Dear sister and family I will now try to write you a letter as the house is still both babies are asleep and Fred and mabell are spending the evening out and for once every thing is still I don’t know what you must think of me fro not writing before but there is so much to do here all the time Ruby is teething and catches cold so easy I dont think she is quite as strong as the other children, she needs a great deal of care, ther wise we are all well Fred came home a week ago last Thursday he says grand ma says they are not able to board him (of course we clothed him) any longer and he must
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look out for himself. so he is looking for work now, he could have come home long ago for that matter only we supposed they needed him, and I dont see how they stand it there alone for he must have been a great help to them we was not expecting them to send Fred home we supposed they wanted him to stay with them
has your mother returned from her eastern trip yet how are you all I hope you wont take revenge on me by not answering this letter for we want to hear how you all are The children say every day they wish uncle ashley would come over we are hoping to see you all this sumer. how is Tamerson and the boys
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well I must wish you all good by for this time dont forget to write soon
Rose
April 3rd Fred got work to day at singers factory he gets 50 ets a day
There was no year on this letter. Rose refers to "both babies" and her two oldest children so I believe this was written in 1889. A 5th child, LeRoy, was born in March 1890 so it is posible that it was written in 1890 and that Rose simple makes no mention of middle child, Pearl.
I'm surprised that Fred was sent home as Sarah counted on him for help and company but 1889 was a very hard year for them financially. At least when he was living with Sarah and Mike he got to go to school. In 1889 he was 15.
"Grand ma" was Rose's mother-in-law and Anna'a mother, Sarah. When Rose asks "has your mother returned" she is referring to Anna's mother-in-law Hannah L Carlisle.
The Singer factory in South Bend, IN manufactured sewing machine cabinets.
For more see:
Camfield Family Letters
Descendants of Sarah Ann Wisner
Michael Camfield
Camfield, Rose Graham. (South Bend, Indiana) to “Dear Sister” [Sarah Ann Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 1 April c. 1889 Digital Images 1-3. Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Snowville, New York. 2008. [Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, Undated c. 1850-1899, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]
3 comments:
I have really been enjoying reading these old family letters - they provide a window on life in older times. Also, as I see the scans you have made, it reminds me that I need to scan some old letters that I have - I just hope they will come out clearly.
Interesting that Fred got sent home. (I feel like I'm reading a soap opera--or at least a serialized story.) :-)
Greta - I'm glad you're enjoying them. They actually aren't scans but rather digital photos. I'm sure if you can scan yours they will come out much better.
Tex - I think Fred was sent home because times were tough and that Sarah still really needed his help but it's also possible he did something to make Mike mad. Things get more interesting with Fred in a few years.
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