{Printed letter heading with sketch of a metal bowl filled with fruit on the top left hand side. Every page in this diary is written on this letter headed paper.}

A.D. McMILLAN

FRUIT AND VEGETABLE GROWER

Burlington, Ont

{Hand written diary starts now}

Page 1 A Few Incidents of Our Trip to New York. Florida and Cuba.

We left home on the twelve o'clock Car on Dec 12th 1910. Arrived in Hamilton about one o'clock. went to the Bank to get some Canadian Money changed for American Money. went to the station and enquired about tickets. we wanted to get a ticket to go by Boat from New York. and return by train but they would not sell us one in Hamilton but said we might get one in Buffalo. so we got single tickets to Buffalo. also found out that we would make better connections if we waited in Hamilton till the six twenty train in the evening. So we had to get our supper before we left we went to the Manhattan. and got it. We left on time at about six twenty for Buffalo. They asked us lot of questions were we were going were we come from. and lots more - also - examined our suit cases right to the bottom. I guess they must have thought we were a tough looking crowd.

Page 2 We arrived in Buffalo about 9.30 oclock had about one hour to wait for connections tried here again to get our tickets to go by boat and back by train but was no good. so we bought tickets to New York by train and from there to Jacksonville by Boat and return same way - for $52. We left Buffalo about 10.30 oclock by New York Central. The time passed quickly on the train, one old man was sick. Alec doctored him up with some Wild Strawberry he got off the train at Albany. Also had quite a chat with the Brakesman telling us about New York. we asked him were there was a good hotel to go to so he told us to go to the Manhattan about two blocks from the station he said it was a cheap hotel. so we intend to look it up when we arrive.

Tuesday Dec 13th. Arrived in New York about 9. oclock in the morning. felt a little tired after riding all night without any sleep. so first we started out from the Grand Central station to look for the Manhattan

Hotel we found it easy enough. but thought we would not stay as they only asked us $2 a day each without board so we thought that was to much for us. so we started to hunt up the Grand Union Hotel - we were going to it when a porter told us the Grand Union was full but he would take us to the Annex. we went with him and got a room with two beds for a $1.50 a day each at the Markwell Hotel we only got it for one day. after we went to our room we talked it over. and we thought he just told us the other hotel was full so we would come here. we intend to inquire at the Grand Union about it. So we had a good wash and cleaned up some of our lunch that we had left over on the train. Then we started out to see the city. it is certainly worth while seeing. the high buildings some as high as thirty and forty stories on 42nd street the traffic is immense the sidewalks about twenty feet wide and where it crosses the avenues there

are one and two police to guide the traffic we next hit 5th Avenue. the swell street of the town were all the swell Carriages and Autos drive. There are no street cars allowed on it. We also found the Grand Union Hotel on the corner of 4th Avenue and 42nd Street. we found they had lots of rooms so we intend to move there in the morning.

Wednesday Jan Dec 14th. We left the Markland Hotel and got rooms at the Grand Union. We hunted up the Hotel that Frank Benner told us was cheap. we found it on 7th Ave. called Mills Hotel. we did not stay as it looked pretty tough. went to a Vaudeville show in the afternoon. and to the Hippodrome Theatre at night it simply was grand. The first Act was a Circus. 2nd an International Cup Yacht Race. 3rd Wireless telegraph in a big storm at sea 4th The Ballet of Niagara Falls. and the San Francisco Earth Quake.

Thursday Jan Dec 15th. We went to Central Park. It is terrible large about sixty blocks long. it must be grand in the summer time

We took in the Art Galleries and Museum which are in the Park - we stayed all morning could have put in a week there if we had time. In the afternoon we took the elevated cars to Bronx Park where the Zoological Gardens are and we seen a herd of 59 Buffaloes there and every other kind of animal you could name. We took the Subway back to our hotel this was the first time we rode underground and they certainly go some.

Friday Jan Dec 16th. We started getting ready for the boat took the street car down Madison Ave and transferred on to the old fashioned horse car which took us to the boat. it certainly seems funny to see cars drawn by horses in a place like New York. The boat left at one oclock for Jacksonville this is the first time any of was ever on the ocean but it is good and calm.

Saturday Jan Dec 17th. We have been out of sight of land all day. Cant notice much change in the weather yet. have not been sea sick yet. but it is very calm and

nobody has been sick don't think they will make much on us fellows the way we are eating.

Sunday Jan Dec 18th. Arrived in Charleston South Carolina about three oclock. had six hours here while they unloaded and loaded freight. So Alex. Louis and I and another fellow from Middleport N.Y. went up town it is quite a bit warmer here. trying to rain a little. The town looked quite and old fashioned. not much business done here they say. The Post Office was about the nicest building we saw. we walked through what used to be an old slave market and is now the fruit market.

Monday Jan Dec 19th. Arrived in Jacksonville about 3 oclock we certainly had a fine trip no rough weather and nobody sea sick. We put up at the Everett Hotel for a day to look around and get a boarding house. Harry Crocker is with us, he is just takeing a trip like us and he seems to be a nice fellow so we all put up together.

Tuesday Dec 20th. Moved from the Hotel to 222 Cedar Street. The room cost us $3 a week each. and we board next door which costs us $3 a week. In the afternoon we went to Riverside Park - 7 miles out for five cents each way. it was a forlorn looking place. did not see much Park. looked more like a bush all the trees out there were all covered with a kind of moss that completely covered some of them.

Wednesday Dec 21st. It was kind of cool this morning walked about the town and had to wear an overcoat. In the afternoon we took the car to the Ostrich Farm. they have 151 there all sizes they hitched one up to a buggy and drove it around a track also rode on ones back. it was well worth the price 25 cts to see it.

Thursday. Dec 22nd We certainly struck a fierce boarding house - we are getting nearly starved took a trip on the Ferry Boat across the river to South Jax. nothing over there only a circus put up there for the winter.