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Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Jim Somerville and the Scholars – 21 Nov 1900

Late November 1900 found Charles Logie wishing that the weather would calm down. His letter to his daughter Beatrice (Miss B) started with the question of whether she had visited her sister Georgina during her last visit to town.

Since Beatrice and their lodger, Frances Gailbraith, were both school teachers, almost every letter to Beatrice contained some reference or comments about that profession or those involved in school in some way. Apparently, Tom Miller, one of the residents in town had died at the age of 54. He was born in Garden Grove, Iowa on 8 Oct 1846 and had died on Nov 19th in American Fork, Utah.

Charles always had a nickname for the students in town. In this case, he called them ‘the Scholars’ who apparently participated in providing Thanksgiving 1900flowers for the funeral of Jim Somerville. Jim was one of Miss Gailbraith’s students and had been in an accident during the week before. Much to her distress, he had died on Saturday.

With Thanksgiving coming, Charles noted that one of their chickens would have to be ‘murdered’ for that occasion. His son-in-law, Robert Bennett had come down from Alpine to pick up his daughter Ada and Charles was sorry to see her go home.

Sister Evans dropped by to visit and in his typical dry humor fashion, he described her endless chatter about events in town. A church leader had died and Charles supposed that someone he always called ‘white liver’ would like to be appointed to the position. It becomes apparent through his letters, that he didn’t care much for this particular individual, which was a rare sentiment in his letters.

As always, the well educated Charles slipped misspellings into his letter to tease his daughter and closed by calling her by one of his pet nicknames for her, “Bro. Watkins”.

American Fork Nov 21/00 (1900)

To Miss B

Your letter duly arrived & found us well I have nothing of concequence to write about but thought I would acknoledge receiving a letter from you you did not say weather you went to see Georgina when you were in town last time

Mother has been washing today She is going to Start making mince meat now. Tom Miller was buried yesterday. The School marm had a hard time this week one of her Students met with an axident. He died last Saturday. His name was Jim Somerville & the Scholars all had to have white ribon rosets & all the flowers they could get.

Well I really don't know what to write about Bob Bennett came down yesterday & took Ada back with him so we are kind of Short of a first rate cook.

I expect we will see you as large as life by Thanksgiving we have got a few old hens left & we will try & murder one for that accation. How do you get along about Snow? Do you have to wade Knee deep there .. is verry little Snow down in town but I believe there is lots of snow up in the mountains the weather is verry unpleasant. now I am going to quit for this time for want of something to say.

I Suppose you can see the papers. Sister Evans has just left & I defy any human being to write a letter while her conversational powess are in good going order. There is the Choir & the Cat fits & Bro Grant & the Organ & then the Democratic womans Club & when that is got through with the bishop & his council has to take a Whack. I suppose you Know that President Partridge was buried last Monday. Some of our folks think White Liver would like to be appointed in his place.

I will now conclude & say fare well Bro Watkins hoping this will find you quite well as we are at this time we send Kind love & remain your Affect Father

Chas Logie

Saturday, January 24, 2009

The Lace Hat Company - 7 Nov 1900

Charles Logie started his letter of 7 Nov 1900 to his daughter Beatrice telling her about the presidential election on the day before. It seems that his daughters and grandchildren from Alpine, Utah (the Lace Hat Company) had come down to American Fork to visit and to get the election returns. They didn’t have access to telephone updates in their remote homes in Fort Canyon, northwest of Alpine.

Like most grandparents, he was glad to see them come and just as glad to see them go or at least the departure of the noise and confusion that is not normally in the home of a senior couple.

McKinley William 1900Bryan William Jennings 1900Charles was a Democrat by persuasion. The Republican candidate in 1900 was William McKinley and the Democratic candidate was William Jennings Bryan. McKinley carried the state of Utah, most of the west and all of the northern states, much to Charles’ chagrin.

He described the Republican’s celebrating with a drunken spree all night, an exaggeration that is typical of his description of most things he enjoyed or that were slightly out of concert with his own comfort zone.

American Fork was a Mormon settlement and a night of drinking ‘mash’, dancing and howling’ wouldn’t have been tolerated in the community. Folks there were just simple farmers trying to keep food on the table in a less than desirable farming climate. By the end of the day, most folks were too tired to do anything but cleanup, get dinner and go to sleep.

His wife, Rosa, wanted to go north to visit Beatrice, but couldn’t due to the impropriety of leaving him home alone with their school marm renter, Frances Gailbraith, even though Charles was 71 at the time.

Charles describes bad weather, then mentions the newly elected McKinley and then immediately mentions a storm coming again. Did he equate the two? If so, it showed his typical humor but if not, he missed a great opportunity.

He closes this letter with an “S.P.” (i.e. P.S. – again more humor aimed at his school teacher daughter) noting that at times he has to insert a word or rearrange them so that his letters are more readable. This didn’t mean he eliminated the purposeful misspellings or dry humored phrasing, just that his mind worked faster than his hand could write. Here’s the letter transcribed as he wrote it.

American Fork Nov 7/00 (1900)

To Miss Beatrice

Your letter duely arrived yesterday & contents seen to. We would have answered yesterday but the Lace Hat Company came don in the Afternoon with some of the little Treasures & it seemed rather imposible to steady a persons nerves to compose a letter when there is such a confution. They came to see how the Election would come out & stayed until about ten Oclock. I suppose you that knew Bryan is snowed under. The Repubs had a regular drunken spree all night & are not over it yet. They made a big bon fire in our street & danced & houled & shot off laint powder mash of the night & many of them are kicking up hell today. Mother says that she will try to visit you next Monday if the weather is fine & if she can get one of the mountain Girls to come & attend to the house hold duties for her. For it would not be deacent for me & the school marm to be left alone. But she says it will depend a great deal on the weather. Can’t come if it storms. Many thanks for the check. We sold it to Jim for five democrat dollars. Well I don’t know of any thing more this time. Everybody is talking McKinley today. It looks as if it was going to storm. Mother says she will tell you all the latest news when she sees you. We us & co. are all well as far as I know & hope this will find you like wise. I will now conclude. We unite in sending our kind love & best wishes to you & remain as ever you affect Parents

Chas & Rosa Logie

S. P. I sometimes miss a word when I am writing & have to try & put it in after words & sometimes it is troublesome to place the word on the right place.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Will You Have Enough Bed Clothes To Keep You Warm? - 29 Oct 1900

Late October found Charles Logie worried about the warmth and welfare of his daughter, Beatrice in Bingham Canyon, Utah. She had found lodging but in that mining town, the homes weren’t necessarily built with thick walls nor anything other than a wood stove in the kitchen and a fireplace.

Charles and Elizabeth Bennett Drew had stopped by to visit during the week but both had aches and pains.

Again we read of Charles’ descriptive nicknames for other folks. “Old Peggy Hautem” (haughty) was his target this week. She apparently treated her cat much as a child and washed its paws at night. Charles wondered if it would soon be wearing night gowns too.

He complained in a P.S. that Beatrice hadn’t included her new address, hence the letter was addressed to her but not at Mrs. Davis residence in Bingham.

American Fork Oct 29/00 (1900)

To the Lady Beatrice

Your letter received this morning glad to hear from you & all that Mother says about your going to House Keeping. She thinks it is a good denimquilt idea are you close to any neighbors where you live. Mother thinks it would be a good place for you to visit among the parients of your school if you have a little spare time & she will try & send you some fruit this week if she can find someone going out your way about those visitors that you mentioned Mother says she don't know how you are going to entertain more than one friend at a time. but we will be pleased to welcome you at any time & as many friends as the Mantion will accomodate. I am happy to say that Mothers cold is better. we have got a teacher here a Miss Smith. She taught in Bingham last year & she had to go to house Keeping. We got a letter from Nellie they are all well never heared that his mother was going to be married so he had to go to town to see to matters & things. Mother wants to know if you will have enough bed clothes to keep you warm. Don't think of any think else it is pretty cold to day been snowing in the hills last night. Charlie had rheumatics & Liz has the head ache & Lot was running the street all day yesterday & part of the night came here about nine Oclock to borrtow a humberella but dident get it you bet. Old Peggey Hautem is more fussey than ever over that cussed cat she washes its feet nights & I expect she will put night gowns on the thing shortly. She says that she will write to you. I have told you everything that know so will have to quit dayace attend meeting or is your abode too far off. Write again & let us Know how you are geting along we send our Kind love to you &

Remane the Old folks at home

Chas Logie

as you did not send any partecular address I left off the Mrs Davis See

Below is a video showing the stuffing of a feather quilt. It used to be more difficult to do when you had to pull the feathers from birds you raised, clean and collect them and then stuff homemade rag quilts and pillows in days gone by.

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Empty Their Necessarys Out of the Front Window - 25 Oct 1900

Charles Logie starts his letter of 25 Oct 1900 saying that the Logie home had received a letter from their daughter Beatrice from Bingham Canyon, Utah. Her mother passed on the message to not to try to find a place to board that was too expensive but to rather find a family to lodge with less expensively.

Apparently, her sister Georgiana had a similar living situation in Salt Lake City.

Utah American Fork Cooperative Store

Fine coats cost between $7.50 and $12.00 at the American Fork Cooperative Mercantile in any color with satin lining.

The children in grade school had received talks from their teachers regarding having better morals (a dramatically lighter subject matter than the “morals” of our day).

Dating wasn’t going well for most of the young ladies in the area or “Hopefulls” in Charles parlance. The two unmarried teachers living in town apparently didn’t encourage young men to visit in Charles opinion. With his typical almost slanderous humor, he noted that they empty their ‘necessarys’ out of the front window when the young men come around. The translation for those who aren’t used to Charles humor is that they supposedly dump their chamber pots out the window onto their young men visitors.

I sit and try to envision Charles sitting in a heavily debated political arena such as a city council meeting as he repeatedly comments on the lack of intelligence and nebulous thinking of the elected officials using his “Logieisms”. They would have charged admission for the entertainment provided if the meetings were held on stage on Broadway. I wonder how long it would take folks to realize they had be decapitated by a wicked Scots / English / Ozzie comment from his wit-laden tongue.

Knowing perfectly well that there was only one school in Bingham Canyon, Charles used a reverse logic comment to remind Beatrice of that fact as she must have complained about some problems at school.

Charles begins his letter with a humorous slander on the name of his old town and with a fatherly chuck under the chin of his obviously stressed school teaching daughter…. the “Poor Old Soldier”….

American Crotch Oct 25/000000 (1900)

Poor Old Soldier

We the undersigned did receive a letter from Bingham teling about lots of things & of corse I have got to send an answer back. Mother says for you not to bother your self about the boarding expences She thinks that you might find some family living over there that you are aquainted with from this place Charlie Roberts has a hotel some where in Bingham he married Lizie Shelley & proberly there are other familrs where you could stay on reasonable terms. But don't attempt to go any where by your self. That is you should be in the house of some respectable Family. You might get a furnished room Some thing like you had where Georgenia lives. You did not say weather you received your valice. We would like to know. Mother went to look at the fancy coats this morning they run from 7 1/2 to twelve dollars any colour you want & the latest style lined with Satin the best quality & mother thinks If you are coming home on Thanks Giving you had better wait & choose your own coat. Peggy Transtrom hs to give a lecture to the Girls of the School this afternoon to try & teach them better morals & Bro Forbes takes the Boys & gives them a doce of the same medecien. There has been some thing radiculary wrong going on among the hopefulls. Peggy says she is going to write to you so I expect she will send you the news. There are two of the teachers boarding at Grants their name is Sumtion from Springville & Mrs Evans says that they empty their necessarys out of the front windows on to those who happen to pass that way. There is not much news here every thing is given up to poltitico the Repubs do fear & tremble. We ar Glad to hear that you are getting along well with your School don't get out of temper if every thing don't go exactly strait & all will be well. How many schools are there where you live. Will now close hopeing this will find you well as it leaves us with the exception that Mother has got a cold. We send your Kind love to you

I am my Afect Father

Chas Logie

Saturday, January 3, 2009

To The Cock Loft With A Gang of Reptiles - 17 Oct 1900

Mid-October 1900 found Charles Logie sending his daughter, Beatrice’s trunk to her home in Bingham Canyon, Utah. A neighbor was supposed old_wheelbarrowto take the trunk to her because he was already going to Bingham, but he failed to show up. Charles joking told Beatrice that “I place that trunk on my wheelbarrow and pushed the ‘darned pest’ down to the D. & R. G. (railroad) and paid the agent fifty cents in coin” to send it to her.

As always, his humor is in fine form as he reported on the elementary school students that were in the class of their boarder, Miss Frances Logie Beatrice with her school class - Bingham 11 Oct 1901Gailbraith. The trouble maker, “Come Robertson” was put in the “cock loft” (tower class room) along with a “big gang of reptiles” (a larger group of students). They were transferred out of Miss Gailbraiths class so that her student load was reduced to “fifty imps”.

He inquired how Beatrice’s own “magnificent monkeys” (her students in Bingham Canyon) were behaving.

The letter starts with Charles intentional misspelling of American Fork and adding an extra zero to the year. How I’d love to talk to him and laugh at his constant humor.


American Forkibus Oct 17/000 (1900)

To Miss B.

We read your letter the other day and of cause we have to say we were glad to hear from you. Mr. Jacob Greenwood says he will take your

Valuble Lace so we will give the same into his charge this afternoon. You asked what it cost to send your trunk. Well in the first place the Dame began to inquire over at fat Boleys about a Pedler going to Bingham & after find out that there was such a kind of a person expecting to load up for a few times to see him & ask him if he would take your trunk & he said yes & that he would call for it & so we waited & behold he never called. I then went to the G. S. L. agent & he said that their line did not connect with Bingham so the next morning I placed that trunk on my wheelbarrow & pushed the darned pest down to the D. & R. G. & paid the agent fifty cents in coin & that is the last time that I saw the TRUNK. Well we have new neighbors the honorable Osher Chipman & his Lady have come to live in the big house where Bennetts & the Pom – Pom used to live.

Second addition

They have awfull times over at the bigh school. They have sent Come Roberson up in the cock loft with a big gang of reptiles. That eases off Galbraith. She has some where about fifty Imps now. They are going to put some darlings in the Teachers room where Grover used to perform & they are going to send to Provo for Josie Snow to take charge of that department. You wee none but B. Y.’s need apply. Eoline Clarke came down last Monday on a visit. She has gone to live with Lisey Hancen. Started down there this morning. Now I don’t know what I can tell you that would be interesting everything remains as it was in the beginning. If you should have occation to write to us. Let us know how you get along with your magnificent monkeys. We are always pleased to hear from you & to know that you are doing well. I am happy to say that we are well at this time & hope this will find you all O.K. Galbraith seems in pretty good trim just now. She had been taking some of my rheumatic powders. Well oh that’s all. I will close with kind Love & best wishes from the Old Home & Remain your afct Father.

C. Logie

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