From Lancaster History:
In December 1911, the Hersheys left for France to begin an extended tour of Europe, spending most of the winter of 1911-12 in Nice. At the time of their departure, Milton had planned a return home in April to attend to business—and to return home on the maiden voyage of RMS Titanic. On December 18, 1911, Hershey had written a check to the White Star Line, owners of Titanic, in the amount of $300. That cancelled check is now housed in the Hershey Community Archives and a copy of it can be seen on exhibit in The Hershey Story. The cost of a first class stateroom on the vessel ranged between $3000 and $4000, suggesting that Hershey made a 10% deposit to reserve a stateroom.
Rather than sail home on Titanic, Milton Hershey was forced to change his plans at the last minute to attend to a business matter that required his attention in the town of Hershey. Rather than wait until April 10 when Titanic was scheduled to leave from Cherbourg, France for Ireland before setting sail for New York, he instead booked passage on the German liner SS Amerika, leaving France on April 6 and arriving in New York on April 7. Catherine remained in Europe, accompanied by traveling companions Ruth Hershey and Berta Candoni. Ironically, on a subsequent voyage, it would be the Amerika that would notify Titanic of large icebergs in the North Atlantic on the morning of April 14; a warning ignored by the captain of Titanic.
What was Mrs. Hershey’s response to this event? Photo taken at the Hershey Story Museum:
Google AI tells me, “Though he wasn’t a churchgoer, he believed that moral and religious instruction were essential. He requested that the Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule be placed above the fireplace in every student home at the Milton Hershey School, an institution he founded to help orphaned and underprivileged children.”
While the Hershey Story doesn’t talk much about his personal convictions, we know that Hershey and his wife were raised Mennonite, and he professed as his religion “The Golden Rule.” It looks like the Bible on display was somewhat used. As has been said, “A Bible that’s falling apart is usually a sign of a life that’s not!”
