I’m insanely busy this week, so I’m cheating and using someone else’s words. You’ll like it, though. Our guest writer is anonymous, for reasons that will become apparent.
The following photos are of a letter that I found in This Old House, which was first finished in 1909. It had slipped into a crack in the floorboards of our attic. I discovered it in 1992, eighty years after it was written, and re-discovered it while going through papers for the move.
It’s now been ninety-nine years since the author penned this fascinating note.
I trust that any of you who are parents or who went away from home for school will notice that some things seem hardly to change in nearly one hundred years.
Happy reading!
Feb. 16, 1912
Dear Dad,
Your ever welcome letter of the 11th at hand and carefully read over about fifteen times. I fail to see what you are driving at.
You say that you have paid up my tuition, and all; and that the $100.00 that I paid will be returned, and that I am not to recieve (sic) another cent until I reach home. Now something must be wrong somewhere for after I have subtracted my allowance for March, April, May, and June at $8.00 a month that it will not leave me $75.00 for carfare home and besides I will have to have some traveling expense. You needn’t think that I am going to come home 2nd class for I have no relish of getting into a car full of squaking (sic) babies, where you can’t sleep a wink. When you travel you go 1st class, and I don’t see why I shouldn’t. All the cars will be full going west in the summer which will make it just so much worse traveling in a Tourist.
Now I know that if you look over that report card again you will notice that I recieved (sic) 81 in English, 97 in Algebra, 80 in History, 75 in Grammar, and 100 in Deportment. Adding that up and dividing by 5 you will get 86 3/5 which is a better average than the month before so you have only a little kick comming (sic) there and that is in History and Grammar and not very much there for I am coming up in Grammar, and English. They are my hardest subjects. Deportment is counted very much. For we are marked for every little thing we do. I got caught wresteling (sic) in the hall of the Dormitory so will get only 90 some this month instead of a 100.
I did not mean to copy over that statement wrong but I had forgotten what date the last statement had been up to.
It has been melting here lately and nearly all the snow is (illegible). I went on a tramp Sunday and (illegible) Tonsilitis now. Although not (illegible section) sorry haven't written before (remainder illegible. Possibly "love", possibly "from" "M S"?)
At top of page 4: Recieved (sic) mama’s letter of the 18th today. I will write again soon.
I'm sorry to say the signature has faded away over time.
Sincerely,
Candice
✑ ✑ ✑
P.S. Be sure to click on Photo of the Week over there at the top of the left column for a peek at another bit of history I found in the attic around the same time.
PS: I hope he was deposited to his home via tourist class and developed some good character instead!
Posted by: Gretchen | January 28, 2011 at 10:44 AM
well, that could be easily one of my very own sons! And I thought attitude was a modern quirk. Apparently "spoil the child" was the wished for motto of this one too! amazing discoveries in that old home.
Posted by: Gretchen | January 28, 2011 at 10:43 AM
Wow, how you ever looked up the city or county records of who owned the house in 1912? "I failed to see what your driving at"...and after 15 reads! and doesn't want to ride in tourist class...what fun! Do you think he was in Spokane with the melting snow or maybe WSU? Thanks for sharing...
Posted by: Char | January 28, 2011 at 06:26 AM