Mrs. J. C. Bitterman Madison, Wisconsin Jan. 10, 1924 Dear Bro's. and Sister: I have just slipped my last sheet from the "Robin" into the envelope containing those I have written since we came to Madison nine years ago. I look them over occasionally and find they are a MONTHLY diary instead of a daily one, as Chas. has. It doesn't seem like nine years since we left the farm, because we are out there so often. It used to seem a long trip to Madison, thirty years ago, and we made it VERY seldom. But these autos have well nigh annihilated space. In a letter from Trullie Bitterman Shulte from Pasadena, Calif. recently, she said they were offering their newly built bungalow for $10,000 as real estate was booming there. She wished she had that 40 acres of hers near Nora S. out there, as it hardly brought enough for the taxes last year. One wonders how long this discrepancy between farm & city property can continue. There is another snow storm on today & zero weather predicted for tomorrow, but we are all so situated that we can be comfortable even then. Trullie said they had just had a three day dust storm out there & she would take an Iowa blizzard in preference anytime. I am wishing those who are having birthdays this month (Charles and Amelia) many happy returns of the same. Cal. is not using the auto at present, is having the battery charged. Dick & Ruth bought a used Oldsmobile in Nov. but did not get a license till Jan. 1st & now its too cold & snowy to use it. We are all well here and manage to keep busy. Much love to you all. Annie - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Mrs J. C. Bitterman Madison, Wisconsin Sunday, Feb. 17, 1924 Dear Circle: While everyone else in the house is napping this PM I'll write a letter. We have been to church and will go again tonight. Tomorrow, the Univ. has a big birthday celebration in the evening, the 75th one, and I want to go. Pres. Birge, who has been connected with the Univ. for 48 years, will preside. Cal. will sing with the Mozart Club (three or four songs) so I think I'll go with him. There is to be an immense birthday cake and students will appear dressed in old time costumes and dance old time dances, beside the serious speeches, etc. Last week, Fri. Ella and I got supper at the church for 30 men of the Layman's League, but on the same afternoon, Lorado Taft spoke to the Woman's Club and we left our work to go down to hear that and then back again & each had a 45 min. siesta before we had to serve supper. We then went down to hear and see (there were slides on German art) the lecture given to the League before washing the dishes, but got every thing done and home by 10:30. That same day Cal went down to Janesville with the Chevrolet dealer here and with eight other men, they drove back ten new cars. They found considerable snow but managed to get back in good season. The General Motors Co. turns out 200 cars a day from that plant. We are both rather inclined to like the Chevrolet coupe, but with $1500 in taxes to pay, our prospects for a new car are nil. We have only missed about a month this winter, when the battery was being charged, without using the car. Henry is as round and chipper as ever he was before he was three score & ten, and I hope he continues thus for many years more. We are all well except for colds that seem very prevalent. Love to you all. Annie - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Mrs. J. C. Bitterman Madison, Wisconsin March 24, 1924 Dear Circle: I have just got back from the History Dep't program where I went with Ella. There was a short talk by the chairman on the sixteen state charitable & penal instutions of Wis. & an interesting talk on the state libraries. Yesterday PM the Univ. band gave a very good program at the gym. I was fortunate to be able to get a seat (at $2.75 per) to hear Schumann-Heink a few weeks ago. She has a wonderful range of voice for a contralto and at her age, too. She had a violinist, Florence Hardeman, with her that I enjoyed more than Mischa Elman. A number who heard Heifetz last week said he was so cold and reserved. Never smiled once when recalled I'm afraid we'd find it hard to keep Uncle Willie [Pickford ?] interested in things we are doing now-a-days. The memory of that three weeks he and his family spent with us on the farm about the year 1882 is still quite vivid to me. Well, I see Wendell is getting to be a radio fan, too. Here's wishing him many happy returns of his birthday. Rufus, we like Mah Jongg. Cal will play that when he is too tired to do anything else. It is real recreation for him and the more you play the game the more difficult you can make it. I had a letter from Jessie Wilkinson today saying she was at home again and feeling fine. She says this is the first she has ever had a doctor. That is some record, I think. Arthur, I weigh more than you without your over coat. You should drink a quart of milk a day. We were glad to have Roger surprise us last week. We are all as well as usual. Love to you all. Annie - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Mrs. J. C. Bitterman Madison, Wisconsin April 23, 1924 Dear Circle: I see I wrote my sheet just a month ago. So will put in a short one while the washer is running. Cal & I expect to leave for Iowa on Sat. morning early, so will see all of you except Chas. whle there. You know, we had 50 cts left, over and above, our taxes this year, so the pasture well gave out and we had to have a new one drilled and it has just been finished, so there has to be a new cement tank made and Cal is going to do that and put cement floors in the oatbins in the barn which he did not get done while we were there last Oct. The well is 124 ft. deep and Dale thinks there is an ample supply of water. So that's that. I have been cleaning house and have all but the basement done. But OUR housecleaning is never in the PLURAL. Cal does take off the storm windows but that ends his share of it. We attended the Senior recital of Grace Jones (who has lived with us for the past four years) last evening and she did play VERY WELL. The house this AM is all decoreated with the beautiful flowers she received. I shall lose all my three girls in June. They all graduate this year. But having them here has made it easier for us to get accustomed to having Grace & Ruth away. Ruth and Dick leave for Sturgeon B. on Apr. 30. Much love to you all Annie - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Mrs. J. C. Bitterman Madison, Wisconsin May 22, 1924 Dear Circle: I heard a man say recently "It's getting so we have nine monthes of winter and three monthes of poor sleighing in a year." We have had a furnace fire all but two days since last Oct. and it will soon be the longest day of the year. Ruth says they've needed all their winter clothes up at Sturgeon B. Of 18 tomato plants I had set out ten days ago, only four invalids remain. But if nothing but those are hurt by this weather, we will be very thankful. I was very glad to read Father's letter, but it must have required some bravery to break up a home with a family of that size. But I suppose they thought things couldn't well be any more scanty than they were in Eng. and might be better. It was just too bad that Mother died just as they reached a point financially where they could have had some of the things she'd wanted those many years. [Mother Sarah died April 24, 1884 at Nora Springs.] I think Henry & Ella & Amelia will have a fine trip. It looks now as if OUR western trip would be not sooner than our Golden wedding. [Wellll - that'd be 1940 - Thompson] I wonder if Rachel Senior will continue with the Sousa Band after her marriage. Amelia Churchill called today. She has just returned from Cleveland where she has been with Helen for the past two years. She thinks she will live in her own house at Monroe the coming year, with Norma who is not very well and will not try to teach this next year. We are hoping Dale & family will be able to drive to Mad. for a week soon, and will then go on up to Ruth's with them. Bedtime for now so good-night with love from Annie [Benjamin and Sarah (Wood) Pickford sailed from Liverpool, Eng. April 18, 1866, with their five children. They went from N.Y, to Monroe, Wis. by trains through Pennsylviania, Indiana, Chicago to Janesville. Uncle Joseph Wood lived in Monroe where they settled....from "Westward to Iowa"] [Notes in brackets are inserts by Noel J. Thompson] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. July 6, 1924 Dear Circle: Henry, being absent, I wonder if a letter I got from him lately wouldn't do for his quota this time. I'll enclose it. Well, how many of you are going to Cumberland on Aug. 2 & 3rd? We don't see that we can go now., though it would be a nice outing. Dale is having an attack of tonsilitis that has kept him in bed for a week but his temperature is now normal and we hope he will soon be back to his usual health. Noel got home July 3rd from a months trip by auto all over the Eastern States. Grace did not go with him this time as he had a man from the Cereal Dept at Wash. D.C. with him. We have had a rather poor crop of strawberries this year but the rasp. promise a good yield, and my sweet corn was knee high by the 4th. Ed and Genie spent the 4th with us. They are living, just at present, 50 miles N.E. of Madison, but were to move to another job in a few days. Ed oversees the Steam shovel gang of road men working for Oscar Balmat who has several such gangs at work. Genie is with him this summer, and they are both getting fat. My roomers will all be gone by Tues this week, and we will be alone till school begins in Sept. I suppose. All well here. Love to all. Annie - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. Aug. 16, 1924 Dear Circle: I see I wrote July 6th before. Henry has not sent his sheet over yet, either. Well, we had one fine reunion didn't we! and WE vote Merle & Ritch the perfect hosts and Camp Dixon the ideal spot for such a gathering. We got home at 6 PM on Monday. Found some water on the roads but it did not hinder us. Our engine used only three cylinders toward the last of the trip but nothing worse happened. Rufus & Myrta made a stop over of a few hours in M. on their way home from Ishpenning. We wished they had staid longer. The Woods & Churchills went to St. Paul on Mon. Aug. 4 & staid over night and started home next day & struck 20 miles of new grade in Minn. Got stuck & had to be pulled out somewhere near Winona. The state is full of tourists now, Cal says. Even we are quite enthused about camping since the two nights we tented, and have gone so far as to look up the price of tents, etc, but it has rained from one to three times every day this month so far, so it would be damp camping. We are just doing routine work since we got home and there is nothing much to write about this time. Hope you all keep well. Love to all Annie. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. Sept.20, 1924 Dear Circle: I expect to see all but Charles next week, as we are leaving for Iowa tomorrow to be there a week. More repairs needed on the farmhouse. Are very glad to know Rufus is improving so nicely. That surely is a picture of my new POCKET, Myrta. Wish we could see some of the other Camp Dixon groups. Cal went up in an airplane Wed. and enjoyed it very much. $5.00 for half an hour. Flew over our house but I was not at home. Didn't know he was going. Says there's nothing scary about it. No sensation of rising or lowering as in an elevator. Says I must go up but he knows I wouldn't go without him, so that means another ride for him. Am busy canning and various other things this morning, so will close for this time. Alice was surely fortunate in not being hurt in falling down stairs. All well here. Love from Annie. P.S. We were glad to see Theo Wilkinson & family on Thurs. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. Oct. 19, 1924 Dear Circle: It is bedtime but I will try to write this sheet before I go. Just had callers who have just gone. They are retired farmers who still have their farm near Shulsburg, Wis. but this year the farm is not rented yet and he is beginning to wonder what he is going to do with it. Maybe when the election is over, the new Pres. will do some of the things he's promised for agriculture. I don't know who to vote for. I'd take La Follette if he was not wet. He, at least, is not bound and gagged by the moneyed interests as the other two are. I get disgusted with Coolidge in his complacency with those Teapot Dome thieves. It seems to me La Follette sympathizes with the working people because he has had to earn what he has him self, instead of having it handed to him on a silver platter. The weather is so fine that we have almost forgotten the cold rainy summer. We took such a pleasant drive via Cross Plains this PM. Wis. roads are much more picturesque to ride over than those of Iowa because of their winding ways and unexpected views. I suppose Wendell is at home again before this and we are glad Rufus is around again. We are always glad to have any of you come whenever you can and we have seen most of you but Charles & Alice this summer. We were vey busy during our last trip to Iowa and did not get around at all. All well here. Much love from Annie - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. Nov. 30, 1924 Dear Circle:- Cal. has just brought me the letter. Henry gave it to him at church today. I did not go as I have been having the "grippe" the past week and it feels like 70 degrees below zero when I open the outside door, tho' the thermometer says only 10 degrees below FREEZING. But it is damp with snow flurries and that makes it seem cold. My girl roomers are out skating on the lagoon in Vilas Park the past two days, but the lakes, proper, are not yet frozen over. Any one who wishes may go skating, but not for me any more! Cal was looking at his skates today, I noticed. The family had a very pleasant Thanksgiving day at Theo Owen's. I was glad to stay quietly in bed at home. Cal. has been busy nights and Sunday this fall doing various things. He goes to church but does other things too. He fixed our car so the curtains open with the doors. Then he enclosed the front porch with storm windows and he and our next neighbor (Mr Ulve) bought a pair of rubber tired wheels and they now have a neat trailer to haul away our ashes. Mr Ulvi wants a low spot in the lumber yard filled and we were glad to have our cellar emptied on Thanksgiving morning. This trailer looks well enough to take on the highway if we should EVER go CAMPING, etc. etc. Ruth & Grace & husbands are well. Best Christmas wishes to you all. With love, Annie.