Anna Louise Tittman Memoir - University of Illinois Springfield

Anna Tittm 146
Q. What was mst attractive, Annie? I rdssed that, I'm somy. I
A. I left out somthing, I guess. "It is mst attractiq and is
hg great plans for crmstmctive work." That's the YMCA, I guess,
building. 'There are ei&ty Russians ,studying Ehglish hew. Boy S ' uts
axe starting a -em and are &ng Ridwe bods for wot.m&d solzrs.
The physical director has just arrived fmm the states and extensive
work is planned along these lines. W. Hoffhm, the city director is
enthusiastic. A likeable fellow. BeZieves in the future of his wo&.
He told us a queer incident connected with one of their headquarters!
buildings. The director had a W n m make a sign in ChLnese desi~ating
the Quilding of the Young bn's Christian Association. After one mth
authorities were able to eliminate it as it was discovered that the sign
painter had resorted to originality and the characters regd 'Young Men's
Gmling Association. '"
!ht noon Mr. Dawson momced that I had missed the exprebs to Vladivostok
as it had slipped through HarbSul at 5:00 a.m. I could ha#@ cried a3 I
feel that duties are pressing in Vladivostok. Another express will not
corm along until another week. The hrican engineers are giving a tea
this afternoon and I considered it fitting to have a m@ wave process
conducted by a Chinaman. Miss Bennett burst in upon m apd announced that
CaptaZn Bramhall had arrived fYom the interior. Ms trailfl would go in 35
miputes and I could go with him. I made this train with the assistance of
five nurses, three Chin-, one American doctor and Mr. bilvershaw ." I
don't how where he cam in. "One interpreter. This car is provided with
a kitchen presided over by a Chino, a splendid cook. A bedroom and dining
room corrbined. I@. Brarha.11, in the top berth, I took the lower one." I
guess that was Mr. Branhall. "I took the lower with she@ pinned all around
and the interpreter, Mr. Pervitz, erected an cot. bk bought six hundred
eggs for the barracks and packed them that ni&t. The mapkets at the stations
are mst fascinating. mfty to 150 Chinese, each presi g over a huge
romd basket in which he has either chickens, e w, pa 3 , very small honeyed
m cooked meat. The whole made quite a party picture as bhey hold square
round or oblong lanterns, with many desi- over their prpduce.
"October 8, 1919; bde along on a joggling pace all day. I put in the
day playing solitaire and stuwing Russian alphabet. It as too mu& to
write7-even on a typewriter. k had hoped to arrive in d divostok at fight
but failed to make it. I dressed a Russian soldier's forphead. Several
tims en route, several sick Lettish-@ve bismth to a ack Lettish soldier,
also sent him chicken broth kom the kitchen. A carload of Bolshevik prisoners
just ahead of car and many of them are ill. mir
r
guard, in talking
to us, seemed to be full of sympathy for them. The d expressed feelings
against Semoff;" he was the one who rode up and wn the Trans-Siberian
Road indicathg that he was the person who was in charge f it now. I received
a lovely red fox scarf and it was so fluff'y. It given tq ll~t by
Semenoff throu@~ one of our Amrican Red Cross personnel.. I had it for a
long tbre and finally, I had it on a coat, a tan coat.
Q. How did he happen to give it to you?