Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1922-12-06
DIR. PORTER WRITES AGAIN


September 9--Lovely morning. Set
watches back an hour. In 25 hours
have sailed 433 miles. Uncle Sam has
| a lot of splendid boats manned by fine
men. The cuisine on his lines is best
in the world. Wish / had a monopoly
| of the swill and were allowed to run
Shocked barge behind with $50 pigs.
Sam could have half the pork | made
and then I'd get rich.
September 10-Sunday. Breakfast:
Weiners, potato, cream of wheat, milk,
sugar, bread, butter, grape fruit,
strawberry jam, chicken.
September livery OF b Glow
decks. Warm weather. Ate no supper.
| September 12-No breakfast. The
padre awakened me at noon and |
| had dinner and supper and took in
the band concert till $3.50. Quite a
little beer drank by Germans but no
hilarity. No smoking among the wo-
men.
September In gulf stream. See
flakes of yellowish sea weed all day
from Sargasso Sea going north. Room
steward has pint of a fine Cognac
| brandy hidden in bunk over padres
feet. Offers me some; take just
taste; it burns way down. 1t would
seorch mans toenails. The steward
took two little glasses of it; paid 40c
in Beamen for it. Could sell it in
New York for $40. Why will a man
burn his CUTS out with that damned
fire? In the afternoon we were herd
ed into warm room and ordered to
| disrobe to the waist. Doctors then
used magnifiers to examine backs and
armpits and clothing for body lice
which cause typhus fever. Il have not
been lousy for IS years, DOCTOR" /
told him. He laughed and said go
on"
September 14-Weather lovely.
Little rough at bed time. Warm on
deck. At 8 p. m. passed Nantucket
light inside the island. Gave room
and table stewards a dollar each. Rev.
Sargent clergyman from Barron stays
in New York; The Spanish Padre goes
to Chicago to see a lady teacher who
taught him English. He read me one
of her lovely letters. Guess it is a
case of Platonic affection, nothing
more. Jack, the Irish chauffeur at
my right, stays in New York. He was
a brave soldier in Flanders and was
sent to Egypt He went to He'll. In
June a Harvard college student was
given his passage and worked his way
over. Returning he was set to peel
ing potatoes on ship instead of cleri-
cal work. He enjoyed it. Forty-three
stowaways were taken off the Geo,
Washington at Bremerhaven.
September 15-Reached Ambrose
channel and were herded again for
examination for trachoma or granu-
lar eyelids. Were counted by ma
chimes and a hundred selected as we
all passed two army doctors. These
were later examined carefully. Din
ner on board; at two showed passport
and given landing ticket, got grips and
went on wharf. A gentlemanly ne
gro examined by luggage. | gave in
$87 worth and he read the list, asked
to see a 81 cameo / listed; why did
you buy it2" ITO give my daughter
in-law." He chalked my stuff and /
took bag of stuff to Express COM
pany and sent home. Took Barclay
street ferry across river to Fall river
boat, got tickets for Boston, Sc, and
went to bed. Had an ideal trip across
ocean, the best the Geo Washington
has had this year. Find on boat, at
noon have $50 left and have spent
about $3.50 in 159 days, or S483 per
day. That $52 would take me home
to Viroqua, but am going up to live
few days in Maine where | was born.
September 16-Morning, had break
fast in Boston. Out of pie belt for
five months, invested in fine large cut
of BURBERRY pie. At p. m. in Frye,
Maine, where rail station stands, i
attended school in the cowtieup of
barn, &c years ago. A quarter mile
away / went to find that my brother
is in Wisconsin Slept sweetly in old
chamber where | slept long ago and
on ancient bedstead with bed cord that
my uncle ratified off and gave me 10
years ago.
September Twisted cousins and
stayed at home of one Met there a
boyhood friend and schoolmate who
had lately returned from a personally
conducted tour of Europe. He and /
found we were both at Oberamargau
Passion Play July % and sat only 8
rods apart
September 18-Frost which killed
Things Went on ten mile ride to see
old friends. Scenery is beautiful;
wild asters abundant; foliage of for
ests becoming gorgeous.
September 20--Left Rumford, Me-,
with its great mountains of pulp wood
for the west. Auto bus to Grand
Trunk line ticket to Montreal; four
hours later to Chicago, Parmalee bus
to Union Station, four minutes later
St.Paul train started for Sparta.
September 22-At home and glad TO
get home. See many improvements in
city. In the afternoon my wife, broth
err and son come from Dunn county.
Have had lovely trip and been treat
ed beautifully everywhere. But mid
pleasures and palaces though we may
roam, There is no place like home.
G. V. PORTER.
IF WOMEN ONLY KNEW