Mrs. J. C. Bitterman 1717 Chadbourne Ave. Madison, Wisconsin Jan 16, 1929 Dear Circle: The weather man is relenting somewhat as I see the thermometer says 11o above zero this forenoon. But the year so far has been real wither with a foot of snow that does not melt at all day after day. Busses out from Madison on Many roads have been discontinued altho' an effort is made all the time to keep the roads open with plows, etc. The Essex is in winter quarters. I wouldn't dare drive with such slippery, rutty streets, even if I could get it started which I doubt. Cal gets the Chev. going each day but I see he has chains on which is unusual for him. But I enjoy staying in my comfortable house and with the telephones one doesn't feel lonesome. The merchants are adv. big Jan. clearance sales but if the rest of the inhabitants buy not more than I have, they won't need to stock up with new goods. We are glad to hear thro' Charles' letter that Alice is improving nicely. These husband's make very good house keepers upon occasions like this. I was really surprised last year to find everything so normal at home after letting go of the reins for six weeks, or so. Arthur writes from Minneapolis that he has just appeared in a skit at the Lumberman's Convention. He's doing something different every time he writes, and it is surely fine he keeps well so that he can do those things. I didn't get even "honorable mention" in the puzzle contest. Some of the solutions were really works of art, while I only did what was absolutely necessary. I know the girl who got the $250.00 tho. She is a Univ. Instructor in Botany, and a great friend of my roomer from South Africa. Best wishes to Charles for many happy birthdays. Love to you all from Annie - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. Feb. 22, 1929 Dear Circle: This is a holiday for some people but hings are going on as usual for us. It is a cold, sunshiny day and we are grateful for the sun for so much of the time it is snowing, but the radio just announced clear and COLDER tomorrw. Cal has driven his Chey. all but four days this winter, but says he will have some way of heating the radiator another winter if it is so cold. Amelia, I have saved only the letters I've written since we've lived in Madison, which is 14 years, but I know the Robin came several years while we were on the farm. I'm glad we have it to look forward to each month. We surely all sympathize with Margaret and Arthur in their loss of little Lorraine. The little folder was so nice and one feels that Longfellow must have suffered just such a loss to write so truly in "Resignation". [Arthur has lost his wife, Theo, in April 1928. His son Hugh Sears Pickford died 3 May, 1928, the baby Lois died 9-19-1928 and now the second child in Hugh's family, Lorraine, b. 5-1-25, d. 2- 6-29.] We ate supper with Henry & Ella on his birthday and really he seems to be able to carry out a couplet I saw on a birthday greeting card. It said, "Every body has 'em but not every one I know, Has your kind of luck to have 'em and not to have 'em show!" and I think Myrta comes in that class, too. I wonder if Rufus has come up for air yet since that deluge of Feb. birthdays Henry sent him! Had a nice Washington birthday program fro WTMJ this AM of music of the time of Washington. We get most of our programs from there & WGN or WMAQ since the new arrangement. We, Ella & I, are now much interested in piecing quilts. Ella finished a lovely one for Henry's birthday and is part way thro' another for their twin beds. This has replaced the rug hooking temporarily. Mine is made of pieces I had in the house so the colors are not so artistically shaded but it looks very well all things considered. I have just finished "The Stump Farm" by Hilda Rose, and think, our farm life was a bed of roses by comparison, but I am not cut out for a real pioneer, I know. We are all well here and hope this will find you all the same. Much love from Annie. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. MARCH 19, 1929 Dear Circle: This is our 39th wedding anniversary but, like the groom in Engl that Mr. Boothroyd knew, my groom has gone on a trip and left his bride at home. It is just such a pleasant day as the 19th was 39 years ago, and the snow has gone. I'm glad you can't use telavision today. I've been cleaning house and am resting after lunch while I write. Am a sight --for I've been trying to wash off some kalsomine on the walls of the sweing room preparatory to mainting them and of all the horrid jobs! No more Kalsomine for me. However, Ella has called up and invited me over to supper and she said it was going to be a "wedding" supper & she had asked Grace, too and Amelia is up here, also so I shall try to be present. Cal had an opportunity to go to Washington D.C. to a three day convention of the A.A.A. with the Sec. of the local club here and they drove down. Left Mon. & expect to get home next Sun. night. They would have to drive all night to get there in time which is nothing new to the man he went with. I don't care for that kind of travelling myself. Cal expects to work for the Madison Auto Club after May 1st. The new Sec. of the Ass'n of Commerce thinks road information by the Ass'n is unnecessary when one can get 57 varieties of it at filling stations, and the board of directors are paying him $7200.00 per year + $700. for travelling expenses + 10 cts per mile when he uses his auto, so he had to see to it that not very much of the income of the Ass'n went for service to the general public because he needed so much of it for himself. It is just possible that we make take a trip out to Ruth's before may 1st if we can arrange things here at home in shape to go. Ruth writes that they have bought a small bungalow, somewhat like Rufus' and will take possession June. 15. We are glad to know that Rufus & Alice are both gaining. Dick & alice Ruth have both had a second attack of "flu" recently. Everyone will welcome spring this year after the snow & cold we've had, I think. Must get busy again now. Much love from Annie Elizabeth Glad to see little Richard Dean's picture. (He's his daddy's own son.) Also the Smiths & Amelia. How fine looking Rachel Senior is. I understood she was married years ago, but maybe she is a modern wife who continues to go by her maiden name after marriage. We have some like that in Madison. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. May 6, 1929 Dear Circle: I'm going to get in on the Robin this time. We are busy now-a-days but we had ONE REAL vacation. Left on Tues. Apr. 2nd at 1 o'clock on a local traon on the C.M.& St.P. to Portage where we got the crack thro' train the "Columbian". It was 1 1/2 hrs late but made it up during the night. We had Land Seekers tickets (tho' goodness knows we had no idea of seeking more LAND.) chiefly because they are one fare plus $2.00. They are limited to three weeks. That is the only thing against them for we had everything the train afforded otherwise, observation car, lounge, shower bath, etc. and we throroughly enjoyed it all. We arrived in Spokane at 9 PM Fri eve. Had to stay over night there & go down to Pullman on a local train in the AM. Staid at Ruth's till the following Mon PM. Took Dick's Essex and drove over the Columbia River Highway to Portland, then over to Astoria & seaside to really see the Pacific. Back to Longview and up to Olympia, Tacoma & Seattle. Took the boat to Victoria and Vancouver. We had intended to go back to Ruth's via the Snoqualmie Pass but found out at Seattle that there was too much scno still there to be safe, even with chains, so had to retrace our route over the Columbia Riv. Highway. That road is a wonder! On Sun. while at Ruth's, Dick wanted to show us some of the scenery around Pullman so drove us to Lewistown, Idaho, about 30 miles from Pullman and incidentally went DOWN and UP a nine mile hill where one can see about six different levels of the same road. It takes 9 miles to go about two to get down to the town at the bottom in the valley. It was breathtaking to me. The rest thoroughly enjoyed it. They kept saying "Look on this side, Mother! We'll be down where that speck of a car is in a few minutes!", etc. etc. till I fairly shrieked "Let me alone! I WON'T LOOK DOWN THERE!" Well, that was just the beginning. On Mon. PM we started on TWO DAYS of just that kind of scenery. One needs all the adjectives that a circus poster uses & then some to describe it. I was never so frightened in my life, but I'm glad I've seen it, and those natives flashed around those curves in the Cascade Mts. at 40 miles an hr. Turned out to pass us a couple of feet from the edge of a precipice 1000 ft. down. It makes me feel faint even to remember it. We drove from Pullman to Walla Walla on Mon PM Staid over night at a lovely new hotel the "Marcus Whitman". Tues. we drove 277 miles over the Col. Riv. Highway to Portland. Staid over night there. Went up to Council Crest Park in the AM where one gets a fine view of the city, & Mt. Hood, Adams & Jefferson. All the time we were away it was cold and either snowy or rainy. Cal never used a windshield wiper so much in his life as he did those 10 days we were driving around in Wash. & Ore. It was just a series of showers in the mountains. O, those snow capped mountains! When we to to the Rockies on the train, we got up as soon as it was light, so as not to miss any thing. We did not mind the 7,000 ft altitude on the Continental DIvide to sepak of. But it was when we got into the Bitter Root Mts that it seemed there was NO POSSIBLE WAY for a train to proceed. They were so jagged & so close together, but by clumbing first to the top (almost) & then dashing thro' a series of 19 tunnels and winding in unvelieveably sharp curves that we finally emerged near Spokane. There were two R.R. & a noisy little river that found a way between those almost vertical mountains. There were places where there had been snow slides where every thing was shaved clean down the side of the mt. also bleak, desolate places where the forest fires had raged. I wondered if Gerald was living in some such country. We staid over night with Jennie Johnson Clark (Rena's sister) in Tacoma & called on Mrs. Owen, Ray's mother, at St Helens. We got to Seattle Fri noon. Dick's father has an office right near the L.C. Smith building & he has lived in Seattle all his life so he took us all around in his car. We went up to the 40th floor of that Smith bldg. Another higher one is going up now, the Northern Life Ins. bldg. We spent 1/2 day with Uncle Walter & Wallie. They are very nicely settled in the Castle-Crag Apt. on the 4th floor. They are twelve blocks from Pujet Sound & so high that from their windows they see a wonderful view of the city. Uncle is looking very well, as neat as a pin & he says he walks down town & back almost every day, & there are steps, some 40, on their street beside a general steep incline all the way. It made us puff to clumb up it. On Sat. we took the boat trip to Victoria & Vancouver because we had never been on a big boat. We could have drived in the car but wanted the boat trip. Came back during the nigh so know how a state-room looks now. We took the sight-seeing bus at Victoria & were conscious we were on British soil when as we got off the ship (the door way was a little low) the sailor said to each one "Mind your 'ead." We drove back to Pullman from Seattle in two days more with D. & R. They have bought a small bungalow but can not take possession till June 15. They like Pullman very much. It is in the very hilly Palouse wheat growing region. Just as far as one can see, one big round hill after another. We saw the farmers plowing. They begin at the bottom of the hill & plow round & round it up to the top. Some were driving 15 horses on five or six plows, & one man doing it. It is all wheat there. The soil is a volcanic ash some 20 feet deep, and so far seems to be inexhaustable. We had hoped to be able to come back from Seattle by way of Yakima & Wenatchee where the irrigated orchards are but could not get over the Snoqualmie Pass safely. Saw an immense Gov't irrigation project between Pendleton & Umatilla, Ore, but not much use was being made of it as yet. There were miles & miles of sage brush all around it. All the natives are boosters for their country out there and Wallie & Uncle Walter would not consider living in Chicago again for anything. It is a good country for a young ambitious person, or one with lots of cash on hand. Rooms at the hotels were very reasonable, we thought. We went 3,660 miles by rail, 370 by water & 2000 by auto. and maybe you'd be interested in what it cost us. Just $336.66 for everything. Then when we'd been home two days to wash & iron we & Grace & Noel James went to the farm for the week end to finish out our month. Found them all well out there. So now we are back at work. Cal. announced that he had collected $300. of bills for the Yawky-Crowley Lumber Co. today. He began work for them May 1st. Must go to bed now. So good night to all & love from Annie. PS. I forgot to say that I was presented with a cookbook by the Mil. Road for pouring at afternoon tea on the train. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. Fri. June 14, 1929 Dear Circle: I have delayed the Robin two days hoping I would have pleasanter news to write and I have. Cal has been suffering from ivy poisoning for two weeks and the Dr. did not seem able to abate the intolerable itching it causes. Cal has been in bed since Sun. as it was all over his body & he could do nothing but put on a lotion the Dr. had given him which seemed to do practically no good, but it was simply unbearable without or with it, and no sleep at all, so this morning i read the riot act to the Dr. & he said he'd bring out or send a skin spcialist to see if comething else could not be done. The specialist came & in a few minutes examination, said the ivy poisoning was over and there was another distinct skin affection that he would sent out a salve for which he did and after annointing his body from head to foot, he was confortable for the FIRST time since last week at this time. The first Dr.was still treating him for ivy poisoning, you see. Cal scat down (unknowing it) among some poison ivy at a picnic almost three weeks ago now, & has not been able to work for a week at all. Then I had to have a round with my old enemy, lumbago, the past three days, so we looked our ages, all right. But we hope now to be back to normal again in a few days. Have had some nice rains of late which have helped the gardens & crops. Our Strawberries are not much of a crop this year. Too dry when setting, I think. We are sorry Alice is not gaining her health faster. I know how slowly strength comes back tho' but I have felt very well this year till the past three days of lumbago, tho' I have not the endurance I had once. Henry & Ella are the ones who posess eternal youth. Hope the circle are well. Love to all. Annie - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. July 21, 1929 Dear Circle: This has been a beautiful day, and we drove out to Sun Prairie and back another road and the country looks fine. Oats are being cut & much hay made. I haven't been out of the city much this summer. We went to the picnic at Gibralter where cal got into the poison ivy & to Monticello on May 30. That is all. I was laid yp with lumbago for 3 weeks and am still rather limp and Cal is not yet quite back to his normal strength. But we hope to be present at the reunion. We think that the committie found very reasonable accommodations. Ruth wrote that they had been to Seattle for ten days the first of July and called to see Uncle Walter and had a nice visit with him. Wallie was not at home when they called. Uncle Walter wrote me that Wallie always called him up in the evening over long distance when he had to be out of the city. I must write to Uncle Will if he is sick. I hope Alice will be benefitted by her treatments. I had electric and infra-red light & massage for my lumbago. It was months before I could ride comfortably last year. Cal rides a great deal at his work this summer and he found his Chev. with small tires was tiring him so he bought 4 Essex wheels that use balloon tires & had them fitted on and it has made it much more comfortable for him & finishes up the old tires from my car. Matie Spotts Sargent & husband came to see us recently. Also Charlie Cole & his brother Elmer. Charlie is an Insurance agent in Seattle now & Elmer has a laundry in Milwaukee. Here's hoping we all meet in Clear Lake Aug. 10 & 11 Love from Annie - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. Aug. 20, 1929 Dear Circle: Mercy! I see Henry's letter is dated the 15th! I didn't realize I'd had the Robin so long. We enjoyed the reunion but were not so fortunate as Henry in our trip out & back. Cal had to have repairs on the car going out and when we were some twelve miles from home, coming back. Slap! bang! under the hood and we stopped and sat "by the side of the road and let the rest of the world go by" for 1 1/2 hrs till a truck from Madison could come out & tow us in. Our Essex outdid itself in furnishing material for family picnic songs this year. It was on deck again after a day or two at the shop. We came home by way of Elkader a scenic road but detoured also, and did not get to the ferry till 3 PM. Have just had a letter from Rena saying that the barn & out buildings on Ed Bitterman's farm burned Sat. PM while the threshing crew were at work there, which will be a bad loss. The weather is very cool and dry. We have just had our winter's coal put in the bin today. The Dane Co. fair is on this week with some unusual stunts, a re-fuelling plane stunt, milking by radio, etc. We have only attended a few times since living here. Noel is to be in Mil. next week at the booth the Ag. Dept. will have there. Have been having plenty of sweet corn the past week but the tomatoes ripen slowly. Have canned very little so far this year as we had but few berries and no string beans as usual. Will can peaches this week, I think. I must mail this now. Love to you all. Annie - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. Sept. 15, 1929 Dear Circle: Henry likes to dictate just when I shall write my sheet for the "Robin" but I have kept it only five days & he kept it for five days. So there! We were pleasantly surprised to have Dale & family spend last week end with us. They left home at 10 AM and were at Graces at 4:30 PM. So if they would only get that bridge in at Prairie Du Chein it would not be a long trip from Mad. to Mason. Those trips Arthur tells of sound like vacations to the rest of us, but he may not find them so. We've just celebrated our Sept. birthdays, Grace on Sept 5, & Cal on the 12th. I read in the paper of a surprise birthday party Mrs. Hoover & Mrs. Lindgerg gave for Mr. Hoover. He was 55 last month. The men spent the morning helping Mr. Hoover build a dam across a trout stream at his summer camp 100 miles south of Washington. In the PM games were played. Pitching horseshoes was the favorite & "Lindy" won. My students will be here next week. It has been nice to have the house to ourselves this summer, but my girls are as little trouble as possible, and this year they are all graduate students, so I do not have to chaperone them. Do you get the "Better English" talk each night from W.M.A.Q. at 9:15 PM? It is very interesting & instructive. The clubs are all about to begin and the summer is over. Cal is debating about joining the bowling group at the lumber yard. We've been keeping such early bed time hours this summer that we can hardly feature staying up till eleven. Bed time (9:30) now, so goodnight. With love, Annie. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. Oct. 24, 1929 Dear Circle: I have just read the letters in the Robin and am glad each time it comes that we have the habit of wiritng it each month. We are very glad to hear that Alice is better and hope the improvment will continue until her usual health is restored. We woke Wednesday morn to a world covered four inches deep with snow, but today has been sunny and most of the snow is gone. On the east side of the city, they did not have snow. I have a feeling that the job of getting the storm windows on will come along this week end. We have had fresh flowers all along and still have some chrysanthemums, as there has not been heavy frosts as yet. We enjoyed having Margaret [Pickford] & little Hugh visit us, and are glad the weather was not so cold as it is now. We had a good visit with Amelia and the Smiths on Sunday when they drove up to have dinner with us. Amelia writes they were at home again in a little over two hours. Well, when we get to flying it won't be that long. A sister of one of my roomers is an aviatrix (?) and flew from Milwaukee to Cambridge, Wis. to visit her parents a week ago. She is a teacher in Mil. This solo flying is a side line. I'm glad to know how to drive a car but I feel positive I'll never want to drive an airplane. Dale says he expected to have his corn all husked by Nov. 1st if the weather held fair. The husking machine surely makes that hand job move along more quickly. Cal is expecting to go out to the farm in a week or so to build a shed & chicken house but I shall stay here to look after things. We were glad to listen in on the Edison-Hoover-Ford programs the past few evenings. Our 5 year old radio is still serving us well, but of course, looks out date. Bed time now. So good night. Love to you all Annie - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. Nov. 15, 1929 Dear Circle: As I am a grass widow at present, (my husband having left me two weeks ago, and has, as yet, not signified any intention of returning) I can do just as I please with no one to say me nay. I read the weather forecast a bit anxiously each day hoping this fine weather continues at least till the other half arrives at 1717 Chadbourne Ave, & also because I am not a very successful fire man in very cold weather. I must confess it seems not less than a month since Nov. 2nd when he left for the farm. I wonder if the Rock F. bridge is in the same location as the old one. I don't recognize that brick building at the farther end. It will improve the approach to the "city" as much as the one at Nora Springs does. I think that poem of Herbert's is VERY apt. He may develop into another Walt Mason. I have just finished piecing my fourth quilt this year, three are quilted and another started. The last one is a very dainty affair for myself. Ella is making one like it, which makes her SEVENTH this year, I think. Well, we might be doing worse things, and we have very good times at out quilt clubs. Arthur surely keeps busy with his lecture work beside his days work. Rufus, I think this which was on a birthday card applies to our family. "What does it matter if the sum of your years be many or few? If the heart beats young, And the hopes are high And the smile keeps glad as the years go by, Old Age can never lay hands on you!" I went to call on a sweet old lady of 92 the other day. She said she was perfectly well but could not see well, but was cheery & bright mentally. Glad to know all are well. Good night & love from Annie. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. Dec. 21, 1929 Dear Circle: I wonder if this letter will get to Mason City by New Years. Remember there's ONLY TWO (2) shopping days till Christmas now, and I don't care a rap if there is only two. I did't shop anyway. Almost nothing but home made gifts this year. You see we belong to the "idle rich" this winter "99% idle and 1% rich" Cal says. Cal keeps busy fixing things around home but that is not so remunerative as might be. He has glued all the dining room chairs that were getiing wobbly from the dry air this winter, repaired all the door knobs, tinkered the two cars, etc. etc. Yesterday we had a new experience, Cal went up town & on the way home, the Chev. refused to proceed. He took the street car home to get the Essex & me to pull the thing home. I was to guide the Chev. We had gone a block when there was a jolt. I couldn't attract his attention for a time both being in closed cars, but he finally heard me & came back to see what had happened & found I was short one rear wheel. He went back & found it a block behind. So I drove the Essex home while he called the garage to be pulled in there with a broken axle. These two cars are gettiing to be a luxury. Rufus, how much is that Dixey Gem coal you speak of and is it a hard coal? Our Pocohontas coal is just a coarse powder this year and is not at all satisfactory, tho' some years we've liked it very well. My roomers are to be here most of the Xmas vacation this year. They are grad students and have work they want to do before classes begin again. Henry & Ella go to Eau C. on Tues. & the Owen's left on Fri. at noon. Five in a Ford car to ride five days in succession. This PM Cal & I went to see the talking picture "Disraeli" which is VERY good. Just a few sentences it was hard to get, and so well acted. Grace & family will be with us on Christmas day. On Dec 23rd Dale & Rena will have been married 15 years & Grace & Noel 7 years. Old married folks all ready. Rufus, we have to stay up till 10:45 to get Amos & Andy & we are just foolish enough to do it, but we don't get up till 7:30 to 8 AM. Cal had a rainy muddy ride home from Iowa, an eight mile detour near Clermont or dirt roads that were much more hilly than the Fennimore hills, but on the Wis. side all was dry, but he had to hurry on to get home before night. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and health & happiness in the New Year. Love from Annie.