Letter from Mama Margaret to Will: 6/17/1904
Full size image is below.
Mama Margaret, at home in Canton, Ohio, sends news of home to her oldest child, Will, stationed in the Philippines.
1904-06-17: ~AUDIO~---images---comment---transcript---notes---links---site navigation
1904-06-17: audio---~IMAGES~---comment---transcript---notes---links---site navigation
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1904-06-17: audio---images---~COMMENT~---transcript---notes---links---site navigation
Mama Margaret wonders if Will remembered Alma's birthday on the day. I'll bet he did.
1904-06-17: audio---images---comment---~TRANSCRIPT~---notes---links---site navigation
908 West 8th St.
Canton June 17
My dear Son,
This is Alma’s birth day and I was wondering if you ever think of the birth days of the family as they come around. Your life is so different from a family life, it would seem that you could easily forget them or at least there would not be much to remind you of them. It hardly seems possible that Alma is about to graduate from Oberlin, for until she was at home in April we thought she would not graduate until next year on account of her teaching. I am glad she is allowed to graduate with the class. It will be much pleasanter even if she does have to study six months to get through with the work.
Eva went to Oberlin last Saturday and expects to stay until after Commencement. Then go to Cleveland on Friday to visit Helen Kirk at the Deaconess Home, she is invited to go to Put-in-Bay on Saturday with the Deaconess and stay at the Home over Sunday and Monday then home on Tuesday. I am very lonesome without her but she is having a fine time. She went all the way to Oberlin by trolley. It is the cheapest way to go but it takes longer. She left here at eight o’clock got to Oberlin at 2:30. I will enclose her letter that I received today. She is so busy she may not have written to you. She knows she has to write to me.
I am getting quite anxious to see Oberlin too. I think I told you in my last that we have a notion to sell this. Laura has not said what she thinks of the plan but all the rest are in favor of it. It will be so long before we know your opinions of it, that it is likely to be sold before we can hear from you. I went to see a real estate agent this week. He came down and looked the place over and we now have a price on it, we ask $2100. I went to see a lady today whose husband is in the Post Office, Mrs. McCullough. They came from Millersburg. I don’t think he was in the office when you were. They want to buy a place so will come down to see this. If they don’t take it I will let a real estate agent sell it. Mr. and Mrs. Braden recommend Mr. Feller. He it was who came down to see it this week.
Mrs. Braden was down to Mr. Korneburg’s funeral Monday. She said to sell and not rent as property goes down when rented. I know their place does not look like it did when they left it.
Mrs. Braden’s sister (Mrs. Olds) died in California and is to to be brought to Mt. Gilead to be buried this week.
Fred is making his plans to go to St. Louis as soon as he gets his vacation, which will be the first of July. He expects to be gone about two weeks. I don’t think there will be nearly as many Cantonians to go to St. Louis as went to Chicago. St. Louis has such a hard name.
We had a good many cherries in the tree in front of the parlor door, but the birds took them about all. They are very early cherries, and the birds commenced on them as soon as showed. Now they are working on Mulberries. The tree is as full as it can be. I enjoy having the birds around.
I sent Alma a box yesterday for her birth day. I hope she will get it in time for the spread tonight. When she was home she said she had never had a box from home and all the rest had. So I thought if I didn’t get one sent now I might never have the chance again, or at least not for a good while.
I will close now and go down and see Florence Bidwell’s graduating presents. She graduated this week and has a fine lot of presents.
I will send to Eva to get the Alumni pin for Alma. Sallie and Mary sent Alma spoons. A McKinley spoon and an odd one that was quite pretty.
I thank you again for the money you sent. I put a hundred on bank toward our moving. I don’t know how much it will take to get us there and settled. We will not take quite all the old furniture, so we will have to buy a little new. One bedstead any way we will not move, it would disgrace the family.
Will I wonder if you were sent to Samar. Fred’s friend Will Shaver of the 14th is on Samar.
Write soon and often. Just think you are now on your second year in the Philippines and we hope you will spend next summer at home.
I really don’t know any news to tell you - that is gossip about people - I hear that Kirks are very home sick and are coming back as soon as can get a location. They went to Omaha Neb. Goodby
Your loving Mother
Canton June 17
My dear Son,
This is Alma’s birth day and I was wondering if you ever think of the birth days of the family as they come around. Your life is so different from a family life, it would seem that you could easily forget them or at least there would not be much to remind you of them. It hardly seems possible that Alma is about to graduate from Oberlin, for until she was at home in April we thought she would not graduate until next year on account of her teaching. I am glad she is allowed to graduate with the class. It will be much pleasanter even if she does have to study six months to get through with the work.
Eva went to Oberlin last Saturday and expects to stay until after Commencement. Then go to Cleveland on Friday to visit Helen Kirk at the Deaconess Home, she is invited to go to Put-in-Bay on Saturday with the Deaconess and stay at the Home over Sunday and Monday then home on Tuesday. I am very lonesome without her but she is having a fine time. She went all the way to Oberlin by trolley. It is the cheapest way to go but it takes longer. She left here at eight o’clock got to Oberlin at 2:30. I will enclose her letter that I received today. She is so busy she may not have written to you. She knows she has to write to me.
I am getting quite anxious to see Oberlin too. I think I told you in my last that we have a notion to sell this. Laura has not said what she thinks of the plan but all the rest are in favor of it. It will be so long before we know your opinions of it, that it is likely to be sold before we can hear from you. I went to see a real estate agent this week. He came down and looked the place over and we now have a price on it, we ask $2100. I went to see a lady today whose husband is in the Post Office, Mrs. McCullough. They came from Millersburg. I don’t think he was in the office when you were. They want to buy a place so will come down to see this. If they don’t take it I will let a real estate agent sell it. Mr. and Mrs. Braden recommend Mr. Feller. He it was who came down to see it this week.
Mrs. Braden was down to Mr. Korneburg’s funeral Monday. She said to sell and not rent as property goes down when rented. I know their place does not look like it did when they left it.
Mrs. Braden’s sister (Mrs. Olds) died in California and is to to be brought to Mt. Gilead to be buried this week.
Fred is making his plans to go to St. Louis as soon as he gets his vacation, which will be the first of July. He expects to be gone about two weeks. I don’t think there will be nearly as many Cantonians to go to St. Louis as went to Chicago. St. Louis has such a hard name.
We had a good many cherries in the tree in front of the parlor door, but the birds took them about all. They are very early cherries, and the birds commenced on them as soon as showed. Now they are working on Mulberries. The tree is as full as it can be. I enjoy having the birds around.
I sent Alma a box yesterday for her birth day. I hope she will get it in time for the spread tonight. When she was home she said she had never had a box from home and all the rest had. So I thought if I didn’t get one sent now I might never have the chance again, or at least not for a good while.
I will close now and go down and see Florence Bidwell’s graduating presents. She graduated this week and has a fine lot of presents.
I will send to Eva to get the Alumni pin for Alma. Sallie and Mary sent Alma spoons. A McKinley spoon and an odd one that was quite pretty.
I thank you again for the money you sent. I put a hundred on bank toward our moving. I don’t know how much it will take to get us there and settled. We will not take quite all the old furniture, so we will have to buy a little new. One bedstead any way we will not move, it would disgrace the family.
Will I wonder if you were sent to Samar. Fred’s friend Will Shaver of the 14th is on Samar.
Write soon and often. Just think you are now on your second year in the Philippines and we hope you will spend next summer at home.
I really don’t know any news to tell you - that is gossip about people - I hear that Kirks are very home sick and are coming back as soon as can get a location. They went to Omaha Neb. Goodby
Your loving Mother
1904-06-17: audio---images---comment---transcript---~NOTES~---links---site navigation
1.
908 West 8th St.
Canton June 17
No year is given, but the year on the postmark is 1904, and anyway Mama Margaret talks about Alma's Oberlin graduation.
2.
Eva went to Oberlin last Saturday and expects to stay until after Commencement. [...] I will enclose her letter that I received today.
This must be Eva's June 15th letter:
3.
Mr. and Mrs. Braden recommend Mr. Feller.
The Bradens had previously been next-door neighbors of the Stokeys in Canton. There's a non-family page for them on this website.
4.
Fred is making his plans to go to St. Louis as soon as he gets his vacation, which will be the first of July. He expects to be gone about two weeks. I don’t think there will be nearly as many Cantonians to go to St. Louis as went to Chicago. St. Louis has such a hard name.
I don't fully understand this. I'm thinking that maybe the watch factory where he was working closed down for a couple of weeks in the summer, and that there were group employee trips to Chicago and to St. Louis, but that's just a guess. Also I'm not sure what Mama Margaret was saying in the end, partly because I can't quite decipher her handwriting, so I may have read it incorrectly.
5.
I will close now and go down and see Florence Bidwell’s graduating presents. She graduated this week and has a fine lot of presents.
Florence Bidwell was a friend of Eva's - see the non-family page on this website for Ohio folks.
6.
I will send to Eva to get the Alumni pin for Alma.
Eva had written in her June 15th letter to Mama Margaret that Alma wanted an alumni pin
7.
Sallie and Mary sent Alma spoons.
I figure these are two of Mama Margaret's sisters, Sallie Provines Ballard and Mary Provines Hicks. There's more about them on the page for the Provineses and Graceys.
8.
Will I wonder if you were sent to Samar. Fred’s friend Will Shaver of the 14th is on Samar.
Mama Margaret's handwriting is, as usual, not terribly legible, but I think the place she is talking about must be Samar. Wikipedia says:
In 1904, the Pulajans in Samar caused powerful massacres to the extent of Governor-General Luke Edward Wright's concern. Numerous civilians joined the uprising due to the feeling of "unprotection". The rebellion was discussed by many American politicians and military officers and caused court cases just before the 1904 United States presidential election. Four days after the election, Wright visited Samar, where troops increased to 2,000 from 700. After battles and negotiations, the uprising eventually ended in 1906.
Samar was clearly not a good place to be, but I don't think Will was there.
908 West 8th St.
Canton June 17
No year is given, but the year on the postmark is 1904, and anyway Mama Margaret talks about Alma's Oberlin graduation.
2.
Eva went to Oberlin last Saturday and expects to stay until after Commencement. [...] I will enclose her letter that I received today.
This must be Eva's June 15th letter:
3.
Mr. and Mrs. Braden recommend Mr. Feller.
The Bradens had previously been next-door neighbors of the Stokeys in Canton. There's a non-family page for them on this website.
4.
Fred is making his plans to go to St. Louis as soon as he gets his vacation, which will be the first of July. He expects to be gone about two weeks. I don’t think there will be nearly as many Cantonians to go to St. Louis as went to Chicago. St. Louis has such a hard name.
I don't fully understand this. I'm thinking that maybe the watch factory where he was working closed down for a couple of weeks in the summer, and that there were group employee trips to Chicago and to St. Louis, but that's just a guess. Also I'm not sure what Mama Margaret was saying in the end, partly because I can't quite decipher her handwriting, so I may have read it incorrectly.
5.
I will close now and go down and see Florence Bidwell’s graduating presents. She graduated this week and has a fine lot of presents.
Florence Bidwell was a friend of Eva's - see the non-family page on this website for Ohio folks.
6.
I will send to Eva to get the Alumni pin for Alma.
Eva had written in her June 15th letter to Mama Margaret that Alma wanted an alumni pin
7.
Sallie and Mary sent Alma spoons.
I figure these are two of Mama Margaret's sisters, Sallie Provines Ballard and Mary Provines Hicks. There's more about them on the page for the Provineses and Graceys.
8.
Will I wonder if you were sent to Samar. Fred’s friend Will Shaver of the 14th is on Samar.
Mama Margaret's handwriting is, as usual, not terribly legible, but I think the place she is talking about must be Samar. Wikipedia says:
In 1904, the Pulajans in Samar caused powerful massacres to the extent of Governor-General Luke Edward Wright's concern. Numerous civilians joined the uprising due to the feeling of "unprotection". The rebellion was discussed by many American politicians and military officers and caused court cases just before the 1904 United States presidential election. Four days after the election, Wright visited Samar, where troops increased to 2,000 from 700. After battles and negotiations, the uprising eventually ended in 1906.
Samar was clearly not a good place to be, but I don't think Will was there.
1904-06-17: audio---images---comment---transcript---notes---~LINKS~---site navigation
DOCUMENT LISTS FOR PEOPLE:
- WILL: DOCUMENTS ----- Incoming
- ALMA: DOCUMENTS ----- Related
- FRED: DOCUMENTS ----- Related
- LAURA: DOCUMENTS ----- Related
- EVA: DOCUMENTS ----- Related
- MAMA MARGARET: DOCUMENTS ----- Outgoing
- PROVINESES & GRACEYS: DOCUMENTS ----- Sallie Provines Ballard and Mary Provines Hicks
- NON-FAMILY: OHIO FOLKS ----- Florence Bidwell
- NON-FAMILY: THE BRADENS ----- Mrs. Braden
GENERAL DOCUMENT LISTS:
OTHER RELATED DOCUMENTS/PAGES:
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