The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1914-07-02
LETTER FROM WALES
Thomas and Elsie Edwards Tell of
Their Voyage.

blessed with the pest voyage possible |
Leaving home on May 10th, we arriv- |
ed in New York on Monday morning, |
the 18th, going from the Jersey side |
under the Hudson river and entering |
the Pennsylvania Station which is |
supposed to be the largest railway
terminal in the world. 1t is a beauti- |
full structure and one can scarcely
realize the size by just passing
through. We spent Monday after
noon by taking a sightseeing trip
around Manhattan Island and ii is a
good way to see the high buildings
of New York If one has a glass, and
the beautiful banks of the Hudson
with the pretty parks and residences
on either side, also the bridge piers,
etc The next morning we were on
Broadway for about two hours and
such a busy place. We will probably
see more of New York on Dur return
trip but 1t surely is immense.
We sailed from New York, May 10,
at six o'clock sharp on the r M S
LuSitania. One can never forget or
describe the excitement and emotions
that leaving ones own country stirs
within you. There is a crowd on the
pier that astonishes one and they
wave their flags and handkerchiets
as the good ship starts slowly into
the river. People stay on deck as
fong as possible to see the last bit of
land and in the evening one can still
see a few lights here and there. Our
ship was like a palace and everything
is done that can be done for the COM
fort of the passengers. We had
ships orchestra of four pieces that
played in the drawing room four
times daily giving concerts of one
hour each. We had all kinds of peo-
pie among our fellow passengers and
one can always make good friends.
My father and | made good many
and everyone was very nice. There
were two acrobats who practiced daily
and this afforded an entertainment
Ievery afternoon. There we're also
company of negroes, a quartet, who
Isang and played.
On Friday evening in the dining sa-
loon the ships concert was given and
it was very good. The collection TAX
len here goes to aid the Seamens Or
lphanage in Liverpool and New York,
land the Lusitania holds the record for
the largest collections of this kind.
ION Sunday there we're religious SER
vices in the morning and afternoon,
and ON Sunday evening we could see
lights off the coast of ireland. On
Monday morning when We got up we
could see the hills and little farms on
the English coast along Cornwall. Al
7:15 Monday morning we landed pas
sengerS, mail and luggage at Fish
L. guard on Pembroke docks on Southern
coast of Wales. 1t surely makes one
feel good to see land and | think ii
is the only real cure for sea sickness
We then proceeded to Liverpool and
arrived there about three o'clock Mon.
day afternoon and we're landed about
four We had no trouble in the Gus.
toms. They just asked US If wehad
any cigarettes, tobacco of any kind or
wines. We did not and they didn't
even look through our baggage. A
cousin was here to meet us and we
went with him that night to Oldham
England. We went through MancheS
ter and it is surely busy manufactur
: ing center, something like the towns
! in our eastern states. All the farms
. are either divided by a little hedge
; or stone wall and they are very
| pretty. The flowers and trees are
lovely The white and red May OF
hawthorne is in bloom now and II
, surely makes pretty sight. an
i making collection of leaves anc
flowers but | cannot describe them
] all. 1t is all just like a beautiful
= garden. On the following morning
we left my cousins for the home oil
my father s. brother in Ebbw Vale
They had not seen each other fol
t forty years and such a meeting. They
parted when they were just young
}. men and now they are both old and
q gray. They both said they never
9 thought il would be like this anC
= couldn't realize it. | shall never for
9 get their meeting and tried to real
D. ize what it meant to them. We truly
e received a royal welcome. We have
a been here only a fortnight but We
t have taken many trips around the
n different valleys. The valleys anc
d mountains are beautiful here. W.
;. have been to Abergavenny, dOwI
through Gilwern, Bryn Mawr, and 1
: truly is grand. Then we have been tC
New port. seaport town on the
= Bristol Channel, and yesterday were
through Dawlais, Merthyn, Aberdart
and Mountain Ash. These are some
4 Iof the first places my father anC
iunCle remember living anu tney COul'
still see the houses where they haC
lived and the schools where they uset
to attend. 1t seemed to me as if
were on hallowed ground in some
l. places and I was so thankful to b.
e here and to visit with my father thu
{ places that are surely dear to him ant
4 have tender spot in memory. From
Mt. Ash we went home by way o
> Crumlin Level. Here Is the old Crum
. lin bridge. 1t is very high and vel
built over the valley from one noun
l. tain to another and il is very old. W.
& have great many more places t
j. visit and many things TO see. Ii Il
l. quite a strange but beautiful countr!
a to me and many things are great,
changed since my father was here
1t is very old and romantic plac,
9 and there is some tale or legend con
II nected with almost everything. W.
g visited the old Abergavenny Castle
e also an old Welsh Castle at Newport
il This may interest some of your Wells
readers and we send our kindest RI
yards.