Item 5 - Letter from George to Ruth Mallory, 9 February 1923

Letter to Ruth Mallory from ’95 Arlington Avenue Westmount, P.Q.’ [Letterhead] [‘i.e.at the Basil Williams Montreal’ is written in Mallory’s hand]

Brief Summary
Reports on recent lecture in New York, complains of his lectures being reported as Anti-Prohibition propaganda, and describes social visits with friends in New York and Canada.

Detailed Summary
He was delighted to be in Montreal with friends including Mrs Williams, who had visited the Holt with Evelyn Clutton-Brock whilst he was away on the 1921 expedition. His fortunes had changed from hateful N.Y. His first lecture in New York had not been encouraging with technical difficulties caused by a 2nd rate operator and the hall full theatre had been depressing. However, all the members of the American Alpine Club who had attended the dinner were in the audience and they went away saying nice things. Afterwards they had gone to a hotel to eat ices which was a pleasant little party consisting of the Wethams, Mrs Colden Sanderson, Frisken, Poel and an actress friend of his.

It was important for his lectures to have good press but when he read the papers at breakfast there was almost nothing. A New York Times had 1/3rd of a column but it was turned into Anti-Prohibition propaganda. The Tribune gave a very good and sympathetic report.

He had lectured at a Country Club outside the city which was a dull affair before catching a train to Montreal. Had a good walk up the mountain with a wonderful view of the southern branch of St Lawrence and Montreal. The countryside was all snow and ice and it had been -10 when he had arrived. The Canadians didn’t like the cold as too many days in t took it out of one.

His next lecture was in Detroit (Michigan) but Toronto fell through. Keedick’s business was very badly run. He planned to spend the weekend with a friend, Monsieur Williams, whom he had known and liked at Charterhouse at a winter sports place. He planned to learn to ski from John Williams who was aged aged 16 and thought him a promising pupil on skis. He said the difficulty was to learn to stop, and until one had you just had to fall down.

He was much more cheerful and put it down to staying there with delightful people instead of by himself in a hotel. He missed her and found it much harder being without her there than in India.

His lecture there had gone very well and the audience were very good natured and amused.