Madison, Wis. Jan 15, 1920 Dear Circle: While Cal and I were at the West End Men's Club where Ray gave his talk on Army Organization Henry brought the letter over. Ray's talk was good and plain. It was Ladies Night that night because (the chairman who introduced Ray said) his talk was on the secret service and ladies loved secrets so much. Ray said in beginning that he appreciated having the opportunity to talk to the club, also to be able to talk 30 minutes to his wife without her interrupting him. Afterward the committee of men served lunch to the crowd and did it well. Sixteen different denominations are represented in the congregation of that little community church and so far it seems to be a success. Our church had its annual business meeting last night and five new members joined when the opportunity was given. Father Bitterman's death was very sudden but we cannot but be thankful that if it was to come from paralysis that he was not left to be helpless for years as Aunt Sarah Heinselman has had to be. [Manies E. Bitterman, died Dec 23, 1919 at Nora Springs.] We hope Myrta is strong again and that we may all escape the Flu that seems to be coming on again. Cal and I went to hear Southwick read Sheridan's "The Rivals" on Monday eve and he did it SO WELL. I wonder if Pete Steil is related to Mrs Malaprop. Today I went to a little afternoon party for a group of ladies, none of whom could attend if they were not possessed of a married son. Well, I couldn't seem to think I should be with that elderly bunch, tho' my hair is as white as any there, but I still do not feel old. Do you Charles, since your birthday? We have some friends here who are eighty and are well and do all their own work, belong to a club, etc. I think the Family picnic would have to be spread over at least two days, Henry. Love to you all Annie. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison Wis. Feb 24, 1920 Dear Circle: The letter came an hour ago so I will write tonight and send it right on. Cal went back to the office after supper tonight and Grace is wrestling with some chemistry problems. Ruth is at Choral Union so I can write quietly. The young folks are all hard at work again after a holiday on Washington's birthday. Ruth had a cutter ride around Lake Monona on Mon PM, the first one in five years. Grace & our two roomers and some men friends went coasting down the hills in this part of town. There have been several ski tournaments in Madison this winter and I went to one to see how it was done. They were all Swedes or Norwegians in the contest by their names, and on that bitter cold day I was there, they were bare headed and without mittens. Starting from an elevated platform back a ways from the edge of the cliff they came down an incline to the edge of the cliff and just there they made a jump of from seventy to ninety feet & when they finally light, go out on the lake before they can stop. When they fall, they certainly look as if they'd break their limbs straight off, but didn't. I think Arthur will get acclimated in time but the force of habit will be strong, I suppose, about milking time. He won't have space to break off gradually from farming as Wendell has been doing. [Arthur is now 65] The lot we have been having half of for war gardens has been sold & now we will have to look up another one but may not find one so convenient. I have been under the weather somewhat since a week ago but am some better now. I do not enjoy being "mizzable" as much as Mrs Jackson used to. I can sympathize with Theo moving, with lumbago to bother her. It has been winter so long that one begins to wonder if there will be picnic weather again sometime. I like warm weather best. Love to you all from Annie - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. March 28, 1920 Dear Circle: This has been some March day. Rain, wind and sun in combinations and separately. It poured while we were at church and in spite of the side curtains we found the seats all wet when we wanted to come home. Amelia Churchill and Helen came home with us for dinner. Amelia said her father was very much pleased with the remembrances from friends by letter and in the paper. Will came home for the day also. Last Sunday while Henry & Ella and grand children were here, Verlyn dropped in with his camera & took some snap shots. This one is good, I think. We were glad to see the pictures of Arlyn and Betty. I am glad when there are pictures in each time. It was fun to read Chas. Ancient History. I am surprised he did not finally get into weather bureau work. We seem to have confined our visiting to Boothroyds principally. A Mr. Russell from Creston, Ia was up at Cal's office yesterday to ask his advice about investing in a house a block from us. He has sold his 230 acre farm for $8,000 and is going to make his home here. Has a son & daughter here in the U. Incidentally he mentioned that he & his wife husked 3,500 bu. of corn last fall rather than be held up for 10 cts a bu. for husking. Cal. says the Wis. Highway Commission thinks material is too high to build any more hard surfaced roads than is absolutely necessary for just now, and that contractor who has the job of paving for Floyd Co. was turned down by them as being all together high. Cal. thinks the Co. Supervisors of Cerro Gordo Co. should be tried for extravagant expenditure of public money. Amelia, I know how I'll vote on Daylight saving and Municipal ownership of street railway, and that will be, NO! Well, before I get into an argument, I'll say Goodnight to you all. Annie - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. May 2, 1920 Dear Bro's and Sisters: Well, today seems a little like May. The sun shines and the gardens are beginning to look as though one could rake and plant them. I must get busy this week out of doors. Have finally finished house cleaning and am glad of it. I can't work long in the garden at one time without getting tired but manage to get it in little by little. I think I shall not plant potatoes either, this year, Rufus. I planted some beautiful Early Ohio potatoes last year and dug some small, measly, scabby potatoes after I had sprayed them three different times. I home someone will raise potatoes though, for we consume more per capita than any other family of four I know. I remember when you got home from Spotts that morning too, Arthur, and Ellen was mopping. You don't recollect what I was doing, do you? I don't, but I remember what feeling Ellen could put into that word "ANNIE" when she found I'd been reading instead of dusting! When Mrs Blakley brought Lillie up to our house the first time, Old Mr. Boothroyd sat admiring her and joyfully said "Little Miss" to her 27 times in succession. Imagine Ellen's expression of surprise in those old days had a young Apollo Belvedere like the one whose picture she enclosed last time suddenly appeared before her. ha! ha! I think that article of fathers demonstrates clearly what Home Reading can do for a person with three months schooling if he so wills. When Mother took a crate of eggs to Mason for 6 cts. a dozen, Uncle Will Pickford declared that didn't pay for the wear and tear on the hens! But we can tell in our own married life of corn at 7 cts. & oats at 11 cts. and we were $7,000 in debt at the time. Someone "swiped" the picture of Henry & Ella & the grandchildren that I sent last time and its the only one of the kind I had. "Please remit". We are all well and busy. Love to all Annie - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. June 7, 1920 Dear Circle- I had forgotten I had this letter in the rush of other things. Henry left for Indianapolis on Sunday PM to attend a four day world-wide advertising manager's convention. It will be a nice trip for him. On Sunday, also, we were pleased to have Arlyn and Betty and a friend drop in to see us all just in time for dinner. So Amelia Churchill & Helen & Norma, four of us & three at Henry's with Arlyn & Betty & friend ate dinner on Ella's porch. Then in the PM we went over to Ethel Watson's & got her & the 4 kiddies & drove to Theo's cottage to see them a little while. Then all round the city. They left the next AM for Iowa for two weeks vacation, part of it to be spent at Commencement at Ames. Grace and Norma C. finish here on June 23rd and Helen C. gets her Master's degree also. She has a fine new diamond also. Her engagement to Robert Shaw, who got his Doctor's degree last week, was announced on Sunday. Amelia & the girls are going back to Monroe to live during the summer, at least. I have been having a quiet time yesterday and today. Have lost my voice completely so have to speak in a whisper. Otherwise I am feeling all right. Cal says he's having his innings, now, tho' I'll leave it to anyone to say he talks as much as I do, anytime. At the church meeting last night, it was decided to have Dr. Hayden of the Chicago Univ. as our pastor again next year. I must close now. Love to you all. Annie - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. July 21, 1920 Dear Circle: I see by the last letter I wrote that I was speechless, so, to vary the program, today I am laid up with lumbago, and shall consider myself lucky if it lasts only four days as the other ailment did. Arthur, I don't want to hear of you going out and working on the farm like that again. You have a few years of REST comping to you and you had better take them before you are broken down in health so you can't enjoy them. I certainly agree with Elbert Hubbard in regard to the Labor Unions and the closed shop. The unions are making our American working men a nation of shirks. Cal. has the most interesting visits with tourists who pass thro' Madison. Today a man & his wife and daughter when thro' on their way to Portland, Oregon. They had driven thro' to Portland, Maine, their old home, starting on May first and expect to be back on Aug 1st. They camp nights and cook their meals. They found no free camp sites in the east but in the west, gas stoves are furnished at some camp sites and the charge is a quarter. Four school ma'ams in a Ford yesterday were making the trip to the Pacific coast for their summer vacation. The Potter girls, Blanche Palmer and Esther Bauer were here to supper & to spend the evening Say. on their way to camp for two weeks at the "Dells". We were very glad to see them. Ruth is going back to work on Friday, after 2 1/2 weeks vacation while getting over an operation on her nose. Grace is in summer school. It is half over now, 3,500 students in attendance this summer. We like our new roomer very well and she expects to stay on thro' the year. I must retire as it takes me some time to move today. Love to all Annie - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. Sept 7, 1920 Dear Circle:- My time is up but I waited till we got back from our week- end trip so I would have something to write about. Cal and I and the girls started at six-thirty AM on Sat. morning for Chicago, via Janesville and McHenry. The girls had never been to Chicago so were very glad to go, and it was Grace's birthday on Sunday so she considered it part of her birthday presents. We had trouble with the fan at Evansville and wasted an hour having it fixed but hadn't gone two miles when it was loose again. Wel, Cal got out every few miles & tightened the burs but he finally tired of that & took the belt off entirely and then we DID sail, and all of the 400 miles of the trip that belt was never on, but it went along all right. Seemed to turn enough with the rush of of air over it to ans. the purpose. We got to Chicago at 6 PM and staid with Cal's cousin Millie Sheffer who teaches school there. It rained in the middle of the night & till 9 AM Sunday but then it cleared up and we all went out to DO the city. Cal is certainly a wonder to find his way around in cities. He drove all around thro' those parks and down town district as if he had been a native of the place. Of course being Sunday, we couldn't go into any of the big stores but we saw them from the outside. Went into the Art Institute, the big Municipal pier, saw the buildings of the Univ. of Chicago and all the parks, and the girls say they could get around alone in Chicago now. We started home Mon. morning at 7:30 by way of the Sheridan Road thro' Evanston, Keosha, Racine & Milwaukee. That is a beautiful drive along the lake shore with beautiful homes on each side. But thro' Zion City , there was a mile and a half of the WORST road ever was, but on the signs every little way thro' the town, it said no profanity was allowed in that city. Evidently Wilbur Glenn Voliva doesn't own a car or he would not be able to keep his own rules. Zion City looks very run down at the heels in every way.[*] We called at Roswell's in Milwaukee to see the twins and found them fine and growing nicely. They are certainly a cunning little pair. We also called on Cal's. cousin, Fred Nichols, who lives a few blocks from Roswells but they were not at home. Then we struck out for home thro' Oconomowoc, Watertown, Waterloo and got home at 8 PM. Got a good nights rest and was ready for business and voting today. Bedtime now, so goodnight. Love to all from Annie. T.C. Richmond died very suddenly after a minor operation. [* Zion City, 5 miles N. of Waukegan, Ill, founded by Christian Catholic Church in 1901.] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. Oct 21, 1920 Dear Circle: I will write this sheet and send the letter along to Amelia by Mrs Wilkinson tomorrow. Theodore, Jessie and Mrs. Wilkinson arrived in Mad. last Sat. PM and found all of us away from home. Ella and I were at the church at the rummage sale (at which we made $325.) but Mrs. O'Connel brought Jessie up to the church. Theo went to the football game & Mrs W. rested at Ella's. Sunday we spent at church and over at Theo's cottage. Mon. Ella and Mrs W. & Jessie & I drove around the city. Tues. the Wilkinsons went to Evansville, Exeter, Broadhead, Monticello, etc & got back to Mad. on Wed. at night. I had charge of a supper of the Wingra Park Aid Society on Tues. eve. Served 75 and it went off very smoothly. Wed. I washed and baked, etc & went to hear Hamlin Garland in the PM lecture on the "Songs of the Midale Border". He sang some of those songs he mentions in "A Son of the Middle Border" and read from that book the description of that last Thanksgiving gathering at Grandfather McClintocks. Incidentally, he told us he had a wive and two children which was about all there was new about his talk. The weather is almost hot the past few days and as there is still no frost, we hare having fresh flowers in the garden and tomatoes ripening etc. I was elected a member of the Woman's Club last week and attended the first meeting last Fri. Have not decided which dep't to work in yet. Cal joined the Men's Mozart Club last week also. So, IN TIME, I suppose he will appear in a dress suit behind the foot lights! They give concerts at other towns occasionally. They had a noted harpist here two weeks ago, Salvi, who was very good and made them a net profit of $600. Kreisler, the violinist, is coming soon and we hope to hear him. We have enjoyed the visit from the Wilkinsons very much. They think they must go home tomorrow. Bought my winter supply of potatoes for $1.25 per bu. We are as well as usual. With love to all, I am Your sister, Annie - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. Nov. 21, 1920 Dear Circle: This does not seem like Sunday because I did not go to church this morning. It was wet and I have been "under the weather" all week last week so thought I'd better stay in. A week ago Sat. was "Homecoming" and the Wis-Ill football game where Wis. won. The city was full of guests and any one who had a vacant room rented it for the night at from $2. to $5. Wisconsin won from Chicago Univ. yesterday 3-0. We are invited to spend Thanksgiving day at Theo's cottage. They have found a furnished house up near the square for four months and will move in Dec. 1st. On Tuesday Lorado Taft lectures to the Woman's Club. I want to hear him if I feel well enough. The paper today said he is a brother-in-law of Hamlin Garland. Grace and Ruth were down at Monroe on Thurs. to Helen Churchill's wedding. It was a pretty home wedding, at 12:30 M. She married Bob Shaw who was a student here and got his Dr's degree last June in chemistry & is now a chemist in Cleveland, Ohio where they will live when they return from their wedding trip to Maryland where his people live. They left for there just after the ceremony. Grace said she never saw Helen so subdued as when she said "Yes" and Bob was still trembling when they congratulated him 15 minutes after the ceremony. But they are a bright, gifted couple. Ethel Watson played the wedding march, Lottie accompanied her on the violin & Uncle Joseph on the cello. I spare Cal. the danger of getting in bad with me, Henry, by wearing my old hats, etc. year after year. He looked me over when I met him up town the other day and finally said "YOU MUST HAVE SOME NEW CLOTHES!" But that is as far has it has "went" yet, however "while there's life, there's hope." Love to you all. Anni