Mort, Jennie, Arthur and Robert Austin Letters: 1925, 1926
Envelope: Mountain Grove house
C M Austin Pop. Eldred, Sullivan County, NY
Feb 9, 1925
Eldred NY
Feb 9, 1925
Dear Raymond,
The snow up here is melting fast. In the morning it is froze so we go sleigh riding. We both got sleighs for Christmas. We saw the total eclipse of the sun. We have our wood sawed. Mrs. Cox hurt her leg sleigh riding and she came to school with a cane.
I am sick and I can not go to school. I had to stay in bed all day Sunday. I felt dizzy when I stood up. I hope you are feeling well. I am feeling better. I hope you can come up on LIncoln’s birthday. The rest of the family are feeling well. Arthur is as fat as ever.
Your brother Bob
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Mountain Grove house letterhead
C M Austin, Proprietor
situated 5 miles from Shohola station
overlooking the village
can accommodate 30 guests
two daily mails
telephone connection
Eldred Sullivan County, NY
March 13th, 1925
Dear Brother,
I received your letter today. I understood that you were sending a money order in it. But no money order arrived with it. I think that you must have forgot to put it in because the letter seemed to be sealed alright when I got it. I am in no hurry for the money. I am letting you know right away because it might possibly been taken out of the letter.
We are having fairly nice weather for this time of the year. We are all very well and I hope you are the same. There is nothing new to write about so I will have to close.
Your brother, Bill
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not sure when this was written
6 o’clock Monday morning
My Dear Raymond,
I wonder if you realize that we have not heard from you since you were home in February, so it is time you should spare a few moments and write to us. The reason for writing so early in the morning is that I have just got Bill off to work. They are building another dam on the Mongaup stream and about 35 men from this side of Mongaup go over nearly every morning.
Harold Dunlap is married. The event happened on Easter Sunday. The girl is a Catholic and the first day he went back to work he was nearly killed by a large branch falling on him. Quite a few of the Eldred boys have met with accidents over there. None serious.
As yet, clinton cut his foot quite badly and they took him to Port Jervis to have it attended to, but then they are working nearer Port than home. Mrs. Tuzza, Nettie, Margaret, Anna and a friend were up for the Easter week. It really seemed good to have them for we could or had to get out of our winter rut of living.
It keeps very cool and we still have snow and ice in spots.
Now try and send us a letter within a day or so as we cannot help but feel anxious at times.
Love from all
Mother
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Envelope Box 111 Eldred NY
April 22, 1925
To Chas R. Austin
204 Richmond Terrace
St. George
Staten Island, NY
Wednesday morning
Dear Raymond,
We have not heard from you in quite some time.
Now I am writing by request of Mrs. Hattie Lieble in regards of the soldiers bonus. She wanted me to find out if you could get her a blank to fill out. I think you stated you had wrote to Washington DC to find out the details, but now I think it would be to Albany where your Bonus came from as this is a state and now a Federal bonus. Do what you can anyway.
We thought we would use Mac’s bonus to pay for the markers for his and Elizabeth’s graves which we expect soon, having been uneasy about ordering them, but likely some other way of paying will turn up.
We are having the house painted and will certainly look like a different place, so far the prospects for the summer appear good. Am up to my neck in house cleaning. The boys have a bicycle so have falls and fights galore.
Lovingly,
Mother
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from Mt Grove house
Sep 13, 1926
To Mr. Charles R. Austin
c/o Gulf Oil Company
Apartado 234
Maracibo, Venezuela
South America
Sunday evening
Dear Raymond,
At last I will try and write a few lines to you. the kids have both been under the weather. Arthur seems to have an ulcer or something like one in the upper part of his throat and a low fever. Dad is pretty well again. I see the “flu” is raging again so be very careful of yourself and don’t expose yourself more than necessary.
Marcella Flood was up for one week with us. Mrs. Tuzza wrote for your address. Likely Millie told her you were in the City.
We had quite a snow storm here last night and the beginning of last wee very cold weather. By Thursday night the thermometer fell to 24 degrees below zero. I imagine you must have felt it at Governor’s Island.
We received an announcement of Annie Eldred’s marriage last week. Yesterday we sent you the Gregg Magazine. Hope you get it alright and did you get the books we sent? The arithmetic and Grammar?
Bill is helping Harold in the “wood business”. I believe tomorrow Dad and he start to finish Mr. Sergeant’s logs.
Warrne Parker has been very sick. He had an operation for appendicitis.
Why don’t you write to Harold Fraley! I will send you his address if you will, likely he would go over to see you.
Pat Morgan called up to see us last sunday evening to get your address and during the evening he told us many interesting things. He said when he was in the army hospital with the “flu”, they came and tied a red tag on the foot of his bed.
Of course I was curious and asked what they did that for and he said “to show I was near death.” He said he would go back in the army in a moment only he thinks too much of his folks. Well will close and write a few more letters. Be very careful and not catch cold. With love from all. Mother
Bobbie is going to charge you one dollar the next time you make him mad.
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From Mt Grove House
To Mr. C. R. Austin
204 Richmond Terrace
St. George
Staten Island, NY
Eldred, NY
Sept 20, 1926
Dear Raymond,
As I have nothing to do, I guess I might as well tell you a lot of junk.
I am taking Latin, Bioloby, Civics and algebra in High School. Next year I think I will take Spanish and German. Latin and Algebra are kind of hard, but Civics and biology are easy.
Friday in Biology, we had to pick a grasshopper apart. Some of the girls did not like it very much. Mr. PIerce teaches biology, and civics and Miss Hartmon teaches Latin and Algebra. I have to study pretty hard.
We are trying to make up a baseball team. Mr. Baque and Mr. Shubert are up here now.
We are having nice weather here. How do you like South America? Is it very hot? I wish I could come down and stay with you.
Mother, Dad, Bill and Bob are fielding? [feeling?] good. Mr. Shubert, Mr. Baque and i play cards every night. They are going away Wednesday.
That’s all the junk I can think as so I will close.
Arthur
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not sure when written, after labor day maybe soon after Dad’s letter above
Sunday evening
My dear Raymond,
I wonder if you ever thought that we have not heard a word of you since Labor day which seems along time ago. so we are beginning to think about your welfare.
We are counting on your vacation being the first two weeks in November and hope you will not disappoint us at that time. I think you are registered up here, so you can vote if you are here at election time which I hope you will be. Let us know what your plans are as soon as possible.
We have had a few days of winter here, but tonight it begins to warm up again.
I suppose you see Gladys each weekend. I think Aunt Minnie and Charlotte are down there now. For some reason or other, my relatives keep far away. Have seen grandfather twice this fall.
Bobby has not been very well lately and from now on I must watch his diet very careful. He has had glasses for about three weeks as school began the boys got the rope off the old flag pole and were having hanging parties. Bobby was one of the chief horse thieves and certainly had a close call. From the scar on his neck sometimes, I think his trouble with his head might come from that western necktie party.
Last night we were settled for a quiet evening when one of our city boarders walked in us. I believe he goes back tomorrow night.
Mr. Shubert went back last week. He had a very bad cold when he started home and we feel rather anxious as we have not heard from him as he said he would send a card.
The electric line is going up quite fast. I believe they are putting up the wire through the village now. I suppose the Baileys have returned to St. George.
I hope he improved in health while he was away. I heard the boys say that Raymond Myers had moved to Port Jervis this last week so he must have a winter’s work down there.
Dad and Bill are busy getting out wood. They have quite a lot ordered ahead I suppose on account of the coal strike.
Arthur is still as robust as ever and seems to enjoy life very much.
We want to walk down to the village and mail this tonight so it will be sure to go tomorrow.
Let us know when you are coming home. The boys watch the mail to hear from you.
Love from all, Mother
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Mt Grove House paper
Sept 26, 1926
My dear son,
I have come home from church, the boys are all in bed. Your mother is reading a book. We are all very glad to get a letter from you.
We have had a good summer and made good. It is good to be alone. We have one woman here yet. I think she will go this coming Saturday. I am very busy trying to get my work done before winter.
Arthur is in High school and Bob is getting on good. I think they have sent you a letter. I suppose your mother and Gladys tell you all the news. I do so little writing that it is hard work for me to write a letter. So I do some of your mother’s work and get her to do the writing. She is very good at that.
I think about you everyday, and I pray that God will take care of you and keep you from all harm. I know when we are young, we do not see things as we do when we get older. I know it pays best to do right here and I am sure it will be better for us in the next world if we have done the best we can in this world.
I hope you will write home as often as you can. I am getting sleepy. So good night
With love,
Father
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Eldred, NY
Oct 22, 1926
Dear Raymond
I bought a donkey from May Parker. I can ride him. Last night I rode it up to Uncle Lon’s and tonight after school, Clifford Crandall came up and we rode him up to Uncle Lon’s. I’m going to get a harness and a pair of shafts for him to pull my wagon.
I am in the fifth grade and Arthur is in high school.
Last Saturday night, Gladys came up to our house.
Last week dad and Ed Myers went up to Collins and got all of her apples.
Mrs. Styles is my teacher.
Last Saturday I went nutting. I have the nuts drying by the stove. I’m going nutting tomorrow
Bob
ps: May Parker gave me the donkey. We got a radio. It’s name is Ned. I mean the donkey’s name.
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The following may go with Bob’s letter:
no date
Mt Grove House letter heading
Sunday evening
My dear Raymond,
We have been a very wicked family today, not one of us have been to church and the reason, Dad, Arthur and Bobby are just recovering from the grippe. It has been the worst siege that we have had in a long time. They were all quite sick for a couple days, but will be alright if they do not catch more cold.
I suppose you heard of the death of Charley Lass and Harold Quick. Next it will be Nate Dailey. He has had one hemorrhage after another, the last week or two.
Mrs. Tuzza and Nellie have been here for two weeks. They returned to the city yesterday. Nellie had had pneumonia and the doctor told them to get out of the city a couple weeks. She seemed alright when she went back. My electric washer and radio have certainly taken some of the loneliness and hard work out of the winter months. I only wish I could remember one quarter of the things I hear over the radio. I certainly would be a wise one if my memory was good.
There has been a lot of sickness in Eldred. Part of the time Dr. Smith has been away. I think one of his brothers has been sick. We had Dr. Gofruend. He lives on the Becker place. He seems very good at his practice. He came to Eldred for his health and does not go out very much.
I am expecting quite a few of the NYC school teachers up for their Easter vacation. We gave our room downstairs to Nellie and her mother so it made it hared when Dad and the boys were sick to run up and downstairs.
I was expecting Gladys Tuesday. But her father told me she went to Binghamton instead.
Harold Dunlap has turned to be a hermit at least I have not seen him all winter. His wife and Mother stopped and had coffee with me the day of Geo LaBarrs funeral. From all accounts, Harold has settled down to be an old steady married man.
We hear some fine sermons over the radio, also lectures, music, etc. It seems that I must have heard almost everything worth hearing of course a lot of nonsense comes along with the other. Jacksonville is the farthest south and Kansas City West. We have heard California, but it was relayed. Also London has been relayed through a Canadian station. Davenport, Iowa, has a fine station, but it come on late at night.
Dory is as busy as ever and everybody keeps stringing him continually. Just now, it is over some girl. I know Harry Lang is the girl, but cannot make Dory believe it. Harry writes the letters and sends them to someone in the city and they mail them back to Dory and of course he answers them. They say the letters are very funny.
Dad had a nice letter from Robert Collins last week. When you or better still take time and send him some cards from South America. Send them to Rev. Robert Collins, Madison, NJ, care of Mrs. Louis Noe. Well, must close. Bob has a letter somewhere around to put in.
Love from all Mother.