Miss Levering,
90 years old, was one of the guests, who included Mrs. Robert B. Whittemore,
Messrs. and Mesdames Clinton, Churchill and Lawrason Whittemore, Mrs.
David C. Gamble, Misses May and Maud Gamble, and Messrs. John and Clarence
Gamble, Mrs. John N. Booth, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Whitaker, Mr. and Mrs.
S. Carr Cabanne, Mr. and Mrs. Matthews’ daughters, sons and daughters-in-law.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. Morton, Marjory Mary, Elizabeth,
Leonard and Robert L. Morton, Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Stratford Morton, Mr.
and Mrs. Saunders Norvell, Misses Lucy, Mary and Isabelle and Edward Norvell,
Mr. and Mrs. Percy Werner, Miss Dorothy, Howard B., W. Courtney, Percy,
Jr., and Saunders Norvel Werner, Mr. and Mrs. Claude L. Matthews, Mr.
and Mrs. Leonard Mathews, Jr., Mr. and Mrs. E. Orville Matthews, William
N., and Miss Lucy Matthews.
In March, 1914, your mother, Nina and I were seized
with “wanderlust” and made up our minds that we would see
the Panama Canal during the construction period, adding one more to the
wonderful memories of an eventful life. We took passage on one of the
United Fruit Company’s steamers and traveled in very delightful
style. Our voyage included stops at Costa Rica and other points. We were
surprised to find an unusually fine opera house at San Jose, Costa Rice.
Equally surprised were we to discover that in Central America everything
was owned by the American “trusts,” including lands, mines,
cattle, pastures, fruit plantations, legislatures, and almost everything
that one might mention. The true sovereignty there seemed to rest in the
United Fruit, Standard Oil, Meat Packing, and other similar American corporations.
On December 8, 1915, I had a very severe attack
of “migratory bronchitis,” being entirely unconscious of everything
except in waking moments. Being neither comatose or delirious, only a
profound sleep for nearly forty days.
On account of my weakness it was determined a trip
to the Hawaiian Islands would be desirable. Your mother and sisters, Belle
and Mary, and I started on the tenth of February, 1916. We were absent
one month. The sea trip of ten days and back was delightful and the Islands
very interesting, particularly the vegetation. We sailed a hundred miles
on sight of sugar cane on the largest island. Saw the volcano and miles
of fern forests.
After a delightful trip we returned home about
May 1st all much improved in health.
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