Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Etola Robinson, Dec 31, 1899








Dec. 31st 1899

Dear Friend: I read your letter Tuesday and was very glad to hear from you. think Ashley mite have writen to make it a completed family letter. was just going to wash my dishes when the letter came but I let my dish water cool while I read it.r'ced the papers at the same time for which I am much obliged I see you have had a mad dog scare. has any thing farther resulted from it. I wonder if you are having any cold wether? it is as cold here as I want it hope it will let up soon I intended to go over to Rose's to day but it was so cold I backed out. have not been there since than-

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-ks giving Bell was not very well last wednesday have not seen her since to know how she is. she seemed to be having some kind of blader trouble. said she was going to see a Dr. that after noon I was over to Mishawalka Thursday to see Mrs. Alfont she lives just three blocks from the end of the north side street cat line so you see I do not have far to walk very far when I go there

Monday morning the first day of the new year and it is snowing to beet the band but the wind does not blow much so that is one good thing.

Did you know that Jessie Rose Laenord is dead? I had a letter from Millie not long ago saying she had been dead about four months and that she left a little girl baby which had been taken to the infints home at St. Joe. poor little thing it had better be withh its mother. I am glad the children liked

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there presants I did not have time to see if the books were any good or not for I bought the things as I started to come to Buchanan and had not much time. I knew the perfume would please Tamerson for a few minutes whether it was any good or not.

I think you fared pretty well christmas and I imagine some of the things will cause you to have something to do besides quilt. well blessed is nothing and I recieved nothing and so will have nothing to make.

I suppose Lizzie has gone to Mays Bell does not seeme to envy May in the least. I have not seen Amelia since she came back it

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has been so cold and stormy that I have not gone over and she has not been here for the same reason I could take the car here at the corner and get a transfer but hate to pay car fair.

Monday evening: Well Anna this is what Frank would call writing a letter on instalment but never mind so I get it written I realy intended to finish it this morning but was interrupted. Well I recd. A Christmas present this evening Amelia was over and brought me some crocheted slippers they are read tied with read ribbon so you see I shall be very gay so fareas my feet are concerned Bell and Bird were over also this evening Bell says she is all

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wright again Bird has not ____ any work yet I guess there is not place for her and Me. I recd. A letter from Mrs. Mccomb this morning They are in Bay St. Louis Miss. She says the town is said to be one hundred years old and she is shure it is that much behind the times it is half a mile wide and 13 miles long. Well I guess I have written all I can think of this time

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So will close it is not nearly so cold this evening so I hope one will be able to get out and be comfortable tomorrow.

Wishing you all a Happy New Year and hoping to hear from you soon I am yours truly Etoley Robinson



I believe it should be Jessie Rose Leonard but I know nothing else about her. I also think Mrs. Alfont was Mrs Alvord. Amelia Gosline was a roomer in the same house as Toley as Toley at the time of the 1900 census. I'm still working on figuring out who Millie, Bird, Lizzie and May refered to. Why might Bell have been envious of May?


For more see:
Camfield Family Letters
Descendants of Sarah Ann Wisner
Michael Camfield


Robinson, Etola (South Bend, IN) to “Dear Friend”
[Anna Camfield Carlisle and Tamerson Carlisle]. Letter. 31 December 1899. Digital Images 1-4.
Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,]
Snowville, New York. 2009.
[Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, Apr - Dec 1899,
Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Apple, I'm enjoying your efforts to transcribe these letters. What a treasure trove, most of us can only hope to find. I had to laugh at the description of Bay St. Louis from the friend's letter, "half mile wide and 13 miles long". Parts of it still look like that! It's always been a sleepy little beach town. It was popular with New Orleans folks. My GG grandparents lived there part-time and New Orleans part-time, and it's always been my favorite place on the Gulf Coast, even before I began researching family history to know this.

Charley "Apple" Grabowski said...

Thanks Kathi! I don't think I'd mind a sleepy little town - I love the beach. I've never been to Louisiana but hope to get there someday.