Carolyn Gay Taft Farm Letter - November 1, 1926

Old Mission, Mich. Nov. 1st 1926.

My Dear Miss. Taft:

Thanks for the good letters I enjoy them so much. I hope I can always prove worthy of what you think of me.

Have you finished the new dress? & how did you make it? I don't beleive I ever saw the one you was working on this last[crossed out] Summer. It seems now as tho' I lived in a night mare for a month or more I was so tired out and always a lot of work pilled so high. I have a barrel churn now so that will help make my work some easier.

Hazel is just recovering from Chicken pox. That I hope will be the last for a while. She has had mumps measles & chicken pox since the 1st of April. Roger had them several years ago. He is doing fairly well with his school work. And so is Hazel. She is 50% better since she got her new glasses. This is the first time in two years or more that I have Enjoyed her. She is more quiet and not so plain mean. It nearly wore me out this Summer & every one Else. I know how to feel for poor Mrs. Stutsman trying to care for Rebecca and half sick herself. Am so glad she received the apples. Hazel is drawing some pictures for you. She loves you with her whole little heart. Roger feels bad to think I didn't get him up the morning you left to tell you both good bye.

Mr. & Mrs. Eiman left for sunny California this A.M. are going to drive thru' with their Ford coupe. Mr and Mrs. Ira Root of T.C. are going also. They intend to get back by the 1st of April.

Mr H Lardie at O. M. told hubby that the company of men that bought the Old Howe farm. Are wealthy fruit growers from California & are going to section the farm off. And each care for their own part. This is here say but Mr. Lardie is pretty wise to most deals.

I am saving every thing of any interest to you & am sending it. So hope the paper continues to come for a while yet. There isn't much in it but kind of keeps a fellow posted on what is going on.

Mr. Alfred Porter of O. M. is dead & buried. Mr. JOhn Mills is very poorly only 40% of blood. The Doctors can't help him any more.

Lillie expects again in a few months. poor girl I feel so sorry for her. It seems to me as tho' they have enough family now.

It has snow twice of late & today it is dreadful out. Almost like Jan. Joseph had enough corn inside to husk all day long it is after seven O'clock & he is out working to settle his supper. He is anxious to get it finished as he wants to get the corn off the ground so he can plow. It has rained so much that the fodder is all damp & wet all the time & he wanted the corn to cure so it wouldn't be so shriveled up on the ears.

You may feel like pulling my ears but I pulled up a few of your sweet clover plants from the orchard near the house to send to you so as you can see for yourself. All the cover crops did fairly well excepting in the cherry orchard & that was slow. The sweet clover you sowed never came unless it does in the Spring.

I don't know how to spell this name but will make a stab at it. Mr. Hazrock & Son bought the O.M. Dock Mr. Morgan wanted to buy it so as Mr H. couldn't buy & ship cherries from Penn. But Mr. Hazrock was too cute for him. I think next year the buyers will try to give each other a merry chase. I hope so & maybe it will help to keep price of cherries up.

It is safe to pay Mr. Willobee for the cows now. It is $2.00 a head. I haven't any money here at all & Jos. needs a new cutter point for the plow but I will send for it and you can pay me. It will all be the same any way.

The oat straw will be worth a lot to you for fertilizer as the stock needs bedding of some sort. The straw was so over ripe & dry that it isn't much more than chaff so we can't feed it. The cows have been in the barn most of the time for a week now the pasture is as bare as your hand & had a killing frost about 4 weeks ago.

There won't be enough oats for to last thru' so maybe it would be a good idea to buy some extra now while they are cheap Joseph will have to feed the horses a little grain while they are working hard. I am so glad now that Joseph planted the extra corn for fodder as long as the place wasn't sold.

I feel so Sorry for you with your sore arm. And it must be more than trying to teach deaf children every day for 9 months. It is trying for a mother with a small family. So I always feel sorry for a poor teacher. It would be nice when you sell the farm to try to do as Miss. Carter I think that is her name does. It would be more pleasent for you.

We are nearly all out of wood & we can't find out what Mr. Holmes will do they are a drunken set. We hear all sorts of wild tales about them. "Whiskey & Women is their chief business. We will simply have to do something. I will use oil next Summer to save fuel. It won't take so dreadful much for this winter. As the house is so much warmer with the storm windows on. Ledger tried to get wood from Pratt & Holmes & they refused him. We hear the Stutsman place has changed hands again. If I hear any thing certain I will mention in my next letter. There is a few old beech here that are partly hollow.

The winter apples are still here will bank the money for you the same as before.

There is about 80 bu. of corn husked. Will let you know how much there is when all husked.

I can't think of any more to write. So will quit. You need not feel afraid of Hazels little letter as she is all safe now. Your's with love Essie K.

Old Mission Mich 1 Nov 9

From Hazl to Miss Taft

[Hand drawn pictures]

Old Mission Mich. Nov. 1, 1926

Dear Miss Taft

I am Sorry I haven't had time to write you before, but am pretty busy with my studies. I am now studying about Horalius and the Bridge. Mr. Fuller the teacher intends to teach the Tenth grade next year if he is hear to teach. I hope he does because then it mean that much less money than if I had to go to a town school.

How are you? We are all well here, But, Hazel is just getting over the chicken pox.

The Night before last it froze pretty hard so that There was about an inch of ice in the watering tub yesterday Morning. It has been snowing allday to day; and is quite windy out now.

Papa husked out about 35 bu of corn Today. It was stormy today that he had to husk some of the corn he had hauled in the barn.

Well I will close.

With Love.

Roger Kitchen.