Carolyn Gay Taft Farm Letter - November 22, 1926

Old Mission, Mich. Nov. 22nd 1926.

My Dear Miss. Taft:-

Was glad to receive the nice newsy letter from you. I am always glad to let you know of any news I hear & watch the paper very closely to see what I can find to send along with my letters.

Suppose you have heard about Floyd Wilbur long before this. It was a very sad thing to happen in such a devoted home. Those boys always reminded me of Roger in their devotion to their mother. The Wilbur's & Addison take it very hard. The funeral was Sat. 1 P.M. The Body came from Texas in a sealed casket the body was so badly crushed & broken that no one even to the parents saw it. They brought Floyd home Friday P.M. so as to have him home for the last time. I can tell you it is pretty hard for them. They tried so hard to educate their sons & have so much bad luck. Addison isn't gaining at all. They worry so much about him.

Little we know what will befall our darling children when they leave our tender care & watching.

I forgot to mention that one of Floyds friends that was an officer came thru with the body & they had officers for pallbearers. He also attended the funeral & then went back again. He happened to see the accident so Floyds parents will hear the story straight.

We have tried to get oats here & no one seems to have any for sale. Joseph says 20 bu. will be plenty and we might as well get them from T. City & have them crushed the horses get much more good from them that way. The cows need a little bran eating fodder alone is pretty hard on them. There hasn't been any pasture for a long time now. We have had 2 snow storms of late & it rained for one whole week. We feel so damp here.

I called Mr. Tang when I received your other letter. Joseph saw Harry yesterday & he will Haul the hay soon now he has been waiting for it to be bailed. There won't be enough fodder to last the cows thru until Spring. Now we have the fodder on our own farm & there is a lot of it. Joseph said he would give you the first chance to buy the fodder of course you may not care to buy it not seeing it but we wouldn't do any thing but the right. Jos. said he will sell the whole bunch to you for $20 but not to any one Else. It is nice & will make good feed and go much farther for cows than bailed hay. If you care for it just let us know & he can bring it over here before too much snow comes on. There would be at least 4 large loads of it Maybe more. We don't like to keep it over as it may be a long time before we would have use for it. If I had any idea you would sell we would keep it as it would be worth more than that to us. You always give us the 1st chance so now we will do the same by you.

Homer Willobee is the person you owe the $4.00 to.

I don't hear a thing about wood but if I do will let you know & Joseph will try & cut some if he can get any chance. But I think some of the fine guys will have to pay out a little good cash first.

It is as you say we need some good honest men to get things a going here The papers haven't much news of late pretty dead around here. Will let you know of any changes that I hear aobut. I think in a nother year or two if a fellow coud hang on there would be a great change. The new cottage down on the lower flat is going to be a starter. Maybe will see a great change for the better another season.

I am very sorry for the Carter's people. Wish you were here I am not so busy now & would be glad to have you come & eat a drum stick with us. We won't have a great deal but you are more than welcome. So many times last summer I would feel like asking you but my time was so limited & my meals so poorly prepared I felt ashamed to ask you to help share them. The Carter's looked to me as tho' they put on quite a lot of airs for poor people. We are poor but happy and I hope I don't make a drudge out of my poor husband. She will think some day when it is too late. I think about all there is in this world is what little we can do to make others happy. From now on I am going to try still harder than ever.

You said you would like to tear your apple orchard out. We have one too. Roger & I picked up our winter apples there was a lot of them too and when hauling was paid had $3.00 left some profit for the poor farmer. I feel discouraged when I think about things but will have to do as you do try & look at the bright side of things & not worry.

Well I must go to bed now. I hope you have a very happy Thanksgiving day & don't eat too much turkey.

Your's with love

Essie K.

P.S. was so pleased to hear you are feeling so well this Fall I think you had a much better rest than when you had so many around to wait on like last Summer. Hope you continue to improve. Harry Tang just came in & says will start hauling hay tomorrow. So that is settled now am so glad.

Hazel is determined to send you something so must send it along

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