My First Trip Abroad ”

U r . P . JO SE H G B TLER , J This book is affectionately de dicated the e e e to m mory of my wif , Harri t . e n e me V Butl r , who accompa i d from start to fin ish on My First Trip Abroad ” DEC 2 7 1 9 2 1 A6 3 0 9 8 2 © 01 . PREFACE n nd en he fi I n Nin et een Hu dred a Eight , I w t abroad for t rst n e r n . time , accompa i d by a po tio of my family n rn e n e e e n Duri g this jou y , I took copious ot s , s cur d ma y r n O n photographs and other illust atio s of place s visit e d . my “ re n e an n the r en e r tur , I wrot accou t of t ip , titl d My Fi st Trip the e en n o n en n Abroad At tim this was writt , I had i t tio e e n er n e the n what v r of publishi g it , but aft looki g ov r ma uscript r n e e e e n r n e di ri u ece tly , I de cid d to hav a limit d ditio p i t d for st b tion amon g relative s and frie nds . the e the n r en e e no At tim ma uscript was w itt , th r was talk e een the re e e and no e of war b tw g at pow rs of Europ , if for oth r e n the e n ne r n r aso , impr ssio s gai d from milita y preparatio s then in e en e ee now r n n e n h vid c , s m to wa ra t pri t d publicatio of t e account of this first trip . ’ The e in i n n n last chapt r this book , A Day Washi gto s “ ” Country is re printed from Pre sidents I Have Seen and Kn own ’ The visit to the home of Pre sident Washin gton s an cestors was i h 1 1 1 The e n n t e ye ar 9 . Sulgrav Ma or has sin ce been pur e and now n e r ern chas d is co troll d by a Boa d of Gov ors , about e e e een n n and the n qually divid d b tw E gla d U it ed State s . The ir n e e r the en d am s app a at of this volume . Two Hundre d copie s of this edition have been prin te d of which this is n umbe r C O PY R I G H T , 1 9 2 1 BU R r . J O SE PH G . TLE , J Y o u n g s to wn , O hi o CONTENTS — Chapter I The Start . — II First Glimpse of Europ e — n III Germa y ” — IV En gland — — x b n r n V Franco British E hi itio G ou ds. — VI Westminster Abbey — VII British Houses of Parliament . — VIII American Embassy — IX The Tower of London — X Richmond Hill an d Other Place sof I ntere st . — XI Te mpl e Church ’ — e r XII St . Paul s Cath d al — XIII Charl es Dicken s — XIV Le icester — XV Motorin g Abroad — n - n XVI Stratford o Avo . — — en r — Ken ar XVII Cov t y ilworth W wick . — — XVIII Bradgate Park Belvoir Castle — XIX Charnwood Forest — — XX Eton College Stoke Poges — — XXI Lon don Windsor Castle — XXII Southampton — XXIII - The Isle of Wight Winchester Cathe dral Romney Abbey Salisbury Cathedral — XXIV Ston ehen ge Salisbury Plain The — — N ew Forest Netley Abbey Born e mouth — — XXV Lon don Again The Fin ish MY F I R ST TR I P ABR O AD e . er r . Jos ph G Butl , J CHAPTER I — THE START NE o f the dreams of my life has been to go abroad . Business and family cares seemed 0 to prevent - the realization of this dream until 2 1 9 0 8 . Thursday , July , On that date , accompanied our by Mrs . Butler , eldest grandson John Willard Ford , and Miss Evelyn Cooper we boarded the - Hamburg American line steamer Amerika at Hoboken , 1 1 . m . N . J . At a , the great ship was loosed from its on moorings and we were soon the broad Atlantic , headed for Germany . The Amerika is on e of the finest passenger vessels afloat , not fast , but large , steady and comfortable . The boat is nearly 7 0 0 feet long and is filled up with all the comforts of home . The scene leaving the Hoboken dock was one to be remembered ; the morning was fine and the thousands o f people who had come to bid their friends and relatives o goodbye made the occasion one largely of j y, and some sorrow . As the ship pulled out , bands played , flags and handkerchiefs waved and fluttered in the breeze , and this continued until the crowd were out of sight and fo r hearing . One jolly party followed the steamer miles in a tug boat , bidding adieu to friends aboard , determined to have a last lingering look . MY FIRST TRIP ABROAD One of the pleasures of a foreign trip is the receiving of ship letters sent by friends and which are distributed quite soon after sailing . We were fortunate in receiving a number of letters and telegrams , all of which added to our happiness . We were also favored with several o f baskets fruit and champagne sent by our good friends . On board we met some acquaintances , and people — we knew of but had not met the former being Mr . W . S . Pilling and family of Philadelphia , and the latter Mr . Max Smith , a musical critic of New York and his sister , Miss Gertrude Norman Smith , a talented girl f and a composer o music . All these friends proved companionable , and with other acquaintances formed later on the voyage , added much to the pleasure and profit of the trip . Among the good people we met and liked , and who D onn elli apparently liked us , were Mrs . , a charming middle aged lady , of perhaps under forty , a charity M rs . worker ; Spencer and Mrs Scott , two young M r D nn lli s . o e widows of New York , who , with , sat directly opposite us at the table . These three proved particularly attractive and considerate . sat our Also there at table , nearly opposite , Professor Cloudsley Brereton , an author and educator , f and something o a character as well , adding consider able to our amusement during the voyage . We also met Dr . John S . Billings , a war veteran and noted surgeon during the Civil war , now in charge of the Public Libraries in New York , and Mr . John L . Cadwallader , a noted New York corporation lawyer . MY FIRST TRIP ABROAD We met others and became acquainted as people f do on voyages o this kind , but those named above impressed us favorably and proved good friends on the voyage , and I anticipate much pleasure in meeting at of . least some them , hereafter The weather during the entire trip across the of so ocean was fine , and as a matter fact , continued during the entire voyage , from the time we left New York until starting on the return voyage . Out on the broad ocean , with the roomy decks , o f two extending around the ship , one is reminded the Board Walk at Atlantic City . During the day and for until late at night , hundreds pace the deck fresh air and excercise , as is done at Atlantic City by those who walk instead of using a rolling chair . The discipline aboard the ship seemed perfect , under the direction of Captain Knuth , a typical good natured German , and his admirable organization . The Marconi system of wireless telegraphy i s installed in the boat and daily communication had with foreign shores and other vessels on the ocean . A joint German and American post office is maintained aboard and letters are handled and mailed when opportunity offers , of the same as ashore . The use stamps is broadened by new post office regulations . The people in the second class cabins seemed a jolly lot and many quite as well - appearing as the majority of first class passengers . The dancing to the Merry Widow Waltz on the second cabin deck was a daily occurrence , watched with interest by the first MY FIRST TRIP ABROAD to class passengers , and enjoyed the fullest extent by h t e . second class people , spectators and participants My first experience with German money was o dd rather and novel , but one soon learns the difference n and handles it like a veteran . In my ow case I f trusted largely to the recipients o the coin . “ ” on The Glorious Fourth occurred board , during our second day out and was duly and truly celebrated . — In anticipation o f the celebration being something of — I an event had purchased before I left New York , a o f couple fine and fairly good sized American flags . I s al o had with me a number of small flags . The tables fo r dinner were patriotically decorated and our parti c “ ” o f ular table was the observed all observers , our two silk flags flying at the head .

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