Language:
English
Pages:
71 pages :
,
typescript.
Keywords:
Business travel.
;
Clothing and dress.
;
International travel
;
Jewish religious education.
;
Jews History 19th century.
;
Sales personnel.
;
Theater.
;
Voyages and travels.
;
Fort Worth (Tex.)
;
Memphis (Tenn.)
;
New York (N.Y.)
;
Texas.
;
San Antonio (Tex.)
;
Saint Louis (Mo.)
;
United States History Civil War, 1861-1865
;
Jews.
;
Autobiographies
;
Biographical sources
;
Memoirs
Abstract:
Nat Washer describes his school life and how he received his “Bar Mitzvah” in 1874, becoming a full member of the Jewish community after being educated thoroughly in Judaism. But carefree school life came to an early end as he had to quit school in 1875. Two years earlier, his father had died, and Nat Washer needed to help support his family. He started to work for a wholesale clothing establishment in Memphis, TN. His first duty was to guard the front door of the shop. Later he was elevated to the position of stock keeper. He performed so well in his new duties that he was chosen to go to New York, where the company’s headquarters were located. He describes the “Metropolis New York” around the year 1878 in detail. He stayed there some time, until he was ordered to return St. Louis. Following a nearly two-year episode of living and working in St. Louis, he had to travel through the country as a salesman of the company. On October 21, 1882, Nat Washer finally arrived in Fort Worth, which would be his home for several years. Again, he describes a city as he sees it when he first arrives there. On February 17, 1891, Nat Washer “deserted the ranks of the Benedicts”, i.e. he married a lifelong partner whose name he does not mention (Belle Schloss). They had two children. In 1899, Nat Washer moved with his family to Alamo, TX and later to San Antonio. During all the years of working, his passion was always going to theaters and seeing different plays. Shakespearean seems to have been the most appreciated types of plays, as he quotes several scenes and speeches of Shakespeare’s characters.
Abstract:
On October 12, 1925, Nat Washer set out together with his wife Mrs. Washer, as he calls her in this memoir, from San Antonio for a journey through Asia. This journey is covered with diary-like notes for every day that passes. The route was as follows: San Antonio, Denver, San Francisco, Honolulu, Yokohama, Tokyo, Kyoto, Kobe, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Manila and then back via Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Manchuria, Keijo (Seoul), Kobe, Yokohama, Honolulu, and finally on February 10, 1926, he came back to San Francisco.
Note:
English
URL:
http://digital.cjh.org/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=502868&custom_att_2=simple_viewer
Permalink
