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WW1 Letters - Mr Butts to Ethel Feb 11, 1917

2/13/2022

 
Picture
Ethel Draper with 5 working horses, spring of 1912. From Noah & Ethel's Album

On Feb 11, 1917, the same day that Noah was writing his letter to Ethel who was staying with family in Ontario, John Butts, their hired man back in Saskatchewan, was also writing a letter to Ethel:

Author of Letter: John Butts, 60 yrs old according to the 1916 census record
Dated: Feb 11th, 1917
Mailed from:  Grand Coulee, Saskatchewan
Profession:  Hired Man/Stockman
Rank:  N/A
Addressed to:  Dear friend (Ethel Draper)
Relationship: Ethel is the wife of Noah Draper, the farm owner
Writing instrument:  Pencil
Writing Paper: 2 pages,  5" x 8" lightweight writing paper with faint blue lines and light texture. John Butts has written on the front of both pages, but left the backs empty. 

People mentioned in this letter:
Ethel* 
- Ethel Isabel Nelson, 26 yrs old, Noah's wife of 6 yrs 
Mildred* - aka Midge, Noah & Ethel's daughter, 3 yrs old 
Baby -  James David Draper*, 9 months old, aka Jay in early months
Percy* - Percy Roy Draper, 33 yrs old, Noah's older brother, lives nearby
​
​Places/things mentioned in this letter:
- Keswick - where Ethel is staying with family

Word or Phrase Use: 
John Butts is articulate, but has a habit of not using punctuation at the end of sentences.
​​
Legend: 
* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right side column for more posts on this 
  person/place/thing, or use the search box in the header at the top of this page
​** See History Note below
​
Picture
Grand Coulee. Sask
​Feb 11th 1917
     Dear friend
                    Just a few lines to let you
know I have not forgotten you. I received
a few lines from you when you sent the
Photos and thanks for the same I received
a letter from Noah and was much
pleased to read it He got away sooner
than I expected I'm glad he arrived safely
and hope he will return all right. but (my)
it is an awful war, but I think this sum-
mer will finish it How are you enjoying
yourself down there Hope you are all
well I did feel lonesome for a time after
​you left I didn't know I thought so
much of Mildred until she left I did
miss her Hope she is getting along all
​right also Baby Their Photos are good
You are all nicely taken I often take 
a look at them

Picture
​Percy told me you wrote as you would
probably come back in the spring Well I
must tell you there is no person would
be more pleased than I to see you come
Remember it is your home and I feel sure
every person that knows you would be glad
to see you back You were better there perhaps
the last three weeks for it has been desperate
cold here just as bad or worse than last 
winter and as you know it started before
the summer was over so we are in for
a long winter but it will soon be all over
You mentioned in your few lines about
your Brooch It was here all right after 
you left but dissapeared mysteriously
That is all, until I see you, I shall 
say about it Tell Mildred I often think
her she must come back as quick as she
can to get my meals Hoping you will come
soon                 I remain your friend John
                                                           Butts


Written sideways across top of page 2:
excuse
pencil
I have
no ink

The stock
all look
well
and I did
not tell
you but
I am well
myself

Hope you
will come
​soon

​

​History Notes

There is 1 History note for this letter:

History Note - Hired Man, Stockman

When the Province of Saskatchewan came into being in 1905, many of the settlers were from the eastern and southern parts of the Province of Ontario and not used to the months of harsh winter winds that blew unceasingly across the prairies. Like many others, Noah and Ethel spent the winter months with family and friends "back home." Soon after harvest, they would head east by train and not return to the west until it was time to get ready for spring seeding.

All the fieldwork was done with horses. Each farm would have had a cow for milk (shown as a milch cow on census records), or at least access to a family or neighbour's milk supply. The farms would have had poultry for eating and egg production, and other livestock for food and work. 


Unfortunately, the 1916 agricultural census records (schedules) have not been preserved, however, on the 1916 Census of Prairie Provinces cumulative report, it shows that the average Saskatchewan livestock amounts per farm were:
Horses 3 yrs and older - 6-9
Horses under 3 yrs - 1-3
Cows Milch - 1-3
Other cattle (oxen, maybe beef cows) - 6
Sheep - 1-2
Swine - 5
Hens & Chickens - 44
Turkeys - 1
Geese - 4
Ducks - 6

Although we don't know how much livestock Noah and Ethel owned when they left Saskatchewan in Oct/Nov 1916, we know they had enough to keep John Butts employed as their hired man. In the post, WW1 Letters - Percy to Ethel Jan 1, 1917, Noah's brother, Percy, wants Ethel to confirm that Mr Butts is to receive $20 per month, because Mr Butts has said he's been reckless with his money and is owed forty dollars. Percy's letter is interesting as it mentions that Mr Butts was out 'celebrating' and talking about quitting.

WW1 Letters - Percy to Ethel Jan 1, 1917

1/1/2017

 
Picture
From Noah & Ethel Draper's first Photograph Album, courtesy of the Norma Draper Photograph Collection.
Today's letter differs from the rest because it's a letter on the home front sent from Noah's brother to Noah's wife informing her of what's been going on back at the homestead in Saskatchewan while Noah's enlisted, and she's spending the winter with family in Ontario. 

Picture
Author of Letter: Percy Roy Draper, 33 yrs old
Dated:  Jan 1/17
Mailed from:  Grand Coulee, Saskatchewan
Attached to:   N/A
Profession:  Farmer
Rank:  N/A
Addressed to:  Mrs. N.C. Draper
Relationship: Sister-in-law
Writing instrument:  Pencil
Writing Paper: 8" x 10" medium weight writing paper with a linen-look and feel. Percy has written straight across the first sheet and down to the bottom, left the backside blank, and then he's filled the second sheet, turned it over and finished halfway down the backside. 


People mentioned in this letter:
Ethel* 
- Noah's wife of 5 yrs, Ethel Isabel Nelson Draper (b 1890)
Will* - Will Rigler, husband of Noah's 35 yr old sister, Ethel Maud (b 1881)
Mr. Buts - 60 yr old John Butts is Noah & Ethel's lodger/hired man**

​Places/things mentioned in this letter:
- Keswick - where Ethel is staying with family
- Regina - downtown Regina is 12 miles east of Grand Coulee
- The ERA - local newspaper printed in Newmarket, York County, Ontario
- dispecer - liquor dispenser/vendor (see **Prohibition & article below)
​- stalk - he means animal stock as in cattle, horses, etc
- fire insurance**

​
Word or Phrase Use: 
car - automobile since a street car didn't run from Grand Coulee to Regina
nearly strapped - out of money
Merry X Mas 

​
Legend: 
* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right side column for more posts on this 
  person/place/thing, or use the search box in the header at the top of this page
** see History Notes below
​

Picture
​Grand Coulee
​Jan 1/17
Mrs. N. C. Draper.
                       Dear Ethel & children
     Received the Photos & think they
are fine. Have been waiting
for a letter from you ever since
I came home but have not had
one as yet. how are you all
any way we are all as usually
I think around here. We have
had some very cold weather
ever since I came home until 
last Friday it is quite mild now 
very little snow  I was in to Regina
with the car this after noon  the
roads are fine.  Well I had a 
letter from Noah that was wrote
the eighteenth of Dec said he had
had his first experence on salt
water 20 of them trying to row
a boat 50 ft long and could not
make it go at all some sailors 
ah. Well Ethel the stalk is all
​looking fine. I think the old man

​
Picture
2

is getting along pretty good now
he was away for several days selebrati...
just before I got home but was
back to work when I got home
Will had to do his chores while he
was away. I guess it wont
happen again now the doors
of the dispecers closed Saturday.
Mr Buts was telling Will he wished
I would hurry home that he was
going to quit but he has never
mentioned it since I came. I see
by the Era that yous have lots
of snow now. Hope you had
a merry X mas & a Happy new 
Year. Say Ethel have you sent
Mr Buts any money yet he came
in the other .and said he was
nearly strapped. had been a little
reckles with what he had : But he
is to get twenty dollars a month
isnt he. he would have $40 coming 
​to him to night he said.

​
Picture
3

And your fire insurance I guess
Noah forgot about it I will enclose
there letter to you it should be looked
after at once. Well I must close
hope you can make this letter
out & dont forget to send 
us a line.
I remain --- as be fore
                         Percy

​

History Notes

There are 2 History notes for this letter...
​

Picture
History Note 1 - Prohibition

Prohibition reached Saskatchewan in April 1915 when Premier Walter Scott and his liberal government halted the sale of liquor within its borders. Bars had to close by 7 pm with no liquids carried home. According to the Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan, Premier Scott blamed alcohol for domestic violence and high crime rates, and felt that it was unpatriotic and more dangerous than German submarines. The following year, in July 1916, bar and club licenses were abolished. Individuals and businesses were prosecuted for non-compliance, and Saskatchewan became the first Canadian province to ban the sale of alcohol in the private sector. 

As you can see from Percy's letter, written on January 1st, 1917, it's months later and liquor is still available. I wonder if it's because they were allowed to stay open while disposing of their stock? I don't know if the vendor in question was the local hotel, or if Mr. Butts had been in Regina, which grew into one of the hottest red light districts on the prairies in the following decade, but someone in the area seemed to have alcohol on hand.
​

History Note 2 - Fire Insurance

In this letter, Percy mentions that Noah and Ethel have received a letter for fire insurance and that he's going to send it to her because "it should be looked after at once". 

It's interesting to note that one of the my first posts on these letters was ​1906 Percy's Policy which included the magnificent graphics of a life insurance document that is now 110 years old. Percy wasn't married at the time and although single adults of today are told they don't need to spend money on life insurance if they aren't married, Percy's beneficiary was his mother, Sarah Draper, who would receive $1000.00 upon his death, even while his father, David Draper, still lived.

Percy's admonition that Ethel see to the fire insurance at once was in direct contrast to Noah's response in WW1 Letters Home - Dec 19, 1916, when he says, "Well Ethel I dont know what money you mean for Percy to send down but if it was for that life insurance
I dont think I would pay it."
​

Noah doesn't know that Percy is talking about fire insurance rather than life insurance, but that makes it worse...Noah can't swim...he's in the navy and spends/will spend a majority of his time on the water...and he's heading into a war zone. Unless the policy is for someone else, why wouldn't Noah want Ethel to pay the premium on the life insurance? 

​

Sep 1912: Letter from George Draper

5/25/2014

 
Picture
The Adams, SK house that Noah Draper built for Ethel Nelson in 1911 prior to their 1912 marriage. Photos courtesy of the Norma Draper Family Photograph Collection.
Picture
The Draper's house at Adam's, SK after enclosing the veranda in screens. Noah and Ethel's album says the front windows were blown out in the 1912 Regina cyclone.
In this week's letter, Noah's cousin George Draper comments that Noah probably witnessed the Storm from his place at Adams, SK.  Although Ethel didn't mention it in her post card in last week's post about the June 1912: Regina's F4 Cyclone, they may have spotted something because the distance along the track from the C.N.R. station in Regina to the siding in Adams is an official distance of 13 miles (20 km).


Author of Letter:  George Draper
Dated:  Sept 15th, 1912
Addressed to: Mr Noah Draper, Grand Coulee
Mailed  from:  Keswick (North Gwillimbury Twp, York County, Ontario)
Relationship: Paternal 1st cousin of Noah Draper
Profession:  Farmer
Writing  instrument: Blue-Black ink 
Written on: Textured ivory-colored notepaper 5" x 8", 2 pages written on the front only.


People/places mentioned in this letter:

- *Noah Draper, age 23 (Newlywed, moved west in 1905)
- *Ethel Nelson, age 21 (Newlywed, moved west Feb 1912 upon her marriage)
- *Stewart Draper - George's brother near Indian Head, SK
- *Joe Perrault - married to Noah's sister, *Eva Amelia, and
living near Grand Coulee
- *Will Rigler - married to Noah's sister, *Ethel Maud and living near Grand Coulee
- Aunty - Noah's mom, *Sarah Sophia Deverell Draper
- *Edith & *Frank - George's sister, Edith who married Frank *Kavanagh


Places/things mentioned in this letter or in the Genealogy Notes:
- the storm - the 1912 Regina F4 cyclone I blogged about last week
- a man engaged - the hired man



Cliches/Phrases
- cuz - George signs the letter "your Cuz, Geo Draper"


Legend: 
* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right side column for more posts on this 
  person/place/thing. If you don't see a label, use the search box at the top of page.
** see Genealogy Notes below



Picture
Keswick  Sept 15th 1912

Mr. Noah Draper
                        Grand Coulee
Dear Noah.
                     Pretty near time I answered
your Card July 12th. was glad to
hear from you  My was'nt that
Cyclone desperate  Suppose you could
see the Storm from your place.  It
would certainly look fierce  Stewart said
He went & saw the ruins and is
going to send me some pictures of it
I got a letter from him on the 9th Sept
has all his wheat cut & oats
without Frost or Hail  pretty Lucky  I hope
you escaped the same  was your
crops pretty Good this year. It dont
seem long ago. since Iwas up 
there with you. driveing around
through the wheat.  How is Aunty

Picture
2
I hope She is well.  is She liveing
with you or Ethel Rigler
we are not through Harvest yet Barley
to Draw yet & some Peas to cut. & Draw
Pretty slow In Ont, Eh. But In order to have
a crack shot He has to come from
North Gwillimbury and show Noah how to
tumble the Ducks.  no doubt you have 
said to your self many times | if I
could only shoot like | George Draper |
I would give a good deal | But you
may learn after a long time.  of
course I showed you quite a Bit.
I am going up at the Head of the Baye
Tomorrow to shoot a few Doz Ducks
Come along Noah and I will give you
another Lesson  It is raining to
Beat the Devil to Day we have had a
Desperate lot of Rain this Summer.
Come East this Winter and we will do
nothing but Fish I have a Man Engaged
for the Winter & I am going to Fish
everyDay  Come along  I know Ethel
would like to come Home  guess Edith
& Frank are comeing for the Winter
write me Noah soon  With kind Regards
   to all In your Home   your Cuz GeoDraper


Genealogy Notes

George Milburn Draper has been mentioned several times in Noah & Ethel's 1911 Courtship letters - most recently Feb 1912: Letter from Noah's Cousin, Edith Draper. 

On Sep 23rd, 1908 George, 28 yrs old, bachelor farmer, married Eliza Alberta Hamilton, 23 yrs old, Spinster, daughter of David Hamilton & Priscilla Stevenson. George and Eliza both reside in North Gwillimbury, and both attend the Christian church. 

The 1911 census finds George and Eliza living on the Draper Homestead near Keswick in the house where he'd been born, where his father Stephen Draper had been born, and where his grandfather Joel Draper Jr had worked the crown-deeded virgin uncleared land when York County was first being settled. 

(Joel Draper Sr is my husband Nelson Clement Draper's 3rd great grandfather born 1789 in Boston, Mass)

Picture
1911 Canada census showing George and Eliza living on the Draper homestead along with his parents, Stephen Draper and Martha Barnhart, and his unmarried sister, Edith.
I'm not sure where George's oldest brother, Charles J, is in 1911, but he'll eventually take over the family farm while the rest of the siblings headed west, returning to Ontario to spend the winters with family and friends. 

In this letter, George mentions driving through the wheat fields with Noah and although he doesn't give a date, we can surmise he's talking about the trip he took west during the summer of 1911, partly because of this clipping:

Picture
The Newmarket Era. August 18, 1911 - pg. 6
George also mentions the 1912 Regina cyclone in his letter, and how he's waiting for pictures from his brother Stewart, who's renting a farm at Indian Head, east of Regina. I don't have Stewart's photos, but if you haven't looked yet, check out last week's post for images of the ruins.

1913 finds George heading west on a business trip. Perhaps the trip was to buy land?
Picture
The Newmarket Era. October 3, 1913 - pg. 6
I only make that assumption because a mere 4 months later, George and Eliza are preparing to move to Wolfe, Saskatchewan.

Picture
The Newmarket Era. February 13, 1914
By the time the special 1916 Western Canada census rolled around, George's sister, Almeda and her husband, James Edward Baker  and their 2 children, Milburn and Ruby, had joined George and Eliza on their quarter section of land at Wolfe, RM of Reford, Saskatchewan.

It isn't until 1919 where we find the first mention of a child born to George and Eliza and that's thanks again to the newspaper back in York County:

Picture
The Newmarket Era. December 12, 1919 - pg. 2
George and Eliza named their son, Ernest David and there is no record of any siblings for him. I spent hours searching for Ernest.  Thanks to the Sask Genealogical Society, I found obits for an Ernest and Lillian Draper who retired from farming in the same area and moved to North Battleford. Every matched ... until I realized it couldn't be George's son because this Ernest was born in the late 1800's in Wisconsin and not 1919 in Saskatchewan. What a letdown.

George, Eliza, and Ernest show up on the 1921 Canada census and I have newspapaper clippings of them for a few years after that, but then they fall off the radar. A very brief - too brief and sketchy - description is given in the Landis Record history Book, where it shows them renting the land and moving back to Ontario until 1950, and then spending the summers at Wolfe, and the winters in York County. 

There's hope though because I still have Noah's WW1 letters to post and although we know where George and Eliza are during the war, I still have several years of Ethel's diaries from the 1940-50's left to go as well as a batch of letters which I glanced at but not made notes for. Hopefully somewhere in there is a clue to their whereabouts. 

Of course, if you have any information about this family - pictures would be lovely - please help us fill in the blanks:
  • George Milburn Draper
  • Eliza (Elizabeth) Alberta Hamilton
  • Ernest David Draper

1911 Courtship Special: Letter from Noah's Mother

3/10/2014

 
Picture
Grand Coulee, Saskatchewan, Octobert 1913; Courtesty of the Norma Draper Personal Photograph Collection
Noah is on his way to Ethel! 
For more info, read the Genealogy Notes below. 
Author of Letter:  S S Draper
Dated:  The 17  (presumed to be Dec 17, 1911)
Addressed to: Mr N C Draper, My Dear boy
Mailed  from:  Grand Coulee
Relationship: Noah's mother (Sarah Sophia Deverell)
Profession:  Widow of Farmer
Writing  instrument: Fine BlueInk
Written on: Very thin Ivory-colored lined notepaper 5" x 8" 


People/places mentioned in this letter:

Eva - *Eva Amelia Perrault, Noah's sister who married *Joe Perraul
Veda - *Veda Perrault, 16 yr old daughter of *Eva and *Joe 
Viola - *Viola Rigler, 14 yr old daughter of Noah's sister, *Ethel and *Will Rigler
Will - *Will Rigler, husband of Noah's sister *Ethel Maud
Fred & Louie - *Fred Coventry, who married Noah's sister, *Sarah Louisa aka *Louie
Percies - *Percy Draper - Noah's brother

Mrs H Winch - Margaret & Herb *Winch
Nettie  - Nellie? Winch - records show Margaret & Herb having a Nellie born in 1910
Sam - Will's *hired man
Alf - Noah's *hired man

Places/things mentioned in this letter or in the Genealogy Notes:
dora - the sow (pig) will "come in" or farrow (give birth)
wheat 91 cts - he sold his wheat for 91 cents a bushel
sistern - a big tank called a cistern to hold water
Regina, Saskatchewan
Ravenshoe, Ontario
Keswick, Ontario
Toronto, Ontario
West - the Western Canadian provinces

Cliches mentioned in this letter:
"...will wonders never sease"  (cease)

Legend: 
* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right side column for more posts on this 
  person/place/thing. If you don't see a label, use the search box at the top of page.
** see Genealogy Notes below



Picture
Grand Coulee The
17
Mr N C Draper

                My Dear boy
                                 received your letter and
too cards on the 14 was glad to hear you 
was well  hope this may find you the same
we are all well and getting on nicely  was
up home on sunday the children have all
got bad colds Viola was real sick but
is better  the things all loock well but
I never seen the snow piled up around
there as it is now we have had very cold
weather and the worst stormes I ever seen
but it is a lovely day to day  the snow
is settling fast  I stayed up all night
then Fred and Louie come up Monday
and I come down with them  they are well
Fred come and got Veda and I last wens
day and toock us to his place  it is far
better than I thought  They are very 
comfortiable but the roads are a fright to
travel on but then I se you have had


Picture
2
Stormes down there to but before this
I sapose it has stopped  so you haie got to
belhaven  Well how did you find them at Mr
Nelsons  all well I hope  remember me to
Them and all inquireing friends  I sapose
ere this you have been to our old home
how does it loock  did you goe and se
Mrs H Winch  I feel so sorrow for her
I hope Nettie is better ere this  you did 
not say what ailed her
Alfs was Just up to our place and said
one of Percies horses was sick  Will and
Percy are goind to kill the pigs this
week  they are not goeing to kill dora
they think she will come in in a fiew
weeks  wonders will never sease
Sam got drunk and brought to 
flasks home with him so Will
shipped him so he is doeing the chores
alone but when the roads get do he
can get straw and watter  he will get
a man  the sistern is dry and
they have to melt snow for all the watter
they have and feed the horses snow

Picture
3
Alf said Myres was drawing watter
with fore horses and the tank slewed of
the road and went down so far that the tank
up set and he said they lost their watter and
had a turble time to get it up again ' ' 
So you doe not think as mouk of down there
as you might.  but I hope you will have a
good time  I had a letter from Eva she
seemes to think they are haveing a big
time  your letter reads as tho you had a good
time goeing down ' '   you wanted to
know how much Will got for the
wheat he got 91 cts but could have got
more if he could have held it longer
but when it was drawed on he had to
sell it  well I will close my scribble
now be a good boy and remember
your Mother never for gets you in 
her prair, that god may keep you
safe from harm  from your ever
loveing Mother S S Draper
let me hear from you often



Genealogy Notes

Last week I posted the last of the 1911 Courtship letters between Noah Draper and Ethel Nelson. Ethel's Treasure Box didn't contain any from Noah for November, and there aren't any more from Noah or Ethel until Noah joins the Royal Canadian Naval Voluntary Reserve and starts writing to Ethel once more. (I do have much more to post of the family though.)

For whatever reason, the December 1911 issues of The Newmarket Era are not online. It seems that every issue before and after is accounted for, but not the one that announces Noah's homecoming. 

Hence, I'm so thankful for this week's letter where Sarah Sophia Deverell Draper writes to Noah or we wouldn't know when he left. It also seems that Noah travelled with his sister, Eva Amelia, although we don't know who else went along since no mention of Joe is made and Veda is still back in Grand Coulee. When Sarah writes that "...Eva she seems to think they are haveing a big time..." could be Eva and Joe, or Eva and the family she left behind when she moved West with Joe.

Although Sarah isn't clear about which date she sent the letter, certain events in the letter show it to be December 1911. Namely, the mention of:
- how she hoped everyone was well at Mr. Nelson's place (Ethel's home)
- the Herbert Winch Family and Nettie's burns  (see 1911 Courtship: Oct 22)
- cold weather and the worst storms she's ever seen (weather info below)

PictureThe Morning Leader (Regina) - Dec 19, 1911
Sarah says she received a letter and 2 cards on the 14th, so Noah was gone by then. I'm guessing he left soon after December began because Ethel's letters stop at the end of Nov. (I sure would have liked to have been there for that meeting between them!) 

The ad on the right is from Regina's Morning Leader newspaper from December 19 of that year and shows the most likely way Noah would have traveled east. If he chose the Canadian Northern Railway, then his fee would have been $47.15 from Regina to Toronto. 

At Toronto, Noah would have taken the Toronto and York Radial Railway north to either Ravenshoe or Keswick. We don't know which relative he's staying with, but there are many since Noah's great grandfather and his siblings were some of the original settlers of York County and the township of North Gwillimbury.  


Picture
1910, Keswick, Ontario Radial Station; Courtesy of Wikipedia and the Georgina Pioneer Village exhibit at Virtual Museum
About that cold weather... Grand Coulee is within sight of Regina and the coldest Nov 11th on record was in the year 1911 where temperatures dropped to -37.2C /-35F.  (Wikipedia's List of Extreme Temperatures in Canada). Although it didn't stay that cold, the temperatures over that winter averaged out to being one of the coldest winters on record. 

Actually, weather men are still talking about it. Check out this recent blog post from the United States National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office which talks about The Great Blue Norther of November 11, 1911:
...As dramatic as these weather changes were, we must go back further in time to look at one such cold front (also known then as The Great Blue Norther) that established a set of weather records that arguably are unique in modern weather history. On November 11, 1911 (remembered easily for now as 11/11/11), the afternoon temperature in Oklahoma City reached a record high for the date of 83, before plunging 66 degrees to a record low of 17 at midnight that evening. Both daily temperature records remain unbroken and untied since 1911...

The Wikipedia entry for  The Great Blue Norther of 11/11/1911 has this to say:
The Great Blue Norther of 11/11/1911 was a cold snap that affected the central United States on Saturday, November 11, 1911. Many cities broke record highs, going into the 70s and 80s early that afternoon. By nightfall, cities were dealing with temperatures in the teens and single-digits on the Fahrenheit scale. This is the only day in many midwest cities' weather bureau jurisdictions where the record highs and lows were broken for the same day. Some cities experienced tornadoes on Saturday and a blizzard on Sunday. A blizzard even occurred within one hour after an F4 tornado hit Rock County, Wisconsin. The main cause of such a dramatic cold snap was an extremely strong storm system separating warm, humid air from frigid, arctic air. Dramatic cold snaps tend to occur mostly in the month of November, though they can also come in February or March.


So finally, Noah and Ethel are together once again and can now plan the details of their wedding. Next week I'll post everything I can dig up on that happy event. Hope to see you here for the happy event. 




1911 Courtship: Nov 23 Dear Noah

2/24/2014

 
Picture
John Zenuk, paternal uncle of Nelson Draper, driving double-axle sleigh, Chelan, Saskatchwan
Author of Letter: Ethel Isabell Nelson, age 21 (b 1890)
Dated:  Nov. 23rd 1911. 
Addressed to: My Dear Noah
Mailed  from:  Belhaven, P.O. 
Relationship:  Courting
Profession:  Farmer's Daughter  
Writing  instrument: Fine point pen, blue-black ink 
Written on:  Beige lined foolscap, newsprint quality, 9.5 inches x 6.5 inches, folded in half in booklet form and pages labelled as 1, 3,2,4, however, I've posted them here in the order they are to be read.   It seems that Ethel has run out of quality stationery - a common gift of the Edwardian period, but with Christmas a month away, she may get a new supply.


People mentioned in this letter of part of the Genealogy Notes:

Mother - *Ida Amelia Glover
*Christie - Ethel's 11 yr old sister
*Veda - Veda Perrault, 16 yr old daughter of  Noah's sister, Eva & Joseph Perrault
*Sadie - Ethel's 16 yr old sister
Herb *Winches - friends and neighbors
Walter *Yorke - stepson of Noah's 1st cousin 2x removed
Raymond *Yorke - son of Walter *Yorke, friend and neighbor
Squire *Yorke - Walter Yorke's son & *Hired Man of Ethel's family
**Stanley and Mae - Stanley *Mahoney & Mae Anderson
Professor *Dales - frequent fill-in preacher from Toronto 


Places/things mentioned in this letter:

- *West - Western Canadian provinces
- **sleighs, cutter, buggy
- *Brandon - community in southwestern Manitoba

Legend: 
* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right side column for more posts on this 
  person/place/thing. If you don't see a label, use the search box at the top of page.
** see Genealogy Notes below


Picture
Belhaven, P.O.
Nov. 23.rd 1911.
My Dear Noah, --
                                Rec'd your letter all O.K. 
on Monday. I guess you will think
I am a little Slow in writing this time
but I was up to Mr Herb Winches over
Sunday and Monday so did'nt have any
chance to write sooner. So I guess you
can forgive 'eh'.
                                My gracious I'm afraid
you'll freeze to death up there if it gets
any colder. good thing you're coming
down here there'll be more chance for you
living another year or so. "ha ha"


Picture
2.
                    No! Stanley and Mae are not
married. I don't know when they are to
to be married, but I hear sometime before spring.
Again I hear Raymond Yorke has decided
not to marry but go West in the Spring with
his father. 
                        Well I amy very glad indeed to
hear you intend coming as soon as you are
for certainly it can't be to soon for me. for
I am a lonesome girl sometimes, and
often I think if I get as homesick to see the
ones at home as I do to see you now. I
might pity you, for it gives one the blues.
                    My we had a splendid Service in
Belhaven Sunday evening. Professor Dales
spoke he is a Baptist, and he certainly can
speak. What church do you attend? And
do you believe their's a Father above?
Do you believe as I do? You may think these

Picture
3.
funny questions. Noah: I will tell you
sometime why I ask them.
     When ever I meet Herb Winch if
any one else is around he ask's them
if they heard Noah Draper was to
be married, then he'll ask me if I had
heard about it, The great clown he is; 
that's all I have to say for him.
     Well four weeks from now I
Suppose you will be here and you may
depend I want be here writing letters "eh"
Something better. I'll have you
right before me giving you a good lecture
"eh" I am sure I'll enjoy it better than
any show or writing letters.
     Squire has just come in from
Belhaven. and the rest have all gone
to bed.

Picture
4.
     We are having awfully rough and
cold weather this last week or so. but
hav'nt much snow yet. Have saw one
or two sleighs out. Guess we will
have to go sleigh-riding in the buggy
for we hav'nt any cutter or sleighs yet. "ha ha"
They helped to make a fire one day. "eh"
How is Veda? hope she has improved
and was she at Brandon? Sadie was
awfully anxious to hear from her.
     When I told our folks you would be
here in three or four weeks, Christie
was right on hand and said your
mother could come, but you could'nt
What do you think about that? ha ha
You know what a time you had last
winter. You'll remember Christy
"eh" the same old tease. Space says         x x x
you'd better close for this time , 
                      so bye bye love,    Sweetheart




Genealogy Notes

Genealogy Note #1 - Stanley Mahoney and Mae Anderson 

While posting these letters, I tried not to post events before they happened, but in the case of Stanley and Mae, a search showed their wedding date of Jun 17, 1912, and since Noah and Ethel marry in Jan 1912, I decided to post the information in case we didn't get back to them. You can read more about Stanley and Mae on the post 1911 Courtship: Mar 26.


Genealogy Note #2 - Winter Travel Vehicles

In this letter Ethel talks about a sleigh and cutter and how they haven't a new one yet. If you recall, the Nelson's lost lots of equipment when their barn burnt down in the early summer. 

The photograph at the top of this post is of Nelson's Uncle John Zenuk up in Chelan, Saskatchewan. John still works the farm where his father homesteaded back in the 1920's although the next generation is taking over in John's retirement. His mother - Nelson's grandmother - was the first white woman in the Porcupine Plain area, a fact detailed in the local history book. 

In the last couple of years, I've published a series of Sleigh posts on my Inkwell Inspirations group blog which show the different types of winter conveyances used throughout the years. It's not a comprehensive list, but one that shows what was available:

19th Century Sleighs - a basic primer on sleighs of all kinds

19th Century Children's Sleighs - small size sleds for kids and animals 

Royal Sleighs - Rich and extravagant sleighs spanning the centuries

Historic Winter Travel: Caboose - Enclosed sleighs for passenger travel


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