Carolyn Gay Taft Farm Letter - May 27, 1927

Dublin Core

Title

Carolyn Gay Taft Farm Letter - May 27, 1927

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

1927-05-27

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 May 27th 1927

My Dear Miss Taft: - Well I will try & write a few more lines to you altho' it was only a week ago I wrote to you. But promised to let you know how the fruit & farm work is coming along. We had a very heavy frost the 17th and another lighter one last night. The cherries are hurt quite bad unless the second blossoms mature into something. Ours are in the same condition & they have always been fairly good up there before. The weather is very hateful either raining or freezing. The ground is so full of water that it can't take much more.

George Helfrick came along this week unexpected to graft the trees. Joseph & Roger was ready to plant corn. The orchard ready to work & spraying coming on. So he couldn't spare the time to help him. The weather has been so nasty that a fellow has to make hay while the sun shines. Mr. H had to hire a man to help him but one with experience so it is done right. He only worked 1 day & 8 hrs and Mr. Helfrick wanted me to send you his time. He paid the other fellow a Mr. Giles and wants his bill all made in one.

The corn is planted now & is waiting for warm sunshine to make it come up.

The fence wire is here came today so Joseph will get busy at the fence Monday. Am so sorry Joseph couldn't help Mr. Helfrick but am sure you will understnad how it is.

Joseph took the pig house to pieces the posts were so decayed & all the floor braceing that it wouldn't hold together so he was as careful as could be to save every thing.

The children wish me to thank you for the funnies they enjoy them so much in the evenings.

The pressure wouldn't come up in the spray pump so Jos. had Harold Lardie come over & look it over he charged a $1.00 but we didn't pay him & we must settle for the seed drill too. Homer wasn't home when Joseph returned it. The repair part for sprayer was bought at Harry Lardies and cost $2.00 Jos. had it charged. The men asked for their dinner & supper while they worked here they said they got it other places so of course expected their meals here. I would rather not feed people like that but a fellow has to some times. Right now I am so busy with trying to plant garden & all that I don't like to take time to cook for any one. Tomorrow I am going up home & clean the floors down stairs for you. I have to do things by jumps & jerks in order to get it done.

Will I take the money for meals out of your money here? Or would you rather add it to Jos. check there were 8 meals in all. Well I must go to bed now. With love Essie.

18 hours @ $.35 per hr + 6.30 Mr. Giles 28 hrs @ .35 " " = $9.80 Helfrick 10# grafing was @ .35 per # = 3.50 19.60

Mr. Helfrick said to make the whole amount out to him. Am glad you have a new car. What kind is it?

Dear Miss Taft: - I forgot to mail this letter to you Sat. so will add a few more lines in it. I spent part of the day up home yesterday and planted a row of wax string beans for you & also a row of peas there is some lettuce coming up in the black cap bed where it was raised last year. Also planted several tomato plants so you will have a bite to eat if it grows. I would like to plant some pumpkins over in the small on our own place cherry orchard for our selves & the cows next winter. Will if I can get time to put them in. Joseph won't have time to do much over there only take care of the cherries.

Roger passed 9th grade exams & is ready for 10th Hazel made her's too.

Earnest & Henry are working for Mr. Wunsch. Marian gave up the care of the place guess the cherries are badly hurt there too.

Did I tell you that Lou Toulek lost out on the resort job. Harold Lardie has Lous place now.

The 53 acres of B. farm across from us has been sold Mr. Will Gray told us about it. He couldn't remember the buyers name.

We will sell our farm if a buyer comes along & if we should happen to I want this one. Joseph bought that place in order to resell if he had the opportunity to make a good profit. I love this farm & with a large payment down a person could make good.

It is raining hard & we have had only heavy cold winds so much of the time. Well my dear I must stop or you will get sick of this letter. E.K.

Joseph sold Mr. Lang 2# seed cord on ears for $1.00 a bu. so I have a balance of $4.13 on hand now so can take the mens meals out of that. $2.15 left over 8 meals $.30 per meal 

2.00 for corn		$2.40 meals

$4.15 on hand .20 salt petre 

2.60 expenses		$2.60 for house expenses

$1.55 left to your credit

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