Jan 15 - [19]12
Dear Mother –
I arrived safely at 5:55 this morning, went up and down the
main street a couple of times and decided to take a room in this Hotel. I am
surely homesick for you and dad and the sweet sister and brothers.
One of the fellows here in the Bryant office took me out to see a married sister of his this evening and I have arranged to take a room in her house, eating one meal there (breakfast) each day, at 1.50 per wk. I have not arranged about the other meals, but as the mills are so far out of town the fellow who got me the room has offered to let me take meals at his home at noon and in the evening. I don’t know how much he will ask for this and will have to find out later.
The room is dandy as it is in a new house, with heat, which
it seems very few of the houses up here have, and I also can use the bath which
has hot and cold water.
The weather is rather cold up here. The snow is pretty deep
and all of the vehicles up here are on runners and not on wheels. This looks
rather queer to me.
Mother, darling you do not know how it really hurt me to
leave you and the rest of the family, even tho I did look cheerful all of the
time. I could cry right now but somehow I have forgotten how to do it. It
surely is lonesome, but I will have to stick it out for a while, any way –
Tell Horace I am using his blotter and that I found a
picture of “Nig” in my suit case.
I couldn’t sleep last night because I kept thinking that the
train was taking me farther and farther away from my dear home. This hotel is
very near the railroad and I can hear the trains whistle and it makes me think
that I am in Oakley, because you know these same trains go through Oakley –
Now, don’t worry about anything in reference to me mother,
dear, as you know it will always remain perfectly the same. Some dear girl up
on Zumstein Avenue has an awful lot of faith in me and she is always going to
remain that way if I have anything to do with it. Please don’t mind this rotten
pen, you see it belongs to the hotel.
Give my love to all and when you write address the letter
c/o Bryant Paper Co
Your loving son
Victor
Wersel, Victor to Wersel, Laura Louise RIchards from personal collection of Mary Strubbe, Cincinnati, Ohio.
For a minute, I thought this letter was written in Cincinnati. We have a neighborhood called Oakley and a street called Zumstein. Clicking on the stationery, I realized I was wrong. Great "time capsule."
ReplyDeleteKathy, actually you're right! Victor was writing home to his mother, Laura Richards Wersel, from Kalamazoo to Cincinnati. So, Oakley IS Oakley, and Zumstein IS Zumstein. And, you're absolutely right!
ReplyDeleteKathy, actually you're right! Victor was writing home to his mother, Laura Richards Wersel, from Kalamazoo to Cincinnati. So, Oakley IS Oakley, and Zumstein IS Zumstein. And, you're absolutely right!
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet, tender (if not a bit heartwrenching) letter. It sounds like he really missed his home. Do you know why he was so far from home?
ReplyDeleteIsn't it, Jana? I was surprised, b/c according to my mom, my grandfather (Victor) was a quiet, and very reserved person. This letter shed light on his personality that startled me a bit. Victor had just gotten his first job with the Bryant Paper Company, most likely either through his father Henry, who worked at the Cincinnati Enquirer newspaper, or an uncle who had connections in the paper industry. It's a darn good thing he went there; five years later he married my grandmother, Frances Jeffrey, who was born and raised there! Thanks for reading and commenting, I appreciate it!
ReplyDelete