William Horberg

In This Life

The Box reveals a vernacular letter from 1880 in which lonely Nellie writes to her far away cowboy brother Douglas to inform him of their father's death, but is unable to reach him as he has left his "horrid ranch" and is off herding for the season.

  Box 79 

Norwich Town Conn.  Oct. 31^st 1880

My Dear Douglas

I have been hoping for some time to hear from you. About two months since I became so anxious about you that I wrote to the Postmaster and to Mr. Charlie Davis at Collyer to ascertain your whereabouts. They kindly replied to my inquiries that you were off herding, and would return to Collyer in October. I feel deeply pained that you should neglect to write to me for you know how dear you are to me & to all your family. We have all felt great anxiety on your account.

You have doubtless before this received a letter from Europe dated the 15^th informing you our dear father’s death. George telegraphed me on the 11^th to go to New York immediately as father was dangerously ill. I went and found him very low with his old complaint in an aggravated form. His sufferings were intense but Morphine relieved him. Em & I were with him constantly & he had every attention. But nothing could save him. He died very quietly, did not seem to suffer any pain. He died at 257 W. 4^th St. where he was boarding. The funeral services were held at St. Peter’s Church West 20^th St. and we laid him beside our dear mother in Elizabeth, N. Jersey. I can hardly realize that we shall never see our dear old father again in this life.  Dear Douglas I wish you were with me that we might talk about him & about many things. I know how sad you will feel for you were a good affectionate son.

I spent a few days at George’s after the funeral and then returned to my work at Norwich. As soon as I can (perhaps in a few months) I want to go to Springfield & live with Kate, we might as well live and work together for we are both alone. Poor Kate is feeling dreadfully about Father’s death. She came East to spend this last vacation. Both she and Father were here. We had such a pleasant time together. How little we know “what a day may bring forth”. I hope you are doing well, Douglas & I am glad to know, (through your friends) that your principals are sound – but I am sure that you must be tired of that wandering life. Do sell that horrid ranch & locate in some Western City, say Kansas City or Chicago, where George would find a situation for you and help you in any way that he could. Do think seriously of it and write to me very soon.

Perhaps some day we can have a home together. I don’t like to think that you don’t love your sisters or that we are never to meet. Em & Theodore are to begin housekeeping on Nov. 6^th in a flat on the corner of 52^nd St. & Broadway. Mrs. Benedict the elder is to live with them and pay the bills as her father has recently died & left her plenty of money. I hope Em will enjoy it.  It is many years since she has had a real home. George’s children are very interesting. They have a new baby born in July called May Leathrop. Old Mrs. Belkamp of Elizabeth is dead in her 90^th year. Our friends here are well. Henry Hard is here preparing for college. His mother is in Chicago with Mr. Hard.

God bless you my dear brother do not forget your loving sister,

                                                                                                                        Nellie 

 St. Peter's Church on W. 20th, perhaps not so different than it looked at the time of Nellie's father's funeral.

"How little we know what a day may bring forth". Amen, Nellie.

Enjoy!

william 

16 Tons

Tot's letter from 1957 carries all of the pathos we have come to understand of her situation as the oldest live-in member of her household, often dependent on the kindness, or in this case the absence, of the other family members in order to watch her favorite TV shows, like "21", or Tenn. Ernie as she refers to Tennessee Ernie Ford.

Check out her Blue Cross/Blue Shield deductible circa 1957 - our family pays something like 4,000 % more than that rate today!

                                                                                            2/12/57

Dear Marge –

I have been trying to write a few letters this week against the 30-40 I have piled up to answer – Decided yesterday to send one nice note to the Comm. Chest friends to put on the bulletin board until I can find time to write short personal notes to them all. This still continues to be such a busy household – and coincidentally still a gold fish bowl. In addition Ronald took the doors off to plane them down to fit our carpets and they are still not done so as Rosena says we will have to be on the honor system when anyone is in the Biffie.

Vada has been in Houston since last Sat. to try to locate herself in a school here for next year. Do not believe Ronald is 100% for her making this drastic move but no one can talk her out of it. We were all including me over to Jessica’s & Bob’s Sat. night for drinks and dips – I made it very nicely and had a real good time. Vada drinks like a fish – so she and Ronald are a pair at being uninteresting – to me at least. Vada is staying with Jessica & Bob of course. This morning before I was dressed Lois came over and asked me if I could make it to the terrace for coffee. I did, and entirely under my own power – no cane – I can do quite a bit of walking mornings but slow down by noon – go to bed a while & then am O.K. for the evening. I guess one has to learn how to live with this thing.  I want to get to the beauty shop soon for a permanent.

Must tell you how I came out with Blue Cross on my hospital bill. You know this is the $25.00 ded. contract. My total bill for hospital (not Doctor or Surgery) was $559.54 which Blue Cross paid in full. They do not pay Ambulance Serv. – so I pd. that - $15.00, the $25.00 ded. And 90¢ tel. calls. Isn’t that a wonderful deal? The Blue Shield has not sent me their amt. paid to Dr. Moody yet. Out of state transactions take a while to complete.

We have had such beautiful weather for a while – 80º day after day. The gardenias Camelias are in bud – grass so green & tress coming into leaf. The yard & patio are just full of cardinals, red-headed woodpeckers, blue jays and others I have never seen before. Also there is that huge Siamese Cat sitting on the wall just outside the window – watching the birds of course. I have been wishing Blanche could see all these birds. Be such fun for you two to drop in.

The Barbours have a new poodle – a gray one – beautifully carved and larger than Peppers – in fact twice as large. Very expensive and pedigreed. Lill came in to see me one morning when she was home sick with a cold. She is so nice to visit with.

We finally saw the 21 program last night. The reason we miss so many, as you know, is because Ronald takes charge of programs when he is home. They were out to dinner last night and go to Symphony tonight. The girls are just as sweet & good as ever! I certainly do enjoy them. I do not hear from Em either. Bud writes me very regularly now about twice a week. A letter yesterday said Barney was now due to leave Casa Feb. 20 – but no one was as excited as he keeps changing his plans. Tenn. Ernie coming on TV now so want to watch him. Much love to you from us all.

                                                                                    Tot

P.S. My feet are swollen they both look like puffballs. It distresses Susan so yesterday she came through with the idea that if she punched a hole in my feet the air would come out. Oh! me, am afraid she might try it some time when I’m asleep.

 

Enjoy!

william

Loss of Innocence

The process of transcribing the "vernacular letters" from the huge cache of one family's correspondence dating back to the 1870's that I found in an old box at a flea market has mostly been one of reclaiming the innocence of the lost art of epistolary writing, as Janet wrote in her last comment.

The letters themselves, handwritten, often focused on mundane or prosaic details of everyday life, or on the writer or readers dependence on getting and sending letters as a way to connect, often seem like the very artifacts of innocence.

Today's letter is dated from April 1951, and is written from Houston, Texas by Rosena, and her casual approving reference to her new country club's policy of not admitting Jews, while hardly startling coming from that part of the country and that time and place, certainly jumped out at me as I was deciphering her text. There was something so throwaway about the remark, something that made it seem so utterly unremarkable for the writer to write or the reader to read in the comfortable honesty of this private correspondence, that it had an impact on me, a loss of innocence.

And of course made me question my own moral complicity, or loss of innocence, in making this old private correspondence public and airing this unflattering bit of prejudice.

                                                                                            April 27, 1951

 Dear Mother and Margie,

          We always start worrying enough to write on the same day and our letters cross. I didn’t mean to let it go so long either.

          We have had wonderful cool weather up to now and are just getting into summer cottons and shorts. I packed the blankets away twice and had to drag them out but guess they are away now till next December.

          We would love to have you both come down to visit any time you can – it will be hot as you know and we probably won’t have as much free time as we used to but this summer we belong to a lovely club with a swimming pool so maybe that would make up for the heat, etc. We hope to spend a lot of time there – weekends anyway, and we know you would enjoy that. We will doubtless have our noses to the grindstone all summer.

          Last night we had a truck stolen and last week the warehouse was broken into and robbed – it was a mess. We are so tired of all of this trouble – it will almost have to end soon because just about everything that could happen – has happened. Some days we just don’t know what to worry about first – we have such a wide choice!

          The girls are fine and so is the Little Colonel. School is out in six weeks.

          I don’t know what Chloe wants for her birthday. She is very much a little girl and likes most everything. She is doing real well in school – gets much better marks than Susan did – all B’s with a few A’s.

          Sue is going to a boy and girl party Saturday night at 7:30 and they are going to waltz. Sue says “Aren’t they going to do anything else?” She is mostly interested in baseball, hopscotch and her precious dolls right now.

          We have gone out a few times lately, mostly to the dances at the club, but we can’t seem to get our old carefree attitude back when we are supposed to be having fun. We are going to a dinner dance this coming Friday so I have been concocting a summer dance dress – white organdy skirt, black linen top. It may be real snappy. Elaine and I bought the skirts last summer on sale and I never got around to wearing mine mostly because it had to be shortened and have a full stiff half-step under it. All the stores have been having sales this week so I spent my birthday money on a beautiful big black straw cartwheel to go with my one snazzy outfit for the season – a two piece black linen dress. Now everything I have is black. But with the black skirt I’m going to wear that beautiful tucked natural linen blouse I got last summer. I also got natural linen shoes + hat so I’m all fixed in linen and then some. The rest of the time I wear shorts & go barefooted as you know.

          Have you seen Helen? Have had a letter or two from her but haven’t written.

          Ronnie just flew back from Police Dept. + found our truck had been stolen by three boys who used it to rob a grocery store of a safe containing $4,000. Police picked up the boys + our truck at 1 a.m. and we didn’t even know it had been stolen until 7 a.m. this morning so they had the thieves and truck when Ronnie called this a.m. However it has to be repaired, glass broken, etc.

         Do hope you can both come down – if you feel summer is impossible, th fall is lovely. The heat doesn’t bother me too much any more and with the pool to look forward to anytime we want to go it won’t seem quite so bad.

          We are awfully happy with our club – it is new – started about a year ago with a lovely building, beautiful pool – all new and very nice people – family club + no Jews. Our doctor and one of Ronnie’s River Oaks fraternity brothers proposed our names + we were taken in last fall shortly before “The Mess” started so we have not felt like nor had time to be out there much though there is something to do all the time. They have a fine dining room, so whenever we go out for dinner it is usually there, but we sure haven’t done much of that lately either.

          This is a long letter for me. Promised the family strawberry short cake tonight so have to do the Friday shopping early.

          I was supposed to have the week off from the office to get our summer clothes in shape, clean closets, put stuff in mothballs and I haven’t done a darn thing except get all the cottons out + pack the woolies away – took a day because it all has to be done at once – no room for both sets anyplace. I haven’t ever got my Jungle planted. I did my shopping though.

          Let us know when you are coming!

                                                                          Lots of love,

                                                                          Rosena

Her description of the club scene, her daughter's waltz parties, and the great detail in which she describes her winter and summer wardrobe for some reason evoked a mental image for me of the country club that Rock Hudson, Lauren Bacall, Robert Stack and Dorothy Maguire attend in Douglas Sirk's Texas-set 1950's masterpiece "Written on the Wind".

I wonder if those characters were given a chance to be honest in the context of that melodrama, what they would have said about allowing Jews in their club?

Of course upon further reflection, today there is so much bigotry right out in the open on proud public display that perhaps this letter and that remark seem quaint, if not innocent, after all?

What do you think?

william

 

A Simply Wonderfully Boy

It was fun to discover this letter from The Box which turns out to have been written just a few days before I was born in 1959.

In this case, the writer talks about coming of age (although whether she is sixteen or eighteen is a bit unclear to me), her "eye-popping" new sweater, and gossips about the various boys she has been dating, and about her relationship with poor Don with whom she has broken up and is still pining for her, but "has no God to believe in" which the writer believes to be at the root of all of his shiftless problems.                                                                                               

 

                                                                                           Feb. 26, 1959

                                                                                           Thursday

Dear Dantie,

I really made it. I’m finally of age - - for just about anything now, the funny thing is though, I don’t feel one bit different.

As usual you hit the nail right on the head. I can’t think of a thing this pin won’t do wonders for. It’s gorgeous. Mother says it is an awful lot like the one you gave her several years ago. Oh, I love it so much. I bet I’m still wearing it 60 years from now, its just that kind of thing. Thank you so much.

I’ll bet you think a lot of me. I was the one that was going to write so often – remember (I hope you didn’t). Things have been awfully busy around here though. The night we left you at the train I had a blind date. Boy was he darling. We went out to dinner to a real nice restaurant. By the time we had finished all the shows were closed so we went over to a girl’s house and listened to her Hi-Fi. It was really fabulous. Also during the holidays I met a simply wonderfully boy. His name is Frank S---- and he goes to San Marco Military Academy, a Baptist school in San Antonio. He took me out several times before he had to go back to school. He was just visiting a friend here in Houston during the Christmas holidays but said he would come over if he got to come back for Easter. Frank had moved from Cal. to Arabia when he was seven and lived there for the past eight years. His life had really been exciting, living in Sweden, Rome, England, Switzerland and Arabia. His parents still live there and he goes back every summer to see them for three months. One night we went to the International Club (Shamrock Hilton, I think you’ve been there) and we had a fabulous steak dinner and wonderful floor show with J.P. Morgan. Also there has been the football banquet, school dance, and dates with other boys. I have been out with Leslie too. He is really lots of fun.

Now, there is a lot to say about Don. I really hope I’m not boring you with all this. The first day back at school I wore my new ski sweater and everyone went wild over it. I’m not exaggerating either. If you could have seen some of those boys, some I hadn’t even known before complimented me on it – and Don, his eyes nearly popped out but he still didn’t speak to me. But that didn’t last too long. He has asked me out several times, the latest being last weekend but I came right out and told him NO. He called Sun. nite and talked for quite a while. I was perfectly frank with him and maybe a little too blunt but I think it might have helped. He told me that he knew that he wasn’t a very good example for anyone too follow and that he wasn’t getting much of anyplace the way he conducted himself. He is sick. He always feels tired and can’t seem to get enough energy to do anything. Like the rest of the Srs. he is just drifting along waiting for the last three months to drag by and these 12 years will be behind us. Although he calls and tells me that he realizes his many mistakes and is going to try and correct them, he will turn right around the next day and fall back into the same old ways. I have truthfull gotten over all feelings for him except those of a friend who would be willing to help him if he wanted me. Don is also a good friend I can count on.

He’s very interested in the boys I date and wants to make sure they are all of good character. He has never told me this but Paul did, and I can trust Paul. I’m sure that Don will come out of this someday, and then he will be a very fine person. His trouble point blank is that he has no God to believe in.

Now for the last boy in my life. Just six weeks ago I met Rex R-----. He sings in the choir at First Baptist Church, downtown right next to Sackowitz, and oh what a voice. Dantie it’s simply marvelous – deep, low, smoothe. His family lives in Oklahoma, he lives in an apartment here in town, works downtown and is 22. I’ve been going to Church with him every Sunday and to fellowship every evening. He is very handsome, well mannered and oh so nice. We get along just beautifully. Now I must speak of him in the past tense. Rex just got drafted! I can see that this is going to be the first of my troubles with that terrible Draft Board. Rex and I really might have gone some place, but that’s just life.

Finals came up not too long ago. I made “B” or better on all of them, of which I am very proud.

I also spent two weeks at Auntie Vada’s. It was simply wonderful. We sat around and really got to know each other. My, she’s wonderful and she thinks the world of you. Vada said you and she had known each other for a long, long, time. Teddy and Vada just left our house and she said to be sure and send her love. She was so pleased to think that you thought enough of her to come and spend a night over there.

Oddly, since the envelope and the seven neatly written and folded pages inside are all intact, the letter abruptly ends here, so we don't have the benefit of knowing the name of the author, nor the ability to connect this letter to the other correspondence and lives in the box.

Perhaps further investigation will yield clues that can lead us to make a safe guess?

Enjoy!

william

Texas Celebrates Thanksgiving

Could it possibly be true that in 1956 the state of Texas celebrated Thanksgiving a week later than the rest of the country?

So says "Tot" in her letter here to "Marge". But perhaps in jest?

                                                                                    Wed. Dec. 5 – 56

Dear Marge. Its only eight a.m. The last of the four to leave a few minutes ago was Susan. Ro and Ron left at 6:30 – Chloe about 7:30 & then in a cloud of dust. Susan. I’m a wreck every morning just keeping out of the way – till they are all gone.     Marge the weather is just beautiful here now. Up to 75 to 78 during the day. About 65 at night. All day yesterday I watched the Cowan children play around barefooted. Lois pops in a couple of times a day & she was barefooted too. Our children never are – except occasionally in the house.

Chloe and I have been making out our Christmas lists. Don’t know whether I will get down town or not – but am planning along the theory that I will. Am still quite bad off & tho the actual misplacements are corrected there are still torn and weak ligaments to heal. Well to the Christmas list which may help you. From all I hear the Nelsons think they should keep Christmas simple – at least that is the talk I hear – you & I are sure it should be so lets plan from there: I thought you and I could give Ro & Ron together a Universal Coffee-Maker. That is the percolater type which is what they want. I can get it I think here for around $15.00 – the 8-10 cup size. (They still need wastebaskets, mirrors, a card table, etc.) I use a paper bag in my room. Have not seen myself below the neck & would love a card table to write or play a game of Solitaire on.

For the girls – They have no hand mirrors – so both borrow mine which is out of my train case and sooner or later you know what will happen to it. So I think a simple mirror each with short handle would be awfully nice for them. Then they need slips – both wear regular sizes & lengths – like Ro would wear – Chloe size 32 – Sue 34. They want them pretty & lacy & either pink or white. Must be slips not half. Ro said last night to tell you to just come for Christmas & forget shopping. Jessica and Bob were here less than a week when they found an apt. They came for Thanksgiving dinner which by the way was delicious. I don’t know yet how I did it but I got everything ready the day before so we had only the turkey to roast – potatoes to cook & gravy to make. Ro & I got up at 5 o’clock to pop the bird in the oven. A 22 lb. beauty. Really never tasted such an elegant one. We had dinner about 3 o’clock after Ro had the Barbours over or cocktails at one. We were all asked there for the evening but I was completely grounded by then & had to go to bed. You know Texas celebrates Thanksgiving a week later than the rest of the nation!

Our TV is on the blink – sound but no picture – the girls say it will stay that way for a long time as Daddy never attends to anything right away. Wish he knew how much it means to me – alone day after day. Everyone goes to bed immediately after dinner. They need to. I really am concerned very much about Rosena working so hard – Ronald too. I wonder what good so many earthly & material possessions do where there is not time to enjoy anything.

So sorry you were ill after the Thanksgiving festivities. I wrote a long letter to Em a few days ago & now want to do the same to Bud. But its 3 wks. since I have written him.

Can’t you come soon Marge & be here at least 3 weeks? In fact come now for there just isn’t going to be any one to whip up a Christmas if you & I don’t. I can’t alone – unless I recover pronto. The girlies are so darling but both are doing so much in school, baby-sitting & house work that I can’t bear to have them let down.

Think I know now what Mrs. Wilcox meant when she said she didn’t want to come to Texas to be alone all winter. That isn’t my attitude at all for if I am able nothing I enjoy more that doing the things around here to make it easier for Rosena.

Must get up now & into some clothes. Am also hungry. Much love & remember me to Murphy.

                                                                                                 Tot

I really enjoy reading the voice and hearing the perspective of an older woman, the hardships of her lonely life, the sacrifices she makes for her family, and the small acts of both kindness and carelessness that make up the fabric of her daily existence.

The voices in these letters are so real and the concerns are timeless, even if buying a Universal Percolating Coffee Maker for $15.00 is not.

Enjoy!

william 

Winning The Future

Remember Felix's Bag of Tricks? A modest-sized carpet bag, but you never knew what was inside waiting to come out, be it an escalator or a lion.

The Big Box of Vernacular Letters that I bought last year at a Flea Market is starting to resemble Felix's bag - and today I found a bundle of yellowed newspaper clippings tucked underneath a trove of letters, and decided to unearth them and share them with you here.

Turns out they were all columns from this Minneapolis Tribune science writer Victor Cohn - a series he ran in the paper in 1954 exploring our technological future with that certain optimism and faith that science held the cure to all of societies ills so common to past future visions. They must have made an deep impact on our letter-writing family to have clipped and saved them all those years ago.

With all the recent talk of winning the future, let's see what Our Hopeful Future was meant to be back then.

His columns centered around the exploits of a John and Emily Future and their newborn child Timothy.

Amazing developments like Dick Tracy-style mobile wrist phones (still waiting!) were among his predictions of life-easing devices.

Robot workers may not have eased our jobs, but automation and outsourcing certainly cost us a huge swath of our manufacturing jobs in America, a not-so-hopeful present that Cohn's columns did not describe for his baby boom readership.

1999 was about as far as his future vision extended, that Y2K year that almost seems like a distant memory now in our hyper-speed contemporary times.

Hmmm. 1999. Minneapolis. I wonder if a future Purple Prince could have been influenced by Cohn's groundbreaking series?

Cohn was regarded as something of the Dean of newspaper science writers at the time of his demise in 2000, uncannily just one year after the future he had so boldly predicted.

What comes out of the Box next? Stay tuned.

Enjoy!

william

Deadly Water Moccasin

Jumping effortlessly from the 19th century in Illinois to the 1950's in Texas is one of the fun things about The Box's generation's worth of correspondence.

Here is young Susie dashing off a letter from her Father's office about her seemingly Extreme summer camp experiences.

Tuesday – Aug. 9, 1955

Dear Nani, 

I was so glad to get your letter at camp. Thank you so much for writing. I’m sorry to hear it has been so hot up there. And I know just how you feel.

I made that dress in one day that I told you about and hemed it the next. It looks real cute and I have a darling blouse to wear with it.

I’m at Daddy’s office now waiting to go downtown at 11:30 and meet some of my camp friends. Since we’ve all had such a good time together we decided that we would keep in contact with each other, and are probably going to have a wonderful time together this afternoon.

It rained qute often in the last two weeks, but since I’ve been home it has been in the 97’s. But since I go swimming quite often I don’t notice it as much.

Have you been sewing lately? I haven’t been able to lately because our machine just doesn’t work anymore. Mother hopes to get a new one this week so I can barely wait.

Sat. at camp we killed a 56 in (4 ½ ft) Water Moccasin. It was huge, and 2 in. thick in some places. It was found on top of the bed in one of the tents. We had all just come back from breakfast and Diane had gone to lie down for a few minutes and when she saw it she was so horrified that she couldn’t move. It took the counselors about ten minutes to kill it. This is the time of year when they shed their skin and can’t see very well, or he never would have come that close. There were about 8 other poisonous snakes killed but none that big. I haven’t heard from Dantie in such a long time. Is she all right? ^Please ask her to write when she gets a chance.  Chloe will probably be writing soon, everyone is just fine and happy here. Take good care of yourself and write when you get a chance.

                                                Love,

                                                Susie

Wow.

Insouciance your name is "Susie".

That is the only thing that comes to mind in this young girl's casual attitude to finding a water moccasin and eight other poisonous snakes at her summer camp.

I thought I had it tough when I was shipped off to an outdoors adventure canoeing camp in the wilds of Canada in the 1960's, but man, that was a cakewalk compared to the sound of this Texas hellhole.

What do you remember of your own summer camp experiences?

Enjoy!

william 

Who But God

I find something moving or witty or original or nostalgic in almost ALL of the letters that I have opened and transcribed from The Box so far - but this letter from Springfield, Illinois in 1883 by the letter writer Nellie to her far away brother Doug on the occasion of the death of their Aunt Jane is one of the most poignant ones so far.

"Who But God can tell which one of us will be the next to go."

Amen, sister!

1883

Springfield, Jan. 10^th

My Dear Douglas 

            A cold wind & snowstorm is raging that would do credit to Kansas. I am sitting close to the stove trying in vain to keep warm. Kate is at school. I hope she will lunch at cousin Connie’s and come home in the storm. She is pretty well now has just retured from Chicago where she passed two pleasant weeks with George’s family. They all spoke of Uncle Doug. 

            Douglas I think I wrote you before Christmas that Aunt Jane was very ill & for some weeks she has been growing weaker and after lying in a semi-conscious state for four days she passed away to a better world. Where there is neither suffering nor sorrow. She died last Thursday & on Saturday she was buried. Her funeral was largely attended & everything was well arranged. George sent some beautiful flowers. Eleven carriages were required to accommodate the relatives alone. Aunt Jane will be so much missed. Her children are heartbroken & feel that they can never be reconciled to losing their tender loving Mother. I feel so sorry for them & for Mr. Ridgely. He has his eldest daughter Mrs. Dodge with him & we hope she will stay all winter. Mrs. Bea has gone home as her husband is quite sick. Poor Aunt Nancy feels as though her last prop is removed. She will miss her kind and thoughtful sister. She & Aunt Harriet are tolerably well though they are very very sad. Aunt Nancy was much pleased with your picture, which we all like. I sent the others to you, did you get them safely? Please let me know at once.

            Nonie Mimms is still here but will return to St. Albans in a few weeks. Howard Ridgely (Kate’s youngest brother) has been home from Detroit for some time. George, their eldest brother, has been very sick & has gone South for his health. Kate Webster says you owed her a letter & she won’t write again ‘till you answer it. She saw all her friends in Chicago & was well treated by every one – Ellie included. George took her to see the celebrated Mrs. Langtry. Little Em W. is still troubled with her eyes & is unable to go to school. Doug & I have several books for you that Erin sent us, also “Green’s History of the English People” that Cousin Bernie Ridgely gave me for you. When do you wish me to send them? If you have plenty of reading matter in hand I will wait awhile.

            Aunt Jane said to me several weeks before she died that she was glad to have seen & talked with you for she might never see you again. She talked so much about Mother and of their early life together. Let us hope and pray that we may all meet in that “better land”. Who but God can tell which one of us will be the next to go. We must try to be prepared to meet death at any hour. For “in the midst of life, we are in death.” 

            Dear Doug, I wish you did not live so far off in that wild country. Do take care of your health. Are you comfortable this winter?

            Write soon to your boring sister – 10005 S. 6^th Street            

            Nellie

            Have you had a cold Winter? We have.

Is this "Kate" who Nellie mentions here as having visited New York in 1883 and was taken to see "Mrs. Langtry" (the English actress Lillie Langtry who would move to America 14 years after this letter was written and become the famous 'Jersey Lil'), the same "Kate" whose belongings were being shipped out of the Dakota by Hallie J. Hall after her passing in 1910 in the letter I posted last week?

It seems likely.

Only twenty-seven years had passed, so Kate seems to have sadly died young. Like a puzzle of a thousand pieces, the portrait of this family's life and death at the turn of the last century as revealed in these letters starts to come gradually into focus.

Enjoy!

william

 

 

 

 

 

Hattie J. Hall

The correspondence in the box so far has ranged from as far back as the 1870's all the way up to the 1960's.

Here is a letter from 1910, apparently from New York City. Although I couldn't find an envelope or postmark, the writer makes reference to the Dakota apartment building, where Rosemary's Baby was set many decades later, and where John Lennon would meet his tragic end later still.

                                                                                254 W. 78^th St.

                                                                                April 3, 1910

My dear Mr. Webster,

No doubt, Mr. Benedict has written you that we have looked over all of dear Kate’s belongings that were at the Dakota and the trunk will have reached you ere this does. I went over there last Monday evening at Mr. Benedict’s request and again the next evening and as far as I was able sorted the things that had belonged to Kate there were a good many boxes filled with lining & pieces etc that I knew you would not wish sent and those things were sent here and I will sort them here as there is no hurry about them, but the trunk I packed with such things as we thought you would care to have, in fact there were some things I should not have put in but Mr. Benedict thought best to send. I’m sure there is nothing left here that you would care to have. I hope the pictures were not broken. I had some doubts about packing them as I did but there seemed no other way. Everything that Kate had put away was done so carefully and beautifully, it seemed wicked almost to disturb them. It was the first time I had been in the Dakota since last Spring and I missed those that had gone more then I can tell you. How the weeks and months fly by though. It will soon be time for us all to go away for the summer and no doubt you will be glad to get to Green Lake – it is a great rest to one’s mind to know just where they are going instead of finding a different place each year. We have no place as yet and it is quite a difficult question, more so each year. Hoping you are quite well and with love to you and yours,

                                                                                    Sincerely,

                                                                                    Hattie J. Hall

I hard a bit of a hard time deciphering the handwriting on this one, and also deciphering the relationship between the writer and the recipient and the nature of the event she describes. In the end, I came to read it as a very sad letter in which the writer has had the job or taken the personal responsibility of going to this abandoned lifeless apartment in the Dakota to pack up the belongings of a close relative of the recipient, a Mr. Webster.

Was "Kate" his wife? His daughter? Has she died or only "moved on"? There is something mournful about "I missed those that had gone more than I can tell you", but because it is a plural reference perhaps it is just a family that has moved away and left behind their possessions to be shipped to them later?

What is your interpretation of Hattie J. Hall's slightly enigmatic letter? 

Enjoy!

william

 

Affectionate Sister Nell

Continuing our correspondence from the 19th century, today's post features a vernacular letter from sister Nell dated July 17th, 1878, writing to "my dear Douglas" (proving reader Maiz's guess about the identity of "Uncle Doug" in a previous post from his Parisian nephew to be correct) and continuing to round out the many branches of this diverse family tree!

New York July 17^th, 1878

My Dear Douglas

                        I ought to have written you before this, for your letters are so rare that I like to reply to them immediately. Will not neglect you again. Trust you are well & happy & that you will write me as often as you can for our thoughts are with you very often. I believe in my last letter I wrote you that Ned Lincoln’s father was very ill. He died on the 6^th of June, was buried from Boston a week later. I went with the children to South Egremont, Mass. where they usually spend the summer – a charming place among the Berkshire Hills. I enjoyed myself there very much. The children behaved very well & we had some pleasant walks & drives. I remained three weeks, when their Aunt Josie Lathrop joined them I returned to No. 55 W. 37^th Street a week since and shall remain here until the 6^th or 8^th of August when we look for the Lincoln’s return from Europe.

                        Kate has been with father on 14^th St. for once a week so I haven’t seen her often. She & Em started today for (Dighton?) to be absent two weeks. She – (Kate) – will return to Ills. about the first of September. She looks well & seems cheerful.  Had a delightful visit in Detroit where she received a great deal of attention. Kate passed a few days with George at Plainfield & will visit them again when she returns from D. We have had a fortnight of very hot weather, but it is now cool & comfortable. I read that the heat has been intense in St. Louis & other western cities may be dying of sunstroke. You must be very careful not to expose your self, aren’t you most ready to quit your Robinson Crusoe life and return to civilization? You are getting to be a regular hermit. Our relatives here are as well. Father as usual has Kate and I spent Monday in Elizabeth with Mr. & Mrs. Smith all well & apparently happy. They inquired for you. Aunt Nancy you know has been to (Gayette?) & made a pleasant visit. She seems to be recovering her youth. Did I tell you that our friend George (Hinton?) was traveling in Europe. He is such a fine young man.

                        I am quite alone in the house with the two girls but amuse myself with sewing reading visiting and do not feel at all afraid. In three weeks we expect Mr. L will be here after that I may take a little trip to Norwich, Conn. Whre Mrs. Earl & Fanny are keeping house. Perhaps until you hear from me again you had better direct to father’s address 239 W. 14^th St. I will however keep you informed as to my whereabouts. Hoping that you are well & prosperous and that you will write very soon.

                                                                        Always your

                                                                                    Affectionate sister

                                                                                                Nell 

To put things in perspective, 1878 is the year that Thomas Edison first patented the phonograph, Jack Johnson, the first black heavyweight boxing champion, was born and Gilbert and Sullivan's "HMS Pinafore" had its premiere in London. It is interesting to consider Nell's somewhat prosaic letter to her brother in this context, an almost pre-mass-entertainment age of quieter pleasures.

Enjoy!

william