Dear Daddy,
how are you I sure like that swell Jack knife you sent me. now I’ve got a quarter and twelve cents to put in my pocket book not counting my new quarter.
gee but I like the raincoat well goodby, John
Month: September 1932
Sep 11, 1932-from Martha to James
Dear James,,
It is Sunday afternoon again. It is raining, started about an hour ago. There was one flash of lightning and a crash of thunder that made us all jump it sounded so close. We wished you were here to eat dinner with us. We had mashed potatoes, creamed cabbage, baked beans and apricot pie.
The children look so nice in their new raincoats. I gave the old boots and overcoat to Darold. He was stung between the eyes by a bee and both eyes swelled shut so he missed the second day of school. The children don’t mind the walk at all but are ready to tumble in early. We need a lamp. It starts to get dark at 7 O’clock. I cooked some of the beets for greens and they tasted real good.
The man who bought out Jenson’s son is from North Dakota. The church on the map is Norwegian Lutheran and every other Sunday the service is Norwegian. They have Sunday school at 9 A.M. and the church is 4 miles away but with the Park Rapids road torn up we can hardly walk it.
It is easier having the dry wood even if we do have to saw a piece off most of it. A half hour’s work gets enough for a day. John is calling for food so I guess I’ll have to get lunch. The County fair is at Nevis for 3 days beginning tomorrow.
Goodby until we see you, lots of love,
Martha
Sep 11, 1932-from Ruth to James
Dear Daddy,
Thanks for the Scizers a lot. Will you please try to find some bigger lunch pails? We have to use honey pails and they are too small all we can get in um is 4 half- sandwiches and some sauce, a spoon I cooky and some crakers and a napkin. Thanks a heap for the raincoat it fits just swell. yesterday when John and I were going to get some oak leaves John dumped over the table he was trying to move and then insted of doing what we were we made a tent out of it. then we started to play explorer and used it as a house and the board you put across endwise was a shelf. then Mother gave us some crakers and some grapes then we got some sand and began making cakes and things then in the afternoon we had to get cleaned up so we couldn’t play any more that day.
Then today we began hauling in more and more sand and finaly we used it for a sand box and then we began to make caves and tunuls and then we began to make mountains and we’d have to make roads thru em and then they’d bust or we’d bust em and have to make em all over agaln. and then it began to rain and we had to go in the house. then we put on our raincoats to try’em out and I think we’ll have to wear ’em to school tomorrow cause it looks like it’s gona rain all night. Friday when we were coming home from school a little kitty followed us home. Tom and him play together and have lots of fun. I have 87 cents counting my new quarter and I’m going to earn more hauling wood.
well this is all your loving daughter Ruth Linsley
Sep 9, 1932-from Martha to James
Dear James,
I’m writing this tonight as I am always rushed in the morning. Ruth is so pleased with her raincoat, it is such a pretty color. John says to always get “rough rider” pants. He can tell you lots of good things about them. He was tickled with your letter. They were both pleased with their surprises.
We had bad luck with our meat and cheese. I put them out in the cooler with 2 lbs. of butter wrapped in a package, and put a heavy stone and a heavy piece of wood on the cover. In the night I heard a noise like somebody dragging something. I got up, lit the lantern and went outside. The cover was off the cooler and the meat, cheese and butter were gone. I looked around and found the wrappings of the meat and the next morning we found the cheese wrapper in the road, but we found no trace of the butter. I think it must have been a big dog or maybe two of them and I spoke to Jenson about it because their dogs are up here often hunting in the woods.
The children like their school and teacher and don’t mind the walk. They have finished grading the road a little past the schoolhouse and the walking is not so bad. We need bigger lunch pails.
The wind is blowing thru the pines and it will be a grand night to sleep. See if you can bring the table when you come. It is 9:30 and the children are sound asleep as I hope to be soon so, good night with lots of love,
Martha
Sep 7, 1932-from James to John
My dear John,
Well John I got your letter asking for the things to make a sling shot and I will try and send them with the next box. Did you like the surprize in the last box I sent? Be careful and not lose it.
I am getting to be a pretty good pancake baker. I mix the flour, salt and soda at night and then in the morning all I have to do is put in the sour milk and egg and the pancake griddle I have on the stove. Tell Mamma I use the putty knife as a pancake turner along with it’s other uses. I made some apple sauce today and it tasted real good. For dinner I had boiled potatoes, boiled eggs bread and butter and lots of apple sauce.
I was the first one on the chiseler’s list [men who went to the station hoping to find a little extra work] this morning and I was at the barn at 4:50 A.M. and I got a day run out of it and I am marked up for a day run tomorrow. I have had 3 runs in 4 days and the other day I got in 6 hours so this week has been good on account of the State Fair.
Say John I pretty near got you a pup today it was a little brown and white one with the big ears. I don’t know whether it was a setter or a spaniel but it was awfully pretty. One of the streetcar men had two of the pups down at the car barn and they both wet on the floor.
You have all forgot to tell me if you get the Sunday Tribune thru the mail. You should have got it last Sunday and the Sunday before that.
I left my uniform at the tailor’s to be cleaned and I expect to get it back tomorrow. How do you like your new school? I bet it is just fine. When I come up you must take me to school with you because it has been a long time since Daddy has been in a country school. What is your teacher’s name?
Well Johnny I have been up since 4 0′ clock this morning and it’s nearly 9 now so will close. Tell Mamma and Ruth I will write to them later.
Love to you all from Daddy
Sep 6, 1932-from Martha to James
Dear James,
I just got back from taking the children to school. It is pretty quiet and lonesome here. It takes a half hour to walk over. Darold stopped and walked with us. I got up at 6:30, started the fire and called the children at 7. Then we had to pack lunches and have breakfast and collect pencils and tablets. It is cool now and Ruth needs some light weight undershirts. I got out John’s underwear for him this morning. I’d like a gallon pail for the milk too. The children stop at Jensen’s and get it on their way home but glass bottles are hard to carry when they have their lunch kits and school things too.
Are you back on the extra list? The Fair must be going on this week too. Jensens have all their corn shocked and expect to thresh soon. The married son with 3 children (his name is Dooley) moved to Hubbard last Sunday. Wagons and hayracks and truck loads went by here. All the neighbors helped him.
Most of the wood Jenson brought over is a little too long for our stove but we fixed the sawbuck so we can saw a small piece off each stick and it makes a nice hot fire. They are grading the road to Park Rapids and have filled in the low place by the swamp. There are deep ditches on each side and it is hard walking. There are 15 children in the school. I’ll tell you more about them when I get to know them better.
Mr. Jenson brought us a nice pike yesterday. It was still alive but with all hands helping we soon had him ready for the pan. I’ll have to stop as I hear the mailman.
Love from us all,
Martha
Sep 3, 1932-from Ruth to James
Dear Daddy,
How are you I am fine. John is going to make a sling shot for me. And will you please send me a bottle of glue for 10 cents? Yesterday for dinner we had custard pie and it sure was good. last night John and me made a little nest out of dried grass Mamma raked it up and John and me hauled it away. A few days ago John and me made a doll table and my little yellow chair just goes with it.
Well this all so long
From Ruth
Sep 3, 1932-from John to James
Dear Daddy,
Will you please send me a piece of leather about 2 inches long shaped like this
with 2 holes in it shaped like this and a piece of rubber a half an inch wide and twelve inches long.
Goodby now, John
Sep 3, 1932-from Martha to James
Dear James,
We received another letter yesterday and the packages have come thru just fine. Am glad you are doing well with the driving. John’s raincoat fits well and is he proud of it. Ruth will need size 12. The shoes are O.K.
I am baking bread today. If you will send things in small paste board boxes I can send you cookies and such when I send the laundry. I’ve been cleaning up the yard and have burned a lot of rubbish. I found the big shears, just a little rusty. I am saving all the grass, it is full of leaves and will be nice for the garden. The hollyhocks are up and the children counted 23 ears of corn. Jenson’s have cut and shocked most of their corn and hauled the rest home. We dug some more potatoes. Mr. Jenson Sr. helped us and we got some fair sized ones. He told John to use the sharp edge of the hoe but John told him his Daddy had showed him the right way to do it.
The children made a harness out of a piece of wood and some clothes line and hauled the grass and leaves away. They took turns being the horse, whose name is Bessie, and the other one gets a nice ride on the hay. They are building a little house out of the dried grass now. It’s beginning to rain and I must gather in more wood. Will write more later. Send some ham and cheese and waxed paper for lunches.
Love, Martha
Sep 1, 1932-from John to James
Dear Daddy,
I am writing this letter with the pencil you sent me. I sure do like it. and that necktie you sent me sure is swell. boy but I have fun playing with my paper dolls. we liked that candy you sent. the mailman is coming so goodby.
love from John