A Trip Around the World [draft], 1910-1911

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PC_256_Poe_1910_1911_Typescript_Draft_001
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PC_256_Poe_1910_1911_Typescript_Draft_001

[text on right-hand side] I. Personal Aug. 15th

Left office with Mr. Pearson, Mr. Marshall and $2,202.15. Mr. Bailey came down to depot with good wishes and a good luck pin and at high noon I bade my friends good-bye and started on my tour over the world. I also bade good-bye to the Raleigh of my twenties for when I see it again I shall be 30 years old. At the station I weighed 128 pounds. With Mr. ^(and) Mrs. Will Royall on train.

Aug. 16th.

Woke in Jersey City at 7:00 and after taking ferry to New York went to Cook's office at 9:00 [begin crossed out] A.M. [end crossed out] a.m. and went over my proposed tour with Mr. Hellfeld. A very nice man, but gave me a suggestion of his first syllable when he told me that he feared that he would not be able to get me a berth on the Pacific Mail "Korea," sailing from San Francisco, Aug. 30th, although I wrote them last week to engage passage. It seems my letter was delayed. Went back at 3:00 but still no word from the steamship company. Five [begin crossed out] P.M. [end crossed out] p.m. ditto. If I can't get on the Pacific Mail, however, I'll go to Yellowstone Park and see something of Montana and Washington (and possibly Canada) sailing on the Japanese line from Seattle, [begin crossed out] Aug. 30th. [end crossed out] Sept. 6th. This will largely compensate for any disappointment in getting on the finer Pacific Mail, so there is still--as Mark Tapley would say-- "no credit in being jolly." Went to-night to see Marie Dressler in "Tilda's Nightmare", a rattling good comedy with fine ballet.

Aug. 17th.

After play last night went to Judson Hotel and being unable to get a good room, took a delightfully neat little cubby hole rather than go ^(out) on a midnight hunt for another place, and slept like a top on the cot provided. Slept too late to go to Cook's at 9:00 as promised, but no matter, for when I did get there, no word from the Pacific Mail. At noon, same thing. One [begin crossed out] P.M. [end crossed out] same thing some more; but rather than risk going on an uncertainty, ^(I) decided to stay for ^(a) definite answer, which I got about 4:45, proceeding to pay $905.68 for my ticket "over the world and under the world and back again to you," and got $970 worth of Cook's traveler's checks, and hiked out at 5:30 to catch the 6:00 train for Chicago. Found my baggage and got it checked and just as the conductor called "all [begin crossed out] abroad [end crossed out] aboard" I got on. Was much impressed in Metropolitan Museum ^(today)

Last edit over 2 years ago by Veena
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PC_256_Poe_1910_1911_Typescript_Draft_002

#2

by Loeb's striking picture "The Temple of the Winds" with its suggestion of [swiep?] and illimitableness, Sorolla's new paintings, Macmonnies' "Horse Tamers" (sculpture) and another piece of recent American sculpture "The despotic Age" in which a stern-faced, materialistic victor, his brow wreathed with laurel, drives a garlandbedecked chariot dragged by four men hard-driven by a heartless driver, one of the m en Pethetic in his age; and in the rear of the chariot two sorrowful women bound.

What a picture of many a modern "captain of industry"!

Aug. 18th.

They "put me off at Buffalo" soon after day this morning, and after an hour or so caught a Michigen Central train for Chicago, crossing over to the Canadian side and travelling all morning across the beautiful, level farming lands of Ontario. Just after starting we stopped five minutes for a view of Niagra Falls--always glorious. About 1:30 we reached Detroit and were ferried across. Found the part of Michigan we saw a pretty farming country, mostly rolling, and , like Ontario, with plenty of stock. Reached chicago about 9:00 [begin cross out] P.M.[end cross out] p.m. This is sister's birthday.

Aug.19th.

Awoke after a good night's sleep in the magnificent Auditorium Hotel and after writing a few letters and making a few purchases, went around to see Barnard [begin cross out] and[end cross out] & Branham and Mr. Hopkins, our advertising representatives here. Spent the rest of the day talking buisness with the and writing letters to our Raleigh office concerning the work of the next six months there.

At 7:00 [begin cross out] P.M.[end cross out] p.m. caught the "Overland Limited" which should land me in San Francisco next Monday night.

Sept. 9th.

Land^(ed at) Yokohama. ^(Stopped at) Grand Hotel. Riksha to Thomas Cook and bookstore. Tiffin. With Mez to curio shop. ^(Quat) Dance ^ (at hotel) to-night, many women ^(with) dazzling diamonds, ^(smoking) cigarettes, [begin cross out] smoking[end cross out]. Punkah ^(kKeps room cool, Bamboo decorations, "Dixie" ^(was) loudly cheered. ^ (and) crowd rose to "Star-Spangled Banner"; no others attracted applause.

Sept. 10th.

Breakfast. Cook's. Hurry riksha to station for Kamakura. Through farms, rice, millet.

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PC_256_Poe_1910_1911_Typescript_Draft_003
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PC_256_Poe_1910_1911_Typescript_Draft_003

#3 etc., one patch cotton. Much irrigation. Kamakura to [begin crossed out] farmers [end crossed out] famous temple. Beautiful approach. Great Diabutsu. Marvelously impressive for such simple outlines. Tiffin with Mez and Sliechar; Capt. Beall of Milledgeville, Ga. [crossed out] courting wife [end crossed out] story about Gen. Brooke's Dog: "only thing ever came from Porto Rico worth a d----n." [crossed out] Buchanan and Schulte and woman tumble downer. Letters (Englishman, Japanese, soldiers; school children, town and country). [end crossed out]

Sept. 11th Breakfast. Off for Tokyo. Tennessee woman. Tokyo the real thing at last. Great ride riksha past Imperial Grounds to near park. Met Japanese college boy. Temple conducted by, priests, took off shoes, Drank sake! Souvenirs. Ohara offers services. Visit [crossed out] Asakersa Kwamon [end crossed out] Akasaka Ku Kwannon, motley crowd; incense; hand-clapping worshippers, idol rubbed in two. Idol with toys. Anti-American speaker? Stepped on bridge sacred to Emperor--- by gum! Great day!

Sept. 12th. Off 7 a.m. for Nikko, but Japanese school children, all sizes already on streets with book sacks. Saw farming en route. Nikko. Visited tomb Ieyasu, going by way of magnificent avenue of cryptomerias 200 feet high and so beautiful as to be alone worth coming all the way to see. Gorgeous temple and most impressive tomb, surroundings considered, of any man on earth, I should think. Napoleon not excepted. At dinner met A. Kuster of Switzerland and planned walk to Chumenzi to-morrow.

Sept. 13th. Raining, so abandoned walk to Chumenzi and went with Kuster to see Ieyasu temple and mausoleum; well worth a second visit. Saw Koshin and sacred dance I missed yesterday. Bought souvenirs in temples and at shops. At tiffin our dainty Japanese waitress merry, but not loud. Afternoon to Gammon-go-fuchi. Japanese huts on way very interesting- Saw blacksmith sitting down to anvil and workers with straw for overcoats-- like broomstraw. Japanese school-children, boys in quaint, Dutch-like bloomers and caps, and both boys and girls with colored oil-paper umbrellas. A 17-year-old boy showed

Last edit over 2 years ago by Jannyp
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PC_256_Poe_1910_1911_Typescript_Draft_004

#4

me his English Fourth Reader with Japan^nese[begin crossed out]k[end crossed out]ey. Most children begin studying English at 13. Wish I could spend a week here.

Inside temple this morning, found another ev[begin crossed out]e[end crossed out]il-[begin crossed out]-[end crossed out][text above crossed out][???]...averting [begin crossed out].........[end crossed out][text above crossed out]charm...not mentioned in guide books.

Sept.[September] 14th.

Went down about 9:00 to see Crown Prince of Japan and his retinue, pass through Nikko en route to Tokyo, All in [begin crossed out]ri[???]k[end crossed out] rikshas. Crowd ab[begin crossed out]os[end crossed out]solutely silent--which I understand is re[typed over letter]quired here.

Bade Kuster good-bye and [begin crossed out]ca[end crossed out]Capt.[Captain]Buchanan and and started f{begin crossed out]r[end crossed out]or Lake Chume{begin crossed out]r[end crossed out][text inserted above crossed out letter]^n...zi, with Mr.& Mrs................ Unfortunately rained[begin crossed out].[end crossed out], so we saw nothing, but our entire party took the weather and dis[crossed out letter]arppointment with absolute good-nature.

Buchanan came up with Mrs. McKim, daughter of the Bromo-Seltzer king-[???]the [text above elipses]woman... ................from [begin crossed out]Reher[???][end crossed out] Reno, [text between]^ who is...here, by way of getting 6 months, "residence," then to get a divorce. Smokes/cigarettes, of course! At Palm Beach she and another out9[begin crossed out][???]4oked[end crossed out][text above crossed out]gambled all[text inserted]^the...men.

Sept. [September] 15th.

Left Nikko at 8 and came 4 miles through famous cryptomeria avenue to Iamachi[crossed out] with [text in right margin] [vertical line]?... Buchanan. From there to Tokyo by mail. Here ran across Mez and [begin crossed out]Sleicher[end crossed out],[text above crossed out] Sleisher and with them took rikshas and visited Shiba temples and tombs of Shoguns buried there. [text inserted]^Temple...Attendant is studying E[crossed out letter]nglish and wishes to go to California. Sl{crossed out letter]eicher exclaimed on striking similarity of Bud[text inserted above]^d...dhist and Catholic worship. Next to Shimmei[???], Matsu[begin crossed out]v[end crossed out][text inserted above v]r...i, the Shiba festi-[text in right margin][???] val . Babies everywhere. Crowd[begin crossed out]s[end crossed out]very orderly. Side shows, dancing, shops and .........[text above elipses]fakirs... at temple doors; people clap hands and pray a half minute and spend rest of time at the Fair. Interested in seeing the little brown 8-and 10 year old Jap schoolboys squatting on their [begin crossed out]"[???]etos"[end crossed out][text above crossed out]"getas"...and reading the cheap booklets and spending their copper "sen" pieces for booklets instead of toys. "English Pprimers", and "English-Japanese Co[crossed out]nversation" pap[crossed out]cr [text inserted] ^I... [crossed out]found very popular. The prevalence of English [crossed out] may mean much in shaping Japanese civilization and religion. Temple-attendant this afternonn said

Last edit over 2 years ago by Ktrsull
PC_256_Poe_1910_1911_Typescript_Draft_005
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PC_256_Poe_1910_1911_Typescript_Draft_005

#5

in his home 26 tablets to ancestors; 17-year-old librarian at Nikko (who was also studying English, and showed me his book} said six in his, and had rice for them each morning.

At night went \with Mez and Sleicher as a "looker-on in Vienna" to see the [begin crossed out]Yoski-wara[end crossed out] Yoshiwara.

Sept.[September] 16th. Went to the American Embassy where I found the Ambassador away, and to the British Embassy where I had a most interesting conversation with Mr. Henderson. Re[crossed out]turning to hotel called to [crossed out]see Dr. Okomoto (after first visiting Imperial University) at h[crossed out]is business office. [text added above]Was...[begin crossed out]S[end crossed out]erved with tea instead of cigars as in Am[crossed out]erica, and had to duck my head in g[begin crossed out]i[end crossed out]oing through doors.

Spent afternoon and evening writing.

Sept.[September] 17th. Went first to Yokohama Specie Bank where I cashed Cook's check for $50, getting 90 yen 70 sen; then to Japanese dep[crossed out]artment store where bought ties, sox, etc. From there called at American Embassy to see about Turkish [watermark]passports, and the [begin crossed out]E[end crossed out]Ambassador kindly urging me to lunch with him, I did so.

Returning to hotel, I found my young Japanese friend, Mr. Noborn Ohara, awaiting me, and we started for the [crossed out]Imperial Museum but finding the streets lined with people waiting to see the Empress pass, we joined about a thousand spectators near gate of Fine Arts Mu[crossed out]eum and wa[crossed out]ited an hour for her to come out--an elderly looking woman in European dress.[test inserted above]There were...Many policemen, trouble from [begin crossed out]s[end crossed out]Socialists or Korean fanatics being feared, Ohara told me. Heralds with flags [text inserted above]^went...ahead of Empress, and court ladies and notables in coa[crossed out]ches behind her[crossed out]. The thousand Japanese, young and old, did not make as much noise in an hour's wait as an American crowd wou[begin crossed out]d[end crossed out]ld have made in 30 seconds.

Next visited tombs of Shoguns, guided by Buddist monk, and then [text inserted above]^saw...the Shinto fire-walking ce[crossed out]remonies. Amazing number of second-hand bookstores bear witness to [begin crossed out]s[end crossed out]popularity of English: books [begin crossed out]on[end crossed out][text inserted above crossed out]in...English here are almost as [crossed out]inevitable[begin crossed out]le[end crossed out] as the Saturday Evening Post in America.

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