What is interesting to me about this letter is the fact that Carl only live 4 months to the day after this letter was wrote. I think that might be the only reason this letter still exists. It is clear that Carl questioned the path that his sons were taking. I will say, if he had lived a few years longer, he would have been very proud of the men his sons grew up to be.
OK, I know the handwriting is not very good, so let me translate the best I can:
West Mansfield O. Dec. 31, 1925
Hugh & Florance,
Dear Kids,
It is now 10:10 P.M. the last night of the old year. I thought I would finish the chapter with writing you a few lines. Well Christmas is over- and it was rather quiet at our house. But we had a good dinner and Santa brought a few things. We got a lot of Christmas cards and sent a good many.
Bob has been home two weeks. That is, he has been in and about W. Mansfield at home the latter part of each night and the early part of each day. Also for most of his meals. The rest of the time has been taken with social duties of various kinds. He will go back to school Monday. He won't be likely to get home so often from now on.
Well we butchered a hog this week and the hens are laying good and we have corn meal so we have pretty plenty to eat now. Your mother and Bob were figuring a little bit on your getting here for Christmas.
We have had some cold weather here 10 below Christmas night. They found Rufus Bailey- (He was the man with the alfalfa on his face and the little cap on his head). Well they found him in his house frozen as hard as a board. Ballinger has him now over the register in the store trying to thaw him enough so he can straighten him a little. Don't know whether he froze to death or froze after death. Don't know how long he had been dead as he lived alone.
We have been wondering about your Scout job. I do not know about it. Better be sure before you let go of what you have. You know Clell is about to get over enthusiastic about some things. One thing I did not like about the proposition. That was putting your present salary in at $18.00 I don't see how you could do that truthfully. And one thing about Boy Scouts is to tell the truth. I would not want you to tell what is not true for the best job they have.
I wish you would let us know about the matter, and maybe we can advise you. I wish you might have a chance to get some more schooling of some kind. Or at least get where you would have a chance to advance to something better. We will likely leave here at the end of this year and of course cannot tell now where we may go.
But if we can plan to help you in any way we will do so. Bob talks of teaching for a year or so. If he does we will not have to help him any more. I do not know how much longer I will be able to make it go. But I hope for a while yet. Well you had better write to your mother. You will never have another.
Good night Happy New Year, Dad
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Does anyone know what Carl Woodward Jameson died of? He was only 56 years old when he died. It sounds that he might have known he was dying.
Heres a link to this Rufus Bailey:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.familysearch.org/search/recordDetails/show?uri=https://api.familysearch.org/records/pal:/MM9.1.r/MSL5-5GS/p1
As my wife is Sandra Ballinger from West Mansfield, we were privleged to hear stories from the Ballinger funeral business at family gatherings. The most memorable was about a person who had been found frozen in his coal bucket and had to be thawed out to be straightened. This may well have been the same incident described in Carl's letter.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting that my father (Bob) did not become a teacher but went into Scouting as a career until the depression forced a change.