Friday September 19, 1930

The day that Josephine and the other passengers would disembark the SS America had arrived. Captain Arnold Funk had his problems when the customs officers came on board because several of the pilgrims had packed their passports in their suitcases rather than keeping them on their person. This delayed the disembarkation.

It was almost noon when Josephine and the pilgrims reached their hotel. They again stayed at the Hotel McAlpin. This time Josephine was in Room 679, which she again shared with Mrs. Elodie Banks Duhon of Crowley, Louisiana.

That afternoon the pilgrims rested and read letters from home. It had been six weeks since any of them had received any mail from their relatives and friends.

Note: On other pilgrimages, mail from home was delivered to the pilgrims while they were in France. The Army made every effort to receive mail for the pilgrims and deliver it to them prior to their departure from France. According to Mrs. Fannie Fine, this was not the case for the pilgrims of Party R.

At night, the pilgrims went to Coney Island. Coney Island reminded Mrs. Fine of a huge country fair, with its many concessions. Did Josephine ride the carousel or any of the other rides? Had she ever been to an amusement park before?

Josephine had lived in New Orleans in the early years of her marriage at the turn of the century. Pontchartrain Beach in New Orleans had not yet opened when she and Joseph were living in New Orleans with their young daughter, Amelia.

Coney Island is well known as the site of amusement parks and a seaside resort. The attractions reached a historical peak during the first half of the 20th century, declining in popularity after World War II and years of neglect.

At the time of Josephine’s visit, September, 1930, Coney Island was still a popular attraction. Between 1880 and World War II, Coney Island was the largest amusement area in the United States, attracting several million visitors per year. At its height it contained three competing amusement parks, as well as many independent amusements.

Like Mrs. Fine, was Josephine very tired and thus very happy when the busses arrived to take them back to the Hotel McAlphin?

Back on the home front, on Friday, September 19, Josephine’s husband, Joseph, received a Western Union telegram, delivered to Morganza, Louisiana. It read:

YOUR WIFE ARRIVES HOME TUESDAY VIA T&P AT TWELVE THIRTY SEVEN PM TRAIN NUMBER FORTY SEVEN PLEASE MEET HER




Source: written by Carolyn Ourso