Category: Chapters

Aug 24, 1933-from Martha to James

Aug 24, 1933-from Martha to James

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Dear James,

The sun is shining again outside but we aren’t feeling so good ourselves. John complained about stomach ache and headache last night so I gave him a dose of castor oil and in the middle of the night he screamed out so loud it frightened me and when I got the lamp lit he said, “That darned castor oil is working”, and he has been busy ever since. It has been cold and damp the last two days and I think we all have a little cold. I wish we had some oranges or lemons or dried fruit or something like that. I can’t get to town to buy anything and I am running short of money too.

And now I want to tell you something. Don’t buy any more bargains from your grocer. The cornmeal is wormy and the yeast cakes are spoiled and I don’t like the flour. If he offers you anything more cheap or offers you anything free, don’t take it. You run a risk from eating spoiled food whether it is fruit or flour. I’m going to be doubly careful that what I buy is good and also clean. There will be a lot of old stuff dumped on the market now and sold real cheap but just forget about it. The best is the cheapest in the long run.

Mitzi is feeling much better today. She uses the hurt leg some in walking so she’ll be all right. She is shedding something terrible. We had some nice showers yesterday and last night.

Love from, Martha

Aug 23, 1933-from Martha to James

Aug 23, 1933-from Martha to James

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Dear James,

We were glad to get your letters Monday and the package came yesterday just in time for your clothes to get in the wash. Last night we had a nice little shower and it looks like showers all day today. It will be a blessing if it does rain as everything is terribly dry. The vines are still green tho’ and the tomatoes are growing good, but so many of them get a big rotten spot on the bottom just as they get ready to ripen. It is good that I set out so many plants, just a few would have yielded nothing. I found 2 small ripe ones yesterday and gave them to the children. I found the library card and am sending it along.

I haven’t seen any plowing yet but the corn is all cut and nearly every one is thru threshing and silo filling. They’ll probably get out after the rain. I’ll send you your clothes tomorrow. We won’t go to town this week as I have all the supplies we really need but am sending you a little list. How would you like to have us drive down and get you and we could take a few things back with us? We would come right back and you could drive all the way home. School starts here on the 5th of September and we’d have to come down before that as I don’t want the children to miss a single day if things go right. They can start here anyway and if we decide that it is best to move back to Minneapolis later it will be all right.

We are all well. Let us know about the fishing trip.

Lots of love from us all, Martha, Ruth and John

Aug 23, 1933-from James to John

Aug 23, 1933-from James to John

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My Dear Johnnie boy,

I received your nice card this morning and I was sure glad to get it. I did send you some nails but will send you some of the smaller ones so you can make your moving picture machine. I am glad you are getting along fine. Gee but I was sorry to hear that Mitzi had been hurt and hope she gets over it soon. Be sure to write and tell me how she is, and tell me what you are making and doing.

Well now I will tell you about my fishing trip yesterday. I had the alarm clock set for 5:30 and got up as soon as it rang, and started making pancakes and before we were thru breakfast Manley Anderson came up to get us. Pashmeyer and Wallstrom were with him. Well we went up the river where we caught so many the other day but the day was real cloudy and the bass were not biting good, altogether we got 27 Red Horse, 3 suckers and 30 bass. I only caught 2 bass and 2 suckers and I don’t know how many red horse I got, only I caught more than any one of the others and one of the suckers I caught weighed 4 pounds it was the biggest fish that was caught. I had about 15 or 20 of the fish strung on a chain and fastened to my belt, and once when I was walking over to another place in the river the chain got loose and started floating down the river. I had to jump to catch them and I got the sleeve of my jacket all wet reaching in after them.

I got home at twelve thirty and then went down and chiseled 4 hours work. I got thru a little after 8 o’clock and I am marked off again today.

How does your new jackknife work? Is it still sharp? Mamma told me that you had cut your fingers a couple of times. You must be more careful and keep your fingers back of the blade when you are cutting. You must help keep the wood box full for mamma for you know that is what Daddy does when he is home and now it’s up to you to take my place till I get there. Gee John, I wish I was up there now with you. I bet we would have lots of fun together. I am going to try to get up soon though and visit you folks. Well I hope I get another letter from you soon. Lots of love from Daddy

Aug 23, 1933-from James to Martha

Aug 23, 1933-from James to Martha

Posted on by ddadministrator

My dear little sweetheart,

I just read your Aug. 21st letter over for the third time. I sure am getting lonesome for you and the children. I have just finished a letter to John. I was mighty glad to get his card this morning, tell him that Daddy would like to hear from him a little oftener, and I enjoy Ruth’s letters a lot and hope she keeps them coming. I think (as John says it) that they are both doing just “swell” in their writing and spelling, but I bet a nickel against a cookie that he said, “Ma, how do you spell machine” yesterday morning. Who wins? I am alone here today. Jack has gone to his sister’s. I fixed myself a nice dinner. Yesterday, it was catch as catch can all day but this morning we did not get up till 10 AM so I did yesterday’s dishes while Jack fried fish, we ate 4 apiece and called it a meal. We then did the housework. I washed dishes again, washed the icebox inside and out and put a clean paper on top, and Jack tended the beds, swept the floor, emptied the icebox pan so everything is in order today. I started to tell about dinner but got off the track. I had boiled potatoes, peas in milk, peaches and cream, 2 little chocolate cupcakes, bread butter and coffee. I had dinner between John’s letter and yours. It is now 4:30 PM. It’s still cloudy but no rain.

Say Martha, the N.R.A. [National Recovery Administration] has caused more hard feelings between the regulars and the extra boys since they had the strike. I am just keeping mum now and hoping for the best. The regulars seem to think they should have it all (that is some of them), the ones that used to steal the good pullouts away from us a few years back. And us extras think we should have enough to live on. We have not heard anything official yet but ought to soon if they are to be under the code on September 1st.

How is the car working? Have the tires checked once in a while and if you have not had it done I believe you should have some more water put in the battery. I do not have the library card. I guess it’s in one of the 2 books on how to make things. I am glad our crop is as good as the rest of the neighbors, and if Rood is ready to plant and wants to put in the place the same as this year tell him he can have it. For he used good judgment on it this year and it will be the first year we have got anything out of it since we had it, And you can see him right away so he can get the rye in early.

I believe I’ll wait till payday to get the cloth and knife for you but I will send you $2.00 in this letter so if you want to get things for over Sunday you can buy them.

Say I must have sent all three of my undershirts up there for when I went to get one I couldn’t find any. Please take it easy and have the children help with the work. My how I wish I could take you in my arms right now and hug you tight. Will you give each of the youngsters a good night hug and several kisses for me. And I wish you a nice kiss on each cheek. Love from Daddy Jim

Aug 20, 1933-from James to Martha

Aug 20, 1933-from James to Martha

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My Dear Peggy Girl,

How I wish I could be up there with you folks today. Jack and I are both going to work night runs. Mine is driving on Selby, and I suppose we will be off again tomorrow. If we are, we’re going fishing. We would go wild staying shut up in this room and as it don’t cost anything except a little gasoline we are better off out in the country.

Last night when I got home Jack had a big dish of macaroni, crackers and cheese baked for supper and we had sliced tomatoes for desert. It all tasted good as I had my dinner at about 11 o’clock and supper at 7:15. We had Wheaties and toast for breakfast today and the rest of the macaroni for dinner. I have got Jack to let his mustache grow and it’s about a week old now and it looks good. He says it’s the first time he has ever wore one. I bought a Sunday Tribune today and will send it along with my clothes tomorrow. My razor works just fine since it was fixed.

Say if you can find a couple of mouse traps handy send them in the next package for we have a mouse here, he got in the closet and the day-bed. I cannot find any place where he did any damage but he left his mark.

It’s cloudy here this afternoon and I hope we get rain as it’s awfully dry. Fred said they could hardly plow out at his brother’s place. They put new blades on the plow and are using 6 horses on the gang in order to turn it over. Have you seen much plowing done up there? I believe we should rent the place back to Mr. Rood if we can and get it plowed this fall so we can get a better start on next year. What do you think about it? And If I get up soon I want to see about the garden and berry bushes.

Well I guess this is about all the news. Have the children write. So wishing you all lots of love I will close, Daddy

I am mailing this at the main P.O. at 4:30 PM on Sunday.

Aug 20, 1933-from Martha to James

Aug 20, 1933-from Martha to James

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Dear James,

Your letter came Saturday and we were so glad to get it. First of all we’ll tell you that Mitzi is better but can only hobble on three legs and is in much pain when she moves. I sat out in the yard reading all afternoon Sun., and she lay at my feet. We gave her 2 doses of castor oil, one Sat. night and one Sun. morning and she had 4 good movements and felt much better afterwards. I remembered what you said when she was hurt before and watched out for that in particular. Her leg isn’t broken but is badly bruised and one hip and side, although no skin was broken. I hope it cures her of chasing cars.

I bought a crate of peaches Sat. and shall can them today. They cost a dollar and aren’t extra good but I decided not to wait. I also bought some sugar and a piece of bacon and some cloth for petticoats for Ruth so I have just a dollar bill left but that will do until payday.

Most of the threshing is done and they are cutting corn. If it rains some more and the millet gets it’s growth we’ll have as good a crop as anybody around here, and I think you can sell it for a good price.

I need some cloth to make bloomers for Ruth. I’d like sateen in a flesh or tea rose color, about 5 yards. You may be able to get it for 20 cents a yard. John would like to make a pushmobile. He wants to know if he can use the wagon wheels, and they need nails and John would like a yard of canvas. He’d pay for it himself. Will you get me another paring knife? John lost mine and gave me a dime to buy another but I couldn’t get a good one for that.

I made 2 pints of the rhubarb conserve. It is pretty rich but will taste good “when the snow flies”. Let us know how and when you are coming. Could we meet you at Wadena and do some trading there? The road from there to P.R. is very good. I must get at the canning.

Lots of love until we see you, Martha and the children.

Aug 19, 1933-from James to Ruth

Aug 19, 1933-from James to Ruth

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My Dear Little Ruth

I have received several nice letters from you so I guess I had better get busy and answer them. Now I guess I will tell you what I am going to have for dinner and see if you don’t think it sounds good – boiled potatoes, beef steak, bread and butter, coffee, doughnuts and watermelon. The watermelon is one that got cracked and the storekeeper gave it to us and I wish you folks were here to help eat it. Say Ruth, I want you to get that brother of yours by the neck and tell him to write to his Daddy. He is a regular old slow poke when it comes to writing don’t you think so?

Uncle Bill got hurt yesterday while working. An auto with two drunk people ran into the back of his streetcar and when he got out to get their names they ran into him getting away. He called up the police and gave the license number and it was not long till they were caught and arrested. Uncle Bill was bruised up some but not hurt bad — only his feelings.

I am working a 2-piece day run today, I went to work this morning at 6:50 and worked till 9 o’clock and I go again at 12:35 and get thru at 6:35. Don’t forget to tell me what things you make from the drawings in the Girl Scout book. Have you picked any hazelnuts yet? Remember I would like a little box of them as soon as they are ripe. Well Ruth, I hope I get a nice long letter from you about Tuesday so by-by till next time with love from Daddy

Aug 19, 1933-from Martha to James

Aug 19, 1933-from Martha to James

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Dear James,

We were glad to get your letter and hear about your fishing trip. I wish we could have helped you eat them. I believe we’ll have a try at it before school starts. We’ve had some excitement here too. Mitzi got run over yesterday morning, on the way home with the milk. She had jerked the rope out of John’s hand or else the rope came untied and she got in the way of the car. Her hind legs are bruised but no bones broken that I can see. She can barely drag herself around and whined and whimpered all night. Her appetite is good but I guess I’ll have to get some castor oil.

Mr. Rood and Mr. Jenson hauled in 2 loads of sudan grass yesterday and stacked it at the end of the other stack. The millet is growing good since the rain. Our share of the thresh bill was $1.01 and I paid it. There were 101 bushels of oats at 3 cents per bushel. Mr. Rood wants to know if he should put in the crop next year. He’d like to put in rye on the big square field and oats on the south 18 acres where they did the best this year. He has the oats in his granary but I believe I’d either sell them or store them here somewhere so he won’t have the responsibility of them.

I got up before 6 this morning and have bread set. We want to go to town this afternoon and I think I’ll get some peaches and grapes. We picked most of the corn and I am drying it. It has been real cool and there was frost in some places night before last so they say.

I hope when you write again you’ll have better news of the N.R.A. [National Recovery Administration] We are all well but get on each other’s nerves. This uncertainty about everything is hard to bear. Here is a recipe I think you’ll like. Try it with apple sauce for desert.

Sour Cream Gingerbread

2 eggs
&frac12 cup white sugar
ΒΌ cup molasses
Three fourth’s cup sour cream
&frac14 teaspoon soda
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Beat together eggs, sugar, molasses. Add half of the cream. Dissolve the soda in the remaining half and add to liquids. Sift dry ingredients. Combine mixtures and beat until smooth. Bake 30 minutes in a moderate oven.

Well James, I wish I knew when I was going to see you again. Until we do lots of love from us all, Martha, Ruth and John

Aug 18, 1933-from James to Martha

Aug 18, 1933-from James to Martha

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Dear Martha, Ruth and John,

I just got another nice letter so will answer right away. I am always glad to get them. I am well but I did not tell you that I sun-burned a strip about 8 inches wide around each leg the other day when I was fishing. They were pretty sore yesterday but are better today. Next time I am wearing my overalls instead of a bathing suit. We ate the last of the fish for dinner today they were sure good. I hope I can take you folks fishing soon. Say seeing the work is so slack, I think I’ll come up before long instead of your coming down as I want to see about disposing of the grain and hay and look things over. The railroads have cut the fare till it’s about the same as the buses and I can have lots more time up there by using the train. The train leaves here about 10:30 PM and gets to P.R. at 5:38 AM and leaves there at 2:39 PM and gets here a little after nine so it would give me nearly 2 days more time that way.

I’ll send the postcards soon and let me know the length of the collar Mitzi has now and I’ll see what I can get her. You had me puzzled about the new cream. I thought you meant the kind you use in coffee until it dawned on me that it was face cream. I am glad that it’s good and that you like it. The druggist said it was a good seller.

Jack and I were both marked off again today but he was on the official chisel list so he has gone down to try his luck and as he has done all the cooking the last few days I cleaned the room while he was out . Everything is ship-shape again. While I was writing this my box of clean clothes-arrived.

I stopped and took a bath and I was already shaved and now I am dressed in my clean clothes and feel fine. I got my razor back yesterday and it looks just like new and cuts good. It cost 75 cents to have it fixed up

Say, I forgot and sent my Library card so before you forget it stick it in your next letter so I can return these books and get another supply. I am sending a little card I got telling about the Library being closed so I want to get more books right away, I am glad you folks are getting the rains. We have had but the one little shower and it hardly laid the dust. Thanks lots for the nice clean clothes and I think I will send a package tomorrow so you rill get it on Monday.

Well I seem to be running out of news except I am awfully lonesome without all of you and I hope I can see you soon, I hope this finds you all well and happy so lots of love to each of you and a nice big hug and kiss.

From Daddy Jim

P.S. Say hello to Mitzi from me.