Dear Daddy – The Farm Letters

My Dear Martha,

I am sorry you got the scare with the car but hope none of you were hurt. You did the right thing by letting it back into the ditch instead of going down hill so just be careful. Gee I want to thank all of you for the nice presents. The shirt is just fine and I like the make of it. Say Mamma I wish I could just take you in my arms and hug and kiss you till you would think I’d never stop, I sure miss you a lot.

I have sure put in time for the last 4 days, I will have in over 40 hours by the time I get thru tonight but I am a long way behind on sleep. It’s terribly hot, yesterday it was 97 and today it seems worse. The new time card went into effect this morning and 30 men were marked off and unless something turns up that we don’t know about it means we will be off every other day. It’s a fright. All the new extra men were marked off on their first day on the list. There are conductors with 18 year’s right on the extra list.

My I hope we get rain so the garden and crops will be good for we are sure going to need it. Well sweetheart I hope to see you soon. Lots of love from Jim.

(Post card to James from sister, Esther, June 1933)

Dear James,

We met the Linsley and Abel families at Cannon Falls yesterday. Mother is coming back to the clinic next time we go down which will be about July 2nd. She has a large bunch in her chest which we suppose is serious. She noticed it about 2 weeks after she went home from here but kept it to herself until a day or so ago. If it is cancer do you think we should let the Dr. tell her so or have them call it something else? I go back to the clinic today. My face is much better. Phyllis walks alone with her crutches and is doing better each day. Tom Robinson is very sick. Are you going down for the reunion?

Esther

Dear Martha Ruth and John

Well folks I am sending you a package today. Please make a short-cake for that is what we are having for dinner. The berries are home grown and cost 14 cents a quart. Walter Edmond was here and we bought 2 doz. eggs from him and he gave us a nice bunch of rhubarb, the red kind.

Its nice here today, sun shining and not too warm. How are the small cats getting along ? Has Mitzi seen them yet? I wish I knew what to do about vacation but I will just have to wait and see how things turn out. There are new time cards on all lines except Franklin and they go into effect Monday so next week will tell the tale.

There don’t seem to be any news today. Hope this finds you all well. Lots of love from Daddy. Write often.

My Dear- Martha and children,

You will be thinking that-I have forgotten you but I have not. I have been on the go night and day. I have been having a streak of good luck, 6 to 12 hours every day but it’s long drawn out. Until last night I’ve had 4 hrs sleep at a time and they were far apart but I was getting while the getting was good. I am well but I got quite a pinch on a controller [lever that controls speed] yesterday, made a big blood blister on my hand and cut it open at the same time. Its better today.

I have a lot of news this time. Thursday night we had a big fire, a big elevator on Snelling Ave, west of the place here caught fire and burned clear to the ground it caught about 8 o’clock and we were up till midnight. The house here caught fire from the sparks and the firemen had to go up on the roof and put it out and the garage here was on fire several times and all the places around here had men on the roof to keep them from burning. The elevator was still smoking Sat. morning. Some more news, Bill’s folks have moved out on a 40 acre farm 5 miles out in the direction of Anoka.

Sat. was a tough day for Lake St. Station, we had 3 street cars smashed by skidding into stuff. Bennetti was driving one of them and smashed into an interurban bus at Washington Square and it in turn hit another street car. No one was hurt but himself and he got his hand cut by the broken glass. Art Hoglund ran into a truck and so did the other fellow by the name of Carlson. All 3 street cars had the whole front end caved in. I drove the sand car that day for the first time. The hot weather has fried the tar out of the paving and the autos carry it onto our tracks and makes them awfully slippery. I don’t know if I told you or not but Gould ( # 1906) ran into an ash truck a few days ago and tipped it over on Lake St. So far I have missed them but I have had some darned close calls (I am rapping on wood now).

I am conning [being conductor] a night run tonight, worked 2 runs yesterday. I went to St. Paul this morning and paid the insurance $83.73, thats a lot of money. Our check was $59.38 before EMBA [Employee Mutual Benefits Association] was taken out. I have just figured up my time now counting tonight and I have $46.50 earned and 3 days to go. I have put in over 48hrs in the last 4 days and that is the reason for not getting around to write. I’ll write often again now. I got the box you sent on Sat., and I thank you all for the candy. I took some of it along on my night run for lunch. The books you can keep a month. I’m glad you like them and I’ll send some more later.

I have bought some stuff to kill ants, its supposed to kill them in their nests. You put it in the little caps and they carry it home and feed it to the others and it cleans out the whole works but they say it will take a few days before you will notice they’re gone.

I had a letter from Ma I was going to send but I must have left it in my locker at the carbarn so I’ll send it later. I have a Tribune with an account of the fire and pictures of it that I am saving for you.

Have you put any oil in the car? If not you had better have a quart of medium heavy put in.

Well sweetheart I will try to write again tomorrow so by-by with lots of love to all, Jim

My Dear Martha Ruth and John

This will be a company letter again. Oh but it is hot here. Yesterday I almost cooked. I only got one run and it was so hot I was glad of it. I am marked off today but I am at the Station now and Gil says there are 3 runs open so I am sure to work, and I am first up for a run tomorrow so that will be a day run. Say folks I am sure proud of Mitzi. I don’t think we could have got a nicer pup, and if you praise her each time she does something good she will remember it and know what to do next time. I would like to have seen her push John over in his bed. I bet he was surprised.

How are you getting along with the cultivator? Does the ground still work as nice as it did when we planted the stuff? Tell me how high the different things are as I like to know how its growing.

Jack and I sit around every day and wish we could be with our families, its so much nicer than in the dirty noisy city. Don’t forget to send the bank card as I got the 2nd notice about the life insurance today and June 12th is the last day to pay it.

Say, John and Ruth, I wish we could fix you a shower bath and I think I can when I come, for they are sure fun. I take one often at the Station for they furnish towels, soap and everything. Are there any birds’ nest around the house that you know about? Do you ever see the little chickadees? How about the little squirrel under the well platform? do you still see her. I am sending you a little book on wild flowers that I bought and 3 story books. I think John will like the one about White Beaver. Say folks you are going to have a time to answering all my questions. I could not find anything about rustic furniture at the branch library but maybe they have something at the Main one. I inquired about the book “Track’s End” at Dayton’s and in Powers. It will cost $1.75 new so I will keep looking in the second hand store a while longer.

The soap I am sending was 10 bars for 15 cents. I kept 2 so if its no good let me know. It seemed to be all right for me except its soft and won’t go so far.

Well I hope I get a nice long letter from each of you tomorrow so by by and lots of love, Daddy

Dear Martha and Children,

Well folks, during the day I have jotted down the things I wanted to write to you about. First I want you youngsters to know that I am mighty proud of the way you are improving in your writing and spelling, just keep up the good work. Second, mamma, there is 1/2 acre in the garden patch. Third, did the hollyhocks along the house come on again or is it some others you have? Fourth, I have earned a little over $58.00 for our June 12th check which I think is good. I am glad you got me the shirt.

Oh say there was no extra charge for the license so that saves us something. You had better have them put on right away as the time is about up on the old ones. Did you get the new inner tube yet? I am glad you got a new pair of oxfords. How are the children’s shoes?

And now some news that is not so good, they are pulling 8 runs off of Selby about June 15th and Emerson went 100% one-man this morning so I am still going down the list. We will be layed off oftener now with 16 more men on our list.

I am going to St. Paul soon to see what the chances are for getting a Federal loan enough bigger than the one we have so we can get started with the building, for I think this job is almost done.

Well folks I must close and take this down and mail it so you will get it tomorrow. Lots of love to you all and I hope I’ll see you soon. Daddy