01 - Worth a man’s life to see this place
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- SpeakerEccles, England, June 20th, 1915 (Letter #1) “Worth a man’s life to see this place”
- SpeakerDear Brother; Just a few lines to let you know I am well.
- SpeakerHoping this will find you all the same.
- SpeakerWell, I had a hard time to land here. I had to skip.
- SpeakerThey are sending everybody back that is not British born.
- SpeakerYou have got to have your birth certificate or, if you are American, you’ve got to have a passport
- Speakerbut I could not see through it after getting over here to get sent back.
- SpeakerWhen we got to Manchester, we could not get off the ship.
- SpeakerWhen the nine inspectors got on the ship, we were all lined up
- Speakerso I showed him that card of Vernon’s. The card was alright
- Speakerbut he would not take my word for being born in PEI,
- Speakerso it began to get too hot for me.
- SpeakerI began looking for a way to skip, and when no one was looking,
- SpeakerI slid down on the rope that was tied to another ship across the canal.
- SpeakerI had just got on the other side when a bobbie seen me and order me to halt.
- SpeakerYes, I halted alright.
- SpeakerYou could not see my heels for dust and the damn bobbie after me.
- SpeakerI hid under a pile of lumber from 10 o’clock Monday morning until 11 o’clock that night,
- Speakerso they did not get me
- SpeakerWe had a fine trip coming over, got weather all the way.
- SpeakerWe took horses to Avonmouth, that is five miles from Bristol.
- SpeakerIt is a military base. You could not get off the ship; there were soldiers guarding every ship.
- SpeakerFifteen of our fellows enlisted there;
- Speakerthat was the only way to get off. There were 10 Americans tried to enlist.
- SpeakerThey would take them alright, but the captain would not let them leave the ship,
- Speakeronly Canadian born.
- SpeakerWell, when we got rid of the horses, we started for Manchester.
- SpeakerWe got along pretty good until we got inside Holyhead
- Speakerand then a submarine got after us.
- SpeakerWell, you believe me. There was some excitement.
- SpeakerThey put every man that could lift a shovel down firing
- Speakerand the old ship done some zig zagging, but we were lucky there was a patrol boat came to us.
- SpeakerThey fired six shots at the Kaisers and they went down.
- SpeakerWe saw no more of them, but the patrol boat came in to the bay with us.
- SpeakerRight on the outside of the bay, there was a big merchant ship that they sunk the day before we came.
- SpeakerWe could see about four feet of her derricks.
- SpeakerWell, Jack, I never seen such docks in my life as I seen in Liverpool
- Speaker10 miles of docks.
- SpeakerThere were regular canals and locks you run a ship in and they close the gate and there you are, all concrete.
- SpeakerThey got America skinned to death for big buildings and everything up to date that is in the business line such as factories
- Speaker[There's more] factories here in Eccles than there is in the whole state of Massachusetts.
- SpeakerWe came up the canal from Liverpool to Manchester. It is 36 miles and, Jack,
- SpeakerI never seen such a sight in my life.
- SpeakerSome of the finest bridges and factories and old mansions that I ever seen or I ever expect to see.
- SpeakerIt is worth a man’s life to see this place.
- SpeakerRight handy where I am boarding, there is a home for Belgians.
- SpeakerI seen a little girl yesterday about 12 years old with both her hands cut off at the wrists [by the Germans]
- Speakerlittle children maimed in every manner you could think of, it would make any man cry to see them that had a heart
- Speakerchildren that could not harm anyone.
- SpeakerI wrote to Fulford for my birth certificate. If they get me now, I will get six months.
- SpeakerThere is all kinds of work here. When I get straightened out, I am going in the admiralty service on the transports.
- SpeakerYou get big money and a bonus from the old King.
- SpeakerWell, Jack, I had better come to a close for this time.
- SpeakerHoping to hear from you soon and give me all the news.
- SpeakerGive my best regards to all.
- SpeakerFrom Lee; Lee Darrach 14 Irwell Grove Eccles Lancaster, England