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Saturday, February 28, 2009

Please Excuse Impertenery Questions

The first week of February 1901 found American Fork, Utah with its first case of smallpox. The disease had inflicted the Adamson family. Charles Logie wrote to his daughter, Beatrice, that the students who had not received vaccinations for the disease weren’t being ‘turned out’ of school. Feelings against the enforced vaccinations were still running high throughout the community.

Utah American Fork Robinson Flour Mill Beatrice’s older sister, Elenor and her husband Lorenzo Gaisford were talking about moving to a farm. Census records confirm that they did move to a farming life for a while but eventually relocated to California. Education was always a high priority in the Logie family and Elenor was worried about her children living so far from town that they couldn’t get to school like they did in a town or city. Her parents worried that she would suffer from loneliness and the farming life in a remote setting given her personality.

Beatrice had left her copy of the Articles of Faith home when she moved away and wanted her parents to send it to her. Charles sent her a short note on 9 Feb 1901 saying that they couldn’t find the document in her things that were still at home. The search continued for several days without success but the day was saved when Mrs. Evans visited and brought a copy of the document to send to Beatrice.

Charles mentioned that he and his wife Rosa had enjoyed a church meeting the day before that featured B.H. (Brigham Henry) Roberts and Seymour B. Young, both General Authorities of the LDS Church, as the speakers.

For the past year, Beatrice lived in Bingham Canyon, Utah where she was a school teacher. She moved to Salt Lake City a week earlier to attend additional college courses. Apparently, teachers at the time did not have to sign a contract for a full school year given that she left her teaching position in late January.

This note and letter contain misspellings of certain words that continue through the end of the series of letters. Charles’ health had become a problem by this point in time and perhaps his previously excellent memory was being affected by that issue. His sense of humor was constrained but not lost as will be evidenced in his subsequent letters.

9 Feby 01 (1901)

We Send you every thing that you Sent for with the exception of Articles of Faith I asked Bro Grant if he had such a thing & he said no. He Articles of Faithdid not Know where I could get one only perhaps the Sunday School might have a spare coppy. Mother says she will see if Mrs. Evans cant get a copy for you & that is all at this time to be continued in the next..

don't yer Know…

American Fork Feby 11/01 (1901)

Dear Beatrice,

Your letter received we are allways Glad to hear that you are doing well & haveing a good time as you call it. I have not anything Special just now but thought I would write a short note to let you know that we are well & no particular complaints to make. The weather has cleared up - Sun Shining today, but it is pretty cold outside it is kind of comfortable to keep the stove in sight.

Mrs Evans dined with us yesterday & she brought that card with the articles of faith for you which I enclose. We could not find yours. Mother searched every place that she could think of but there was no card to be found & of course she did not look in the right place.

Well we are sailing along pretty smoothly at present as far as the schools are concerned & the health board daresent turn em out but we don't know how long this state of affairs will last.

We have two families got Small Pox - Harry Adamson’s Wife & Son Conder. The report is that poor Jim is the worst looking case in the State but I suppose that yarn is for the benefit of the doc, Battey & Co.

We got a letter from Nellie yesterday & she seems to have the blues. Says that Ren is going to sell out his printing business & going to farming. Nellie says she was out to see that farm one day & that she was glad to get back. Says She won't be able to visit us if they sell Brigham Henry RobertsSeymour Bicknell Youngthe paper because they will have no pass.

Poor Nellie don't want to be put on a farm away from everybody. She is not adapted to feeding pigs & chickens & milk kicking cows. You might write to her & give her some good advice. Mother says if she moves out on that farm which is some ten miles out of town it is goodbye to the children going to school.

We had a grand day yesterday Bro. Roberts & Seymore B. Young gave us some splendid talk. The house was cramed full & running over. We wish you could have been there. You did not tell us how far you live from your coledge & what amount of lucre you have pay for your board.

You will please excuse impertenery questions.

Well it is dinner time & the fried onions & gravey smell good. Be good to your self.

We send kind Love & Remain … you find no change in me,

Chas Logie


Monday, February 23, 2009

Visit Us on Birthington’s Wash Day – 4 Feb 1901

Life in American Fork, Utah had calmed down a bit by the 4th of February 1901.  The vaccination war was nearing a conclusion in fact if not in opinion. 

Students and teachers were forced to get the vaccinations and although the populace in general strongly disagreed, the deed was done.  Rumblings would continue for many months, but street corner meetings and other community meetings on the subject were over.

Utah Alpine Stake Tabernacle Charles Logie wrote to his daughter Beatrice that he and his wife, Rosa, didn’t worry about the fashions of the day in reference to the social clubs that were popular at the time.  He had no use for them wasting people’s time and requiring club dues to be a member.

As always, the Logie’s worried about Beatrice having to tramp through snow back and forth to her classroom and in her other activities in life.  We have to remember that in that day, the roads in Bingham Canyon as well as most small towns in the west did not have paved roads or sidewalks. 

Due to the growth in populations, the LDS Church divided the Utah Stake in Utah Valley on Sunday, the 13th of January 1901.  Three stakes were created from the original stake that was headquartered in Provo, Utah.   The new Alpine Stake consisted of the LDS wards in the northern end of the valley and would be headquartered in American Fork.  Stephen L. Chipman was called as the stake president.  He would continue in that church calling for more than two decades.  

Charles humor was back in force when he referred to Washington’s Birthday as ‘burtington wash day’.  He and Rosa had hoped that Beatrice would be able to visit them for the holiday.  The family resources were meager but they had sent her a small birthday gift hoping she would “take the will for the deed”.

His handwriting was starting to deteriorate now.  He was seventy-one and health issues were beginning to take a great toll on his physical body, but his sense of humor hadn’t dimmed nor had his love for his family.

We enter this letter with Beatrice’s birthday the next day as the center of his attention.

 

American Fork Feb 4/01 (1901)

Dear Beatrice,

I take pleasure in answering your letter which came safe to hand yesterday.  You seem to be getting along very nicely in your school we are glad to hear that you are doing so well with the Parents of your pupils.  It is allways encouraging to know that your labors are appreciated. 

Now don't you think that we are getting to be a couple of craby ol folks because we don't allways coinside with all the fashions of the day. All these clubs and secret order are verry well for some people but in the first place there is quiet an expence by way of dues and other things to be attended to that would ocupy your time which would not be of any benefit to you & Mother Utah American Fork 1907 First Cement Sidewalks thinks you had better wait a little longer for the good time coming don't you know.

Mother wants to know how far you have to travel to get to school.  You did not say in your communication verry much about your new quarters only that it was a nice place & that you had lots of good things to eat.  So we are wondering how far you have to tramp in the Snow every morning. 

Well Miss Galbraith is verry pleased about the way you managed about that vaccination buisness.  She says that you acted the perfect Lady.  She is quite disgusted with Corey Bromley because she would not be vaccinated & when the trustees refered to let her teach, she demanded her pay just the same while poor Miss Galbraith was teaching her school.  Cora went back when the school was opened to all healthy persons.  They had a pay day last Friday & the trustees stopped 10 dollars off Cora & gave it to our Galbraith.

There is a number of changes being made here since the stake has been devided.  (There’s) been quite a number of new officers made & things turned round generaly.  We are sorry that you cannot pay us that visit on burthington wash day but of cause you have to attend to your school affairs.  Mother says how is Mr Joke Hopkins?  You did not say weather you went to that big dance last Friday. 

Now when next you write be sure to answer all these questions & any thiing else that she may of forgoten We have not forgot that tomorrow will be your birthday & we wish you many returnes of the day and pray that the good Lord will continue to bless you with every blessing & that you may live to a good old age is the wish of the Old folks at Home.  Mother sends you a small present & would have liked to send a more valueble one but we know that you will take the will for the deed.

Walter sends his love to you.  He is still staying with us the poor fellow, injoys his Mothers cooking, says he can't get any thing fit to eat out to Mercur & we are glad to have him stay with us while it is such cold weather.  We have had quite a Snow storm yesterday & today.  I expect I have said about enough for this time.  Charlie has just called in he says to tell you that none of his folks have been vaccinated yet.

Now I realy will quit for this time.  It is nearly dinner time & there is a meeting for the high Priests at 2 O’Clock.

I am happy to say that we are all well at home & trust that this will find you the same. 

We send our kind love to you & remain your Affect Father

Chas Logie

 

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

The Poor Sneaks Refused to Sign the Petition – 17 Jan 1901

Noyes JF MDIn Charles Logie’s letter to his daughter, Beatrice in mid-January 1901, he reported that the ‘cursed doctor’ was forcing school teachers in American Fork to be vaccinated for diphtheria and smallpox

The weeks of debate on the subject had come to a head.  People were standing on street corners vocalizing their feelings and had created a petition to stop the vaccinations because there hadn’t been a case of either of these diseases in town.  School teachers were forced to either be vaccinated or loose their jobs.

Not all citizens agreed to sign the petition and Charles called out the Dunkley family in particular.  Doctor John Franklin Noyes was the only physician in town and had the authority and desire to enforce the vaccination rules.  Contrary to his other letters, it is apparent in the strokes on the paper that he was writing with some emotion and not purposely introducing misspellings. 

The citizens had apparently spent some time researching the right of the health board to close schools that hadn’t administered vaccinations to their students

Charles was disappointed with one of his sons who forgot to contact his mother on her birthday.  Frances Gailbraith, their boarder, felt bad because of the death of her cat and the fact that as a school teacher, she was forced to receive a vaccination.

The saga of the right of government against the desire of local citizens continues…..

 

American Fork Jany 17/01 (1901)

Dear Beatrice,

Your letter duly arrived this morning we were very Glad to hear from you as we are quite anxious about your health Since you had to be vaxinated.  I hope that you will not expose your Self unnecescarey & be sure to Keep yourself well wraped up. 

We are pleased to hear that you are having some pleasure out your way, but try not to expose yourself to the cold night air.  We are having an awfull time in our city.  Doc Noyes as ordered all children & teachers turned out of our Schools unless they submit to be Utah American Fork Original Forbes School vaxcinated by him.  So Forbes, Galbraith, Mrs. Wooton, Bill Robinson & Miss Neff complied. The rest kept out untill this week & they were notified to comply with the orders or else resine.  So the others submited with the exception of Miss Sumption who has Heart complaint & Cora Bromley would not allow herself to be impared upon by a cursed docter that is swindling the people against their will.

Bishop Bromley is looking after the interests of his daughter & there is talk that they will sue the trustees for her wages on the plea that she is perfectly competent to fill her part of the contract & that she is turned out of her employment without cause.

We had a rousing meeting in the Opera house last Monday night.  We had the law books there & everything read that had any bearing on the power of the health board & there is nothing to sustain them in closeing the Schools where there is no epedemic & we have not a case of Small Pox in our town.  We have got up a pertition to the Legislature asking them not to pass a compulsery vaxination law & nearly all of our people are signing it.  There are some few exceptions.  The poor Sneaks of dunkleys refused to sign the pertition. 

We got a letter from Walter yesterday & he sent Mother a five dollar piece for her birthday present.  He is a good fellow to think of his Mother.  Charlie is not so generous

Write again Soon & let us know how your are geting along.  Mother thinks She ought to hear from you by next Sunday.  I don't know of any thing else. Galbraith is still lamenting over the demise of her pussey.  She says it makes her inside pain her & now this vaxination trouble is on, She is pretty nervous.

The people are talking on the Street corners like they do on election times.  If there is an account of our meeting or anything about our doings in our paper we will send it to you. 

I will close for this time hoping this will find you quite well.  I am please to say we are well at home.  Annie & Perry were down today they report all O.K. up their way.

I will now say adieu for this time & remain your affect old Father.

Chas Logie

Friday, February 13, 2009

I Went and Played the Musical Instrument

Charles Logie’s letter to his daughter Beatrice on the 1st day of January 1901 reflected on the passing of the century and of the ongoing concern of forced vaccinations for diphtheria and smallpox in Utah.  He reported that the majority would not allow their children or themselves to be vaccinated.

Charles reported that the temperature was down to zero.   Years earlier, American Fork City had employed him to make the first flag pole in town and bell mount in the city park.  From that point in time on, he continued in their employ as Park bellthe official bell ringer.   That work involved ringing the bell for special occasions and every night for curfew. 

Thirty plus years later, he rang in the New Year, noting that he had left home to play the ‘musical instrument’ for the midnight hour only to return home and find his wife fast asleep.

The letter states that their boarder, Miss Gailbraith, was ill and had lost her kitten.  Miss Gailbraith’s visitors and the topics of their discussions are frequently mentioned in his letters.  She proved to be a source of income and entertainment for Charles and Rosa now that all of their family had grown and moved away.

He closes his letter mentioning his prized gold pen that he used to write letters over the years.

 

American Fork Jany 1/01 (1901)

Dear Beatrice,

We received your extremely welcome letter this morning and was much pleased to find that piece of dirty paper that you kindly enclosed. We are sorry to hear that you were unwell while you were in the city for you could not have a good time if you were sick. But we hope that you have recovered by this time & that Richard is himself again.

I suppose you have not been vaxinated yet & we think you had better wait & see how the courts decide in the matter for there seems to be that the majority of the people will not submit to have their children vaxinated. These settlements have concluded to open school on next Monday & will not debar any healthy student & teacher from attending. letter

Laura Boley was over last night & said that she felt quite sick & wondered why you had not written to her She had a talk with Miss Galbraith & asked her if she would be willing to give her some lessons in Greek & Latten for she did not know weather she would go to school in Salt Lake any more this winter.  Miss Galbraith told us that she thought Laura had better not try to the Greek for its required, a good deal of hard study to learn Greek but she thought a little Latin might do her good.

We got a letter from Walter the other day it was quite a master piece.  He said he though he  would answer all my letters at once thanked you & Mother for those presents & that has well but did not know when he would come home. 

The dame says that she wants you to weare more clothes she thinks you aught to put on an extra shirt than you do when you are down home & for you to try to keep warm & not take cold if you can help.  There are quite a few people here that are complaining of having a cold.  Even our old & trusted friend Miss Galbraith is somewhat under the weather especially since she has lost her Kitten.

We are having quite a cold spell these last few days. The thermometer nearly goes down to zero. Have not learned any thing of the masquerade believe there was not much to it.  Me & the Mother sat up last night to welcome the new year in I went & played the Musical instrument, (the bell) at the Midnight hour & returned home to find my loveing pardner in bed & thus ended the Grand old Ninetenth Century as far as we were concerned.

I wrote a letter to Nellie yesterday expect to write to Walter tomorrow I am running the gold pen for all it is worth.

Now I will bid you adieu Wishing you a happy new year With Kind Love Your Affect Father

Chas Logie

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Not Yet Under Orders To Be Poisoned

In his last letter to daughter Beatrice before Christmas 1900, Charles Logie made mention of a major irritation and concern to citizens in American Fork and across Utah in general. 

schoolclassThe government was trying to force students to be vaccinated against diphtheria and smallpox.  Almost all teachers were against it as were many parents.   Few trusted the vaccine to actually prevent the illnesses but rather thought it would induce them.

Charles was decidedly against the vaccinations.  Subsequent letters to Beatrice include his rapier like comments about the law and its implementation. 

He warned Beatrice that she had better follow the directive of her school board or she would probably loose her teaching position in Bingham Canyon, Utah. 

He provided Beatrice with an excuse to not get the shots herself when he mentioned that the teachers in American Fork were not yet under orders by local school administrators to be “poisoned”.

With wry fondness Charles conveyed news of the upcoming Christmas pageant at church where the young ‘Reptiles’ would be wearing their annual Christmas costumes. 

 

American Fork Dec 18/1900

Dear Beatriceshotneedle

We Recd your letter today are sorrey to hear that you are unwell. Mother thinks possibley you may be troubled with your throat.  Something like weather is sometimes & She advises you not to expose yourself to the cold air more than you can help. 

About that vaccination business - Mother thinks it is the best thing you can do under the circumstances as the School board might throw you out of your situation if you did not comply with their orders. 

The Teachers here hove not had any orders.  The teachers here have not had any orders yet to be poisoned but they are expecting to hear the joyfull news all most any time.

They are verry buisey geting ready for a grand show to be given in the theatre next Saturday.  Some of the Reptiles are to have wings & Silver Stars & the Lord knows what else. 

We are glad to hear that you went to see our Joe & that you had a good time together.

I am not writing for publication this time as we expect you will be home soon so I will come to a Sudden Stop hoping you are all OK by this time.

Your afct Father C. Logie

Sunday, February 1, 2009

All The Hair Oil We Want

Charles Logie’s letter of 12 Dec 1900 to his daughter Beatrice talked about the cold weather in American Fork, Utah at the time.

Logie Charles Joseph Gordon 1890s He frequently referred to his wife as ‘the dame’.  Charles was always loyal to the English Queen throughout his life even though he left England when in his early teens.  By calling his wife ‘the dame’, he wasn’t being derogatory, but rather used the title as an honorific as he was used to hearing it used in his native land.

They had butchered one of their pigs during the week and Rosa Clara Logie was rendering the fat into lard.  He teased that they now had all the ‘hair oil’ they wanted.

One of the ladies in town was offered a teaching position but the school trustees wanted to pay about 14 percent less than the normal salary.  That would put the widow in a bind since she was raising her children on her teaching salary.

The public telephone in town was moved from Becks store and put in the ‘whiskey shop’ on the corner.  As usual, Charles had nicknames for certain people and places that were descriptive of his feelings for them.  He again mentions ‘white liver’ in this note.  I have a fairly good suspicion of who he was talking about but won’t include the name in these narratives.

I have yet to discover who ‘Bro. Watkins’ was in reality but he regularly called Beatrice by that nickname when he closed his letters.  Knowing his dry sense of humor, I suspect he was someone that she didn’t like very well or had made an unwanted ‘pass’ on her and Charles used the name as a fatherly tease to his youngest daughter.

His purposeful misspellings continue in this letter.  The Annie and Walter mentioned in the letter were Beatrice’s siblings and Laura was her niece.

 

A.M. Phork 12/12/190000

To the Honorable Beatrice

Residing in Bingham as we got a letter from you the other day.  The dame ordered me to write you to say the box comed all safe with one of the bottles broked but it don't matter that was all right.  Any way we killed the big Pig yesterday.  Mother is makeing lard by the bucket full.  We can have all the Hair Oil we want now you bet.  Mother says it the Pig turned out verry fat & nice. 

Utah American Fork Cooperative Store Interior Oh yes Annie has got a fine new carpet.  A carpet 31-yds of it full 3 feet to the yard.  It is at our place awaiting transportation up to the mountains of Ephraim. 

Laura B. went to town in the afternoon Sunday the same that you shook the mud off your hoofs against our beautifull city.  We haint heared from Mrs Setson lately so be kind enough to call on her when you go to the capitol of the State.  The weather is unpleasantly cold out here.  My fingers are so numb that I cant write with any comfort & if I was not afraid of the dame I would go & stay over to Peats.  I wrote a letter to Walter the other day and told him how we were all getting along in this part of the Vinyard & all so inviteing him to come & visit us at Christmas time if he could manage it. 

Old Pegy Trantram is in a peck of trouble because they want her to teach in the Hall of Justice. but it seems to me that She wants to go.  She offered to go there if they would give her 60 dollars per month but it seems they want her to take her kids down there for the fifty dollars but the trustees are holding back & don't seem to know what to do. 

There is another Sale at White livers & they have Stole the Telephone from Becks & got it located in their Whiskey Shop at the corner. 

Well its dinner time so I will bid you adieu Bro Watkins and remane the Same old folks with Kind

Love

Chas Logie

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