Letters and momentos from Otho and Ida's foreign excursion.

1.  MC2009/635-22a:  13 June 1928 letter from Ida Winger to "Dear Home Folks."  The envelope is also included and is addressed to Ida's sister, Miss Edythe Alice Miller.

2.  MC2009/635-22b:  "The Palestine Bulletin," 23 February 1928 published in Jerusalem.  Headlines read, "ANOTHER EARTHQUAKE IN PALESTINE."

Excerpts from, "Memories of...Manchester," by Otho Winger.

There were those who felt that I should take a vcation of a few months, either going to school or engaging in some form of activity that woudl be helpful to me and restful at the same time.  So just before the December vacation, 1926, Professor J. Roy Blough, representing alumni and friends, surprised me one morning in chapel by handing me a check for a thousand dollars that was for me to take a year's leave of absence, either for study or for travel.  It came as a complete surprise and was very much welcome, I assure all my friends. pg. 113.

At last all was ready, and we were off from home for New York.  There, on the 22nd of December (1927), we boarded th American Merchant ship and were on our way.  It seemed strange indeed to begin an experience of at least six months' duration with nothing to do but to travel and see and record our experiences. pg. 114.

When we started on this trip, I had no idea of writing a book.  I did feel, however, that I owed to our parents, to our children, and to our many friends some report and some impressions of this trip; so almost every evening, at least when I was where I could, I wrote up a report of the day's work in the form of a letter.  I sent these back home.  Those in charge of the chapel got hold of them and read them in chapel (at Manchester College). The "News-Journal " (local newspaper) of our little city heard of it and asked for these letters.  They were printed in the town paper. pg. 122.

....I found folks were more interested in these letters than I had expected.  On our trip we had taken hundreds of pictures.  I began to feel that I would like to make a permanent record of the trip, not only of the letters but also of the pictures; and so with very little change I arranged a manuscript that I called "Letters From Foreign Lands."  This book was published by the Brethren publishing House, Elgin, Illinois.  One printing was readily sold.  This paid for the printing of the book.  The book has made a permanent record of the trip, one that we can refer to with pleasure and refresh our memories on the things we saw. pg. 122.

Archivist's note:  The Archivist, Jeanine Wine, found letters and momentos from this trip encapsulated with accession numbers without paperwork or internet record.  Some of the letters are from Otho Winger, but many are Ida Winger's letters to family members, letters that were written in her hand on this trip..  Further research would need to be done to find out if any of Ida's letters are included in "Letters From Foreign Lands."  Otho appears to have taken a typewriter on his vacation.

Provenance: Unknown, in Archives prior to April 2006.  Items were encapsulated. Items were given an accession number in 2004 but an accession page had not been created.  An accession page and website notation was made 21 April 2009 by Jeanine Wine.

Description prepared 21 April 2009 by Jeanine M. Wine.