Jennifer’s Reviews > The Personal Librarian > Status Update

The part about the Titanic is true. JP Morgan owned International Mercantile Marine, the company that owned the White Star Line and thus the Titanic. He had planned to occupy one of the famous parlor suites on his way back from Paris, but he got the flu and had to cancel at the last minute.

The reference to the "stench" of NYC made me wonder when that city got its first sewer system. I was surprised to learn that efforts were made as early as 1660, with the first modern construction starting in the early 1850s. By the time of this book (1900-1910) the city would have had a functional sewer system, so I'm guessing the stench would have come mostly from all the horses and their manure.

All Belle had to say to salvage the slip about her supposedly Portuguese grandmother was to say that she was on the other side of the family.