This is the “standardized text” version of the Mascot Moskovina documents. This version is presented in an easily readable and searchable format. Punctuation is modernized and inserted where needed for clarity. Abbreviations are spelled out, insertions are incorporated, and crossouts and duplicate words are deleted. First words in sentences have been capitalized; other capitalization issues have not been edited. Moskovina’s spelling is routinely irregular and creative; where it is possible to discern her meaning, spelling has been standardized.


[p. 1]
[letterhead]
HOTEL CENTRAL
CATHEDRAL PARK, PANAMA, REPUBLIC OF PANAMA
POST OFFICE BOX No. 976

Panama, April 11th 1917

Dear Mrs Morton.
It is quite a while since I have heard from you or you from me. We left Cuba March 15th and sailed to Costa Rica. The trip was very interesting. Our first stop on the way was Colon “Panama,” a very dirty place. Our boat stopped here till Tuesday 5 o’clock. The only thing that was lovely there was the Chinese & Persian stores, but as “X” does not pay any more salary, merely living expenses, we could not spend very much. The food on the boat was love[ly] [page torn] On Wednesday morning we arrived at Bocos del Toros but we di[d] [page torn] not dock near land as the water is not deep enough [page torn] was very interesting to see the people shooting sharks. One sailor hit a shark and killed him outright and oh [he?] [page torn] was a huge monster. In the afternoon we arrived at Almeranty which is up the Bay about an hour’s ride and simply glorious [sketched map of the area] with its Palms and Mountains lining the sides. We stopped over here till 5 o’clock. Then we went on land. The place itself consists of just a few native huts and a few American h◊◊es hotel, but the country around is lovely—simply the wildest tropics you can imagine. We only discharged cargo there. From there we sailed till the next day Thursday 22, to Port Limon, Costa Rica where we went straight to the train for San José which is 5000 feet up in the mountains. Well, the trip up I cannot describe for it was too wonderful first through absolute jungle, then through fancy little villages & Banana Plantations and Cocoa plantations, and then the wonderful valleys Mountains and river just below us and we right up on such dizzying heights When we arrived at San Jose it was just lovely, just like spring so cool and lovely, so absolutely different from the atmosphere down below. We had a very nice Hotel there a french Hotel Francais. The food and all was delicious. The town itself was so quaint

[p.] 2
and old with all the cloud covered peaked mountains all around. And the comon people, mostly a mixture of mulattoes & Malayans, & Spanish all going around bare footed with many colored shawls on all embroidered. I was very sorry I could not send you any p. c◊◊◊ cards from there but they did not print any except a photographic post-card of the theater which was really a beautiful building inside and out. On Wed. 4th we stopped playing. On Friday we saw two religious processions. On Sat. 7, we left San Jose and went on the Boat at Port Limon, but we did not sail till Sunday 8th. And we arrived at Colon on Monday. Before we left from Colon we saw them loading bananas on the boat (By [page torn] we traveled by the United Fruit Company first time by the “T◊u◊d◊◊ [page torn] 2nd time with the “Pastores”.) Well, you’ve never seen such train loads of Bananas as they put on Board by machine. I am just tired of Bananas now. I have had a few too many. Well, from Colon we went by train to Panama along the canal. It was 5 when we arrived at Colon, but we did not sail till 11 at night and we arrived about 10 ’c. at Panama. Here the Hotels are terrible. The only one which is really possible costs 4.50 per day when we are stopping. It cost 2.50. per day each American place. By the way, I must tell you in Cuba you have the pleasure of ants & cockroaches & sometimes bedbugs, in Costa Rica you are eaten up with fleas, and here in Panama you have mice, rats, fleas, big long worm-like ants, cockroaches and the rest I have not discovered yet. This town is very pretty for its Churches not very old and very many squares, but oh the people live in terrible dirty places. They are all mixed c◊◊◊ies, colored, white and ◊◊◊der. We are stopping here 14 days then we go to Lucia Peru South America. We give one performance at a place in Ecuador before we arrive at Peru. Except for the country & scenery the towns are squalid and horrible. I wish I were home with Mama & my Baby instead. By the way Mama has moved. Our address in New York is 150 W 62nd Street. But my address here for the Company is 165 Broadway c/o Mme. Pavlova our[?] [letter incomplete]

Comment on this page