Etola Robinson, Sept 10, 1899

Sunday September 10th 1899
4 P.M.
Mrs. I. A. Carlisle
Dear Friend:

I expect you are wondering how I am geting along at my new work: Well I am having a hard time. I commenced on Friday as I expected to that day and until 10 O'Clock saturday but stitch strips of cloth onto other pieces in order to get used to the Machine. Then they gave me an order of one doz. shirts to put the cuff bands on well I worked at them the rest of that day and monday

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we did not work and I finished them tuesday just before noon and the fore Leader put quite a number of them on. there was not one that I put on but what had to be riped and some of them two and three times before I could get the stitching straight then they gave me an order for four doz. and I finished them at 3 10 friday and very few of them without riping more or less (generally more.) yesterday I got along better but am still suppoised to get one right the first time. you will think it strange

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that I can not stitch straight but the Machine is a Wheeler and Wilson the work runs from left to right and if you do not think it would be hard to guide just go over and try Mrs. Vorhees' and then imagin it starting on the jump and runing at lightening speed and you will know what it is but I like the work and if I can make a living at it shall stick to it but am doubtfull. if I had not the patience of Jobe and the stuberness of a mule should have

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quit the third day but I remembered your favorite proverb and stuck to it. tell Ashley I am glad he came over and sharpened my knife for it has been the most important tool I have.

Well how do you like the change in the wether I think I shall have to light the trash that is in my stove pretty soon as it is almost to cool for comfort. I wish you would ask Abb if he got those deeds all right. I sent them the day before you came and have not heard from him yet. ask him to drop me a card.

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I have not seen your mother mother since you were here but Bell was over there yesterday and she was all right.

welll I guess that is all this time must write a letter to Tamerson write soon.

I am as ever your Friend
Toley

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Dear Tamerson: I must tell you about a show Bell and I went to last night it was at spring brook park has been four weeks to night is to be the last night it is moving pictures, like a magic lantern only the people move around and look as though it was real a regular play you know they showed a number of war seens the was ships of war would come sailing along on the water and fire the guns we could see to smoke but there was no report to be heard. we saw the first landing of the American sol-

diers on Cubian soil and they we so anxious to get there that they jumped out of the boat into the water knee deep and lined up and commenced fire and advancing on a duble quick we could see the water splashing as they ran through it one of the seens was a troop passing acrost a ravine in face of the enemy we could see them shoot and also see them get shot several of them then the read cross sisters came to care for the wounded. there was lots more and it all seemed so real but then you would

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have thought the most fun was a pillow fight it was three little girls in there night clothes and one of them was in a little iron bead and the other two one on each side of the beed was throwing the pillows at one another they throwed them at a grate rate and pretty soon the feathers began to fly and the one in the beed to jump up and do__ so delited you could almost hear her screem. it was all very nice except the last five seens. every other night they have given what they call the Pasion play it is the

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reprezentation of the life and crusifiction of Christ and last night they gave in conection with the other the last five seens of that his and I did not like that.

Tell Daniel there is a girl working in the factory that looks like his best girl only she is older and biger. she wares glasses too. Well I suppose you have had a week of school and how do you like it

Well I guess I have writen enough for this time so will close write soon and tell me every thing you can think of.

Yours Toley

I enjoyed her description of the motion picture.

Abb was Abner Robinson, Toley's brother. He was a neighbor of Anna's. Bell was Mabel Camfield Marsh.

Wheeler and Wilson sewing machines


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


Robinson, Etola (South Bend, IN) to “Dear Friend and Dear Tamerson”
[Anna Camfield Carlisle and Tamerson Carlisle]. Letter. 10 Sept 1899. Digital Images 1-8.
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.]

Carefree Summers

My childhood summers were spent playing with the kids in the neighborhood. We'd be sent out to play and told to be home when the street lights came on. If Mom wanted us for something before then she might stand on the front steps and holler for us and if we were close enough to hear her we'd head home. Most of the time anyway. At the end of the next street over there were a couple of empty lots and we used them for baseball games. There was also an undeveloped hill and a large field that bordered on a creek where we'd go when we were up to no good. In the evening we'd play a game we called "Slope" which was a combination of kick the can and hide and go seek.

I had a blue Schwinn bike and I'd ride all over on it. When I was nine I ended my summer early by showing off and riding with no hands. You can still feel where two of the three breaks were on my right arm. When I was 10 or 11 I was old enough to ride the mile to the plaza or a few miles to the mall.

Several years there was Girl Scout Camp. I can vividly recall the daddy long legs spiders that cover the inside of the tent. I thought it would be a good idea to cover myself with my plastic ground cloth to keep them from biting me. Wiser girls in my tent pointed out that I might suffocate so I tried to avoid falling asleep. I can remember the drawstring mesh bags that we places our dinnerware in to dry hanging from a line. I can't remember much else that we did. There was one year that we camped in a tent on a farm. It rained a lot. I was wet a lot. Cows smell bad.

When Dad had his vacation we'd head out on a camping trip. We had a small pop-up camper. Mostly we went to the Adirondacks or Vermont. When in Vermont we stayed at Half Moon Pond and took day trips to marble quarries. I hauled home lots of souvenir scrap marble and kept it in a box in my closet. I wonder when Mom got rid of it? In New York we'd usually stay in a State Campground. I have fond memories of Cranberry Lake.

My parents weren't beach people and yet I loved the water so my favorite camping trip was the one and only time we went to Southwick Beach. We had an "add a room" package that zipped onto the camper and friends went with us that time. We camped just off the beach and my parents complained about being in the sun but I thought it was great. The family with us had a daughter who was eight years older than I and by following her around I was able to do and see things I never would have with my parents. She and some of the other older kids got everyone together hunting up driftwood and anything else that would burn and we had a huge bonfire on the beach.

There were also summers spent at Fair Haven Beach State Park. My parents marriage was failing and Dad drove us up to Lake Ontario and helped us get set up and then he headed for home and work. I can't remember how long we stayed but being by the beach was heaven for me (and probably hell for my mother.)

After my parent's divorce summers were a lot less carefree and we spent most of the summer on my father and step-mother's farm in North Carolina. I am better for the experiences I had on the farm and there were some fun times, fishing with a bamboo pole and learning about all the animals but there was lots of work too.


This was written for the 76th edition of the Carnival of Genealogy, How I spent my summer vacation... a favorite summer memory from your youth. To be hosted by Jasia at Creative Gene.

Rose Graham Camfield, Sept 4, 1899

South Bend Sept 4th 1899

Dear ann and all the rest

Wel thiss has been labor day we all went to the parade it was Beautiful Joe took a chair along for mother so she was comfortable and saw every thing it lasted about 2 hours then we came home and had supper and Joe and the children and Mr and Mrs Brady have gone to see the Biscicle parade they will be all trimed in flowers and

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and lit up and I suppose will be very Beautiful but mother and I are not going she is lying down and I am writing you a letter so you will sure get it tomorrow as I promised and we are both tired mother is real well and enjoying her self better than I ever supposed she could in fact she dont seem like the same woman she used to be she goes out for a

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walk every day with one of the children and yesterday she went with Joe to see Mrs Brady some of the neighbors have been in every day since she came she got a letter from home to day I wish you all could have been here today I will send you a paper with full particulars as I ma to awful tires to write them

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mother has cut some quilt pieces I almost forgot to tell you I moved the couch in the front room and brought the lounge down stairs so she dont have to go up stairs at all she can lye down when she pleases with a lounge in both rooms well I must close I am too tired so good by write soon please send mas rubbers under lounge

Rose


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


Camfield, Rose Graham (South Bend, IN) to “Dear ann and all the rest”
[Anna Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 4 Sept 1899. Digital Images 1-2.
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.]