Letter and house plan 2/7/26
Dear Mother:
We are on our way to Berlin, in a cute little Second Class compartment all to ourselves. We started this morning at 6:50 and will arrive in Berlin at 7:00. I took the longest and slowest route because it is the most picturesque. We go thru the Hartz Mts. Altho the day is not bright, the clouds are high and we have been thru some interesting country. For one thing, we have been from Hagen (Westphalia) to Holz-Minden up the valley of the Ruhr River, famous because of the French occupation. (it is not Holz-Minden, but Brillon Wald) At this point, Brillon Wald, we cut thru a mountain by a short tunnel, and came out of the Rhein watershed into that of the Wesser. It was quite rugged country with two mountains in view very nearly as high as Ascutney. It goes without saying that they didn't look as good. We have just stopped at Seesen. nothing particularly here. There was another local train waiting there for us. The only color in sight is the uniform of the conductors. A bright blue with a beautiful red leather band across the chest. Speaking of conductors, they are most courteous. It is a real pleasure to travel on the train in Germany. We have had two meals on the train, both excellent and not too expensive. Our breakfast in American money cost us altogether $1.20. Our dinner with steak, etc., cost for all only $2.50. The ride from Neuss to Berlin is 350 miles. It cost us altogether including the trunks $30.00. There is no free baggage in Germany.
I can speak enough German now and understand enough more so I can get about without the aid of a dictionary. That is not bad when you consider that I have been working a great deal of the time with English-speaking men.
After writing the above, the children and various other things prevented me from writing more yesterday. We finished the trip in good time and found Dr. and Mrs. Fleisinger waiting for us at the station. We collected the baggage and took a taxi for our lodgings. It is some lodging. I will enclose a rough sketch of the layout. The rooms are enormous but we have enough furniture to fill them. I guess it is a good place. The lady of the house is an American from Bloomington, Ill.
Another intermission of 24 hours. Clare dragged me down stairs to finish up the financial arrangements. We pay here now 200 marks a month. I guess we got a bargain. If we were able to measure the wall, the floor and the ceilings, I guess it would come to a couple of acres. I know well it would if you were able to iron out the filigree work. It is truly enormous. I will let Clare go into details as to what would interest a woman. We heat by Ofens and buy about 100 pounds of coal at a time. The suggestion that we buy more brings such a startled look to the hearet face, you :iould t;hAnic twice before suggesting it again. All the buying here in Germany is done on an unbelievably small scale. In Neuss we sort of felt the pinch of poverty in the people about us, but here in Berlin it is obvious. The weather here is very cold at present and everywhere, in the neighborhood which is not slums by any means, are people going about underciothed and looking underfed. Everyday brings its quota of beggars to the door - I have seen two, Clare more. Not bad looking, just hungry and cold. The German people seem to hide poverty as much as possible, and keep themselves as neat as they can. Mrs. Kaphun, our landlady, says that there are many old people who have lost all of their savings, who were before the war wealthy, and are now practically beggars. It is very pathetic and rather deptessing. In Neuss and here also, they all ask about Amerika and express the wish that they might go also, as they all seem to have a friend or relative there.
I have started my work at the Richard Weber Go. He has been very kind and seems most anxious that I be happy. He has been very ill and looked it. He told me today that he had lost 25 pounds since he was in Springfield, and I believe it. I do not like the rest of the organization as well as I do Schaurte's. There is something open and businesslike about his, and Weber's is full of locked doors, dark corners and cages, with a few men here and there. Just about what you would expect.
I must close this letter and do some other necessary thing, such as sharing the news of the day, and writing up accounts, etc. We have had better luck with the Ofens today and are more comfortable. It is real nice and warm here now. I just looked at the thermometer and and it said 55 degrees, F. Love to all the family, ....Ernest
Letter and house plan 2/7/26
Dear Mother:
We are on our way to Berlin, in a cute little Second Class compartment all to ourselves. We started this morning at 6:50 and will arrive in Berlin at 7:00. I took the longest and slowest route because it is the most picturesque We go thru the Hartz Mts. Altho the day is not bright, the clouds are high and we have been thru some intercsting country. For one thing, we have been from Hagen (Westphalia) to Holz-Minden up the valley of the Ruhr River, famous because of the French occupation. (it is not Holz-Minden, but Brillon Wald) At this point, Brillon Wald, we cut thru a mountain by a short tunnel, and came out of the Rhein watershed into that of the Wesser. It was quite rugged country with two mountains in view very nearly as high as Ascutney. It goes without saying that they didn't look as good. We have just stopped at Seesen. nothing particularly here. There was another local train waiting there for us. The only color in sight is the uniform of the conductors. A bright blue with a beautiful red leather band across the chest. Speaking of conductors, they are most courteous. It is a real pleasure to travel on the train in Germany. We have had two meals on the train, both excellent and not too expensive. Our breakfast in American money cost us altogether $1.20. Our dinner with steak, etc., cost for all only $2.50. The ride from ricuss to Berlin is 350 miles. It cost us altogether including the trunks $30.00. There is no free baggage in Germany.
I can speak enough German now and understand enough more so I can get about without the aid of a dictionary. That is not bad when you consider that I have been working a great deal of the time with English-speaking men.
***
After writing the above, the children and various other things prevented me from writing more yesterday. We finished the trip in good time and found Dr. and Mrs. Kleisinger waiting for us at the station. We collected the baggage and took a taxi for our lodgings. It is some lodging. I will enclose a rough sketch of the layout. The rooms are enormous but we have enough furniture to fill them. I guess it is a good place. The lady of the house is an American from Bloomington, Ill.
***
Another intermission of 24 hours. Clare dragged me down stairs to finish up the financial arrangements. We pay here now 200 marks a month. I guess we got a bargain. If we were able to measure the wall, the floor and the ceilings, I guess it would come to a couple of acres. I know well it would if you were able to iron out the filigree work. It is truly enormous. I will let Clare go into details as to what would interest a woman. We heat by Ofens and buy about 100 pounds of coal at a time. The suggestion that we buy more brings such a startled look to the hearer's face, you would think twice before suggesting it again. All the buying here in Germany is done on an unbelievably small scale. In Neuss we sort of felt the pinch of poverty in the people about us, but here in Berlin it is obvious. The weather here is very cold at present and everywhere, in the neighborhood which is not slums by any means, are people going about underclothed and looking underfed. Everyday brings its quota of beggars to the door - I have seen two, Clare more. Not bad looking, just hungry and cold. The German people seem to hide poverty as much as possible, and keep themselves as neat as they can. Mrs. Kaphun, our landlady, says that there are many old people who have lost all of their savings, who were before the war wealthy, and are now practically beggars. It is very pathetic and rather depressing. In Neuss and here also, they all ask about Amerika and express the wish that they might go also, as they all seem to have a friend or relative there.
I have started my work at the Richard Weber Co. He has been very kind and seems most anxious that I be happy. He has been very ill and looked it. He told me today that he had lost 25 pounds since he was in Springfield, and I believe it. I do not like the rest of the organization as well as I do Schaurte's. There is something open and businesslike about his, and Weber's is full of locked doors, dark corners and cages, with a few men here and there. Just about what you would expect.
I must close this letter and do some other necessary things, such as sharing the news of the day, and writing up accounts, etc. We have had better luck with the Ofens today and are more comfortable. It is real nice and warm here now. I just looked at the thermometer and it said 55 degrees, F.
Love to all the family,
Ernest