TRANSCRIBED FROM THE DEQUEEN BEE MAY 2, 1919 P. 5
Lisbon, Portugal, March 25, '19
Dear Mother: Well, we are here at last, on our way home. Got in yesterday morning. Was all over Lisbon today, going to a ball diamond to practice. She is a clean little city compared to Brest. I suppose you have heard of the revolution here. They say it was some time. But it's all over now. It's always rough weather out in the harbor (where we are. We had a hard trip from Brest. The admiral at Brest wouldn't let us leave the 19th on account of rough weather, but we left the 20th with 32 or 33 sub chasers and three tug boats, the Fanning and the Hannibal (another ship for sub-chasers.) We will be here till the sub chaser boats overhaul their engines, when we will be joined by twenty more sub chaser boats, two seagoing tugs and an oil tanker, Azores bound. One dollar of our money is equal to 1400 reis, so you think you got a bunch of money when it''s only a dollar or two. Still have six weeks before we hit the States.
March 28. We are still here and may be here ten days more. Our route has been changed a little. We go from here to Madeira Island (400 miles southwest of here), then to the Bermudas, then home. The Fanning left today to go to Gibraltar to see the place and maybe a little business. Our Captain asked permission to go, too. The answer was: Go, if you care to, but I advise you not to. So we stay here. The admiral of the Portuguese navy was aboard today to look over the ship. The executive officer tried to make a battle wagon out of us. Well, we are having lots of recreation now. Have been to the ball field every day, and today we went to see the city, just a few museums, etc. You can't get much English out of these people. We played the sub-chasers yesterday; winning with a score of 6 to 3. Today we played the Fanning, losing with a score of 14 to 8. Tomorrow is the big game. We play an exhibition game with Leonidas (a mother ship for sub chasers) at some athletic field for the high brows of Portugal; receipts given to the wounded soldiers of this war. Special auto cars to get us, and a band, "n'everything." Just think! Your son is playing baseball for the pleasure of the President of Portugal! Ha, ha!
All the cars have ads about the marines, Americans and their baseball.
This is not a very good place to be. There were twenty-five cops strung up just a few days ago; maybe more tomorrow.
Will write again soon.
Bart.
NOTES:
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD
Lisbon, Portugal, March 25, '19
Dear Mother: Well, we are here at last, on our way home. Got in yesterday morning. Was all over Lisbon today, going to a ball diamond to practice. She is a clean little city compared to Brest. I suppose you have heard of the revolution here. They say it was some time. But it's all over now. It's always rough weather out in the harbor (where we are. We had a hard trip from Brest. The admiral at Brest wouldn't let us leave the 19th on account of rough weather, but we left the 20th with 32 or 33 sub chasers and three tug boats, the Fanning and the Hannibal (another ship for sub-chasers.) We will be here till the sub chaser boats overhaul their engines, when we will be joined by twenty more sub chaser boats, two seagoing tugs and an oil tanker, Azores bound. One dollar of our money is equal to 1400 reis, so you think you got a bunch of money when it''s only a dollar or two. Still have six weeks before we hit the States.
March 28. We are still here and may be here ten days more. Our route has been changed a little. We go from here to Madeira Island (400 miles southwest of here), then to the Bermudas, then home. The Fanning left today to go to Gibraltar to see the place and maybe a little business. Our Captain asked permission to go, too. The answer was: Go, if you care to, but I advise you not to. So we stay here. The admiral of the Portuguese navy was aboard today to look over the ship. The executive officer tried to make a battle wagon out of us. Well, we are having lots of recreation now. Have been to the ball field every day, and today we went to see the city, just a few museums, etc. You can't get much English out of these people. We played the sub-chasers yesterday; winning with a score of 6 to 3. Today we played the Fanning, losing with a score of 14 to 8. Tomorrow is the big game. We play an exhibition game with Leonidas (a mother ship for sub chasers) at some athletic field for the high brows of Portugal; receipts given to the wounded soldiers of this war. Special auto cars to get us, and a band, "n'everything." Just think! Your son is playing baseball for the pleasure of the President of Portugal! Ha, ha!
All the cars have ads about the marines, Americans and their baseball.
This is not a very good place to be. There were twenty-five cops strung up just a few days ago; maybe more tomorrow.
Will write again soon.
Bart.
NOTES:
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD