Miscellaneous Footnotes

Hickson's Mission

Hickson appears to have been a "faith healer" in the early 1920s. The most reliable reference I can find is from the Christchurch Library site stating that in 1923 (sometime) he drew crowds of "thousands to Christchurch Cathedral". I assume he also went to (or came from) Australia that year.

There is also reference to a Frederick S Hixon of the Dayton Gospel Mission who was the preacher in Dayton from 1922 to 1945.

[Hickson's Mission is mentioned in the first Mayo Clinic letter (No.6).]

The Almighty Dollar

Harry made two separate observations of the American obsession with money:

Letter 4 "but the residents only have three watchwords. Grow quick, get rich quick and die quick. The greatest of the three is the middle one and they live up to it hard. Some of the banks keep open all day and all night and advertise the fact with electric signs. Only one thing talks here and that is the almighty dollar."

Letter 6 "but everything in the place is artificial they talk and think of nothing else but the almighty $ and the shortest way to pack up a stack of them"

Ziegfeld Follies in Chicago

Regarding the Ziegfeld Follies performance that Harry supposedly saw, he may have confused this performance name with something else he saw in Chicago. The Ziegfeld Follies of 1924 opened in June 1924 in New York and remained there until well into 1925. It's possible that "Annie Dear", another Ziegfeld production which opened in New York in November 1924, was being shown in Chicago at the time Harry was in Chicago.

[Ziegfeld Follies mentioned in letter 9.]

Tong Riots

The tong wars in the early decades of the twentieth century led to the city's highest murder rate within a limited geographic area. Although the tongs were originally benevolent societies, they degenerated into American-style gangs struggling for control of Chinese gambling and opium trades. By the 1930s, however, these gang-like societies had restructured themselves into organizations dedicated to helping immigrants. (Courtesy of Museum of the City of New York).

[Tong Riots mentioned in letter 10 regarding New York.]

London GPO

There appears to be a Postal Museum that can be found in the building that Harry would have visited in London (King Edward Building) but alas it has no web site. Here is a link to the home of the Penny Black, Bath Postal Museum. This Georgian website may also be of interest.

[The sorting rooms of London GPO mentioned in letter 13.]

Pup Raymond

Dr.R L (Pup) Raymond (OBE) was a product of Fivedock Juniors, became an outstanding Waratah and Wallaby winger playing 13 Tests 1920 to 1923, scoring 10 tries. Rhodes scholar to Oxford 1924. Chosen to play for England, 3 Tests. Came back to play 55 first grade matches for the Drummoyne Club. Club Coach 1948-1951. Club President 1952. Patron 1953-1963. (Courtesy Drummoyne Rugby Club.)]

[Pup Raymond mentioned in letter 13.]