Molly Anderson wrote a diary titled, 'My American Experiences' when she was just 18 years of age. She had travelled to New York with her father, Frank Anderson, a solicitor who was commissioned to negotiate a marriage settlement between his client, Lord Decies, and the railroad mogul, George Jay Gould. Decies, aged 45, was engaged to Gould’s daughter, 17 year old Vivien.
Molly Anderson’s diary was discovered by the author after her death in 1966. Titled, My American Experiences by Molly Isabel Anderson, it was bound in an embroidered cover. Accompanying the 20,000 words were numerous photographs that she took with her Box Brownie camera, newspaper articles about the likely engagement between Vivien Gould and Lord Decies, dinner menus from her first class return voyage on the Mauritania, and post cards collected during her four week experience.
The author was fortunate to have shown the diary to an historian, who, noting its historic merit had it transcribed.
Sadly, the original tome was lost in a bushfire in 1983.
For for your interest and enjoyment, here is the transcript from the first pages of the diary. In time, additional segments of the diary will be published in this website.
MY AMERICAN EXPERIENCES – Molly I. Anderson
Miss Molly I. Anderson of Sherfield House, Telford, York England started 5:30 p.m., November 19th (Sat.) 1910 on the “Mauretania” for NEW YORK from Liverpool. Landed at New York on the evening of November 24th.
Left New York on Saturday, December 17th at 6:00 p.m. and landed at Liverpool on December 23rd at 7:30 a.m. Reached York at 4:42 of the same day.
We left York by the 7:5 train on Friday evening. On tour: Father had received a telegram from Lord Decies in New York to this effect. Take Mauretania Saturday: So we were on our way to taking the Mauretania on Saturday. We did not get to Liverpool until 10:00 and we went straight to bed as with all the fuss of packing etc., we were all dead tired.
Saturday: In the morning we walked about the docks and got back to our hotel in time for lunch which we had in company with Mrs. Howey, after a friend of the said Mrs. H joined us. She was, to my mind, equally as “stickish as her friend”. At about 10 to 3:00 we all journeyed in a big bus to the dock or rather landing stage. When we got there our luggage was seized by a red-capped man who whisked away our hold luggage and said we should see them (our cabin baggage) next in our cabins. Then we went on board, my word, when first you saw the ship she did look huge. We went all over the ship in company with a man who knew dad and had something to do with the Cunard Line in connection with the Lancashire and York’s Railway. Before we started we received telegrams from friends and two (2) parcels – here are the telegrams:
Telegrams – (4)
Then we went all over the ship, as I said before. It was most interesting, seeing the people and their luggage arrive, some with love bouquets. The interior of this ship is most palatial, the dining room is larger than a great many of those of the largest hotel’s dining saloon. The lounge is lovely and I am sitting writing up this diary in the loveliest writing room and library – and I can hardly realize that I am in mid Atlantic. When I first saw the interior of the ship on Saturday afternoon I never took a bit in. I felt dead tired, all the excitement of the last few days in the business of getting off seemed to have left me like a piece of ‘chew string’ I sank into an alcove on the C deck and longed for all he visitors to go for us to settle down and start. The thing that impressed me most on Sat. was the first time I saw the ship close to. I had seen her ‘amid stream’ in the morning, then she did not look so large, but when I first arrived on the dock waiting to go on board I was struck dumb - she towered up above you like a huge black monster with a white back and red crest. You look up and saw ranging above you a huge black side then some white decks where a row of equally white dressed stewards stood waiting to receive you and your luggage. On either side to our right and left stretched the huge vessel and far away among the clouds seemed to stand the four huge red funnels.
Mother, Mrs. Howey, and her friend were among the last of the visitors to leave the ship as father’s Lancashire & Yorks friend let them stay until the last. Poor mother got white and whiter, at last they went and a few minutes later a London train arrived and the ship was detained some minutes getting the people and more luggage on board. Then finally, after it seemed years of waiting, the gangways were let down and the boat moved slowly from the shore, and the people on the dock with their waving handkerchiefs could no longer be seen. It was then 5:30 and when we could no longer see mother and the railway friend we turned in and had some tea in the lounge. Then we made ourselves at home in our cabins and dressed for dinner which was at 7:00. I was surprised to find we had not moved further than the middle of the Mersey and we did not really start until about 9:00 as we had to wait for the tide. After dinner, dad and I sat in the lounge and listened to the band which, by the by, plays well; then we went to bed.
R.M.S. “MAURETANIA”
Passenger List & Information for Passengers Booklet
Picture 1
Picture 2
Picture 3
This boat left Liverpool for New York on Saturday, November 19th. When we reached Queenstown on Sunday the 20th she was in the harbour. She left Queenstown some time before we did but we passed her about an hour after we had started.
Sunday, Nov. 20th - This morning I got up early in order to see Queenstown, we arrived in the bay about 7:30. The tender soon came up and various little boats containing women with baskets of Irish goods for sale. They made the B deck into a sort of shop and spread their goods on the floor. We were very interested watching the mail bags come on board, and after we had again started on our journey we went into breakfast. At 10:30 we had Divine Service in the lounge, taken by the Captain, and the hymns were played by the band and the ship’s boys acted as choir. Father and I sat and walked about on the deck until lunch and did the same until tea, which we had in the lounge, and sat in the writing room until it was time to dress for dinner. After dinner we sat in the lounge and listened to the band and talked to a very nice American lady.
Monday, Nov. 21st - Had a seawater bath and did not go out before breakfast. After breakfast, walked about the deck with father and Mr. Lion (one of the three German men who sit at our table), then we all three sat in our comfie deck chairs and I read and drew and watched the people, generally. The deck is most interesting, the people are so quaint. There is Madam Tetrazzini who waddles up and down the deck, painfully aware that all eyes are watching her. After lunch, we again resorted to our comfie chairs.
Passenger List
It was most pleasant as it was very calm and warm. We had tea on deck, then we dressed for dinner and sat in the waiting room until dinner was ready. After dinner, we went to see the Purser who had invited us to call at his cabin. It was a charming little cabin on the C deck. We had not been there long before a gentleman entered, to whom we were introduced. He was a Mr. Ochs, one of the editors of the New York Times, he was a quaint little ‘spec’ like some funny little bird. He and dad talked politics with the captain, I mean Purser, and I listened. Mr. Ochs was a typical “Yankee”. We returned to the lounge about 9:00 and listened to the band until about 10:00.
Tuesday, Nov. 22nd – Today I awoke to the fact that we were in the midst of a fairly bad Atlantic sea. The ship was rocking like a good sun. Our cabin was very hot and I got up at some unearthly hour in order to get out into the air. It was awfully cold out but as I was not feeling very up to the mark, at about 9 o’clock I went back to bed and remained there fast asleep until dad called me at 12:00 and I went on deck. At 1:00 I controlled my inmost feelings and went down to lunch. Most people were “under the weather” and few turned up. In the afternoon I sat on deck and we had tea there. I sat in the writing room which was rather moving as we were still having bad weather. I dressed for dinner and after dinner sat in the lounge and listened to the music. I did not go to bed until rather late as, you see, each night you gain 50 minutes and it’s no good walking very early. It seems so funny to think that when we are having lunch in broad day light and sun at home it is nearly dark and tea time.
Wednesday, Nov. 23rd – Had a short walk around the deck before breakfast and after that meal took more constitutionals on the promenade deck and talked to the New York Times and Mr. Lion (one of the men at our table). The sun was lovely and the sea as calm as a lake, we were on the banks of Newfoundland. It was a little colder but bright and clear. I took some photos and we saw the first ship we had seen since we passed the Celtie an hour from Queenstown. I sat on deck and we were much amused with the crowd on Piccadilly, as we call the Promenade deck. Many of the dead flies of yesterday had returned to life today with the calm and sunshine. Before lunch we went for what we call a country walk, dad, Mrs. Helt, Mr. Zommerman (another man at our table, a huge big Johnne besides whom dad looks thin and small, he is rather a clever clove and has travelled all over the world, nearly) and myself. We walked round the B deck then the A or boat deck and then right up among the funnels and air pipes on the deck above the A deck, this deck with the funnels. I might add that the funnels, and there are four of them, each large enough to drive a whole street through or two ordinary trains. This deck has the marconigram station into which we went. It was most marvelous. I don’t understand it. After lunch we went on deck until 3:00 for the sports which were very good fun and lasted until tea time. After tea we again went out and then I came into the writing room to write this. After dinner tonight the ship’s band is going to give a concert in aid of Seaman’s Charities. Today has been real fun in “messing about on boats” just as yesterday we saw the ship “beat the surges under him (her) and pick up their backs”’, she did “breast the waves most swollen that me her”.
Log Book
Luncheon
Thursday, Nov. 24th (Thanksgiving Day) – This morning was fine, and clear, and sunny, but with a heavy swell on, walked about the deck all morning. At 11:00 we struck the Nantucket Lightship 198 miles from New York. After lunch we sat out until about 3:00 when it became certain that we should reach New York and disembark that night, so we packed up and the whole ship was brought into great excitement. At 5:30 we struck Sandy Hook and then came into the precincts and territories also waters of New York. There was no peace for the righteous, now every one of the Americans got wild with excitement. We watched the lights of New Jersey, Long Island, and Coney Island from the ship. At Quarantine, we took up the pilot who has to take the ship through the narrows into the harbour, also here we dropped the mails and we also took up the doctor. At 6:30 we had dinner, turkey, as it was Thanksgiving Day, and the band played American national anthems. After dinner the place was full of excitement, all the Yankees had got out their best togs and were most smart. We sailed into the harbour which was not lit up, as being a public holiday the sky scrapers weren’t lighted up and only a few advertisements stood out clear against the sky. At about 9:00 we reached the dock-Cunard 54, such a scene. We had made up our minds not to go ashore tonight so we said goodbye to our friends and watched the people being ‘customed’ and the baggage being hauled up. Went to bed at 11:00.
The Author esq. – The Author’s father as “Mr. Cook”
Record Passages
Friday, November 25th – We had an early breakfast and then got off the boat and went about the “absolute assess” to have our baggage customed. We had to wait some time for the custom officer but when he came he was very nice and ‘rackered’ us for nothing. Then we carriage to the Waldorf, my hat what streets. We have complained about the state of the Tulford Road, it is nothing to this, Fifth Avenue has pools you could swim in. We got to the Waldorf-Astoria at about 10:15, round the bureau was such a pandemonium as I have never seen. We were told afterwards that it was the centre of the financiers and stock brokers who met here to discuss business in the afternoon, chiefly. The place was full, so they said, though the whole show possesses 1,000 bedrooms, they gave us a temporary room until the afternoon. We sat in the lounge for some time, amazed amid such a crowd, then we went out up Fifth Avenue where the shops are too exquisite for words. We went into a toy shop, the most wonderful I have ever seen, dolls’ houses fitted with electric light, stuffed collie dogs, wonderful boats etc. and wonderful prices. Then we went to Mattison Square and up 44 storeys to the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, the highest building in the world. We had a lovely view of the Island of New York and could see how very straight the streets and avenues were. Then we came down and looked into a Childs Restaurant and were much amused to see this notice “Watch your hat and coat”!! We had lunch at another restaurant and then found our way to 34th street where our hotel is. They conducted us to our rooms which were very large and luxurious like a French room with high doors and bed in an alcove with a lovely bathroom between dad’s and Mrs. Helts’ and my room. Father and I had tea in one of the gorgeous dining rooms of the hotel (and there are 17 of them) and saw the most wonderfully dressed women I have ever seen. Some in apparently evening dress with huge Mack hats and plumes, others in very short skirts and hats like tea cups with a bush or feather of great length sticking out behind. Then dad and I went out and found our way into Broadway. At the junction of Broadway and 34th Street was a sight I have never seen before, such a road to cross. Private motors, taxis, housewives, cabs, electric trains, all tearing by shrieking and shouting while over your head rattled the elevated railway. All over the tops of the houses flashed the electric light advertisements, chariots and horses galloping. Views of cities by night and day notices etc. all flashed on in electric light and changing every moment. We went into one of those cinematograph show, continuous for 12 hours, saw a North American Indian and came back for dinner and bed at about 9:30.
Home Office of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company,
Madison Square, New York City
The Crest.
Saturday, Nov. 26th – Woke up late this morning so we three had a French breakfast in our rooms of Coffee and rolls. At 11:30 we went out and found our way with great difficulty as everyone told us to go by a different route or way. Finally we landed at an elevated station which took us down town. The elevated railway really is wonderful but how the people work in the offices or live in the rooms which look on to it beats me. The streets are very narrow and from the car one looks right into the rooms. We reached Board Street and finding No. 25 we got into a magnificent hall and took an ‘express elevator’ up to the 11th floor. We found Mr. Zimmerman and talked to him in his magnificent offices. Everything in America is done in a methodical way, his office was an example. He took us up in an elevator to the 18th storey from which we had a splendid view of New York harbour and the Statue of Liberty. We all came down together and he showed us a “letter chute” down which the letters come from 22 floor, another gimcrack. Everything here is gimcracks, this morning dad nearly had his room flooded out on account of not being able to stop his bath running. Everything is to save trouble but it would be really quite tiring to think of using all these patents. Leaving Mr. Zimmerman’s building, we went to see some of the great business buildings. Truly marvelous, because here in this part of the town one reaches the very heart of New York, the places where the money is made and businesses is carried on by numbers of telephone sort of girls and clerks in shirts minus coat. The telephone girls are most wonderfully dressed, quite in the modern fashion. How they do it beats me as clothes are very dear here. Mr. Zimmerman took us into the famous Singer Building. The interior of these buildings is wonderful, quite unique. They are, most of them, lovely marble with beautiful bronze work and lovely carved dancers. In the hall are numerous elevators and ships etc. for the business people. Most of the buildings are immense in height ranging from 16 to 34 storeys on the average, but then, everything in America is on a gigantic scale. Everything has to be “biggest thing in the world” or it’s not use. Inside all these buildings the heat is truly awful, there is nothing in Europe like it. Another characteristic is, everything seems to either be electricity of ice, one seems to live in electric light and drink and eat iced water and ices. We had lunch at a nice restaurant and then said goodbye to him and took the car uptown to 34th Street and back at the Hotel. We have not been out since but I am writing this in our room away from the pandemonium downstairs.
Sunday, Nov. 27th - We had breakfast 9:00 as father expected Lord Decies at 10:00. Mimmy and I went by the 8th Avenue tram and then had to walk up to block E, down 12th street until we came to Grace Church. The service was very nice and the singing beautiful. They had harp accompanying which sound very fine. The service was almost exactly the same as our English service. .
Offertory Anthem
We caught the 6th Avenue train back to Waldorf in time for lunch, which we had with Lord Decies. He went early so as to get his train back to Lakewood. In the afternoon we sat up here until 3:00 when we took a Fifth Avenue bus up to Central Park. It was a lovely afternoon and I sported my new red velvet and fur dress. You get the loveliest days here, clear and fine and lovely, a sky without a cloud and such sunshine, there is no wonder that the people are optimistic. It may be cold but you don’t feel it. It is so dry and lovely and light right up to 5 o’clock, so different from the gloom and darkness and damp of England. The park was full and we saw the menagerie and walked round very interested in the swell people in their motors and carriages driven by black coach men. The mounted police on lovely horses from the Est. and the American buggy drawn by a loose-limbed, long-necked Mexican mustang. We walked back down by Fifth Avenue and looked in to St. Patrick’s Cathedral for vespers. It was a fine modern cathedral and the altar was a lovely work of art. The singing hero was lovely. We had tea in the gold-chaired dining room and at 6:00 Lewis Heymann, my first cousin who was shipped out from England ten years ago, he had changed his name to G. T. Hicks and since he came out here has had some ‘tuff times’. Now he has got a job as cook in the Central Islip Hospital which contains 7,000 munics. You never hear of these things in American papers but it’s the life they lead, poor beggars, no wonder they go mad. He told us some queer tales which shows one some of the doings and lives of the other side of New York. I will now quote from a letter of father’s to my brother Fearnley which dad read to Louis who verified it:
“Unless you can go at lightning speed you are not in it at all and you have to go under in this country. There are only two classes, subdivided of course, but still only two: 1) the millionaire 2) the slaves. In the millionaire class you have the following subdivisions:
(a) the real and genuine millionaire
(b) The ‘would be’ millionaire, who strives to become one
(c) The ‘imagination millionaire’ who innocently dreams he is one
(d) The ‘imposter millionaire’ who lives by cheating people and pretending he is what he is not.
This later class, I am sorry to say, is enormous and I could re-subdivide into classes asking all the letters of the alphabet. Then take the gloomy class I term slaves, it is the only other class, they are those who conduce to the making of the millionaires. In the older days I had to buy my negro or human white slaves and they worked, toiled and spun for me, and if they were disobedient I whipped and flogged them at the cartwheel. I had to feed them, clothe them and house them and keep them in good condition. I was responsible so far, now I have no responsibility. I do not buy them for dollars. I do not care whether they are fed, clothed or properly housed. I do not flog them. I call a policeman and give them up to prison diet. I pay them so much a week and work them to death. I allow them to live from 20-40 and then they must go underground and be forgotten. For example, take the shop opposite a drugstore in 34th street, most palatial and magnificent, a gentleman, white, well dressed, was partitioned off at one counter to attend others passing by, he had to be there at 7:30 well breakfasted. He had one hour off at 12:00 to 1:00 and another hour at 5:00 – 6:00 and then on duty to 11:00 p.m. He had to car in and out and had to work like this for 13 days out of the 14. No half days, two days holidays in the off-season and 14 days in the summer. His home, if you can so call it, he was in it six hours out of the 24 and every 14th day. What of his wages - $22 a week, equal to £4.10 in English money. Oh humbug, it was equal here (as living and clothes are a great price) to 25 at the outside.
It’s a hard country for the poorer people, they can’t afford to be ill or someone else gets their job. The employers don’t mind about their past services, they only want the work done. The man in the chemists shop was right in what he said. Lewis tells us the same, and so did the young foreign waiter on this floor who has only been here a month. The work and hours are hard and long, but you don’t find all this in the storybooks and newspapers.
We had dinner together and talked over old days in the old country. Lewis left at 10:00.
Monday, November 28th – We had breakfast at about 9:30. Father went down to meet Lewis and I was startled by the telephone, in both of our rooms, ringing like mad. I went to answer and people hollowed at me and spoke to me in a queer voice I could not understand. Finally, I went for dad whom I met in the passage with Lewis, he made it all right and we all went out.
Took the ‘2’ railway or elevated railroad down town to the end of New York Island and called at the Cunard offices about our passage home. Outside the Cunard offices the emigrants were arriving from Elk’s Island where they are inspected to see if they have $30 with them and are healthy, otherwise they are shipped back free. The ones we saw were mostly Italians and they had the queerest luggage. They say the British and the Italians are the best labourers out here. We went to lunch at Saverin’s at 12:30. It somehow seemed so queer that us four, father, Mrs. Celt, Lewis and I should meet in New York after 10 years. It seemed no time in one way and centuries in another since we four said goodbye to Lewis at Scarborough exactly 10 years ago. The turn of events are so uncertain. After lunch, oh I forget, before lunch we looked into Trinity Church, it was full as a daily service was going on for busy people, a fine church. In the grave yard is the tomb of Alex Hamilton and some more American heroes. The American greatly reverence that church. Well, after lunch we went through such a crowded thoroughfare. I used to think I had never done anything so awful as walk across a London road, I shall never think so again. The streets are awful. We went on to the Brooklyn Bridge, a suspension bridge of 1 ¼ miles long over the Hudson, to Brooklyn and Coney Island. Cars and trains and motors and people all crossing over. We went over half a mile, you got a splendid view of New York from there.
To be continued .......................