & I told the 1 a bout the 2 irish men mike & pat that come acrost to gather on the boat & then I told them the 1 a bout the men driveing up to Fogartys house in the auto. and asking weather Fogarty lived there but I dont know if I ever told you that 1 or not. Two men drove up to Fogartys house in a auto. & 1 of them run up and rung the door bell & Mrs. Fogarty come to the door & 1 of the men says does Fogarty live here and she says yes bring him in. you see she thot Fogarty was piped & they was bringing him home & the men was just friends of Fogartys & was trying to find him & so they asked his wife if thats where he lived. Any way I told them that 1 & 3 or 4 others & I thot theyd bust laughing & then I asked them why dident we all go in the cafe to gather & make a night of it but the 3 girls says they was sleepy & Minnie had a date to play rummy with some of the skirts on the boat & the other man & his wife in our party is a couple grouchs & so I & prof. Baker & the other school teacher set down to gather in the cafe & told storys & histed a few till it was time to go to bed. I lerned all the names of our party & the 3 girls is miss hendricks & lamont & griffith from What Cheer iowa so why should they be swelled on them self & I guess there ok when you know them better. prof. Baker is 1 of the school teachers & the other is prof. Hunter & they teach school in some collige in O. & the marred couple is mr & mrs chambers from down south some wheres. at supper last night this chambers asked me what busness was I in & I was getting ready to tell him when Minnie horns in & says I was a dr. & prof. Baker & Hunter both knowed she was kiding because I all ready told them a bout the place but I dont know if they give it a way to the others or not but I guess chambers fell for the dr. stuff ok because he begin asking me a bout hay feever & if Minnie hadent of change the subjeck I would of been up against it.

Well Ed. its time to go down & wash up & put on the soup & fish & get in on the big feed and after supper I will see how the cards is runing & if I can help pay expences. Minnie coped $3.00 out of the rummy game last night so if she can win I should certinly ought to because she plays cards like a cow. any way I will make them go some. regards to Kate & watch your step & dont slip.

on the prinzessin Katrina. July. 26. 19.14.

Dear bro. Ed. I only been up ½ hour & its 11.30 but I dident get no to much sleep because we had some seshon last night & it dident brake up till 6 this a.m. but I trimmed them for $120.00 and in a $1.00 limit game at that & they was all men I never seen before & at 1 time I was $130.00 a head of the game & would of gave anything to have it broke up because I was so sleepy I couldent hardly keep my eyes open but I dident feel like quiting way a head because they was a pretty nice bunch of gents I was playing with. I dident hold no real big hands all night outside of 1 ace full & 1 ten full but I helped evry pair I drawed to pretty near & no body helped against me when I had the openers. They was $30.00 in the pot I coped with the ten full & that was the bigest pot they was & 1 guy filled a flush that time & an other had 3 kings to go in on. prof. Baker set behind me till he got to sleepy to set up. He kept calling me dr. Burns and pretty soon the hole table were calling me doc but as long as I was winning I dident care if they called me hinky dink. I wisht I could grab off $120.00 evry night wear on the boat both comeing & going & the trip wouldent hardly cost me nothing. I told prof. Baker that when I seen him out on deck a wile a go but he says I was lucky to get ½ that much in a mo. playing with 2nd cabin pgrs. because they wasent genally dirty with money. He says he wouldent be suprized if that 1 game broke the most of them but they wasent no body handed me no i o u but I will be careful next time.

The weather keeps on grand & the oceans as smoth as glass & the capt. says we may probly get in to bremen a head of time but I dont care now & I aint in no hurry as long as I keep on catching my 3rd man.

This is just a short note & I aint had no breakfast yet & you will half to excus the pensil but I dont know where it is they keep there pen & ink. So long Ed. & dont take no counter fit money.

on the prinzessin Katrina. July. 28. 19.14.

Dear bro. Ed. Minnies livund up finely Ed. may be because the trips pretty near over and wear geting near germany & I guess shes been home sick & she may be thinks bremen will be some thing like milwaukee. I took them for $40.00 more in the game yesterday p m & I coped $15.00 last night but I would of got more if I had of started sooner only Minnie woke up and wanted I should play rummy with her & the 3 girls & I had to do it tho rummys a rummy game just like its name & espeshaly when you play with women. The 3 girls was all calling me dr. Burns & you cant never tell me they dont know I aint no dr. because they couldent hardly help from laughing evry time they says dr. & they kept asking me what to do for hay feever & other kinds of dizees & I kided a long with them & told them the cure for evry thing they brung up & I told them when they had hay feever the only thing to do was to hit the hay & I thot theyd bust laughing but all the time Minnie thinks I got them fooled & when I told her in the state room that they was wise she says they wasent so shes trying to kid somebody and shes a bout the only 1 thats geting kided out side of may be dr. & mrs. chambers. I was in a hurry to get in to the real game so when 1 of the girls asked was we tired of playing rummy I says it was kind of tire sum & finely they cut out the game but then miss Hendricks says that miss Griffith was a shark at telling fortuns with cards & did I want my fortun told & of corse I had to say yes tho I could of told my fortun a hole lot quicker if they had of let me run a long to the big game.

well miss griffith told my fortun & she says I am going to make a lot of money more money than I ever dreamd a bout & that I am going to have nothing but good luck from now on & it was a pretty good fortun but of corse they aint nothing in that bunk tho some people beleives it.

When she got threw I says how much was it & she says $.50 & I wasent going to be no cheap skate so I give her a ½ dollar & told her to buy some candy & she kept the money & of corse Minnie balled me out for it when we got in the state room where I went to get my money before geting in to the p g game & Minnie says if I am giveing money a way to women I wont half to leave home to find 1 thats willing to take it but if miss Griffith wasent a pretty girl Minnie wouldent of cared if I had of gave her $.75 in stead of $.50. Well my luck started all ok but as I say the game only lasted a little wile and I only got a way with $15.00 but thats a lot better then looseing $15.00.

Today Minnies been after me to walk up & down the deck all the time & we must of walked 70 miles & shes still walking but I cant see nothing in walking up & down when they aint no new senery but nothing but the same ocean to look at all the wile & when you see it onct you see it all ways. I will walk all she wants me to when we get where they is something to see say in germany or Paris.

well Ed. the trips pretty near over I mean the ocean trip & its been a grand trip & if any body ever tells you a mans libel to get sea sick or not in joy evry minut of the trip you tell them there off there nut.

Kindest regards to Kate & dont take no bad money.

on the prinzessin Katrina. July. 30.19.14.

Bro. Ed. Well Ed. here we are and we dont know where we are & this was the day when we was suposed to land in bremen but we aint in no bremen or no wheres else as yet and they aint no telling when we will get there tho the capt. says we will get there the day after tomorrow at night & that will be 2 days late but how are you going to tell weather the capt. is telling the truth or if he knows where hes at because he wasent telling the truth when he says we would get in a head of time & he wasent telling the truth when he says they would be good weather all the way. I wisht I had of stayed home from french lick last winter & I wouldent of been here.

I guess the worst is over now & if I thot it wasent I would tie a peace of led a round me & jump over the side but all the rotten things that could hapen has hapend all ready so the worst must be over.

in the 1st place I got in bad with the party at the supper table the night before last & I will tell you how it come off & you see if you think they had a lisence to get sore. prof. Baker asked me to tell them some storys & I started off with that 1 a bout pat & his wife haveing the scrap bout there pig and the story dident go very good so I thot I would wake them up and I told them that 1 a bout mr. & mrs. Flynn & the burgler & they aint realy nothing wrong a bout the story only just them 2 words but the 3 girls got up & beat it and so did mr. & mrs. chambers & Minnie says where do you think your at in a baroom & the only ones that stuck with me was the 2 profs. I felt pretty rotten & I asked the profs. would they drink a bottle of wine with me & they was willing but we dident stop at no 1 bottle but had sevrul & they let me lap up the most of it & then like a rummy I went & got all my money accept $50.00 & got in the big game & I never played in such luck in my life. right off the reel I have 3 aces to go and the pots opend a head of me & stayed with & then I tilts it & the 2 thats in stands the raze & we draw cards & the guy a head of me catches 2 trays to a pare of them & him standing a raze on 2 trays. I fill up & we go to it & it costs me some thing like $32.00. If this guy had of had any lisence in the pot I wouldent of gave a dam. I anteed a way a bout 20 bucks then with out getting nothing & then finely I picks up a doose full & all they was out against it was a 6 full & 4 5 spots & finely we begin playing roodels & I got 1 big hand a ace high flush & bumped in to another 6 full & they cleaned me out of what I had with me a bout $185.00 & I was going back to the state room & get the $50.00 but prof. Baker wouldent let me. Of corse I got my letter of creddit but I cant get nothing on that till we land & Minnies got a roll on her but I couldent get it off her with out a shot gun. the servunts on this here boat wont buy no french auto mobiles with what I give them.

well we went up on the deck after I was cleaned prof. Baker & I & prof. Hunter & it had turned off cold & prof. Hunter says they was a storm comeing up & it looked like it was going to be ruff & the boat was beggining to stagger all ready before we went to bed but it wasent nothing then to what it was when we got up in the morning only I dident get up & I only got up just a little wile a go after being in my birth since the night before last. Ed. we had some storm and the capt. says it was the worst he seen in 20 yrs. of going back & 4th acrost the ocean & back. They was 2 or 3 times when the smoke stacks was down in the water where the keels suposed to be & the keel was up where the smoke stacks is genally at. The capt. add mited that he dident know weather we was up or down or headed for bremen or cedar lake. Orders was gave that no pgrs. was to be aloud on the deck but they dident half to give no orders like that because they wasent no body could of stayed there un less they was naled down. Do you remmember that coster I & you & Kate & Minnie rode on out to forest pk. well Ed. that was as smoth as mich. av. come paired with this here boat. I have road in taxi cabs & seenick railroads that was pretty ruff rideing but I could lay down & go to sleep in 1 of them after what I went threw.

I dont know wich was sicker I or Minnie but I guess I was because they couldent of been no body sicker then me & still be a live & they was sevrul times when I would of gave a man a dollar to shoot me threw the tempul. I bet if they was 1 of them bbls. with the male in throwed over bord yest. it rolled all the way to N.Y. city with out no boat picking it up. I use to get pretty bad when we was kids & laped up them manhattan cock tails but nothing like this & onct or twict I was sick going over to st. Joe but if I had of been that sick yest. I would of thot I was in the best of helth. I fell out of the birth 3 times & the 3rd time I just layed there on to the floor and rolled a round because that wasent as bad as rolling a round in the birth for a while & then geting bumped on to the floor out of the birth. 1 of the waiters come in & picked me up some time last night & it was geting commer then & so I got a little sleep but I feel rotten yet & I dont half to go in to no jimnasum now because they aint nothing left on me to work off. Minnies still in her birth & I asked her a wile a go when was she going to get up & she says never but she will get over that just like I done.

Well Ed. the boat has went out of its corse and the capt. says he knows where hes at but how do we know if he knows or dont know & he says we will be in bremen on the 1 of Aug. late that day & I hope we will before an other 1 of them storms comes up & if we ever do get to bremen I will stay there or in europe till they build a bridge over the ocean because I wont take no more chances on a boat after what I went threw. In stead of stringing a man up for murder they should ought to put him on 1 of these here boats & make him ride acrost the ocean & back till he couldent stand it no more & I guess a bout 2 trips like this here would finnish him. what I cant figure is why they give you all them swell meals & they must know all the wile that there going to be waisted.

Well Ed. I lost my repatashon & I lost my money & I lost evry thing else & that girl that told my fortun & says I was going to have nothing but good luck was some fortun teller was she not & I got a nosion to ask her for my $.50 back only I guess she wouldent speak to me now.

on the prinzessin Katrina. July. 31.1914.

Dear bro. Ed. The weather is grand and we are haveing grand weather and are geting a long grand & you wouldent never guess that they had been a storm to see the ocean now because its just as smoth as grand blvd. I & Minnie is both ok again and the both of us is feeling ok & it dont hardly seem posable that just a little wile a go I was pretty near deth & dident care weather I got well or not & the sooner I dide the better. prof. Baker says that when a mans sea sick he is a frade at 1st that he is going to die & after words he is a frade he isent. & thats pretty good & just hits the nale on the head 1st a mans a frade he is going to die and after words is a frade he isent. prof. Baker was kiding me this a m & come up to me & says I want you should give me some addvise dr. Burns what is the best thing a man can do when he is sea sick & I says I can tell you the best thing I done & you dont half to go to no dr. to lern how. prof. Baker says he wasent a bit sick all threw the storm but after words I asked the capt. if he knowed of any body on the boat that wasent sick & he says no even the boat it self lost its cargo. our party havent all been able to set down to the table since the night I got in wrong but I & the 3 girls is friends again so the only people thats mad at me yet is mr. & mrs. Chambers & of corse Minnie but she aint mad at me no more for geting in wrong but now she is mad at me because shes been sick & to hear her tell it you would think it was my falt & it was me that was ruff & not the ocean. but she will be better when we get to bremen & we will get there sure tommorow because I was asking the capt. a bout it & he says we will get there sure tommorow because they aint no more storms in sight but its going to be grand weather & they aint nothing can stop us from going right a long in to bremen. I am certunly anxius to get there & I guess I had enough rotten luck & cant have no more & the girl that told my fortun says she ment that all that good luck was just going to comense now in sted of 3 or 4 days a go. & now that wear pretty near there I can realy say its been a grand trip & I wouldent of missed it for nothing in the world & I am glad I fixed it to come & let Minnie come a long with me though she says I wouldent never of came if it wasent for she makeing me & of corse clames all the credit but I all ways wanted to make this trip & if she only knowed it I was thinking a bout comeing before she ever said a word. & I feel that I am pretty lucky to have the money & make a trip like this & I feel sorry for people that has to stick a round home all the wile & dont never see nothing. I dont wonder that people gos nuts a bout travveling acrost the ocean & a trip like this makes michigan city & benton harbor & them places look pretty sick.

I will drop you a card from bremen or may be wait till we get to Germany & drop you a card from there because I know it must be pretty slow for you to be shut up in Det. & me haveing this big time.

on the prinzessin Katrina. Aug. 1.19.14.

Dear bro. Ed. This is a good buy letter Ed. & I dont know weather you will rec. it or not. If you rec. this letter you will know long before you rec. it whats came off & probly you all ready know it that theys a war bet. germany & England & france & russia and pretty near all the countrys in europe accept norway & ejypt. The news was gave out on the boat this a.m. but prof. Baker says the boat got a wire lest tel. a bout it yest. or even before that but was keeping it a secrit & if they had give it out when they got it I would of made them run in to England or Ireland and let me off of the boat but now there going to try & run a head to bremen & what chance have I got when them dutch gets a hold of me because prof. Baker says theys nothing but dutch in bremen & if a man cant talk no dutch or prove that hes a dutch man they will murder him a live. & if we dont get to bremen before the England or france navey gets us we aint got no chance neither because they will see the dutch name on the boat & blow us up before asking us who are we. prof. Baker says the capt. told him it was pretty near a cinch that we would get to bremen ok & he says I should ought to be great full that my wifes a dutch man because they wont do nothing to her & she will be ok wile the men on the boat thats got wifes that isent dutch will be murdered both them & there wife. I says what will Minnie, do all a lone a mist the dutch men with out no husband to look after her & he says a pretty girl like she wont have no trouble because 1 of the dutch army offusers will fall for her & probly want to get marred to her or may be the zar him self will fall for her & she will live in a palice. prof. Baker says I would be ok if I could talk dutch & he tried to lern me how but I am to nervus & cant lern nothing & all the rest of them in our party can talk dutch accept I & mr. & mrs. chambers & so us 3 will be the ones they get & even if they dont kill us right a way but stick us in jale I will half to be lockd up with them & they aint no good & never was.

Ed. I am to nervus to write & I am just writeing to tell you whats came off & if 1 of these dutch men gets Minnie I want you to have the place Ed. & if any body makes a fus a bout it show them this letter & I dont want none of Minnies people to get a hold of it after what shes pulled off. I know now that the old man was right when he says I shouldent of never mixed up with the dutch. but its to late & what can I do. Minnies going to get rid of me just like she wanted to & the reason she done it this way in sted of sticking a knife in my back is because they cant never prove this on her. & prof. Baker says that any body with sence could of saw this comeing & Minnie knowed it before we left home & probly some of them dutch friends of hern tiped her off. your lucky Ed. & if I was to do it over again I would marry some old stiff with out no looks & it wouldent be no dutch man neither.

I been up on the deck since I begin this letter to see was they a boat comeing after us but they is none & evry body says its a cinch we will get to bremen. remmember Ed. I want you to have the place & an other thing I want you to do is to tell this hole thing to pres. Wilson & show him this letter if you half to go clear to Wash. & see that he gets these dutch for what they done to me. I am to nervus to write Ed. but I want you to have the place & dont let Minnies folks get a hold of it & take it your self Ed. you & Kate & do the best you can with it. Its a good thing now that you tended bar all them yrs. at callighans. If Louis Shaffer says any thing to you brake him in 2 & tell him what you think of he & his famly the hole kit & caboodel of them.

I been up on deck again & the capt. told prof. Baker we would be in bremen in 4 hours & prof. Baker says he will male this letter for me & look you up when he gets back. some day he will be back in the good old US but I wont never be Ed. & I wont never see you again & I wont even be burred in the semmitery where I payed for the lot & may be not burred at all but eat up by the croes. Minnies got the st. room door locked & wont let me in but I seen her since the news come & I told her what I think of her. She busted out crying & may be shes a little sorry now but what good is that now & why did she do it & why did she in sisst on us comeing & make me come when some thing told me I should stay home or go to cedar lake & why did I ever make that trip to french lick last winter or why wasent I sattisfide to marry a plane irish girl like you & leave the dutch to the dutch.

I am to nervus to write & I just want to tell you the place is yours & you wont never see Minnie again because even if the zar or some other dutch man dont grab her she will be a shamed to look you in the face. & good buy Ed. & god bless you & the same to Kate.

Bremen, Germ. Aug. 2. 19.14.

Bro. Eddy. Well Eddy I says good buy to you in my last letter & I give prof. Baker the letter to male for me in case some thing hapened but nothing hapend & it wasent nessary for him to male the letter & I maled the letter my self & now Im writeing you an other letter when I dident expect never to be writeing to no body again & I wouldent of maled that other letter only I was to nervus to know what was it I was doing & now I got to write you this letter & let you know Im still a live & they wasent no navy over took us and when we got here they wasent no body even looked mad let a lone ack like they was going to shoot us full of holes. Minnie & prof. Baker says every body here are talking a bout the war.

As far is Im consernd I dont know what there talking a bout because they dont talk nothing but dutch & for all as I know they may be talking a bout the ball game. There all exited tho & theys solders all over town but what do I care a bout there solders because if they start after us all as we got to say is wear america citzens & they dont dare touch us. If they beggun monking with us uncle sam would here a bout it some ways & I guess pres. Wilson would make them wisht they had of left us a lone.

But Ed a man aint got no busness over here un lest he can talk dutch & Im glad our trip is spoild for us because I know now that I couldent never have no fun runing a round with people that I cant under stand a word of what there saying & when 1 of them comes up to me & shoots off there mouth I dont know are they saying how do you do or go to hell. Minnie can under stand them tho & I guess I would here a bout it if any of them says some thing out of the way but if she was to get 1 of her spells & see some dutch man that she wanted to kid a long with him she could go a long just like I wasent a round & he might may be call her deary & I wouldent know was he calling her deary or asking her would she pass the pickles.

So Im glad wear going to take the next boat back home & prof. Baker is down to the steam boat co. now makeing in querys a bout what time does the next boat leave for N.Y. city & wear going to be a bord of it & may be you will see us pretty near as soon is you get this letter because I & Minnie got it fixed up to stop off in Det. on our way home from N.Y. city to Chgo. because I got to waist a little time on acct. of Minnie geting dissapointed in her trip & cant go strate home to Chgo. like I want to & if I had my way a bout we wouldent never of left. But I got to stall a round a wile so as she wont have no holler comeing.

In the book it says they got a boat leaveing here tommorow but prof. Baker says may be they might not be runing reglar on acct. the war & thats why he went down to see a bout it. We aint unpack none of our bagige because we dont know for sure a bout our plans & Minnies laying down here in the hotel & geting rested tho I told her if we was going to start right back on the next boat to N.Y. city she would probly be laying down all the way home on the boat like she was comeing over most of the time so why not stand up or walk a round wile shes got a chance. But you cant tell a woman nothing & if she had of listen to me we would of been in joying our self at cedar lake or st. Joe or some wheres & not makeing these rotten trips back & 4th acrost the ocean & back.

The 3 girls from What Cheer ia. thats in our party wanted we should keep on with our trip & go all a round Germ. & up to Venice & them other places like in the book & they says if we would stick a round a few days the war would probly be over but prof. Baker & prof. Hunter says they aint no chance of the war geting over quick because the armys is so mad at each other. 1 of the girls miss Griffith says well what if the war aint over we can go a head & make our trip & they wont shoot at us because we aint on 1 side or the other & I says no they wont shoot at us but if 1 of them canon balls was comeing right at our head it wouldent stop & ask us was we dutch men or america or egjyp. After our head was shot off the men that done it might look in our pocket & see they made a miss take but what would that get us? & besides I says if wear not on 1 side or the other wear right bet. the both of them & that would be a fine place to be at. I says if I want to commit suside I will take either or go on the water wagon.

Well Ed I supose the papers over there is full of the war but may be they dont know over there what is it there fighting a bout & I wouldent of knew neither only prof. Baker told me & hes a smart man Ed & teachs school. Some guy from Hungry was walking down the st. with his wife & I guess she must of been miss took for some body elses wife & any way some body took a shot at the both of them & croked them & the Hungry police men says the men that done the shooting was from Serbia & the people over in Serbia got sore & says they wasent no such a thing so they went to it & then of corse the other countrys took sides with there pals just like as if 1 of your freinds got mixed up & you seen he was going to get the worst of it & you mixed up in it & the other guys freinds, horned in & made it a good 1.

So you can see how it got started & now there all fighting accept italy & I never seen a wop yet that was looking for trouble or 1 that would come out & fight with out a knife accept Hugo Kelly & he wouldent of un lest hed of had a irish name. It all started over them police men saying that the shooting was done by them fellows from Serbia & if the police over here is any thing like at home there probly wrong & so the hole things a bout nothing & besides that it dont do them diffrunt countrys no good to call each other names because they all talk diffrunt languidges & Id hate to fight with a man & not have him know what was I calling him. It would be like swareing at them rats a round the place & they dont know what Im talking about.

Well Ed its a bout time prof. Baker was comeing back & teling us what did he find out so I will close & I bet your glad to here from me & know wear safe & I will wire you when we get to N.Y. city & let you know when we will reach Det. My best to Kate & go home nights Ed & be have your self.

Bremen, Germ. Aug. 2. 19.14.

Bro. Ed. Here I am Ed writing to you again tonight & I all ready wrote you 1 letter today but in the letter I all ready wrote I says we was comeing home on the next boat but come to find out they aint going to be no next boat & so Im writeing to you again. Dont worry Ed. Wear safe & all ok & will get home sooner or latter & I cant tell just when but wear all ok & dont worry. prof. Baker went down to the steam boat co. this a m & asked them was they an other boat going back to N.Y. city tommorow & they says they dident know. Then he says well you should ought to know because you got it down in the book that theys a boat leaveing tommorow & if you say in your book your going to run a boat you should ought to run it.

Then they says well may be if you oned this here co. you would run a boat & not care what hapend to your boat but we aint going to start out with no boat & have the england navy shoot a hole threw it & drownd evry body. He argude with them for a ½ hour but we might as well of argude with a crossing police man & when he seen they wasent no use of argueing no more he went & seen the america counsil that they got here & the counsil says if we stuck a round here we might probly be all ok & nothing hapen to us but we might may be be better off if we took a train & went to some new trull country so prof. Baker come back & put it up to us what would we do & we says where could we go if we dident stay here & he, says they was 2 countrys we could get to in a hurry that was new trull countrys & that means there countrys where they dont have no fighting because its against the law.

The 2 countrys he says was holland & Belljum so mr. & mrs. Chambers & the 3 girls & Minnie wanted to go to holland but I seen where they was a good chance to shake mr. & mrs. Chambers who I aint got no use for them so I says why not each of us go where they want to now that the tours broke up & I says that because Im sick & tired of hanging a round them Chambers & all so I found out that they dont talk nothing but dutch in holland & I dont want to be in no more places where Minnie can talk & I cant. So I says I was going to Belljum & I finely got Minnie coxed a round by me promussing her I would buy her a Brussels carpet over to Brussels & Brussels is the capitle of Belljum & where they make them swell carpets & they dont cost near as much is a Orentul rug that Minnies been after me I should buy for the house.

Well heres how we finely got it fixed up the Chambers & the 3 girls is going to holland & I hope the girls has a good time because there all ok but I dont see how can no body have a good time with them Chambers. prof. Hunter aint going no wheres but is going to stay here in germ. & write a book a bout the war & if he wants to be a sucker all right & he wanted prof. Baker should stay here with him but prof. Baker says no he would go a long with I & Minnie to Belljum because he wanted to here some more of my storys & I guess he wasent kiding none at that because I never seen a man laugh like he when I pull 1 of them storys & I thot he would bust laughing when I sprung that 1 a bout the 4 irish men at the pick nick.

Well Ed we all ready says good buy to the Chambers & them girls & Im writeing wile wear waiting for the time when our train gos & the others has went all ready & wear all ready when the trains ready because we dident un pack none of our stuff & wear all ready to go. I dont know what kind of a dump is Brussels but prof. Baker says theys plenty to drink there & if we dont like it we dont half to stay but can go some wheres else & pretty soon take a boat from there over to england & get a boat from there to N.Y. city but I dont mind sticking a round Belljum a wile as long as its a new trull country where they cant be no war & fighting.

Tell Kate not to do no worring & wear all ok & will get a long ok as long is prof. Bakers with us.

Brussels, Bell. Aug. 4. 19.14.

Dear Ed. What do you think Ed? wear in a new trull country that dont never do no fighting & all there talking a bout a round here is the war only there talking it in Belljum languidge so as I wouldent knew what was they talking about only for prof. Baker & he must be able to talk all the languidges they is. He says the Belljums is all exited because the dutch army are trying to walk acrost a part of Belljum on there way from germ. to France & the Belljums is trying to not let them & did you ever here any thing to beat it because its just like as if a man wanted to walk from 35 to 34 st. & I wouldent leave him walk on the side walk in front of my place but made him walk out in the middle of the st. & some of the Belljums is fighting the dutch army over east of here some wheres to try & keep them off of Belljum & some body will get hurt all for nothing & prof. Baker says england has declaired war on the dutch men for walking on Belljum & I dont see what is it to england where the dutch men walks & besides germ. & england all ready been fighting for 2 or 3 days so whats the use of declairing war now & its just like as if I was to go up & bust you in the jaw & then when you was laying on the ground I would say Im sore at you.

Prof. Baker says they aint no danger where wear at because Paris is where the dutch men is going & Paris is way south of here & to come threw here to go to Paris would be just like a man that wanted to go from lincoln pk. to So. Chgo & went a round by la Grange or if I & you was going down to new Orleans from Chgo. & went threw Omaha & we wouldent be no such suckers as that eh Ed? & the dutch men isent so smart that it hurts them but they aint no such suckers as that neither.

Well Ed wear not in no danger you see & besides as soon as the england army wake up & get busy they will make the dutch men look like a rummy because they tell me the irish has called off there quarl with england & are going to help clean up germ. & besides where wear at here in Brussels aint only a short distence from Austin where you can get a boat for england & they must be boats runing from england to N.Y. city so we can stay here or not stay here just like we want to only I want to stay here a wile because this looks like a live town Ed & plenty doing & I could have some time here if I could know what there talking about & Minnie likes it 1st strate & as long is wear both in joying our self why should we leave? Only I cant get in no card game because Im not what you could call dirty with money & besides I wouldent know to here them talk weather they was razeing the pot or complaneing a bout the heat.

They aint no use of you & Kate trying to write us no letters till we get home because the way things has turned out we dont know where wear going to be at from 1 day to the next. I will keep you post it how we get a long & you dont need to do no worring because wear haveing the finest kind of a time & it seems like a dream me thinking we was going to get mixed up in the war & shot full of holes.

Brussels, Bell. Aug. 6. 19.14.

Bro. Ed. What do you think Ed? The little Belljums has licked the stufing out of the dutch men down to Liege where they been fighting all the wile & it looks like the dutch men was licked so bad they wouldent be no more war & the dutch men will probly give up when they see they aint good enough to even beat little Belljum let a lone france & england & russia & after this any time a dutch man talks to me a bout fighting I will give him the laugh & I been haveing a lot of fun kiding Minnie because shes all ways been teling me what fighters the dutch men was. & now look at them. This towns went plum nuts & the people gos a round holering like a bunch of collidge boys thats had a bronix cock tale.

Well Ed you cant hardly blame them from feeling good because they thot they dident have no chance of stoping the dutch men & look what they done to them. & they say a round here that they was 4 hunderd thousend dutch men killed & thats more then they is in Milwaukee & they cant be many more of them left so it looks like the war is pretty near over & these little Belljums done it & I guess I dident know what I was doing when I made Minnie come to Belljum insted of going to holland where they aint no exitemunt. I guess I cant pick a winner eh Ed? & when I get back home I can tell the boys I was right here in Belljum when the Belljums cleaned up the dutch men & when ever a dutch man comes in to the place I will kid the life out of them only of corse I wont kid them & make them sore if there buying a drink & in joying them self at there own expence.

Heres what come off Ed. The dutch men was trying to make the Belljums let them go threw Belljum & the Belljums says no; the dutch men pulled there gun & beggun shooting & then the Belljums pulled there gun & beggun shooting back & they fired back & 4th till all them dutch was killed 4 hunderd thousend of them & they wasent no ducks or partige to shoot so the Belljums quit shooting. The news got up here & evry body went crazy & now this town looks like the old 1st ward ball a bout 5 a.m. I says to Minnie well do I know where to come for exitemunt or dont I? & she says shut your big mouth so she just as good is add mitted Id picked the right spot & them people that went to holland is down on a dead 1.

we will stick a round here un till the exitemunts over & then we will look up a bout getting a boat at Austin for england & then catch the boat for N.Y. city.

Brussels, Bell. Aug. 10. 19.14.

Dear Eddy. That was a hole lot of bunk Eddy a bout them Belljums killing all them dutch men & they may of killed 2 or 3 dutch men but not no 4 hunderd thousend or no wheres near that amt. or else how could the dutch men of did what they done now? We just got the news here a little wile a go & we was pretty much worred when it 1st come but prof. Baker went up & seen the america counsil & he says they aint no reason for us worring because all america citzens is safe if they mind there own busness. Heres what come off Eddy. The dutch men beat them Belljums down to Liege where they been fighting all this time & thats the way you spell it only it aint spoke nothing like that & youd think it was Liege like the national or american Liege but it aint nothing like that when you say it.

Well the Belljums left the dutch men grab Liege off of them & now what do you think the dutch men is doing? there comeing over here to Brussels & aint that just like a dutch man to go all over trying to get some wheres right clost to them? & its the same way when they talk & I bet if a dutch man was trying to get from Det. to Chgo. they would take the wabash to st. Louis & come a round that way. Now there trying to get to Paris & there ½ way there & insted of going a long down there they got to come over here & see if may be they isent some sour crout laying a round lose.

Well of corse we aint in no danger as long is we mind our own busness but its going to be a pretty stiff proppisishon for me to mind my own busness when theys a hole lot of dutch mens struting a round. prof. Baker says pretty soon we will get our pass sports that you got to have when you want to get some wheres else in europe from where your at & I says why shouldent we get them right a way & get out of here now? & then we wont half to worry about minding our own busness when the dutch men gets here but he says they aint no trains runing over to Austin & we will may be half to hire a taxi cab or a horse & buggy or some thing & before we can do that we will half to find 1 of them things & then borry enough money off the america counsil to pay for it because they wont trust no body for nothing over here now & not even Minnie cant start no charge acct.

Prof. Baker says we aint in no danger of geting struck by no canon balls because the mare of the town aint going to try & stop the dutch men from comeing in here & I wisht I was the mare of the town because I would give them the fight of there life & I bet they wouldent never get in here if I was the mare of the town. I guess you seen me handle dutch men before this eh Eddy? & if it wasent for geting Minnie & prof. Baker in trouble I would give them a battle mare or no mare because I aint never seen no dutch man yet that wouldent quit when I went after them. But on acct. of Minnie & prof. Baker I got to mind my own busness & not start no trouble but the dutch men better not try & start nothing with me or they will get the worst of it. I dont half to tell you that Ed.

Brussels, Bell. Aug. 16. 19.14.

Bro. Eddy. Well Ed. this is a grate place for storys & theys as many storys a round here is they is on the massonic temple. The latest story they got now a round here is that the dutch men has tooken Liege & they says the same thing a wk. a go but it wasent right that time but now its the right dope so how can a man tell what your going to beleive They cant Ed & thats all they is to it. When they tell so many diffrunt storys you cant tell which to beleive & which to not beleive & Ive quit worring a bout it & let them beleive what they want to & it dont make no diffrunts to me any way because the dutch men cant do nothing to us even if they come here where wear at & may be they aint comeing after all because the story a bout them comeing may be wrong if the other storys is wrong.

Any way, we would be all ok Ed if we wasent pretty near broke & wear runing so shy that we cant spend no more in joying our self but got to save up all we got to pay our fair from Austin to england & then we got to get some more in england to buy our ticket acrost the ocean & I dont know who are we going to borry it off of but prof. Baker says hes got friends over there who we can get it off of & I wisht we could start right now but we cant get a hold of no horse & buggy or taxi cab to take us to Austin & prof. Baker says we should ought to start out & walk but on acct. of Minnies feet hurting her I & her couldent do that & I told prof. Baker if he was in a hurry to go a head by him self but he says no we would all stick to gather. I guess prof. Bakers afrade he might may be miss 1 of them storys of mine if he was to go off & leave us & he sure does like them storys Ed & he just eats them up.

Well Eddy theys nothing much to write a bout wile wear just here waiting & I will let you know the minut I have any news & kindest regards to Kate.

Brussels, Bell. Aug. 22. 19.14.

Dear bro. Eddy. Talk a bout dutch men Ed. I dident know they was so many in the world & all the dutch men they is must of walked threw here yest. & today. The mare surenderd the town to the dutch men yest. & they wasent no exitemunt a bout it he just says the town is yrs. like they says to us in denver that time the elks had the convenshon in denver. & the dutch men just come in and took it but I dident have no idear they would be so many of them but I thot they might may be a couple thousend but no they been walking threw here for 2 hole days or may be they been walking a round in circuls & the same 1’s is comeing threw now that was threw here yest. & you cant proove it by me because they all look a like but prof. Baker says no there all diffrunt & he says theys a lot more of them we havent seen but any way Ive saw all I want to see & if I dont never see an other dutch man all my life I can still say I seen enough & when theys such a gang of them to gather & all looking just a like I should think theyd get all balled up & none of them know weather he was himself or some body else.

People use to say I & you looked a like Ed & they wasent giveing you none the worst of it but how would you like to look like a bout a million other dutch mens & all be walking a long & you wouldent know weather you was here or a mile a head. There all going to paris prof. Baker says but they wont be enough hotels & bording houses to take care of them all when they get there & if I was them Id make some of them go some wheres else because they all of them will want the same things to eat liver worst & pretsils & you cant expect no 1 town to have enough of them things a round to feed the hole Germ. army.

But Id like to own 1 of them paris brewrys now eh Ed. prof. Baker says I want to be care full what I write in a letter a bout the dutch men because there libel to get a hold of the letters & read them & might may be get sore so I will be care full & I dont half to tell you what I think of them any way do I Eddy because I & you thinks the same thing a bout the dutch men & any body that wants my share of them can have it & besides I guess they wouldent dare open no letters because I would get the P O dept. after them & its a peneteniary ofense.

Prof. Baker says they will leave some of the officers & solders here in this town to take care of it wile the rest of them gos on down to paris & I guess he knows what hes talking a bout because hes been talking to some of the dutch officers in dutch & they give him the dope but I dont see why does any of them want to stay here or why they should ought to because we was geting a long ok before the dutch men ever come here & just as good as we are now & may be better & as far is Im consernd they can all go down to paris or Pittsburgh or any wheres else theyve a mind to. but we cant do nothing a bout getting out of here till theyve all went threw & things is quited down & I will let you know when we get ready to start & give Kate our kindest.

Brussels, Bell. Aug. 24. 19.14.

Dear Eddy. Well Eddy wear all fixed up & prof. Baker done it & wear going to get out of here tommorow or next day & the dutch men is going to send us down to Austin in a auto mobile & it wont cost us nothing & prof. Baker done pretty good to get it fixed up & he done it by talking to the dutch officers in there own languige. He says some of them is pretty nice fellows & a couple of thems been over to the US & knows some people he knows & the fellows hes been talking to is officers thats left here to gard Brussels & theyve got a hole lot of solders left here with them to help gard the town but all them dutch men or the most of them that went threw here is pretty near down to paris by this time & the 1s thats here is just men that aint going no wheres & prof. Baker says they aint going to hurt no body.

Some of them talks america he says & hes frammed it up for I & Minnie to meet 1 of them tommorow & the 4 of us is going to have a little party on the dutch man & I hope we get some thing to eat out of it because we aint been what you could call crowding our stumick & if it wasent for prof. Baker laying in a stock of crackers and cheese & bread when he herd the dutch men was comeing we would be up against it but its pretty near all over now because this here dutch man that wear going to have the party is the 1 thats going to send us to Austin & theyll be plenty to eat for us there because they aint been no war over that way & besides we wont only stay there till its time for the boat to go.

Prof. Baker says this dutch man is all ok & as nice a man is you want to meat & may be he aint realy no dutch man but got mixed up in the army some ways but his names Klinke or how ever you spell it so I guess hes a dutch man or any way hes got a dutch name but if he sets up the lunch & gives us some thing to wash it down I wont care if hes a dutch man or a hunk or what is he.

Wear still staying in the hotel where we was before all this come off & the eating was all ok before all this come off but now the hotels full of dutch officers & solders & they get most evry thing they is to eat & the sooner we get out of here & some wheres else so much the better. But if we dont get out of here & on the way home pretty quick they wont be no chance for me to be home for the primerys & besides I want to get home before Louis Shaffers played to many tunes on the cash rejister. Eh Ed.

Brussels, Bell. Aug. 26. 19.14.

Bro. Eddy. Here I am Eddy hideing & I dont know whats going to happen to me & I cant tell you where Im hideing at because some of them dutch men might get a hold of this letter & open it & I dont even know will I ever get it maled but if I dont never get out of here a live & some body should male this letter you will know what come off & what them dutch men done to me. Heres what come off Eddy & we should ought to knew better then trust a dutch man & look what we got for it.

This here Klinke the dutch officer that promussed to give us some thing to eat come up to I & Minnies room in the hotel yest. a m & I & Minnie & prof. Baker was all seting in there talking & this here Klinke knocks & we says come in & in he come & says did we want to have lunch with him & he talked america just as good as I or you & we says sure we would have lunch with him because we was hungry is a bare & prof. Baker interduced I & Minnie to him & he says he was please to meet us & then we went down stares all to gather to the dinning room of the hotel. They was an other dutch officer there & we was interduced to him & set down & ordered some thing to eat & you can bet I ordered some thing to Eddy because my stumick felt like the colliseem & I ordered evry thing I could think of & wile we was waiting for them to bring in the stuff we ordered this here Klinke calls 1 of the solders & says some thing to him in dutch & pretty soon he comes back with some wine & I wisht you could of seen me go to it & any way we eat & drink & set there all pm & was haveing a real time but I might of knew them 2 officers wasent right & I will tell you what come off.

1 of them says he had it fixed up that they was to be a auto mobile to take us to Austin a bout 5 oclock & we might is well in joy our self till then & so we set there & I bet I must of drink 4 or 5 qts but you know it dont never faze me Ed & I was all ok & finely prof. Baker says mr. Burns should ought to entertane us with 1 of his storys & Minnie says you better not get Larry started because he dont never know when to stop & I says I guess I know when to stop all right & Klinke says sure go a head & tell us a story because theys nothing I like better than a good story & prof. Baker says well this old boy dont never tell nothing but good 1s & he had me right there at that eh Ed.

I dident want to tell no story but they coxed me & I finely says to my self well why not do some thing for them because they been treating us pretty good so I told them 1 or 2 & I told them the 1 a bout the pick nick & I thot they would all bust laughing even prof. Baker who herd it before but he dident laugh no harder then them dutch officers & finely they says is all your storys a bout irish men & dont you know none a bout dutch men & I says sure I know a hole lot of them a bout dutch men then I told them the 1 a bout the 2 dutch men quarling over there wife & it went good & they hollered for more & then the trouble beggun & I will tell you how it come off.

I guess you may be herd the story Ed because I told it a couple times & I dont know weather you was there or not but any way heres the story & its a bout a dutch man that use to keep comeing in to a place that was ran by a irish man & when hed get a few drinks under his belt he use to holler hock the kiser & that means hurah for the kiser in dutch. & evry time this here dutch man would get a few drinks under his belt he would holler hock the kiser & he use to keep comeing in to the irish mans place & hollering that evry time he got a few under his belt.

So 1 night the dutch man was broke & he come in to the irish mans place all lit up & says would the irish man stand him off for a drink & the irish man says no you bought all your drinks some wheres else tonight so you can go some wheres else & get stood off for an other 1 & the dutch man says I cant get stood off no wheres else & the irish man says well you cant get nothing here & the dutch man says will you lend me the money & then I can go some wheres else & get the drink & wont bother you no more & the irish man says how much money do you want & the dutch man says just a dime thats all. & then the irish man says if you dont want to borry more then a dime why dont you hock the kiser?

Well Ed that dident make no hit like I thot it would & they wasent no body done no laughing not even prof. Baker & they wasent nothing said for a bout 1 min. & then this here other officer that I dont know his name got up & grabs me by the sholder & says come a long with me I want to see you out side & they wasent nothing I could do but go a long with him & prof. Baker got up & was comeing a long with us & the officer told him to set down where he was at & mind his own busness & then I seen it was serius & the dutch man was good & sore & heres what come off Ed.

He took me out side where they was a bunch of dutch solders & then he says to me that was a good story you told wasent it & I dident say nothing & he says the irish man got the best of the dutch man in that story dident he & I dident say nothing back & he says well heres where the dutch men gets back & then he hollers to a couple of them solders & says some thing to them in dutch & then he says these here solders will take care of you & then he left me & them 2 solders grabed me & what do you think they done Ed.

They throwed me in to a corner of the yard of the hotel that there useing for a jale & there I was locked up with some other prissoners & couldent get out & I says to the solders you better leave me out of here before you get your self in trouble & they just laughed & beat it out of the room & left me there.

Well Eddy the prissoners in there was all Belljums or french men or some thing & they couldent under stand what I says to them & I couldent make no head or tale out of what they says to me & so they wasent no body I could talk to. I dident know what was comeing off & I must of set there a hour wondring what was they going to do with me & then this here officer not Klinke but the other 1 come in with 1 of the solders & come up to me & says some thing to the solder in dutch & then he says to me may be youd like to know what wear going to do & I says it dont make no diffrunts to me what are you going to do & he says no I supose not but any way Im going to tell you & this is it.

Evry hour from now to morning you got to get up & stand on your feet & holler hock the kiser & the gard here will come & tell you when its time for you to holler & if you miss a hour with out hollering your going to get shot as a spy & I says you know I aint no spy & you better be care full what you do to me or uncle Sam will get after you & he says uncle Sam wouldent never miss you because hes got a hole lot of jokers & I says what have you did with my wife & prof. Baker & he says Im not runing your wife or prof. Baker & I got enough to keep track of with out worring a bout them.

Then he left me & went away from me & they wasent nothing more come off till finely the gard come up & says some thing in dutch & I couldent make no head or tale of it & then he points at me & says hock the kiser & I just laughed at him & then he pulls out a gun & points it at me & says hock the kiser so what could I do Ed & I had to get up & holler it but I bet I wouldent of never done it only for the gun & they isent no dutch man could make me do nothing with there bear fists.

Well Eddy the same thing come off 4 or 5 or 6 times & the last couple times I was a sleep & the gard had to waken me up & finely in come Klinke & it must of been a long a bout midnight & he come up to me a long with the gard & says some thing to the gard & then asked me was I sorry & I says what for & he says you know what for you insulted the emper of Germ. & I says I dident mean to insult no body & he says all right then come a long with me & your pretty lucky to not get shot for what you done.

Then I & him walked out & he says the best thing you can do is beat it out of town & I says where would I go & he says you better beat it for Austin & I says I aint going no wheres with out my wife & prof. Baker & he says they all ready went & I says when & he says we sent them a way from here in a auto mobile but they only been gone a bout 6 hrs. & if you run fast you might catch up with them & then I says aint you going to give me no auto mobile & he says I should say not your lucky to be a live & then he give me a peace of paper & says it was my pass sport & thats the last I seen of him. only before he left me he says dont let yourself be seen a round here tommorow or no time or its all off with you.

Well Eddy I started out of town but how did I know which way to go & evry little wile theyd be a dutch solder jump out at me from behind a tree or some thing & hold me up & make me show them the peace of paper & I wasent geting no wheres & it was dark is pitch & finely. I snuck in where Im at & now its morning again but I dont dare go out or them officers might see me & I dont know where Minnie & prof. Baker is at or whats going to happen to me & there a fine team to go runing off & leave me here & if a man cant trust his wife & his friends who can they trust. Nobody Ed. I dont know will I get this letter maled but if I do get it maled & you dont here no more from me you will know how it come off.

Austin, Bell. Sept. 1. 19.14.

Bro. Eddy. I dont know weather you got my last letter or not but it dont make no diffrunts Ed because now I guess we will get home all ok & I can tell you what happend to me when I see you but I dont know when will that be unlest you can get a way & come to Chgo. because we aint going to stop off at no Det. or no wheres else but if we ever get to N.Y. city wear going strate home.

I told you in my last letter which I dont know if you got it or not a bout me being a prissoner & the dutch men haveing me locked up in jale & I bluffed them in to leaveing me out & if it hadent of been for me haveing all the nerve in the world Id of probly been there yet or may be shot as a spy & I was in hideing pretty near a hole day in a house in Brussels but finely I snuck out & started for here where Im at now only they spell it Ostend over here but that dont make no diffrunts.

Ed I wont never for get my trip comeing here as long is I live & they aint no danger of me for geting it for a wile any way because my feets so sore there a bout ready to drop off & I dont know how far I walked but I walked over ½ the way from Brussels here & the rest of the time I was rideing in farmers waggons & could of road all the way may be but I dident have no money & I dont know how far is it from here to Brussels but its far enough & I dident have nothing to eat the hole trip accept just a couple peaces of bread that I beged off of farmers just like a bum.

Well Ed I couldent tell you in a hunderd yrs. all I went threw but I will tell you when I see you because they isent time to write it all. I come in here last night pretty near dead & went up to the america counsils place & they give me some soup & some brandy & I layed down & the counsil asked me who was I & I told him & he says your wifes been up here evry day to know had we herd any thing a bout you & I know where shes at & will send for her & I says never mind sending for her because I dont want to see her or no body else but he dident pay no a tension.

Pretty soon in come Minnie & prof. Baker & Minnie beggun screeking & throwing on a lot of aggony & I says cut it out & dont come near me you run off & left me & I dont want nothing more to do with you & then prof. Baker told me to shut up & I told him to shut up him self & we had it back & 4th.

Finely he told me how it come off & heres how it come off. & it wasent there falt Ed because they tride to make the dutch officers leave them wait for me so as they could bring me a long in the auto mobile & the dutch officers says no I would half to be punnished for insulting the emper of Germ. & they would give me a good scare & then make me walk to Austin & they promussed they wouldent do nothing to me but just scare me & Minnie says couldent her & prof. Baker wait till theyd scared me & then take me a long in there auto mobile & the dutch officers says no & if dont hurry up & get out of town your self some things libel to happen to you so thats why they come a way & leave me but what do you think of them dutch officers Ed geting swelled up & thinking they scared me. Fine chance eh Ed. But they made me walk all right & I wisht there feet was as sore is mine.

Well Ed prof. Baker borryed the money off of the america counsil & wear going to dover Eng. on a boat tonight & then wear going to catch a boat for N.Y. city as soon is theys 1 leaveing & it cant leave to soon to suit me & prof. Baker says if wear lucky we should ought to be in N.Y. city in a little over a wk. & then Minnie says O lets stay a little wile in London & in joy our self because they aint no war there & I says no & they wasent no war in Belljum neither & if Londons a new trull country like Belljum I dont want to go no wheres near it & we aint going to stay in no London or no wheres else but wear going to N.Y. city as soon is we can & then we wont get in to no more trouble.

Minnie says I guess we better not stop in London at that because youd probly want to tell them some storys & youd probly wind up by insulting king Geo. & get us all in bad & may be get us all shot & then I told them how clost I come to geting shot in Brussels & Minnie says you dont half to tell us that because you was ½ shot before you left us & we talked a wile longer & finely I says I wanted a place to sleep & Minnie says you look like you should ought to sleep in the bath tub & I says is that so. & she seen she was going to far so she shut up.

Well Eddy this towns full of refuges thats been drove out of there homes & there all looking for boats to take them some wheres & theys going to be some crowd on the boat over to Eng. but prof. Bakers got things fixed up so as we cant get crowded off but will have rms. to our self & its a bout time he done some thing after interduceing us to them dutch officers & geting us in to all that trouble.

I dont care if the oceans ruff or smoth going back Ed because Im going to stay in bed all the way & you wont here nothing more from me till we get to N.Y. city & may be not then. This has been some trip Ed. & if my hare aint gray it aint this trips falt.

Chgo., Ill. Sept. 11. 19.14.

Bro. Eddy. Excus this pencill Ed & all so for not writeing to you before & I would of wrote you from London Eng. or from N.Y. city or some wheres only I figgured on acct. of us comeing home from Eng. on the 1st boat that we would get to the US as soon is a letter would & thats why I dident write you nothing from London while we was there & we wasent in N.Y. city only long enough to go from the boat to the station where we took the train at & we just got here this a m & I went right down to the place from the station & I went right down there because I wanted to see how was things geting a long & what do you think Ed? Louis Shaffer wasent down to the station to meet us or he wasent up to the place & Joe harding that was on watch says he hadent been a round for 2 or 3 days.

Thats a fine thing for a man to do when you leave him in charge of your place but thats a bout all I should ought to of expected from a dutch man & I hope hes quit because that will save me from the trouble of fireing him because I wouldent have no dutch men a round my place after what I went threw & the sight of 1 of them makes me sick. But I cant tell weather I been doing a good busness or a rotten busness till I see Louis Shaffer & hes got the bank book & all the rest of it & I dont know nothing till I see him but Joe says they been doing good busness & the summer gardens been doing grate & evry things ok as far is I could see & its a bout time I was haveing a little luck eh Ed?

Well Ed we come acrost from Austin to dover on a boat & I wisht you could of saw it because they must of been a thousand people on the bord of it & they was room for a bout 2 or 3 hunderd & they was hanging over the sides & evry wheres else & I expected evry minut to see the boat sink down in the bottom of the water & then when we got over to dover we had to stand up in the train all the way to London & then we had to lay a round London 2 days and then an other train to south Hampton where the boats leaves from but finely they was 1 going & we took it but we had to pay extra on acct. the crowd going & we got rotten rooms on the boat at that & we was 7 days comeing acrost & they was the longest 7 days I ever seen because wed spent all the money we borryed on the boat fair & they wasent no games on the boat but even if they had of been I couldent of got in to them.

But who do you think was on the boat Ed. mr. & mrs. Chambers & them 3 girls & they says they figgured it out we must be dead on acct. of us being down in Belljum where all the fighting was at & they was mighty supprised to see us & wanted to here all a bout it & I says let prof. Baker tell you a bout it but prof. Baker says mr. Burns is the best 1 at telling storys & let him tell you all a bout it.

So they wouldent have nothing else but I must tell them all a bout it & I give them the hole story & told them a bout me geting locked up in prisson by the dutch men & busting my way out of prisson & how they was going to shoot me as a spy if I hadent of knocked down the gard & broke out & a bout the dutch officer trying to flirt with Minnie & a bout me busting him in the jaw & geting a way with it right in front of the hole dutch army & a bout the Belljum woman that they was going to burn up her house & I stood up in front of the house & told them I would kill the 1st man that started some thing & they seen I was in ernest & beat it a way from the house & a bout the canon balls just missing us when we was walking down Main st. Brussels.

I told them evry thing we seen & done & the girls wouldent hardly leave me for a minut they was so exited over what was I telling them but mr. & mrs. Chambers wouldent lissen to none of it & wouldent stay a round where we was at & I guess they was sore they picked out holland where they wasent no exitemunt or nothing. If it hadent of been for me telling them storys a bout the war we would of had a rotten trip because they wasent nothing doing at all on the boat & if I told them storys onct I must of told them a hunderd times because they kept after me to tell them again.

Prof. Baker says the storys kept geting better the more I told them but that was just my way of telling them Ed & I will try & remmember evry thing we went threw so as I can tell you & Kate when I see you & I wisht youd come over and pay us a visit so as you could here all a bout it. I bet they will be a crowd down to the place tonight because our name was in the paper where we got back from europe & all the boys will want to here the dope & I guess Im the 1 that can give it to them eh Ed.

Well Ed I dont know if Im glad we made the trip or not because it cost me a hole lot of money & I was figgureing up on the train comeing home & it cost me a bout 8 hunderd dollars all to gather & that includs all expenses including $140 for the fair acrost the ocean & $150 comeing back acrost the ocean & a hunderd dollars r r fair on this side of the ocean comeing back & 4th to N.Y. city & back & all expenses includeing what I lost in the poker game & I wouldent of never lost it if the cards had broke good a couple of times. & besides the 8 hunderd dollars Minnie lost some of her close & only brung a bout ½ of them with her a way from Brussels.

She says shes got to have a hole new out fit & how much will that cost me godd knows I dont & for all my money what did I see. Nothing but a hole lot of water & 3 or 4 1 horse towns that you could stick them in the Chgo. river with out over flowing the banks & a lot of scared Belljums & a bout 3 times as many dutch men is they is in milwaukee & you could go up to milwaukee 3 times & see as many dutch men is we seen & it wouldent cost you over 10 dollars & thats not saying I would want to throw a way 10 dollars or $.10 cents to look at dutch men tho Id give up $.75 cents to see 1 or 2 of them say hands Wagner or Frank Schulte.

But still in all I cant say the trip was waisted & probly we seen more exitemunt then wed of saw if we took the reglar tour No. 2 like it was in the book & besides that I had the satisfaction of showing them dutch men that I wasent afrade of there hole army.

But what do you think now Ed? We hadent no sooner got home than Minnie pulls it on me that on acct. of our trip geting broke up by the war she realy had an other trip comeing & would I take her up to black Lake Mich. where her sisters been all summer & I says black Lake wheres that? & she says its up in Mich. near holland. Near Holland I says.

I should think youd got enough of being near holland because when we was in Belljum we was near holland & look at the time we had.

She says yes but they wont be no danger of us getting in trouble up to this place if youll just keep your mouth shut & not tell no funny storys & I says shut up your self & quit talking a bout trips because Ive herd enough a bout trips & next time you want to go vissiting you can go over on the north side & vissit the animuls in lincoln pk. but you wont never get me to go a long with you because Im not never going out of the 3rd ward again & she says it wouldent be fare to the rest of the city for you to stay in 1 ward & I says your to smart & she dident say nothing back.

Well Ed I hope you & Kate can come over & pay us a vissit & may be you could come when prof. Bakers here because he promussed he would come to Chgo. when he got a chance & I says to him dont for get our No. & he says you bet I wont because I will want to here you tell some more storys so you see Eddy he likes them storys of mine pretty well even if the dutch men dont.

Write & let us know how are you geting a long Ed & take care of your self & dont take no bad money. Kindest to Kate.