Mrs. J. C. Bitterman 1717 Chadbourne Ave. Madison, Wisconsin Jan. 21, 1930 Dear Circle: Haven't quite become accustomed to the '30 yet. "As the days lengthen the cold strengthens" the old saying had it and it works out that way here this month. We had to get some more coal, we just couldn't get enough heat from the kind we'd been using. Rufus, you and I seem to have to have our regular spells of being under the weather. I've found the quickest relief from lumbago by taking a few Swedish massage treatments. We have been having an organ concert from the new Cong'l church about four blocks from us tonight, dedicating a fine Kilgen pipe organ. This new church is very fine and up-to-date with gym and Guild room, a stage in the banquet room, and all sorts of labor saving devices in the kitchen, an auditorium seating 1400, & many S.S. rooms, and a convenient two room apt. for the janitor. They broadcast the Sun. services, too. You will all be seeing another uncomplimentary squabble among the U. of Wis. profs. over student discipline. Some of them seem to want the young folks to do exactly as they please, what ever that may be. Arthur, Cal started his car one cold morning and covered the radiator while he came into the house for a while & we drove five or six blocks and found we had no water in the radiator. It had boiled away entirely, but otherwise no damage was done. The Mozart Club expect to go to Beloit next Sun. eve to sing. Hope it warms up before that time. It is a long drive at night. Best wishes to you all for the New Year, and love from Annie. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. Feb. 23, 1930 Dear Bro. and Sisters: I am alone tonight as my "better half" has gone with the Mozart Club to give a concert at Dodgeville. In the past month, he has been away with the club just three Sunday evenings, and is always away Monday evenings to practice, and since Jan. 23 has been away five days each week out of town at work for the North- West Telephone Co. as Sales Manager. They have a chain of twenty small town telephone exchanges scattered from Genesee, Wis. to Spooner & he visits them by auto and encourages, advises, admonishes, and assists them in any way he can. They are putting on a sale of preferred stock just now. He likes the work but does not like being away from home so much. He is at home Sun. & in the city Mon. but tomorrow he has to drive to Cadott, which is N.E. of Eau Claire and will be up there all week. I'm fortunate in having the students here or I'd be very lonesome. He drives the Essex, so today I took a lesson in driving the Chev. Now that the streets are dry. I sometimes want to drive, but I can't say I like the Chev. yet. I drove it over to Grace's this PM to see Noel James who is having earache the past two days. He has had whooping cough & measles this winter already. So we are hoping this trouble won't last long. Dale writes that Jean has the whooping cough, too. Yesterday was 70o in the house without the fire, but it is not quite so warm out today, but still very mild for Feb. If Rufus means TUSCON, ARIZONA instead of NEW MEXICO as he wrote in his letter of Gerald's new location, we have some friends there, ( Mr & Mrs Rubert Streets) who were married at our house seven years ago, that I think he'd like to know. Mr. Streets is Asst. Prof. of Plant Pathology at the Univ. at Tuscon, but both grew up around Great Falls, Mont. but came to Univ. of Wis. for their higher degrees. Cal says by the end of Feb. he will have driven 1500 miles since Jan 23, and he hopes there will not be much more snow this winter. Here's best wishes for all of the family who have birthdays this month. "That Henry" (as John Smith called him) is a wonder. Much love to you all from Annie. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. Friday, Mar. 21, 1930 Dear Circle: "Sprig" is here by the calendar but it was decidedly chilly out today, tho' the sun was bright all day. I am hoping for a few good rains for we have been out of rain water for a month and the city water is very hard. We passed our 40th anniversary very pleasantly and Henry assured us the first 40 years of wedded life were the hardest. Grace insisted on our consenting to a party at her house so she asked the elderly relatives who were here, to join us in a delicious dinner and an enjoyable evening together. We want to thank all the brothers and sisters for the good wishes sent us. Arthur, I wonder, when I think about it, why Theo had to walk over to Father's that 19th of March, 40 years ago, and pull Lyle in a little express wagon all that way. Were you teaching then? I can't recall why it was, but it was some big job for her and then to help us set tables, etc. afterward. The knot seems to be in good shape still, tho' Grandfather Spotts had his doubts about us being really married by a UNITARIAN minister. I think Arthur is doing wonderfully well to drive all those miles without any serious accidents, and without very good eyesight to do it with either. I think he has good sense enough to drive reasonably slowly and if the others would do so the accidents would be much fewer. We are expecting Wendell to spend the weekend with us, coming tomorrow, & I am glad Cal. will be at home then. Ruth writes that they have all been sick with "flu" but are getting better. We are as well as usual and Noel James has just got back to normal health again. That is a good picture of Ella & her handiwork, also of the old school house, tho' when I went there, there were no evergreens along the north fence. Best wishes to you all & love from Annie. Our Woman's Club gave a Chinese play and we waiters wore Mandarin coats to serve refreshments. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. April 9, 1930 Dear Circle: I think this Robin will need an extra postage stamp this time. Wendell's letters are very interesting, and it is surprising how one does find people you know or who knows some one you know every where. Cal was in S.W. Grant Co. a while back and took a report from a farmer who was John Heinselman's wife's uncle, and last week he got to talking with a man who was the son of a former Free Methodist minister in Plymouth, Ia. (I think his name was Wilson). Went to school to Jessie Wilkinson when a boy, knew Grandpa Spotts very well & the Heinselmanm, etc. around Plymouth. Cal is up in LaCrosse Co. this week. All around among those coulees that Hamlin Garland writes about and he says they are very scenic. Cal spent last Sun. at the farm. It was some 20 miles less to go to the farm than to come home so he went out to see how they were out there and he wrote he had a very pleasant time and that old 9-year-old bearcat of a Chev. never stopped from the time he left Dale's till he reached La Crosse. Lettie and Flora came up to Mad. yesterday PM and spent the night with me and we looked at some houses that are for sale near us, did some busineess at the Bank and Trust for Flora, ate dinner at the Mem. Union, called on Ella and I got them to the Bus station at 1 PM. They would like to come to Madison to live again if they could find a house that was satisfactory in every way. We had just a very light rain this PM but the forecast is for fair tomorrow, I see. We NEED some rain. The tulips are showing some now and the grass is getting green. Am about half thro' house cleaning, and the cistern is empty. That is a remarkable record for Charles to have missed only one Conference in forty two years. I am making a Family Record for our children and I shall put that in on Charles' page. The Loose-leaf idea has worked out all right in makihg the books. Much love to all. Annie. [This hand-written record survives - It is titled Family Register of the Pickford Family. It is about 30 pages long. She also did a similar record of the Bitterman Family. Original copy is with Ellen Thompson Champion, 1986.] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. April 21, 1930 Dear Circle: Just a month since I wrote before. Here it's almost summer again, time flies so fast. After a long time with no rain, we have had several days of constant rain, and our supply of cistern water is replenished, and the gardens and fields are nicely moistened. I have planted only radishes, lettuce and carrots so far, but will put in some peas this week, I think. Tonight the forecast is for freezing temperatures again. The lawn is ready for its first mowing now. Henry and Ella started off EARLY to Waterloo, Wis. Sun. morn. in the rain, but then, young folks will do such things! We drove down to Monticello in the PM. I wonder if any of the family will make the journey back to Eng. I think FATHER had the nerve and Mother just came along. Henry. None of us have "set the new world on fire" but we have had more varied experiences here than we would have had there, surely. What is Gerald's work now, Rufus? Will he be in a town now? or on a range? I wonder if Rufus & Myrta EVER passed a spring house cleaning without doing PAINTING! I'm thro' cleaning but I did no painting this year. Our supply of coal gave out on Sat. so Cal had some maple blocks sent up for the bal. of the spring. We have used 12 tons of Pocahontas coal during the winter. Ruth & Dick are well again after the "flu" and the weather out there is GLORIOUS, Ruth says. Just a year ago today we got home from out west, and we are very glad we went, if only for a short three weeks. All well here. Much love to all. Annie. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. May 19, 1930 Dear Circle: "I'se regusted," as Andy says, that my husband is not coming home from Iowa for another week. He went out to build a mile or two of fence for Dale and has helped him some with the preparation of the corn fields and so, in all, will have been away for three weeks. I am glad I have the three girls here or I'd surely be lonesome, but the school year will soon be over now. I see by the paper tonight that Sally Owen is one of five popular girls to get special mention in the Univ. Annual, "The Badger." She IS surely a leading figure on the campus. Henry & Ella spent the week end in Cedar Rapids, with Roswell's and arrived safely at home at 6 PM tonight. I spent the Sundays at Grace's the past three Sundays. They have great expectations for any day now, and we will be so thankful when it is safely over. I think it has NOT rained any today, the first day for two weeks and the paper predicts warmer tomorrow. Have had a furnace fire constantly the past week. The garden grows slowly these days, but not much damage was done with the frost that I can see. I mow the lawn twice a week and that is all I have done out doors. I am beginning to hook a rug that will take me some time to finish it is so large. Henry & Ella's trip to Iowa & back this weekend is somewhat different from the one he describes in his letter this time. I'm puzzled how to arrange the family record book, the families increase & multiply so! Much love to you all from Annie. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. June 25, 1930 Dear Circle: Henry wrote on what he thought was the hottest day of the season, but since then we've had 90o on Monday, June 23, Commencement Day, and we were completely done through by the time the exercises were over. The parents of one of my roomers drove up from Indianapolis to her graduation. They report drought down there that seriously injured crops. I think I can find enough peas for a meal for Noel James & I tomorrow, which is earlier than the 4th of July when they usually appear, and I found a few ripe raspberries tonight also. Our little grand daughter is a dear, and both mother and babe are doing nicely. [Ellen Grace Thompson, b. 9 June 1930.] She evidently is to be a brunette for her complextion is like her Grand fathers. The husband is still on the farm and he says he knows one thing that he'll not attempt again and that is to wreck an old house. He is taking down the small house (The Kaven house) and using the lumber for the other buildings. He thinks he has about $300.00 worth of lumber. He will build a brooder house for Rena and expected to do some painting beside, but the house has taken much longer than he thought. I saw this notice of the old woolen mill in The Journal recently & thought some of you might be interested. Noel James is the man of the house here this week. He is staying with me while all the girls are away. Have one room rented for summer school but no one for the other yet. Bed time now, so goodnight. Love to all. Annie. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. Aug. 7, 1930 Dear Circle: If I can pull my arm loose from the desk and keep the steam off my glasses, I'll write my sheet this evening. I've kept putting off writing, hoping for a cool day but none comes. However, we have had some rain which freshened things that were much in need of it and it looks a little showery tonight. I wonder what the weather is where Rufus & Myrta are! Cal is wrestling with our furnace these days. He had to dismantle it and send for a new fire pot and it came today while I was at Grace's and somehow that man got those castings, weighing some 600 lbs apiece, together himself. He would have to pay the dealer $1.50 per hr. and he thought he'd do it himself, and he did. He has also put another window in the attic on the south gable to move more light and to enable him to repair or renew the storage tank when it becomes necessary. [The tank was filled from the cistern by a pump. There were THREE faucets in the kitchen sink.] Our sweet corn and tomatoes are on now, & we enjoy them. we were glad to hear the Iowa had had some good rain. The corn was so fine when we were out there but was in need of rain then. Ruth writes that they are all well and Baby Ralph is growing fast. [Leon Ralph Jones, b. 29 June, 1930.] I think this summer is pretty hard for little babies, being so very hot. Mrs. McCool (Ella's tennant) died and was buried last Monday. Henry & Ella have not decided just when they will leave for their vacation. Our vacation seems to have dissolved in thin air. Hope Arthur will take the trip witn Rollo's and Wendell. Bedtime now so Good night with love from Annie. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. Sept. 22, 1930 Dear Circle: Glad to have the Robin again, and to know Rufus & Myrtle enjoyed the trip & hope the others will have the same report. Shake, Myrta, about looking at some of the scenery in those mountains! It's wonderfu but terrifying to me. A card from Wendell said he'ds spent some time at Ruth's in Pullman. Had also seen Walter Ward, Will Hicks, Gardner Sherman, and George Gonde. He has time to see the folks as well as the scenery. Cal is away at Mozart Club again tonight. This must be about the tenth year he has belonged to it, and he still enjoys it. Univ. is open again. I have two grad. student girls this year. I have had three before but these wanted to room alone so could only take two. Was rather surprised I got any for there are rooms for rent every where and two fine large new dormitories for girls put up just recently. Henry & Ella and Mrs. Grieve left for a few days visit in Eau Claire this morning. Henry is tking his vacation in sections this year. I have been under the weather with my old foe, rheumatism, for several weeks and am still hobbling aroung, tho' I have had two weeks tratments from a Swedish Masseur and medicine also. I'm getting mighty tired of it. I manage to do the house work but nothing else but rest. The new grand children are doing nicely. Will send some snap shots of them. We were glad to hear of the safe arrival of the second son to Florence & Earl. [Gerald Wallace Dean, born 9 Sept. 1930.] Dale & family expect to drive to Madison for the weekend Oct. 2nd. The weather has been beautiful for some time past. Was very warm yesterday and today. Gardens are about thro' producing for this year. I'm always sorry when the flowers go. Must close now & go to bed. Good night with love. Annie. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. Oct. 27, 1930 Dear Circle: I was glad to get the "Robin" again and to hear from all of you. I think I'm feeling better on the whole than last week but the improvement is rather slow. I walk about the house a little more comfortably than I did but cannot make any headway out of doors or any distance. I walked over to Monroe St. & back (8 blocks) for the first time in weeks on Sat. and was tired out when I got home. I can drive the car much better than I can walk. Had an Xray of my pelvis last week and had my stomach pumped out. The Xray showed nothing out of order. The pumpage showed a lack of a certain acid (an aid to digestion) and I am now taking that 6 times a day. It remains to be seen what it does for me. Was over to Ella's today with three other ladies for lunch and a good afternoon visit. Great enthusiasm developed over new rug and quilt designs. Ella still is piecing "Star" quilts with relish, but I am trying a different pattern, when I feel like doing any sewing. Wendell's letter from the west is interesting and he will have time to look up many things in the weeks he will have to spend there. Uncle Walter surely is having a comfortable time in the closing years of his life, after caring for Aunt Sarah & working, too, so many years. Comfortable temperatures here again after the heavy frosts a while ago. Some potatoes were frosted in the ground around here. The ground froze about 5 in. deep in the open country, they said. Bedtime now, so goodnight. Love from Annie. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. Nov. 18, 1930 Dear Circle: Well, my better half is out on the farm again "for a few days", he said. But I never expect him until I see him when he's out there. He could not resist fixing up one of the tile outlets while this fine, dry weather lasted and Dale was thr' with his fall work and could help him. He left home at 7 AM and was out there at 3:05 PM. This trip will make eight times over the road since April last. When he drives in the Chev. with gas at ll.3 cts per ga. the ferry is the expensive part of the trip. I hope he gets home again before the weather changes. Forecast is for cold weather in a day or two. I planted a few more tulip bulbs today. I just heard a man from the Univ. on the radio say that Wis. had 113,300 silos, which was 1/5 of all in the U.S. One of my roomers if from Arkansas, and she says their principal crop (cotton) is so low in price that it won't pay for the fertilizer they have to use, and yesterday's paper told of 35 banks in and around Little Rock that had closed their doors THE PAST WEEK. Times are VERY hard there. I will enclose some of the latest snap shots of our little lady, Ellen & Grace. She's getting to be quite an armful to hold how, and we think she's very cunning. Ruth & family were well & were vaguely hoping they might spend Xmas with us. It would be a big undertaking with a young baby on so long a trip in winter. Wendell's letter was so interesting. Home we will get others. I am feeling some better the past few days, and surely hope it continues. We go to Grace's for Thanksgiving. Much love to you all. from Annie. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. Dec. 14, 1930 Dear Circle: Goodness! I had no idea I had kept this letter so long. I see Henry's sheet says Dec. 8, so I will make haste to write before we go up to the Pres. Church where the Mozart Club gives a concert tonight. The club went to Dodgeville, Wis. last Sun. eve and have eight more out-ofthe-city engagements to fill during the winter & spring. It happens that they have never been prevented from filling their engagements by stormy weather or bad roads other winters. Cal expects to work till Christmas as an extra in the Post Office. He has been collecting for Manchester's store (the biggest store here) also of late, and yesterday he wrote a Civil Service Exam for a position in the capitol during the session of the Legislature. There were 400 applicants for 100 positions, so his chances are not overly bright. We heard of a man who took the Civil Service Exam for the position of truck driver and one of the questions, HE SAYS, was "Who wrote the "Unfinished Symphony?" You see they require wide general information! "The Best Shall Serve the State" is the slogan of that Dept! Well, there's only NINE shopping days till Christmas and it makes no difference to me for I'm not shopping this year. Only a few simple home made gifts from here this year, but it will be all right in our family circle for we understand each other. We will have the Christmas dinner here and one of my roomers from Arkansas can't go home so she will be one of the circle this year. Ruth and Dick have given up coming for Christmas as there is so much sickness around & children's diseases. Several cases of scarlet fever in this part of town at present. I'm feeling much the same as for the past six months. I think I shall always limp around, and be the oldest acting one of the circle. Here's wishing you all a happy holiday season & a happy & prosperous New Year. Much love, Annie.