Kimberley Club,
Kimberley
Feb 7th. 1898
My dear Raymond and Joe, your very interesting letters of Jan 13 from London, came last week. What with Olympia & Barnums Show, the Crystal Palace, & the Pantomime, I think you made the most of your time in London.
I hope you had a pleasant & interesting time in Birmingham. You were both very lucky to get invited down there. I suppose the Bolton's you stayed with Raymond, belong to the Bolton's who were the first manufacturers of Steam Engines in England. When I was a boy I used to read of the struggles of the small firm of "Bolton & Watt" and how they invented and worked out the system of applying steam as a power in mechanics.
I hope you made the most of your opportunities. Did you go and have a look at Oscott College when you were down there? It is only six miles from Birmingham. I am glad you came a way safely from Olympia. I saw a picture in one of the papers of a poor man who tried to see what was going on in the three rings. He had made frantic efforts to see them all at once. His head was twisted, his body, and legs were twisted; & even his arms were twisted. He must have suffered a great deal. His head was permanently facing backwards it must have been awful. I am glad you escaped.
Mr. Olleara has gone to Capetown to pass his final examination for a surveyor. The practical part. He is certain to pass.
Whilst Mrs. Morton was in Capetown her canaries, which had been left in Mr. Morton's, and my charge, escaped & died - that is, two got away, and one died. We were frightened to tell Mrs. Morton, so I got down your birds from the Compound, we put them in the other birds cages, & said nothing. Mrs. Morton has no suspicion, and Morton and I wink at each other. Some day she might discover the trick - if she does, I shall run away. But poor Morton will get beaus.
My dear Raymond & Joe you must excuse this very shabby letter the weather is awful again & the heat terrific. It is too hot to write, or think, too hot, even to sleep.
A storm is working up, I expect some time this week, we will get it, & then the weathe will be cooler.
Those freaks at Olympia must have been very curious especially the chest, and belly expander. I saw a frog once, having a christmas dinner of flying ants. He sat over the hole out which they swarmed, & swallowed them by the dozen. When he started, he looked like this.
but his stomach and chest expanded & when I left his appearance was altered to this
he beat barnums expander hollors.
Your loving father
Frank Mandy
No comments:
Post a Comment