"We are in Berlin. Seen some nice things.
Over a 1,000 soldiers in a bunch,
nice tower with statues, and the street ______.
Here're some possible towers with statues...lol We really don't know what he was referring to, but to read more about monuments in Berlin, click HERE . We have only a guess as to the street, but it's probably Unter den Linden. Not to worry, they stop back in Berlin on the way home--it's much better then, promise!
April 28--Monday--on our road to Breslau now see the same thing - timber and such stuff. Ticket from Hamburg to Berlin a mark, Berlin to Breslau 11 mark , cheap.
(One American dollar was worth 4.23 marks in 1914, and a mark was 100 pfennig...so the train ride from Hamburg to Berlin cost 24 cents, and the trip to Breslau was $2.60).
Seen women pick wood as Ma always said.
Women walking bare foot and plowing with shovels.
Just went by Pillgram, seen 8 ox in 4 teams - looked good.
We are playing cards with the conductor going to Breslau.
Beer on here, it is nice.
Well, we are on the Brankow line now for Manhshit. It is 6 P.M.
Well, we are on the Brankow line now for Manhshit. It is 6 P.M.
(Probably Manscheid or Mangschutz, which isn't on the map here. They must have changed trains to head toward Carlsruhe).Great conductor we had put us on here.
Well we are In Manhshit--gee, they look at us as if we were wild men. They all look at us. Some fun.
___ _______(GERMAN)____read this in a saloon--some joke.
May 1st--Thursday--Carlsruhe ober Schlecing (Carlsruhe, Upper Silesia)--Well we are here.
Today was to a Doctor. One mark.
(Carlsruhe may have been a spa. There are theraputic hot springs in the area, but we couldn't nail it down online. Math mentions being sick--this could have been one purpose of the trip, especially since there's a whole day before they get to Tillivitz--maybe 30 miles. )
Seen nice things along road. Seen rock crackers, common roads with many trees and ducks, prairie chickens, jack rabbits, many ox and horses working in the Domerion (?) and such junk.
Took a 4th class ride on train. Aint bad.
We have seen Vermer, is here now as I am writing this and waiting for our butter bread.
(Does anybody recognize who "Vermer" was?)
We have seen the Oder River, brick yards, one cross along the road.
May 3rd--Saturday--Here we are in Tillivitz.
(BTW, Gushwitz=Gosczcowice, ok?)
May 4th-Sunday--
Were to church, a 4 mile hike, some offering can they have here.
It is a good looking church but those that don't stand sit, none kneel.
Oh no, am some sick.
Seen Ma's birth place but it is all changed. Still looks good.
Walked over Ma's farm going to church.
R.R. runs over land on the end. Seen a train go over it.
Seen lots of soldiers in town.
All the floors in the house are made of brick. House and barn is in one.
Well, here we are, May 5th (Monday) in Sebena, next closest station to Gushvitz (Gosczcowice).
(or Sabine then--now Sowin, Poland).
Well, here we are, May 5th (Monday) in Sebena, next closest station to Gushvitz (Gosczcowice).
(or Sabine then--now Sowin, Poland).
We are going to Neisse. (Now Nysa, Poland)
Annie Klein is with us. We will have our pictures taken.
It is 10 A.M. now. The train will come 10:18.
May 6th--Tuesday--Here we are in Larzensdorf by Frank Hortsch.
(Now Wawezenczwce...southwest of Opole, southeast of Nysa)
He was surprised some to see us. Nice man.
(Now Wawezenczwce...southwest of Opole, southeast of Nysa)
He was surprised some to see us. Nice man.
Well, I should say, train slow out this way.
A man on the wheel went by on us. Some run.
It is awful dry now. Ought to have rain.
Theo bought a hog.
We are lost now. All Pollanders. (lol)
We are lost now. All Pollanders. (lol)
Jee, they make more noise about one hog here than I would for a farm.
There are a 1/2 dozen men here, all law when you kill a hog.
Seen em kill the hog. ha ha ha Some fun.
(The hog story tickles me. A hostess gift on the hoof, you could say, but a very appreciated one. Really, it was the perfect way to make friends, bring food, and not be a burden on relatives they'd never met. You can tell Math felt pretty good about it, too, not to mention all the fun of getting the hog there! I think, too, that he wrote it down to remember it--they wouldn't have bothered with such a gift for Frank Hortsch--it had to be for the folks in Gushwitz).
Read this in Hortsch saloon:____(GERMAN)_____
Hortsch is blind on the left eye, got shot. Has a shot in his forehead.
____(GERMAN) good soup.
Here we are, gone for Oppeln.
Left Hortsch 1:15 P.M.
May 7th--Wednesday--will never forget him.
Just went over the Oder River. Seen near 25 boats.
Just went over the Oder River. Seen near 25 boats.
Read this in Oppeln______(GERMAN)_______
We are in a moving picture show in Oppeln now called "Weiss woun——white wall".("Die weiße Wand Kino" (The White Wall Theater).
The screen would be a white wall, right? The movies were silent films, with music played on the piano or violin. The cinema had a seating capacity of 200).
Seen women clean streets. Some job.
Took a look at the Oder River.
It is market day today.
Some folks, never seen the likes.
See lots that are hard up, worse than we.
Wages about one mark a day.
Meat $.80 a pound, over in Oestrich, $1.40 per pound.
The soldiers get 5 cents a day, here they get 30 cents a day".
In Part Five, they're back in Gushwitz, at a dance!
This is part of a notebook diary kept by Math Hesch during a trip he took with his brother Ted in the spring of 1914 and there are story about soldiers and there are many historical pictures,this is interesting.
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