1929 Handwritten Trip Diary Europe Weston Ranch Family Stockton CA Oregon Trail

Description

WELCOME TO SALLY’S DIARIES:
Before I get started describing this diary I want to let you know that I have a podcast. I’ve taken some diaries from my private collection and shared them on our podcast called “Diary Discoveries.” We’ve got 31 episodes out now and you can find it on all the usual podcast venues. So if you enjoy the compelling and adventurous stories from vintage diaries then please check it out.
Up for auction today is a wonderful and very full handwritten travel diary that contains several different trips beginning in 1920 and ending with a long extended trip to Europe in 1929.
Now the name of the author is not written in the usual way (in the beginning of the diary on the inside covers or first page) but on the very first page of the 1920 trip she writes,
“March 14
th
, 1920. Stockton to N.Y. and Return. Mr. and Mrs. P.E. Weston and Mr. and Mrs. John M. ____. Mr. and Mrs. Paul Weston, Jen and John left on S. P. 11:25 for San Jose….”
So this leads me to believe that our author might be Mrs. (Carolyn) P. E. Weston. Later on she talks about arranging for “Paul’s” compartment. If this is our author then this is Mrs. Paul Eugene Weston of Stockton California who’s grandfather was responsible for bringing 22 families out west on the Oregon Trail. And she and her husband owned the “Weston Ranch” a huge pieces of property in Stockton, from 1877 to 1988.
Carolyn was born in 1884 in California. She married Paul Eugene Weston and they had a daughter Virginia Weston.
There are 166 handwritten pages in this diary and the first 33 pages are all about a trip from California to Florida and on the way back stopping in the Northwest. On this trip the train almost runs over a “Colored Woman” and they encounter “Outlaw Switch men” on the way to Chicago. They stop in New Orleans and her description of the harbor is fabulous. Then they take a side trip to Washington D.C. and visit Congressman Curry and Senator Johnson and have dinner with Col. and Mrs. Brown. I believe she and her husband are very interested and involved in the political world as there is much mention of it. Then it’s on to Florida where there are more great entries. A few pages after that talk about different “1page” short trips.
Then there’s the 5 month trip to Europe including North Africa and Egypt which is about 125+ pages of handwritten entries. She is sailing on the Samaria and then sails back home on the
Berengaria which was known as a “floating palace.” I copied off pictures of the ship Berengaria and that’s what you see above.
While in Egypt she attends a religious event and writes this….
“
February 15
th
, 1929.
We attended a religious ceremony performed by the Shiek, 21 dancers, an orchestra, reader of the Koran and a representative of the Sultan who chants and reads from the Koran. The dance and ceremony lasts about an hour.”
Her descriptions of each place she goes is so detailed, including many of the war zones. Plus, the trip over is incredibly stormy with waves crashing over the deck. I’ve taken a few example quotes from each trip and shared them here but this is really just the tip of the iceberg…..
1920
“
March 14
th
,
Stockton to N.Y. and Return.
Mr. and Mrs. P. E. Weston and Mr. and Mrs. John M. Pern. Mr. and Mrs. Paul Weston, Jen and John left on S.P. 11:25 for San Jose there taking Sunset Limited for Florida. Had lunch at O’Briens and got our train out of San Jose at 5 P.M. for L.A. Arrived there 8:45 A.M. and after arranging for Paul’s compartment went to Van Nuys for breakfast. Left L.A. at 11 A.M. for N. O.
(New Orleans).
Weather fine leaving home, a little windy in L.A. Southern Cal.,
l
ooks fine. At Salton Sea the abandoned Ry, submerged, was plainly marked by tops of telegraph poles.
“
March 18
th
,
New Orleans La. Due to arrive at 6:25 A.M. train about 3 hours late making it possible to see many sugar plantations before reaching N. O. Leaving Houston Texas had a narrow escape from running down a colored woman with our train and had gone only 12 or 15 miles when our train broke into delaying us about an hour. Had wired the Grunewald so had rooms reserved which were ready for us at 6 P.M. Had breakfast at Madam Bigul’s famous breakfast house at 11 A.M. At 2:30 we took steamer Sidney for sight seeing tour of N. O. harbor and was really surprised at the wonderful harbor and excellent facilities they have for the handling of cargoes. It is on West bank of Mississippi River 110 miles from the mouth. 100 to 250 feet deep. 40 miles waterfront. Four and half miles of public dock and sheds have been built on the East bank by the State of La. Board of Commissioners of Port 5 in number appointed by Governor. Entire river front and docks served by municipal Belt Ry…..”
(another full page on this. Next day they head to breakfast at Forest Grill and a sight see
ing tour
from
a
bus to the business section, old French and Spanish quarter and the modern residence district returning via St. Charles Street. Left at 8:30 for Jacksonville Florida. Says that the country going there is uninteresting. Farms poorly kept and desolate looking. Now it’s on to Palm Beach.)
“
March 21
st
,
Hotel Breakers. Palm Beach…….Our ride down the coast was quite a surprise. Expected to see a very prosperous country but the only prosperity visible was in the people who were down in this section for a vacation. At Ormond the girls were delighted to see John D. Rockefeller at his winter cottage.”
(Next day spent at the beach and then a drive through West Palm Beach and South. Spent the evening at the Beach Club. Then on to Miami on the 24
th
and 25
th
. Talks about the new Casino and the new residence sections they are building. Then to see Gov. Jennings place)
“
March 26
th
,
Miami……On the Bright – Curtiss ranch of 11,000 acres. Saw some sacred oxen and Mr. Curtiss had just alighted from his plane after viewing his property. After lunch went to see the Cincinnati Red
S
ox play the Washington team…..Arrived at Fort Lauderdale at 9:30 P.M. Quite a heavy fog this A.M. but cleared by nine o’clock. Our swim was primitive as we used a coconut grove for dressing rooms and my suit was improvised with Paul’s night gown…..A fine auto ride down the beach highway in the moonlight. Retired about 11:30 to be up for a good start up Palm Beach canal in the speed boat Josephine S. Sunday A.M. for the Everglades
. (She takes 3 pages to describe her time in the Everglad
e
s. Says the party behind them killed a rattler over 5 ft. long. Next day it’s on to Washington DC. They are staying at the Hotel Willard. They called on Congressman Curry and Senator Johnson and then dinner at Col. Brown whom I’ve mentioned above. On April 5
th
they start for New York)
“
April 5
th
,
New York. Left Washington at 10 A.M. Arrived in N.Y. at 3: 18 and after getting our rooms at the Pennsylvania had dinner and saw a most remarkable show at the Hippodrome. Then to Strand on Broadway to have supper, dance and see the Review. To bed at about 2 A.M.”
(Next day an auto tour and up to the top floor of the Woolworth building for a Birdseye view. Another review show at the Palais Royal and then to the Winter Garden for the 1919 Follies. Then it’s off to Philadelphia where she talked about the “Outlaw Switchmen.” Then to Chicago, Minneapolis, St. Paul and finally Montana)
“
April 12
th
,
….At Fort Keough they are preparing for a large aviation field. Great scarcity of feed for stock in this section due to drought last season…..Reached Butte Montana at 10 P.M. on Tuesday April 13
th
. It was a beautiful sight. The city was well lighted, situated in
the mountains and came suddenly into view. This is where I go in wrong with Jen. About 7 this eve we passed Three Forks, the headwaters of the Missouri River. At Harlowton Montana we changed locomotives taking on an electric which carried us as far as Avery Idaho. Then steam to Othello where we again took Electric Loco to Seattle.”
“
April 14
th
,
Reached Spokane 9:40 A.M. and had a fine view of the river, falls, city and country surrounding. Just out of Spokane in some marshes or lakes saw thousands of ducks. This country looks much more prosperous than the country yesterday…..The last range of mountains before reaching the coast was snow capped and we had considerable snow along side the rails for some distance. The big tunnel on summit is about 2 ½ miles long and with Electric Power
we suffered no inconvenience from soot smoke, etc.
(They arrived in Seattle that night only staying a little the next day. Then on to Cosmopolis Washington. On the 21
st
they head to Portland Oregon. They take an auto ride all over the city and attend a show at the Hippodrome. This part of the trip stops and then there are two pages devoted to their trip to Chicago. I believe they are involved politically in the campaigns of several people…)
“
May 29
th
, Chicago Ill. Left home by auto to Sacramento with W. B. Hogon. Had lunch with Bert and Doc after calling on Governor Stephens. Left on Overland Limited. Met Warden Johnstone and Mr. and Mrs. Lindley at Sacramento……June 1
st
, Headquarters at Auditorium Hotel. Rooming at New Southern. Looks today like Gen. Wood is loosing ground fast. Gov. Lowden gaining……Senator Harding nominated Saturday P.M. Had get together meeting at headquarters in Auditorium Hotel. Senator Johnson made a fine talk and shook hands and bade us all good bye…..
”
(After this there is a short page devoted to San Francisco, then 1 page devoted to a fishing trip to Ten Lakes, a few more pages of notes and then the entries begin for the trip to Europe.)
1929
“
January 16
th
,
Jen and Bertha left Stockton at seven A.M. for San Francisco. Mr. and Mrs. Wagner and
E
d drove them to the train. Mr. Wagner going to S.F. with them. I drove down with Ralph after lunch to Oakland. Made arriving about 4:30….The girls had a very pleasant day in S.F. Mr. Mott of Place gave them a beautiful suite of rooms compliments of the management…
.(She then lists the people who bid them “adieu”. The board the train and arrive in Chicago at 9:30 the next morning and then on to New York the next morning. They are staying at the Biltmore and lunched with friends at The Vanderbilt)
“
January 22
nd
,
...Left hotel about 10:15 A.M. Arrived at dock at eleven where everyone was excited and thrilled. Many visitors down to see the Samaria off…..Boat left promptly at 12 and our leaving was under most favorable conditions…..
(She lists all the people who gave them going away presents)..
We are seated at the
Chief Engineers table and seated with us are….”
(More names)
“
January 24
th
,
Wind velocity increased and with it the waves. We are going with the wind and at six this A.M. a big one came over the stern on C Deck putting about 6 inches water in Chief Engineers room and 18 inches in companion ways. Were we heading in to the storm it would surely give us something to talk about….”
(The storm continued all day and all through the night she says with mountainous seas.)
“Sea has been breaking over stern on D. deck continually and often on C deck. The officers and crew are working like Trojans Captain has not as yet been in D.R
.
(dining room)
for meals and Chief Eng. Proctor not down today. Friday night the sea was vicious and wind blew a gale. Jen was nervous and could not sleep. She was not alone as many on the steamers began to realize the danger should
anything go wrong with the
machinery….”
(next day it eases off and Mr. James O Betelle gave a dinner party for the group that night. Rough seas again and it looked like they weren’t going to be able to land in Madeira but things go better and on January 30
th
they took a tour of the town. Things much better on board and they spend part of the day in the ships gym. On February 1
st
they arrive in Gibraltar. The
y
tour that town and even take a train to Granada and Alhambra. Six pages describing that time)
“
February 4
th
,
Arrived at Alg
eciras
11:20 P.M. and on board for supper 12 P.M. Monday we rested as it was good to get back to the Samaria. Very pleasant day and the sunset and lights following were really beautiful. Could see African coast, the Spanish landscape and old Gibraltar standing like a sentinel enshrouded in the various lights and shadows. Great Britain has quite a fleet stationed here and many of the officers came aboard for the dance. We left at 12:30 for Algiers and are due to arrive Wednesday A.M.”
(Upon their arrival in Algiers they decided not to take the typical tour but an auto ride to Blid
a
and the Monkey Gorges. On to Cagliari, Sardinia, Palermo, Sicily, Tunis, Cartlege, and Malta. Six pages of writing devoted to those places)
“
February 14
th
,
Landing Alexandria 6 A.M. Then train to Cairo. Landed in harbor along side dock. This trip up the valley of the Nile was very interesting seeing the villages, the irrigation system (which is very complete), the methods used in agriculture was a revelation. Saw men cleaning sandles and ditches by hand. The water wheels and crooked sticks used for plowing were just as used thousand years ago. They use the donkey, cows, water buffalo, camels, horses and humans for draft purposes…..A
r
rived in Cairo 2:25 P.M. and went direct to Continental Savoy. Very comfortably located.”
“
February 15
th
,
Visited the Sphinx and pyramids, rode camels and etc. In P.M. drove out to Old Cairo visiting Ami Mosque, Coptic church, Nilometer on Rhoda Island in the Nile. After diner we went out to the “Hallowen Darusch”
(?)
a religious
cer
e
mony performed by the Shiek, 21 dancers, an orchestra, reader of the Koran and a representative of the Sultan who chants and reads from the Koran. The dance and ceremony lasts about an hour.
The night was wonderful so we drove out to Heliopolis. This is a wonderful town, new and magnificent hotel, 760 rooms and very modern.”
(She says they visited the perfume shops of E. Hatoun and Ahmed Soliman and said that they are the best perfume shops in Cairo. Then after lunch they visit the Citadel and the Mosque of Mohamed Ali.)
“
February 18
th
,
Drove to Memphis in auto. This city vied with Babalon in being the most magnificent city in the world. Now nothing remains
but excavations disclose the colossal statues of Ramses II which once stood at the entrance of the temple. To the west on the highlands the e
dge
of the desert is the Step Pyramid King Zoser of the third dynasty. The tombs of Apis where the sacred bull of the god Ptah was embalmed and interred with great ceremony, was most interesting. One gallery after another about 1040 feet long, about 10 ft. wide and 17 ½ high, all hewn out of solid rock along which we
r
e recesses where the huge sarcophagi were to be seen. Each coffin 13 ft x 11 ft and weighing no less than 65 tons. Had camel ride here on Sahara Desert.”
(Next day it’s on to Luxor and she spends most of the day in the temple there. They stayed at the Luxor Winter Palace Hotel.)
“
February 23
rd
,
Our train ride to Port Said was interesting. We came down the valley of the Nile for some distance then crossed to east and parallel Suez Can
al
to Port Said. Many large steamships on the canal going and coming. Crossing the desert passed through a regular sand storm. The officers on the bridge of the steamers were compelled to wear goggles for protection from the sand. We were late arriving at Haifa and the sea was very rough so much so that landing was impossible on Sunday and it was also raining.”
(They too a day trip to Nazareth from there)
“
February 28
th
,
Entered Dardanelles and had a good view of fortifications. Stopped between Galli
poli
on the one side and Chanak on Asia side to take on Immigration officers. It was on this hill that English lost so many men in the last war. They still retain the territory and it is well as this is the barrier protecting Europe from the Turks.”
(On to Constantinople. It’s been snowing and lots of ice coming down which made their trip on the Black Sea difficult by steamer. They arrive in Athens Greece on March 4
th
. Then Cattaro, or Kotor, Greece. Venice Italy by the 7
th
and by the 10
th
they head to Messina. They don’t do much here as it’s so cold and they don’t want to catch the flu.)
“
March 12
th
,
Naples. Arrived about 9 and landed on dock. Took auto to Ry station for train to Pompeii. The day was perfect and there was so much of interest in the ruins of the city. Would like to have more time here as it was necessary for us to hurry through….Leaving Pompeii we again took automobiles and made the Amalfi drive going by way of La Cava to Amalfi where we had lunch at Hotel Cappuccini. This is a convent on the heights formerly a monastery. Jen went up in a chair and Chief Procter thought he would have some fun kidding her but before he reached the summit concluded
that it was she that used good
judgment….”
(Spent a few hours in Sorrento and then on to Capri and Blue Grotto)
“
March 13
th
,
...Left Naples on special steamer at 7:30 A.M. for Capri and en route visited the Blue Grotto. This was the outstanding sight of the day. The steamer lay a short distance off shore and we went in small boats, 2 to a boat, beside the boatman. The opening was very small and it was necessary to rush through between waves, the boatman pulling through by means of a chain and we lying flat to keep
c
lear of low hanging rocks of entrance. Jen surely was frightened as there was quite a swell which would often close the opening entirely. Once inside it was simply marvelous...”
(She goes on with a marvelous description of what she sees inside. On to Nice, Genoa, Rapallo, Pisa, Florence, Milano, Lake Como and on to Switzerland)
“
March 26th,
….Switzerland seemed cleaner and people more neat than in Italy. Passed customs etc. four times. As we neared the Southern part of Lake Mag
giore
it was more densely wooded...We were on our way Wednesday A.M. at 8:45 as I desired to make Turin for Rotary. The road was good, gradual down grade and we arrived just at 12 o’clock. L
u
ncheon was held at Vallentino Park in honor of the 7 members of Turin Club who were elected to New House of Representatives. Met several Americans from Baltimore and N.Y. Mr. Lorenzo Beatolini who was the organizer of this club was my sponsor and I met many. Mr. Sole
ve
(?)
gave the principal talk on intercourse with America.
Radio Telegraph L.
(land)
and Air. The talk was Italian but was much applauded. He has studied in America with Mr.
Ed
ison.”
(Thru the Alps to Menton, Cannes where she says is all decorated because of Franco Angloia (?) Celebration. Says all the French and British Fleets are there. Including a lot of yachts in the harbor. On to Arles. All the way she talks about seeing so many early Roman structures.)
“
March 29
th
,...Arrived at Arles about 6 P.M. At Hotel Julius Caesar, formerly a convent and we have a quaint room formerly a chapel off the cloisters. The furniture is antique, quaint little beds and everything very comfortable. Steam heated and good bath with hot and cold water. Everything very festive as there was some sort of fair on at Arles. Streets crowded and many huskesters on street with their wares...”
(Carcassonne, Remoulins, Avignon, Chalon, Verdun)
“
April 1st
,….Reach
ed St. Mi
chel
about four P.M. A monument stands at point reached by Germains at foot of hill held by the French. Went on to Vigneulles where American troops advancing north met those coming from south cutting off thousands of German troops. The ridge of hills to the west was the scene of fierce fighting and when the Germans were driven from them into the plain below it was the beginning of the end. We continued on to road from Metz to Verdun and came into Verdun on that road. It is surprising how the trenches have been filled and land put back in tillable condition. The towns have been rebuilt with wide streets in place of narrow ones as before they were destroyed...”
This is getting way too long so I decided to just write where they have been for the rest of the trip and quote a little at the end about her trip home on the boat.
After Verdun they head to to Reims, Argonne Forest, finally Paris where they went to the Folies Bergere, the Louvre, and attended a horse show at the large exposition building that was built for the 1900 World’s Fair. Then an opera at Grand Opera house and a ballet. Heads to Versailles and Malmaison, the residence of Napoleon. By the 12
th
of April they are heading to Germany. Munich, Nuremberg, Dresden, Berlin, Potsdam, Amsterdam and finally London)
“
Ma
y
4th
,….Went to Waterloo station boarding special boat train for Southampton leaving 8:25, arriving at 10:20. Berengaria sailed Saturday at 8 A.M. arrived at Cherbourg 12:30. Lighter with baggage arrived about 3 P.M. Passengers from Paris 4:30 and we were on our way by 5 P.M. Berengaria is a very sturdy boat and a regular floating palace. Have very good room, 2 ports, double wash stand, hot and cold water. Electric heater, twin beds, etc. Expect to arrive at N. York Friday May 10
th
.”
Those are the only entries she writes about on the ship home and then two more pages of entries while in NY, Washington, Chicago and home.
In the back are address pages which she has handwritten names and then also a folded map pasted to the inside back page.
As far as the condition, the cover is very worn, especially around the edges. But the pages and the binding are in good shape. It measures about 4” x 6 1/2”.