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Friday, April 24, 2009

I Have Said Enough On The Subject ~ 29 Jan 1901

The date on this letter first appeared to say “29 Jul/01” but the context of the text makes it obvious that the date should read as “29 Jan/01” 

Charles Logie wrote letters to his youngest daughter, Beatrice, every week while she lived in the Salt Lake City area.  Beatrice was a school teacher and her most recent contract was in the city.   She came from the small town of American Fork and life in Salt Lake was the first Beatrice Logie opportunity she’d had to meet a selection of unmarried young men.

Her parents were devout Mormons, who had experienced more untoward events in their lives than all but a small percentage of the world populace would ever encounter.  Beatrice’s most recent letter informed her parents that she’d found a young man that she was considering for marriage.  He did not belong to any church and lived a semi-migratory lifestyle.   The news was extremely unsettling to her parents.  Two of her older sisters had married men who were also not of the Mormon faith and their irreverent lifestyles were a constant source of discomfort to the Logie’s.

Unfortunately, their concern was proven accurate all too soon.  Within a few years of marriage, Beatrice divorced her husband, who, according to the divorce filing, was a habitual drunk who failed to provide any support for her.

Charles and Rosa Logie’s high hopes for the success and welfare of their youngest daughter would be dashed if Beatrice continued with her romance.  

We enter their emotional world with Charles plain spoke words to Beatrice:

 

American Fork Jany 29/01 (1901)

Dear Beatrice

We received your letter this morning & are pleased to hear that you are enjoying good health.  Your communication has put us in a peculiar situation, you must realize, that we can not know any thing about this man that you speak of & consequently our council would be for you to take time to find out something of his antecedents & what kind of a family he belongs to.  It is not well to jump at conclusions in choosing a partner for life.  People should take time & be well acquainted with each other before making a choice which is to make or mar your future happiness.  Of course we would greatly prefer that you should unite your self with some good member of our church. 

Your sisters have all married to please themselves which has caused us much regret for there is a life after this & I fear neither of our sons-in-law give a passing thought to any hereafter.  You say that this man is willing to join our church.  That is a good recommendation if he does so for a pure motive. 

I don't want to be considered unkind in my remarks for what I say to you is for your welfare & I consider it my duty to talk plain to you on such an important matter.  Probably I have said enough on the subject at this time but I still think it will be a good thing & not be in too great a hurry to leave the old folks. 

Mother says she will send your waist & the belt through the P. Office tomorrow & she hopes you Beatrice Loge headstone will have a good time.   Mother says to try & please the trustees so that they will give you a good recommend. If you should ever need one Walter is trying to enjoy himself while he is home.  He says that he don't expect to stay long.  Do you think you will be able to give us a call on Washington's birthday? 

There is going to be an Old folks day at our place tomorrow & we are invited.  Mother says do you have far to walk to school now?  Mother is sorry to hear of Mrs. Davidson's death.  There is some talk of letting all the children go to schools in the morning.  Our trustees are behind the times.  They are afraid of the health board.

Don't know of any thing Strange… will now close happy to say we are well & hope this will find you the same

we send

our Kind love to you & remain your

Affect Father Chas Logie

Write Again Soon

 

 
 

Sunday, April 19, 2009

We Have Got a Saloon Smasher in Town ~ 9 May 1901

Charles Logie enjoyed early May 1901. Their garden was growing well, the fruit trees had or were full of blossoms and it looked like a big crop would arrive in the fall.

American Fork Gun Club 1911 A rowdy drunk had caused problems in American Fork and as usual, Charles had a Logieism to describe his ilk … a “Saloon Smasher”. Rather than put his name in writing, Charles wrote his daughter Beatrice that he would reveal that ‘Grand Secret’ when they next met face to face.

Frances Gailbraith, the Logie’s school teacher boarder, was still having problems securing train tickets to visit folks back home in Pennsylvania. She was pulling all the strings with local bigwigs hoping to get a good price. In Charles letter from a week earlier, he mentioned that she may have to travel to Denver to get tickets at a good price.

I don’t know who Frank ‘Kirdunk’ was but it was obvious that he was not a favorite of Charles. Apparently he dressed like a dandy and was not prone to doing physical labor. Both of these traits would have put him on the bad side of Charles.

Life is always better in on a warm spring day when the blossoms are out……

American Fork May 9-1901

To Beat Logie

Well here we are again. I have nothing to write about but you said write soon so I have quit running the mowing machine in order to obey your command.

Your mother is engaged makeing Mormon Soap & it produces a beautiful effluvia in some parts of the Mansion but you know that is just as I like ‘em. Mother says that rain was all right every thing looks first rate. Grass cavers the Earth & the Trees are full of blossom, so now my old gal get your teeth of an edge for we expect to have apples & peaches for nothing at all. Some of the things in the Garden are beginning to rise old napper.

I havent much time to Speak at length on the beauties of our ancestral home for time waits for no man or woman Forbes Joseph Barloweither for that matter & I am afraid of mising the Post Office. We have got a Saloon Smasher in town. Will tell you the grand secret when you come home. You are well acquainted with the parties but we think it would not be very nice to put down names in black & white.

Poor Old Galbraith is still uncertain about her trip to the East. She had been consulting Bro Forbes about Cheap rates & he told her he though Chipman or perhaps the Governor might be able to do something for he by way of Speaking to the Rail way Manager in Salt Lake City (he Forbes) said he was a little acquainted with the Governor & he would ask him about it.

The honorable Frank Kirdunk soon got tired of your country work. Skeered him out of there in less than fifteen hours. He is back here walking about like Solomon in all his glory.

Well perhaps I have said enough for this time so I will close hoping this will find you quite well. Shall be Glad to see you.

We send Kind love to you & remain

affect Father.

Charlie Logie

Friday, April 10, 2009

The Splendid Rain on the Just and Unjust ~ 6 May 1901

Early May 1901 in American Fork, Utah had not produced crops in the garden yet. In his letter to his daughter, Beatrice, Charles Logie noted that “The Splendid rain … had decended upon the Just and unjust” during the night. A typical early May morning in Utah had arrived with a light frost but the crops hadn’t been harmed.

Charles noted that he and Rosa were feeling ok and were “still on top of the food stool”.

Utah American Fork Robinson Flour Mill Frances Gailbraith, the school teacher boarder at the Logie’s, never ceased to provide entertainment to Charles. The poor dear was wearing herself out trying to teach her students ‘better’ than any other teacher in the city. She planned a trip back home to Pennsylvania but apparently there weren’t any cheap train tickets available from Utah. The agent at the train station told her that she’d have to go to Denver to obtain them.

This letter was typical of all of his letters because it was full of ‘’Logieism’s”. “Rain upon the Just and unjust”. Travel to the east was described as going “to the States”. The High Priests church meeting was called the “Tall Priests”.

The ladies in town had worn red or pink ‘waists’ to church the day before for some reason. Celebrating spring? Charles warned Beatrice to not continue in the trend with a warning from her mother. That display was probably something to see if it had so riled the ever pleasant Rosa Logie to ‘cuss’ albeit with a modified curse lest the name of God be taken in vain.

Charles noted that writing letters to his ‘rich relations’ (his brother Herbert in Auckland, New Zealand) cost a lot of money which was in very short supply in the Logie home. Unfortunately, some of their far flung family weren’t returning the favor, much to the consternation of Charles and Rosa.

He closed the letter with a postscript from “The Dame” (Rosa) noting that she would send jars of jelly to Beatrice at her new home in Salt Lake except she didn’t know how to get them there without being broken.

On a personal note, I love reading Charles letters. I usually laugh out loud at his phrasing and humor and treasure these snippets of insight into his life and personality.

This letter continues with a few spelling errors that were introduced less in the vein of humor and more from poor health and haste.


American Fork May 6/1901

To whome it may concern

Dear Beatrice

I take pleasure in writing you a few lines to let you know that we are still on top of the food stool & feeling all OK. After the splendid rain which decended upon the Just & the unjust we had a light frost last night but I do not think it did any harm to the fruits. Our garden has not arrisen from the ground yet but we are expecting to see the fruits of our labor before many weeks.

Our poor Galbraith is not feeling verry well was hardily able to go to school this morning. She is wearing herself out trying to do something that none of the other teachers are doing & she makes herself lots of trouble by being so verry particular trying to make her pupils so far ahead of the rest of the school & then she can’t find out weather she will be able to make that trip to the East. There don't seem to be any cheap rates from here & the Agent told her the other day that she would have to go to Denver & get her tickets there to go to the States. So She don't know how things will turn out yet but this is a troublesome world any way & it is hard to get through.

We are verry Glad to hear that you are geting along so well at your school & all so that you like your surroundings @ the Sweeds in particular.

I am rather pushed for time as I have to go to tall priests meeting at two p.m. so I will have to hurrey up the cakes. Mother says for the Lords sake don't get a red or pink Waist for our streets were lined with them yesterday when the Sunday School let out yesterday.

I wrote a letter to your Auntie Georgenia last week & sent our picture & a newpaper. I still have to write to Herbert it seems quite a lot to write to all my rich relations

I owe our Joe a letter now & I ought to write to Walter he has not writen since he left Home & we don't Know what he is doing nor where he is. Last we heard he had gone over to Sunshine.

Well I will have to wish you good afternoon hopeing this will find you quite well as this leaves us. We Send our kind love take good care of your self & Write again

I am your Affect Father

Chas Logie Esq

The dame says she would like to send you some jelley up if She Knew how to send it safe.


Friday, April 3, 2009

Hard Work Don't Agree Wid Me Now ~ 11 Apr 1901

Early April 1901 found Charles Logie struggling to work and bring cash into the family.   His cancer had become a constant problem and he noted it in his letter to daughter, Beatrice:  “I am kind of tired .. hard work don’t agree wid me now”.

Apparently, Rosa Logie had ordered and watched over the making of a dress for Beatrice.  It had been shipped to her with hopes that it fit and that she liked it. 

Mormon Pioneer Money fullsmAs usual, Charles injected another “Logieism” into his letter calling the money spent on the dress, “$htah”.  In the early days of Utah, Scrip was printed by various banks and other entities rather than there being one common currency.  Some of it was referred to as “Utah’s”, hence his mongolization of the term to $htah.

Charles had a fairly large investment in the Co-op store in American Fork, Utah and that contact probably initiated the work opportunity.  However, the time at work and resultant illness severely reduced his time and energy to put many words on paper.

Once again, we read one of the nicknames he assigned to family and friends.  In this case, he refers to his daughter, Elenor Logie Gaisford as “Joe”.

We enter Charles letter with his comment of shipping Celery to Beatrice….

 

American Fork Apr 11/01 (1901)

Miss Beatrice Logie

Mother sent your dress to day by J. Greenwood hope you will get it all safe.  It took more $htah than Let thought it wold so she had to buy more stuf.   Mother incloses the bills so that you can see what the cash is .. all but the two & a half for makeing.  Let says if there is any alterations wanted she will fix it for you.  Mother says she hopes you will like the dress.  She allso sent you some Celley.  Please send word how you like the dress.

Walter started out for Mercur last Monday I went to work at the Co-op new building laying floor with Thos Thornton so I have not had any time at home this week or I should have and wined your letter before this time.  I don't know of any thing Strange.  I suppose Lawra B. writes to you.

I am kind of tired .. hard work don't agree wid me now.  Haw!  I have been sort of poorley the last few days but feel some better to night.  I did not go to Salt Lake last Sunday.  It was too stormey to suit me.

I got a letter from our Joe.  She Said She went to the depot expecting to go to meeting & there were to go & have dinner with her & Will

I will close hopeing you are well

we send kind love

Chas Logie

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