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.


[envelope]
EL GRAN HOT[EL] DE
SBERT & VIÑAS
San Pedro de Macoris, Rep. Domi[nicana]

< 1433 La Salle St. >
Mrs. Billie Morton
2150 Lincoln Park W.
Chicago Ill.
United States America

[p. 1]
[letterhead]
EL GRAN HOTEL
PROPIETARIOS:
SBERT & VIÑAS.
TELEFONO NO. 130

S. P. de Macoris Nov. 26th 1919

Dear Billie and Nondas!
I wrote you just a while ago but, as there is a boat going in a few days to the States so I want to tell you the latest. Up till now we have been having the best of luck, and now just as we were going to take the first boat to the States, we got our first hitch, it is Sascha Piatov my partner’s papers, on account of him being a russian they will not allow him to return. But we will try to fight it through with a lawyer and perhaps we can manage it yet, but I can’t just leave him flat in such a out of the world place like here. It is by no means bad here but nearly absolutely isolated from the rest of the world. So I will stop with him till we can get a boat to Cuba, and then I can go on to the States alone, and return to him later, it means goodbye to the Orpheum tour I thought we might have been able to make. We give two performances here. We work on 60% clear income with all expenses paid

[p.] 2/
so you can see [t is a good buisness here. In Puerto Rico it was rather bad and in fact we lost money, but here we earn it. This is the funniest place. I have not found out yet where you buy stamps, and I have to give my letters to the manager of the Hotel. He said he posted my last ones I sent you, and I hope he did for I sent you a snap of myself and a p. c. of the tomb of Columbus. You may remember in my former letters I was complaining of the terrible heat. Well, here it is quite hot in day time but at night, thank the Lord, it is cool. And in the morning between 6-8 it is cold and I have to sleep in flannel Pajamas and my monkey all rolled up in blankets in his little Basket, for she is very delicate but very dirty and ungrateful. I am only keeping her so that Baby and Mama can see her for she is very pretty and tiny. The electric light here is so poor I can hardly see to write this. The plant does not work very good and most the time the people are without light here. The maid has just brought me a lamp so it is better now. I really do not see how I can get home for Christmas because as I said before I can’t just run away and leave my partner here. If it were Cuba or South America it would be alright, for he then could easily get another partner and continue, but here you can’t get anything. But he was the first actor in the States to enlist and has his honorable discharge so we have hopes that if the case is properly put before the State Department they will reconsider him. There are only two boats per month so it would

[p.] 3.
not be worthwhile your writing here, for if all goes well I may get back before you can reach me. So just keep writing c/o of Mama. Well, dear friends, I have to finish. Hoping you are all well and happy?
With Love and Kisses to you both from your
Mascot

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