A McKellar's Barn built by W Addie, Arcola, Sask. Courtesy of saskhistoryonline.ca
In this week's letter Noah mentions that Joe Perrault's barn cost $3000 to build while Noah built one for $150. I'm assuming McKellar's Barn in the above photo is along the lines of the $3000 variety. I sure wish I had a photo of Noah's barn.
Author of Letter: Noah Clement Draper (24 yrs old)
Dated: June 26th, 1911
Addressed to: Miss E. Nelson, My Dearest Ethel (21 yrs old)
Mailed from: Grand Coulee, Sask
Relationship: Courting
Profession: Farmer
Writing instrument: Fine point pen, Black ink, but looks blue-grey in places
Writing Paper: Thick, textured, linen-like paper, 9 inches x 6.5 inches. Paper is folded in half, written on front and back like a book, but inside, paper is turned sideways and written across short length and down both pages.
People/Places mentioned in this letter:
- *Joe Perrault: married to Noah's sister, Eva Amelia
- Reuben and Irwin: 11 & 9 yr old sons of Eva Amelia and Joe Perrault
- *Will Rigler: married to Noah's sister, Ethel Maude
- George Metcalf: local carpenter
Phrase: Better late than never**
Noah signing as Little Willie**
* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right column for more on posts on the above people.
**More info under Genealogical Notes
Dated: June 26th, 1911
Addressed to: Miss E. Nelson, My Dearest Ethel (21 yrs old)
Mailed from: Grand Coulee, Sask
Relationship: Courting
Profession: Farmer
Writing instrument: Fine point pen, Black ink, but looks blue-grey in places
Writing Paper: Thick, textured, linen-like paper, 9 inches x 6.5 inches. Paper is folded in half, written on front and back like a book, but inside, paper is turned sideways and written across short length and down both pages.
People/Places mentioned in this letter:
- *Joe Perrault: married to Noah's sister, Eva Amelia
- Reuben and Irwin: 11 & 9 yr old sons of Eva Amelia and Joe Perrault
- *Will Rigler: married to Noah's sister, Ethel Maude
- George Metcalf: local carpenter
Phrase: Better late than never**
Noah signing as Little Willie**
* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right column for more on posts on the above people.
**More info under Genealogical Notes
| Grand Coulee June.26. Miss. E. Nelson, Belhaven, Ont. My Dearest Ethel;- Received your welcome letter Saturaday and was glad to hear you were still O.K. hope this will find you the same a gain. Well Ethel it is now nearly six months since you made me the happiest of men and it will be nearly six more before I can clame your promise. wish it were tomorrow. but it is better late than |
| never, but better never late. eh. Well I am drawing gravle for the house expect to get enough home by. Friday night as I want togo to Bell Plaine on the first to a picnic & also to play ball. Say it wont be safe for me to go to the Coulee now. for Pence was to play us to night. and I never thot. about it untill it was to late to go. so if you hear about my funeral dont be suprised. Ha. Ha. Reuben and Irwin came home with me Sunday morning and intend to stay for a few days. Oh say I didnot tell you that the game was postponed on Sat on account of a storm and I dont know when it will be played. Well the carpenter was just here and so I am going to finish this up now & send it down with Will in the morning. Oh say. Pense was down last night but G.C. beat so I guess I will be safe Ha Ha. score was 10 to 2. There is a game tomorrow night between the married and single men and |
| I guess I will be at that if nothing happens I bet the single me will beat. Ha. Ha. Oh say Irwin got homesick and went home with the carpenter (George Metcalf). he is building Joes barn. it will cost him over $3000. by the time it is finished & will be all done by the last of the week. Say my barn cost me just about $150. Ha. Ha. quite a difference. Suppose your barn is well on the way by this time & Ill bet you will be glad when it is done. Well Ethel I guess I will ring off for this time so good Bye. With lots of love from your little Willie. xxxxxxx N.C.D. |
Genealogy Notes
Genealogy Notes #1 - Phrase Better Late Than Never
Noah says: Better late than never, but better never late. I don't know where he got the last part of the phrase from, but the www.phrases.org.uk site attributes it to Geoffery Chaucer who wrote the Canterbury Tales back in 1386.
However, I found an earlier reference to the Roman author & historian Titus Livius who quoted Better Late Than Never when he lived back in 59 BC - 17 AD.
Genealogy Notes #2 - Little Willie
Several times now Noah has ended the letter by saying your Little Willie so I figured it was time I found out who/what he meant.
It seems there are 2 references to draw on depending what you're looking at:
1. 1899 - Little Willie in Mischief Again - a short comedy film
This is one of at several where Little Willie gets into mischief. In one, he draws a face on his sleeping father's bald head, in another he ends up with a face covered in soot, and in a third, he sets up a bucket of water so someone else gets drenched.
2. 1910 era newspapers contained Little Willie jokes as fillers. These were the same jokes we've heard referred to as Little Johnny jokes in recent years, and apparently there were Little Audrey jokes in the 30's. I've seen these jokes in The Newmarket Era and from touring the net, as well as references for many other newspapers of the time.
The last Little Willie joke I read in the Era went like this... Little Willie's aunt (or grandma) is about to slice up the pie and Little Willie asks if her spectacles magnify things. She answers, yes, they do. She's pleased that he's so smart. Little Willie responds that perhaps she'd like to take off her spectacles then before she cuts him a slice of pie.
I wonder if Noah calls himself Little Willie because he gets into trouble whether he likes it or not, or is it because he's a smarty plants like Little Willie the schoolboy? Can you tell from his letters?
Noah says: Better late than never, but better never late. I don't know where he got the last part of the phrase from, but the www.phrases.org.uk site attributes it to Geoffery Chaucer who wrote the Canterbury Tales back in 1386.
However, I found an earlier reference to the Roman author & historian Titus Livius who quoted Better Late Than Never when he lived back in 59 BC - 17 AD.
Genealogy Notes #2 - Little Willie
Several times now Noah has ended the letter by saying your Little Willie so I figured it was time I found out who/what he meant.
It seems there are 2 references to draw on depending what you're looking at:
1. 1899 - Little Willie in Mischief Again - a short comedy film
This is one of at several where Little Willie gets into mischief. In one, he draws a face on his sleeping father's bald head, in another he ends up with a face covered in soot, and in a third, he sets up a bucket of water so someone else gets drenched.
2. 1910 era newspapers contained Little Willie jokes as fillers. These were the same jokes we've heard referred to as Little Johnny jokes in recent years, and apparently there were Little Audrey jokes in the 30's. I've seen these jokes in The Newmarket Era and from touring the net, as well as references for many other newspapers of the time.
The last Little Willie joke I read in the Era went like this... Little Willie's aunt (or grandma) is about to slice up the pie and Little Willie asks if her spectacles magnify things. She answers, yes, they do. She's pleased that he's so smart. Little Willie responds that perhaps she'd like to take off her spectacles then before she cuts him a slice of pie.
I wonder if Noah calls himself Little Willie because he gets into trouble whether he likes it or not, or is it because he's a smarty plants like Little Willie the schoolboy? Can you tell from his letters?
