Manila, Philippines to Los Angeles, USA
Written by Edward Beckwith seventy years ago, Friday, August 9, 1940
Alexander Graham Bell, father of Marian Fairchild.
A complication has arisen with David about my films. The exact reason for it is not entirely clear. I have two theories, one is that I have not planned to file my films with Fairchild Tropical Garden in Florida, and the other is that I suggested that he pay the cost of materials for enlargements. Whatever it was has struck him so much on the wrong side that he is apparently ready to have nothing more to do with my films or color photos. I could hardly believe that he would take such a rigid and extreme view. He did say that he wanted me to come to Florida and assist him in giving some lectures. I am rather at a loss to know the best way to handle the matter. Marian, who is very sensitive about such things, has sensed the trouble, and it may be that I will talk with her about it. If there is going to be a split here it is certainly unfortunate after all the time and effort expended on photographs for the trip. I did not sleep well last night thinking about it.
Played shuffleboard with Gheno, beating him 53 – 20, which pleased me after his beating me at ping pong.
Did not see Marian and David all morning, but at noon Marian looked me up to come to her room and have a drink. She was very pleasant and I could see was anxious to be nice to me on account of the upset. I did not mention the subject.
In the late afternoon David sent Marian to my room to get me to come on deck and play shuffleboard. I and Mrs. ??? beat David and Mme. Regolier.
Marian was especially nice to me in the evening and we sat and talked on the rear deck about Baddeck and Garrison for sometime. She also told me about her father, Alexander Graham Bell, who invented the telephone. David joined us later. He remarked that “when I come to Baddeck I could bring my camera to photograph the rug making there.”
Manila, Philippines to Los Angeles, USA
Written by Edward Beckwith seventy years ago, Thursday, August 8, 1940
An announcement was posted that we would stop at Honolulu, arriving at 8 AM on Monday and leaving at noon. The captain has previously denied that we would stop there. The boat is sailing under the British admiralty and no information on places is apparently given to the passengers.
Did some typing for Marian. Played a little shuffleboard in the afternoon after walking a mile with Marian. Talked in the evening with Gheno and Marian. He said that no Englishmen were allowed in Arabia. He spoke of a special tire for sand made by the Firestone Co. He personally preferred the Chevrolet to the Ford.
Manila, Philippines to Los Angeles, USA
Written by Edward Beckwith seventy years ago, Wednesday, August 7, 1940
Drawings for the tournament were posted. I am to play Mr. Gheno in ping pong and Mr. Vurman in shuffleboard.
Talked with another Standard Oil man from the Persian Gulf. He told me all about the difficulties of taking photographs in that country without getting arrested.
Did some typing for Marian getting through some of David’s notes.
Played my match with Gheno and got beaten twice in succession. Gheno is one of 18 Standard Oil men who are on leave from the oil wells and refinery on the Persian Gulf.
Manila, Philippines to Los Angeles, USA
Written by Edward Beckwith seventy years ago, Tuesday, August 6, 1940
Rumor that we will stop at Honolulu and I hope so. Sea calmed down during the night and was blue and fresh looking this morning but no motion.
Read “Grapes of Wrath,” the most interesting book I have found for some time. Everyone quiet and no one playing games. The proposed tournaments have definitely evaporated. Played 3 games of ping pong with the Hamel boy, beating him in each.
Later talked with a number of people among them Mr. D. Gheno, Standard Oil driller on vacation from the Persian Gulf oil wells. Very interesting to hear about methods used. He considered that the world’s oil sources had been hardly tapped.
Manila, Philippines to Los Angeles, USA
Written by Edward Beckwith seventy years ago, Monday, August 5, 1940
Played a game of shuffleboard with Mrs. Whittaker, beating her 36 to 1.
The tournaments which were posted and in which I was entered for shuffleboard & ping pong, seem to have evaporated. The people on board do not seem to be much on sports, swimming in the canvas pool seeming to be more popular than anything. The English do not like to be beaten at games and I do not think that Mrs. Whittaker will want to play again.
Marian stayed up and talked with me in the evening and we had some beer and sandwiches. She told me about their place in Florida.
There was a fresh breeze and a little more motion, but the Pacific is well named. David came up later. He had been reading Harold Noice’s account of a trip up the Amazon which I bought in Manila. [ed: probably Back of Beyond]
Manila, Philippines to Los Angeles, USA
Written by Edward Beckwith seventy years ago, Sunday, August 4, 1940
Some of the Northern Mariana Islands were in sight when I got up, barren looking and rather mountainous. They are owned by Japan and were formerly German.
Marian, David and I talked with the Captain and showed him some maps of the Philippines and Dutch East Indies. He said that the steamer sometimes went from Manila through the islands on her way to Los Angeles and sometimes around the north end of Luzon. He said one way was as good as the other.
I asked Marian to play shuffleboard but she would not do so, probably afraid of getting beaten. She always makes games a very personal matter. I played David and won, then Mrs. Whittaker and won by a narrow margin.
I am reading “The Grapes of Wrath” from the steamer library, one of the most interesting books I had read for a long time. In the evening Marian got me to tell about Alaska to Mrs. Whittaker.
David, Marian and I have a table with one more, a Miss A.E. Rigollier. She has some sort of business in Manila, probably a beauty shop or women’s clothes.
10901 Old Cutler Road Coral Gables, FL 33156 • Phone: 305-667-1651 • Fax 305-661-8953
