[May 22nd - 24th]

	Helen Markham and Charles Palache. Undated photo, circa 1895. Courtesy of Judith Palache Gregory.

                                          New York

                                          May 22nd 1899

My dear Helen -

     I left myself just exactly enough time last night to do the necessary things before starting.  Mr. Daly appeared and went to the car with me but he was so tired and sleepy that I refused to let him go in town with me.  So we parted in Cambridge and I sleepily went my lonely way, trying to convince myself that I was not coming back by the next car.  I found my birth all right and was abed before we started.  I slept but little and looked out several times, once as we came into New London, to see the lights along the waters of the sound and this morning to find a glorious clearoff.

     So now having had breakfast and a little smoke I am scribbling you this line to say that I have nothing to say except that I love you and want to go back to you at Cambridge rather than forward to far-away Alaska.

     I am going up to Mr. Bishop's very soon and this evening will I hope have something of interest to tell and to send you.

     Till then, good morning,

                                          Lovingly Charlie

P.S.  If you object to either paper or envelopes please protest immediately for unless you do these will continue to be used!!!

                                          Charlie

My dear Helen -

     Just a line this afternoon to tell you that all goes fairly with me.  I had a long confab with Dr. Lilley this morning and he seemed well pleased with my work. The discussion is to continue this evening over dinner with Mr. Kunz.  By  bed time I will be so sick of jade that I shall never want to hear of it again and yet I must keep up the interest apparently at least for the lucre there is in it.

     Mr. Lilley paid me $150.00 on account!! this morning.  I am going to take $75.00 of this sum with me and tomorrow, when I can get it arranged, will send you the check for the other half.  Meanwhile I send you my personal check for $75.00 not to be cashed before the 2nd of June as explained to you before I left.  Thus you will have the sum of $150.00 to draw on as you may need it this summer.

     I must be off and will write you again tomorrow before we start.

                                          Lovingly Charlie

                                [Stationery of Hotel Manhattan]

                                Tuesday Morning, May 23

Dear Helen:

     The morning has slipped away without my having accomplished any of the many things I had planned in the line of letter writing.  And instead of having time for a long chat with you this morning I must be content with a hurried scrawl.

     I wanted to tell you of the lovely walk I had in the Park yesterday on my way to Mr. Bishop's—I had never seen Central Park in its full spring dress before and it was lovely beyond all expectation.  Then I wanted to tell of the wonderful display of rare and costly gems which I saw at Tiffany's in the afternoon while waiting for Mr. Kunz.  He poured a handful of glorious sapphires out for me to dabble in—a new sensation—and I saw the closing up of the huge establishment sharp at 6.  The dinner at the St. Denis was delicious and well sauced by Mr. Kunz's account of his recent trip to Europe including Russia. 

     Then we spent the evening at Kunz's house where we went over the everlasting jade article again and I was glad to get away at 11:30.  Mr. Kunz is more than pleased with my performance as are Lilley and bishop and there is certainly another hundred coming from it, which you may count on as yours. 

     I have to go down town again before 11 and then the time will be short till we start on our westward journey.  I will continue and close this then.  For now a loving adieu.

     I have written Daly to take to you any personal letters which may come during my journey.  Open them and if there is anything worth while send it with some one of your letters.

12 N.

     You see I have completed my arrangements and enclose your sewing machine!

     I have been in a rush and must go get my lunch and seek our train.  At last I really feel sure I am going away and amnot to see you soon again.  Do you think me cold and thoughtless that I write you so short and hurried notes?  Forgive me but the only way to forget the separation and make it possible fo rme to go atall is to do things—Expect fully letters when I have more to tell and less to do.  I kiss you again good morning and adieu.  Yes!  I love you.

                                          Charlie

     I might have had a letter here from you if I had only thought!!

Dear Helen -

     We are off in 10 minutes and I only write to say that our train consists of 5 cars all of which are said to be filled.  I am berthed with Prof. Emerson in a luxurious compartment.

     There are ladies aboard but whether they are all going along I do not yet know.  It makes me mad to think that is the case and that still you are not here.  Once more adieu and may you be as happy as may be.

                                          Yours lovingly

                                          Charlie

     We stop in Chicago nearly 12 hours.  From there by Union Pacific and Oregon Short Line which I dare say is greek to you but I will send maps of the route.

                                          Tuesday Evening

My dear -

     The evening is well along—dinner is over—I have smoked one of Mr. Harriman's cigars and then your pipe and now have retreated from the comfortable smoking room to have a chat with you.  We are tearing along at a great rate—proved as you see by the irregularity of these characters.

     Let me tell you what I have learned so far of our party.  First the train.  Smoking car—dining car, two vestibule compartment sleepers and Mr. H's private car make it up.  Mr. H. has his whole family along—wife and 6 (?) children of whom 3 are nearly grown up.  They may however not all be his family—I have met none of them as yet.  He himself is a quiet charming gentleman, very social in manner and a model host.  There are no ladies outside his family!  Several friends are with him who are going for the hunting.  Dr. Morris a young physician who promises to be very pleasant—Mr. Devereaux a mining engineer with whom I have already struck up acuaintance and others as yet unknown in person or in number.

     22 scientists are aboard most of whom I have met already.  Emerson is charming.  We sat together all the way up the lovely Hudson river and he kept up a string of pleasant stories and experiences.  Our table at dinner was in a constant roar.  Mr. Dahl is quiet but very comeatable and I have already had some intersting talk with him.  I cannot give the whole list of names as yet.  There is an artist Swain [?] Gifford—a parson Mr. Nelson—a stenographer whom I would like to have typewrite this letter for me—only that I know you would not read it if I did!!  etc.

     Dinner was fine but no wines or liquors were served though one can get and pay for them one's self which is I think a wise and favorable provision.  Altogether there is a spirit of friendliness and good-fellowship which promises well for the expedition.  There is all the feeling of a house party—every guest at liberty to speak to every other is he wishes or to remain silent if he choose.  We are coming into a station and as it is already late and as writing under the present conditions is something trying I will close and mail this now and tell you more another time.

     Love to Jeanette and much more of a different kind and with many kisses for yourself from your devoted

                                     Charlie

     We are in Syracuse and I go for a two minute walk while we stop.               

                                           Good night

                                           Ohio, just past Toledo

                                           May 24

My dear -

     Good morning!  I hope you are as well and contented with life as I am this morning.  Such perfection of travelling I have never enjoyed before.  Weather just right—clear but not hot—no dust —a train that rolls along with perfect (?) smoothness—and good company if one wants it.

     We are running this morning thro' the level green fields interspersed with forests of northern Ohio having just left Lake Erie behind.  There are almost no flowers in the fields only oceans of green.  Yesterday the scenery was far more interesting.  I never saw the Hudson to such good advantage.  The hills and bluffs covered with a hundred tones of green, amid which here and there a dogwood in full blossom stood out like a huge bouquet.  Then the purple Catskill Mts. rising high across the river—lastly as we sat at dinner the gentle rolling hills and fertile meadows of the Mohawk Valley to rest and delight the eye at every new turn. 

     You have no idea of the babel of noise behind me as I write in the smoking room.  Above the roar of the train comes the click of a typewriter and the confused voices of twenty men shouting at one another—not exactly the best conditions you will agree with me for writing a letter of any sort especially one where love should be the theme. 

     I started out with a piece of absentmindedness which will I hope turn out all right in the end.  Mr. Lilley gave me the little bag of gold of which he wrote and I put it in the safe of the hotel over night.  When we were well up the Hudson I was talking to Emerson about jade and Bishop and then with a shock I remembered that I had left the money behind me!  I have written back to have it telegraphed to me at Seattle and see no reason why it should not come to me all right but I cannot forgive my self for the carelessness of the act.  You see I need someone to look after my money affairs for me.

     Our steamer is the G.W. Elder, a boat that has been on the Alaska line since it was first established.  She has been refitted and is said to be very comfortable

     We reach Chicago abaout 2:30 P.M. today and remain there till midnight so we shall have time to run around there quite a bit.  I hope to go out to the Chicago University during the afternoon.

                                           Noon, Elkhart, Indiana

     The states roll away behind us as we speed along.  I have just turned my watch back an hour noting at the moment with regret that lunch time which I had thought at hand was still that much off.  Doing nothing is frightfully hard work and develops an enormous appetite.

     I have found a copy of Vancouver's Voyages on board and have spent most of the morning delving in it.  It is fascinating to me to read of the early explorers of any region and he tells there of the discovery of Puget Sound where he scattered with a liberal hand the names of all his officers and friends on bays channels and mountains.  Mts Ranier, Baker, St Helens, Puget Sound, St George's Channel etc. are names thus given and still familiar, besides a host of others.

     Emerson sits opposite me writing like myself and has just remarked how fortunate it was that there seemed to be not a single "cad" in the party—in so large a crowd not less more less remarkable (it is less I mean after all) than pleasant.  There are some young "digs" of the Greenman type who are far from interesting but they are unobtrusive and most of the men are pleasant companionable fellows.

     Emerson has just regaled me with a cheerful account of how he was smashed up in a railway train of this line at a point we passed this morning.  It was in 93 [?].  Leg, arm and ribs broken, head cut etc. etc.  For all that he is alive and cheerful now.  He is only 55 years old instead of the 70 he looks and I thought him. 

     For breakfast I had most appetising narratives from Prof. Brewer of various methods of execution of which he had been witness, hanging guillotine etc. and of how the chief actors in them obtained the quietus.  Still I did justice to my strawberries and mackerel and am now as hungry as "seven lions" as Emerson says.

     Lunch is over—Chicago at hand and I must close this and send it off before we start off for the afternoon.  We most of us go out to the Field Columbian Museum and at 7 dine with Mr. Harriman at the Auditorium.  I sat at lunch with Mrs. Harriman who had heard about me and our affairs thusly.  A friend of Miss Ruck's [Rock's?] who was going to the wedding told Mrs. H. that her party was interfering sadly with the ceremony having carried off the best man who in turn had postponed his wedding in order to go!!  So, she said, we ladies consider it our duty to be specially kind to you in your bereavement!

     Do not however be afraid—the ladies except the married ones are much too young to be dangerous!

     Good-day and many greetings from your devoted

                                          Charlie

                                          Chicago, Car Utopia

                                          May 24th 12 Midnight

Dear Helen -

     Just a line before I turn in to tell how the afternoon and evening passed.  Our whole crowd wandered down to the Field Museum, the only building from the Fair which still remains.  Emerson and I went off together there and saw the minerals, spending about two hours looking over the collections.  Then we walked over to the Chicago University, admiring the large buldings all of gray stone in the same style.  After a brief call on Prof. Iddings [?], Mrs. Parker's friend (?) we came back to dinner at the Auditorium Annex where nearly the whole party assembled.  I sat next the older Harriman daughter who proved quite pleasant company despite her youth she not yet being old enough to come out.  Then I joined some of the younger fellows to see the Runaway Girl which proved rather a stupid farce tho' the March Hear the Band was amusing and lively.  We have taken some more swells aboard, particularly Mr. Burt the President of the Union Pacific and our party is now complete except for the three Californians who join at Seattle.

     I found out more about mail probilities [sic] today.  We shall probably receive no mail after leaving Seattle until our return there as there is no certainty that we will call at Sitka returning and so might miss mail sent there.  So address any letters you may write to Seattle, General Delivery, care Harriman Alaska Expedition and please tell Daly to do the same.  I find we shall be back there before August 1st—perhaps by July 26th so send nothing after July 20th.  That means I will be with you again by Aug. 1st almost to a certainty which delights my heart as every day counts much at that time.  We can send mail more often than we receive it and should be able to let you hear four or five times I hope.

     My money was forwarded all right as I heard today much to my relief.

     Tomorrow sometime we reach Omaha and Seattle Saturday or Sunday I believe.  I must send a line home before we leave Chicago and as it is already late will stop this here.

     Love and many kisses to my love from your devoted

                                          Charlie