Carolyn Gay Taft Farm Letter - November 8, 1920

2020.1.32 11081920.pdf

Dublin Core

Title

Carolyn Gay Taft Farm Letter - November 8, 1920

Subject

Old Mission Peninsula (Mich.)
Agriculture
Farmers
Crops and climate

Description

Carolyn Gay Taft (1873-1952), was the owner of a small cherry farm on Old Mission Peninsula in the early 1900’s. While she spent her summers on the Peninsula, her primary job as a teacher at the Illinois State School for the Deaf required hired hands to run the farm in her absence. These farmers, and their families, lived on the farm and sent frequent written reports to Ms. Taft. Most letters are written by the farmer’s wives, and provide a record of both agricultural and social history.

Creator

Ralph Kitchen, Joseph Kitchen, Essie Kitchen, Max Gilmore, Hazel Gilmore

Source

Collection donated to Peninsula Community Library by the surviving members of the Taft family.

Publisher

Peninsula Community Library

Date

1920-11-08

Contributor

Mary T Morgan

Rights

This document is protected by copyright law. Contact the Peninsula Community Library for permission to reproduce, display, or transmit this document.

Relation

None

Format

PDF

Language

English

Type

Document

Identifier

LHC 010

Coverage

Traverse City, Peninsula Township, Grand Traverse County, Michigan

Scripto

Transcription

Old Mission Mich Nov. 8th 1920

Dear Miss Taft:-

I recieved your letter about those hogs & we hardly know what to do I think I told you as plain as I could that they would not offer Joseph any price at the meat markets & that there were no buyers in town this fall so far as we could find out Mr. Sweet is not here & Mr. Zimmerman is not buying at all & won't until Xmas. I don't know what else to say. We cannot keep those pigs closed up much longer in that small place or they will all die. We are thoroughly disgusted trying to do anything with them. If you do keep them until Xmas there will not be any corn left. And as for us buying we can do the same as we have been doing get along with out. There is no place around here that we could weigh them & get a weigh bill so we will not try to sell around here. Mr. Eiman mentioned about buying 2 and Hughie Lannin wanted 1 & of course if we would have taken 1 that would have been four less to feed & I guess we could have sold the rest. If people were willing to pay $.12 for them all right & if not they will have to stay where they are. We have did the best we could you can't sell something that no one wants. Just called Mr. Eimen up & he does not want them at that price

He bought a new tractor & don't need his new orchard drag & wanted me to ask you if you cared for it he paid $100 for it last Spring & will sell for $75.00 will you please mention in your next letter if you are interested. Joseph says it is as good as the day he got it.

Mrs. Dudley Griffin died Sun evening at 6 O clock leaving a husband & 3 little ones. She has been sick for a week or more. I do not know exactly what caused her death.

My head feels about like yours did the last day of cherry picking I am so tired & nervous I hardly know what to do with myself. It is a constant planning & worrying of how will I make all ends meet & still have a dollar left. A man does not do the thinking a woman has to They can work a few hours in solitude but with me it is noise all the while. Well I must put baby to bed. I hope I have answered all questions. As ever your's Essie K.

P.S. There are cider apples here & will take to the Harbor as soon as they have room to take them in. We will mail you the check for them as soon as we sell the apples.

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