Madison Wisconsin Jan 29 1917 Dear Circle I am, as Mr Boothroyd used to say, "as bare of ideas as a toad is of feathers" but I must not delay the robin too long, and I wont risk not writing for fear I'll not get a chance to read the rest of the letters if I don't send one. I think this circular letter is just a fine thing to keep us in touch with each other. We were among the 7000 who went to hear Bryan and I was never in a worse crush but once at the worlds fair. I have only just got back to my usual buxom figure, and I tell Ruth she is still much elongated. We could not see him as he spoke for the crowd ahead but could hear him perfectly. He is cheerful as ever and as full of enthusiasm for temperance as he was for free silver when I heard him before in Mason City Park. He said he promised his wife to be careful what he ate and to get his rest and so she consented to his going on this tour. But he spoke till after ten here and was due to make two speeches in Springfield Ill. the next day, so he must require only a little rest. Arthur, I wish you would send me the address of the firm where you get the magazines for so much less by taking them a month late on this postal card I enclose, please. The girls are busy with exams this week and will have a few days real vacation after they are over before the next semester begins. We went to church in the auto yesterday but the snow was rather deep in places but today was so warm that there are a number of bare places around now. Our strawberry bed has been covered with snow all winter so we did not cover it with any thing else but may have to before spring comes. I intend in this letter to totally ignore the subject of H. C. of L., taxes and coal bill. [thats High Cost of ...] We are mighty thankful there are no doctor bills included in the aggregation. Bedtime, so good night. With love from Annie - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison Wis Mar. 4, 1917 Dear Circle: I know it is high time that I sent this letter along so here goes. We went to church this A.M. and had a good sermon by Rev. Smith of Chicago. Our own pastor, Mr Gilmore, has resigned and so we shall have different ones for a few weeks till some one is called to fill his place. He has gone south to Texas on a missionary trip for the American Unitarian Assn. On Feb. 14 we had John Hayes Holmes of N.Y.City here for convocation at the Univ. and he lectured on Peace at the Unitarian church. He is a very gifted speaker and now has Robert Collyers former church in N.Y.City. I joined the peace party after hearing his speech for I grow more and more opposed to war as a means of settling the differences between kings. Just here the girls came and wanted to go skating on Lake Wingra again. We all went last Sunday P.M. and only two fell down while we were there. Today no one fell and we are getting in quite good form. I had not had a skate on before, since Ruth was nine months old. But I have't forgotten what I knew then. We only stay about an hour so as not to overdo. Today is as cold as ever and spring seems rather far away for the coal in our bin is very low. We have used almost nine tons of hard coal and do not want to buy much more. [ 9 x about $6 = about 1/2 month salary ] Those "figgers" Ellen gave are interesting and show that there are cows and cows. I was pleased to hear when Cal. home from Iowa that Dale had just sold $1013 of hogs. Thats more than his father can tell of doing at one time. Farm produce is surely a good price. I got flour for $2.45 yesterday & potatoes for $2.85 per bu. I think Henry can hardly refuse us a picture of that dress suit after the boquets he has had handed out. I hope to plant some lettuce, cabbage, celery & pansy seed very soon. Love to you all from Annie - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison Wis Apr 6, 1917 Dear Circle: I really have kept this letter a week but now I have the result of the election to tell. Madison went dry by 404 votes which will close some 63 saloons. Of course the "wets" can go to all the small towns around and get what they want but we hope in the not far distant future that it will be state wide prohibition. The loyalty parade was a mammoth one. Some 15,000 in line. But the thought of what it may mean to us all now war is declared makes me feel almost sick. I suppose by this time Chas will know if they have to move this spring. A week ago Sunday, Mrs Jake Bauer came to see us. She was visiting a nephew who lives four blocks from us and we enjoyed the visit with her. This nephew is a U.W. gradute and works in the Forest Products Lab. Ruth had the honor to be elected to Phi Beta Kappa of Univ. of Wis. on Wednesday which made her very happy, and the rest of us also. The selections are based on high standings and the character of the student. I notice Charles Johnson of Sheffield is among those selected. Arthur, you perhpas know him. Ruth has been doing practice teaching at Wis. High School in German for the past month. She is in two glee clubs and Choral Union and does tutoring in German and is writing her thesis, and is about as fat as her mother. I would like to see the paper below the heading Arthur sent with Rollo as editor. We were over at Henry's on Wed. eve to help celebrate their 39th wedding anniversary. It was a surprise on them gotten up by their children and we had a very nice time. Amelia Churchill was up from Monroe & was over there with us. But you see Henry has (like the Kaiser) "replied but did not answer" our request for that dress suit picture. Young Mrs Bauer said that they had a vacant lot planted to potatoes last year right near us and rasied 27 bushels and I think there ought to be not a vacant lot in this town without a garden on it this year. I have not yet convinced J.C. in this matter nor in the matter of keeping half a doz. hens to supply us with eggs. But in another year I think he'll be willing to listen to any scheme that will furnish food for the family. My berry bushes are all alive and the rhubarb is beginning to show a little. The girls have a week vacation beginning next Tues. and I think we'll clean house. Arthur M Judy of Davenport Ia. preaches the Easter Sermon at our church Sun. We are all in our usual health again now. Love to you all from Annie. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison Wis May 13, 1917 Dear Circle: I should have gone to Music Hall this P.M. to practice with the Choral Union for the concert next Thurs. eve but I was too tired and I dont like the selections very well either. So I will write to you instead. We have a furnace fire today and it is not too warm with it. We have had very few days yet this year when we have not had a fire. It is getting rather dry in the garden and things grow so slowly. I planted sweet corn and beans yesterday but the ground is cold yet. I went with Cal on Thurs P.M. down Stoughton way. Every where the farmers are getting their tobacco plant beds made but we saw no one planting corn and there is considerable plowing to be done yet. The clover looks fine. That is a very nice farming section down there. Cal has a very comfortable Ford this year with a regular run-about top & seat and I like to ride with him when I have time. As Humane Agent, he can use this car also but most of the humane work is in the cold weather and most of the road work is in the hot weather so they were willing to have him combine the two and each pay half his salary, $1200 per year. So far he has managed nicely. He has several calls a day to relieve suffering some days, then none on other days. His work is to prevent cruelty to human beings as well as to animals. He has police power if offenses are repeated but is supposed to use good judgement and tact mostly. Just here, Jim and Ethel & boys & Amelia Churchill came over for a while and we had a good visit with them. / 7:30A. Ameila S has just telephoned me that Chris. and Marie Lamson called at her house today. They were here just for the day and expect to go on to Michigan to live with their parents. I think we are getting some quite plump people in the rising generation. Arlyn, Paul and Grace. She weighs 148 now. I am gaining also. I have now reached 115. The rest of the family have not yet come home from church so I will write another letter. I never have to urge any of them to go to church since they can go to a Unitarian church. We are all well as usual. Dale boy is 26 today. Love to all from Annie - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison Wis June 24, 1917 Dear Circle: I am writing on the porch and am comfortably warm just now. There have been only about three days when it has been comfortable out here this year. It is raining slowly again tho it is not needed. Our garden grew well while it was warm for a few days, last week, but we have only radishes lettuce and strawberries yet. I have picked 7 qts of strawberries so far. The goosberries have a nice lot of fruit on for small bushes. Our family is small this week. Since Esther and Grace are gone, the house is so quiet. We are saddened by the loss Dale and Rena have suffered in the death of their second baby daughter and hope that Grace may be able to help and cheer them by her stay with them this summer. [Infant Daughter, Born & Died Aug 17, 1916] [Infant Daughter, Born & Died June 15, 1917] There are so many sweet little folks around us here to make us think of our own little grand daughters and to wish they might have been spared to grow up. Amelia is spending a weeks at Ediths and enjoying it to the limit, I know. Ray was here a short time Friday. He expects to go to Adair Iowa to work for a firm surveying this summer and will drive thru about July 7 he says. Last week was Commencement week and I went to most of the different programs with Ruth. Graduated by proxy, as it were. The march of the class from Main Hall to the Agric. building was imposing. There were about 900 in the class but 234 had gone into the army or out on farms. Carol Berkey Sands husband is paymaster in the navy and has gone to somewhere in the east to train and Carol has gone to stay with his people somewhere in northern Wis. I believe. He and Albert Gilmore are the first ones we really know who have gone to the front. Rev. Carson of Montpeiler Vt. preached at our church today and we liked him very well. The summer vacation of six weeks is now in order. The summer session at the U. begins tomorrow. They seem to expect as large an attendance as last year only perhaps more women among the number. Neither of the girls plan to attend this year. Ruth expects to tutor and anything beside she can do. Grace will stay with Rena most of the summer. I have delayed this letter a few days for I forgot I had it here. We are as well as usual here. Love to you all from Annie - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison Wis July 29,1917 Dear Bros and Sisters I shall have to use some of my best note paper for there seems to be no other. Arthur will please take notice. I am in a slightly relaxed condition due to the fact that the thermometer registers 93 in the dining room but am thankful there is nothing more strenuous on the program than writing letters. Our family consists of Cal and Annie at present. Ruth is helping Prof. Matthews wife for a few days. She was threatened with blood poisoning from mosquito bites on her ankles and the Dr forbade her to stand on her feet. She had a five months old baby to be fed Mellins food every three hours, so asked Ruth to help her care for the baby a few days. So while my family was small I sewed rags enough for eight rugs and will have them woven beginning this week. Have any of you seen rugs made of gunny sacks? They make a very good looking rug resembling those made of ingrain [?] carpets We are glad to know that Rena is recovering nicely from her operation for appendicitis and hope it will prove of lasting benefit to her. Norma Churchill went to the general hospital here last Monday and had her appendix removed. She is getting along nicely also. Amelia went to Fennimore on Fri morning with Fred Humistons who were on their way to Iowa. She will come home home today, I think. Henry and Ella are planning on driving to Eau Claire & Cumberland Wis (Merles cottage) on their vacation trip, in a short time. I think it is time some of you Iowa folks repaid some of the visits the Wis. bunch have made out there. Ruth has been in swimming twice hast week but the rest of us will begin this week if it keeps so warm. The potato eyes I planted in April & May all came up and Cal found one as large as an egg yesterday but we will not use them for a while as they are late potatoes. I paid 38 cents for eggs yesterday. Cal picked cherries on shares at Mr Lamsons after supper a few evenings and I canned 14 qts from our half. Black raspberries were 13 cents a box last week. I must look some up to can this week. I canned 3 pts of peas from our graden by the cold pack method and twice the tops have become loose and will have to be done over again tomorrow for the second time. The contents seem all right yet. I dont know what is the cause of it. Think I will call up the Univ. about it, if I can let go of this sheet. I will close for this time. Affectionately Annie I have saved the letters I have written since we came to Madison. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. Sept 9, 1917 Dear Circle You'll all be wondering where the "Robin" is by this time. Well, it got into a pigeon hole here and was forgotten for a week. This evening is so cold that I am afraid it is going to freeze. We have had a furnace fire all day. We had hoped to have the children and Wendell and Ellen here today but they could not get here on account of the weather. We are expecting them in a few days now. Next sunday our church services begin again, so we will not be quite so much at liberty as for the past two months. We attend the Dane Co Fair on "Madison"day. They had a big crowd. They claimed there were 50,000 admissions. There was not much machinery shown. There was a tractor made from a "Ford", drawing two plows. Not so many entries in the live stock as two years ago. Ed Bittermans friend, Rink of Sun Prairie, had some fine prize winning sheep there that looked just like Eds. A whole building of fancy work and paintings and another of poultry. A good exhibit of food products but the races were just horses and the one we watched started at least eight times before it was a "go", so we left before it was really run. There was a regular "midway" of doll, whip & cane booths one after the other and nothing else. That was a very natural picture that Arthur gave us of the man with the hoe, and very well written. I think he uses the pen as well as the hoe. And that clipping about the automobiles being warned off the roads 11 years ago is too funny. Ruth's school begins Oct 1st. They are building a new school house but it will not be quite ready even at that date so they will have to use a hall & the old school for a time. Will have to get some wardrobe ready for Grace as soon as she gets home. I made three gallons of apple butter last week and wish I had three gallons more. Have not canned much fruit this year. Most of it was too high. Myrta certainly is the prize butter maker of the family. We are all well at this time. Love to you all. Annie - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Oct. 19, 1917 Dear Circle I (like "Micawber") have been waiting for some thing to turn up but only a big dinner at the church to 110 people yesterday has appeared. We fed a section of the Federated Woman's Club Convention. Ella was Chef. and the rest of the Alliance helped her or were dining room girls. We got 75 cts per plate and cleared $50. which pleased us very much/ Merle and Amelia Churchill and Flora are among the delegates. Edith and Betty came tonight to spend a few days with Amelia. Mr and Mrs Albert Lamson are both in the hospital, he with slight chance for recovery from Brights disease and she with a nervous breakdown. Cal. says he saw iciles a foot long hanging all day where the waves had dashed agains the trees along Mendota. Pretty cold for October 19. Some of the potatoes near the top of the ground are frozen and everyone is hurrying to dig them. We paid $1.00 for ours. My seven rows of potato eyes gave me 2 1/2 bushels. We are very glad to welcome Herbert's wife to our circle and wish them a happy married life. It is a puzzle where the announcements went. Only Theo of the relatives here got one. I think it is too bad Iowa took a backward step when Prohibition seemed to be gaining ground over the country. I am auditing a course in Eng. Survey at the U. Grace takes it and does the required reading aloud to me and I listen to the lectures up at the U. Just now it is the Canterbury Tales in Old English, which is quite different from the present Eng. It is bedtime now, so Goodnight and Love to all. Annie - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. Nov. 18, 1917 Dear Bro's. and Sisters: This has been a pleasant day and yesterday was so warm that I had no furnace fire and had the doors open a great deal. It would seem good to have this weather till Xmas. We scarcely realize that it is so near Thanksgiving. But I think that this year we will all feel that we truly have much to be thankful for as a family. Ruth thinks she will not come home for Thanksgiving as she has only the one day vacation. She likes her work very well and is teaching so many subjects that she is as busy as when in the U. Grace is hard at work at her studies. She has some pretty stiff ones this year. Trig. and Quantitative Chemistry. Cal. is busy too, this year. He has been helping in this Y.M.C.A. drive the past week beside his Humane work and the Ass'n. of Commerce work. He has a pleasant office in the Assn. rooms this winter where he stays when not out on business which makes it very nice for him. He says he intends to learn to use the typewriter in spare time this winter as there is one in the room. I am taking it quite easy for me. My family is small and they let me do very much as I please. I am busy with the rug work for our fair Dec. 12th and hope we shall make a nice sum from it. We have not quite so much prepared as usual but maybe there will not be so much demand this year. We are glad to hear that Ellen's are settled in town and are sure they will like it very well when in their own new house. They have quite a farm around their new house compared with 50 ft square as we have. I imagine they will have chix, cow, horse, bees and garden on it. We are all well. Affectionately, your sister Annie - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. Dec 19, 1917 Dear folks- It is eight in the morning but I will write this sheet as Henry wants another to send the addresses from Eng. at once. We are having a thaw yesterday and today but the snow is not yet gone. Cal went out into the country with the Ford yesterday for the first time in a month or more, and got along all right. We are glad Rufus is better and hope none of the rest of you will get it. Does it leave any of the patients with pox marks on their faces? Madison is very free from contagious diseases at present by the report of the health board. We can't realize it is so near Xmas as we are doing nothing in the way of gifts this year. We hope to have those of the family who are in the city with us for Xmas dinner. Ruth came home on 14th as the school board decided it was not possible to keep the children warm in the buildings they had to use for school and by Jan. 2 the new building will be completed and they will move into that. Then there will be no vacations till about July. Univ. vacation begins tomorrow at noon and lasts till Jan. 8. and Grace says she thinks every student feels the need of a vacation. Owing to the tension under which every one is living this year, the students have found their work more tiring that ususal. The world outlook is far from cheering and one cannot help wondering how it will all end. I want to go over to the square to do Red Cross work this PM. Ellen, I hope you get your ink for Xmas. With best wishes to you all for Christmas and the new year. I am, affectionately, Anni