Category: Horses

1911 Courtship: Dear Ethel Sep 3

10/28/2013

ca 1930s James Henry Nelson and his driver, Belhaven, Ontario. Courtesy of the Norma Draper Photo Collection.

The back of the above photo is written in Norma Draper's hand and says, "Grandpa and driver." It was only from reading the early 1900 newspapers that I knew the driver was the horse. Actually, the first time I read a news article about a runaway driver I thought they were talking about a person and didn't understand why he'd be running away. After re-reading it though, I came to understand the terminology of the driver being the horse that was used mainly for pulling the family's buggy, wagon, sleigh, or what have you. So when Noah mentions that he's working his driver, he means he's got his main driving horse working out in the field, and since most work horses weren't trained to pull wagons, etc, he has to walk if he wants to go anywhere.

Author of Letter: Noah Clement Draper (24 yrs old)
Dated: Sept 3rd 1911
Addressed to: Miss E.Nelson, Belhaven, Ont., My Dear Ethel
Mailed from: Grand Coulee, Sask.
Relationship: Courting
Profession: Farmer
Writing instrument: Fine point pen, Black ink, but looks grey in places and then darkens as he dips his pen in the ink jar.
Writing Paper: Thick, textured, linen-like paper, 9 inches x 6.5 inches. Paper is folded in half, written in booklet form, but for the 2nd page, Noah turned the paper and written down the length of the 2 pages before closing it, turning it again, and writing page 4 on the back.

People/places mentioned in this letter:

- Mother - *Sarah Sophia Deverell Draper, Noah's widowed mother
- *Veda - Noah's 16 yr old niece, daughter of his sister *Eva Amelia and *Joe Perrault
- *Sadie Nelson - Ethel's 16 yr old sister back in Belhaven

- plasters (plasterers)
- carpenters
- painters

- **harvest
- the office - the Post Office
- my driver - Noah's main horse for pulling the wagon, buggy, sleigh, etc (see pic above)

Cliche/Phrasing:
- "Well kiddo..."

* 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
** see Genealogy Notes below

Grand Coulee. Sask.
Sept. 3rd 1911.

Miss. E. Nelson,
Belhaven, Ont.
My Dear Ethel: -
Well kiddo I missed your
letter last week & wonder
if you got mine, hope so
any way for if it is with
you like it is with me it
is a blue Sunday. I was not
down to the office last night
but mother was there in the
afternoon I am working my
driver, so could not go unless
I walked & I was to lazy for
that. eh.
Well harvest has started at
last & I have about 160 or 170 acres

of wheat cut and about 120 more to cut
will finish about Thursday if it doesnt
rain any more. had a rain at noon that
will stop us tomorrow & it looks as if
it were not all over.
Well Ethel the plasters have got thro
with the house & the carpenters
are here now & will be for about.
two weeks then the painters will
have a turn at it & then for a
move out of the tent. and you bet
I will be glad. I wish you were
here to move into it with me
& it would seem more like home
to me. but I guess if nothing
happens you will be before
long. Eh.
Well I dont think I will get
down to church to day but I will
have to go twice next Sunday
to make up for it. ha ha. hope
you do better than that.
Well Veda is going to college
the 26 of Sept. and I bet she will
have a big time wheather it
will do her any good or not for she
is so full of mischief that she
cant keep still.
Say you never told me wheather
Sadie passed her exams or not
hope she did tell her I enjoyed
her letter fine. ha. Ha.

The duck season opened. last
Friday but I have been to
buisy to go. but will go to-
morrow I guess if it dont
rain any more.
Say it sure seems like a
long time since I saw you
and I will be glad when the
time comes when I can go
down wish it were tomorrow
but Ihave got along so far &
guess I can untill the time
does come. eh.
Well this is a queer letter but
it is from a queer fellow as you
well know so I guessyou will
over look that part and
remember only that I love you
& that there is a long road between
or else I would not be writing but
talking instead. Well I guess this
is all for this time so good bye with
lots of love & kisses. N.C.D. xxxxxx

Genealogy Notes

In this week's letter, Noah writes that he has 160-170 acres of wheat cut and about 120 acres to go. That's just the binding and stooking. Sometime in the next month or so, Noah will get a harvest crew together and they'll thresh the stooks which separates the wheat kernels from the chaff.

Some farmers owned their own threshing machines, but many hired threshing crews that went from farm to farm similar to the corporate harvest crews of today.

The following photographs were copied this past summer from one of the albums in the Norma Draper Photo Collection. The album is mostly in chronological order starting in 1912 with the harvest photos being the first pictures in the album. Noah served in WW1 from 1916 to 1919 and then the family moved to Victoria, BC where they lived from 1920 to 1924.

Noah & Ethel Draper and Family History in Picures 1912-1924, courtesy of the Norma Draper Family Collection.

There are 2 harvest scene photos below and each has been cropped a couple times. The originals show so much sky and ground that the people are minuscule. Therefore, I cropped each photo first by cuttting one third off the top and the same from the bottom. What you see in the next 2 images are the result of that first cropping.

The 1st image shows the men standing around, posing. This was the first photo in the album. But the image below shows the men working as can be seen by the stream of chaff from the thresher blowing out above Percy's head on the far right. (click the image for a bigger view - I hope.)

ca 1912-1916 Noah Draper's Threshing Crew, Adams, Saskatchewan. Percy Draper far right standing on the wagon. Noah Draper 3rd from right standing on thresher behind horses.

These next 2 images have been cropped further by cutting another third off the left side so we can clearly see Noah and Percy.

ca 1912-1916 Noah Draper's Threshing Crew, Adams, Saskatchewan. Noah Draper farthest on the right, Percy Draper 3rd from the right. (Cropped from wide image above.)

The image below wasn't annotated by Ethel like the one above, however, it appears that the men stopped their work and then moved forward together for the shot. When I zoomed in as much as I dared without losing definition, I could clearly tell that Percy Draper is on the wagon because of the jaunty angle of his light colored hat. But where was Noah?

I finally found him by looking for his clothes - the partially unbuttoned coat over coveralls - the only worker to wear his coat in this fashion. He's on the thresher, behind where the horses are standing. Unfortunately, his face appears to be a blur so he might be looking down and his hat is hiding his face, but he's using the same stance in both images and it's one that I've come to recognize from many of his pictures - thanks again to his daughter Norma's preservation of the family pictures.

ca 1912-1916 Noah Draper's Threshing Crew, Adams, Saskatchewan. Percy Draper far right standing on the wagon. Noah Draper 3rd from right standing on thresher behind horses. (Cropped from wide image above.)

There's a good probability that the husbands of Noah and Percy's sisters, Ethel Maud and Eva Amelia, are somewhere in the photographs so if any of those family members see this and recognize someone, please contact us.

1911 Courtship: July 23 Dear Ethel

7/21/2013

1910 Regina Exhibition Livestock Grounds, Valentine and Sons' Publishing Co. Ltd. Courtesy of the University of Saskatchewan Library, Special Collections.

The above photo from http://saskhistoryonline.ca shows the numerous barns housing the livestock exhibits on the Exhibition grounds. As a former exhibitor of our goats, I've been in the livestock barns too many times to count, and even camped in them while we exhibited. Unfortunately, the barns in the image were devasted by fire and the ones I'm used to seeing are huge window-less metal structures which do the job of keeping the animals sheltered, but lack the beauty and charm of the original ones.

Author of Letter: Noah Clement Draper (24 yrs old)
Dated: July 23 (1911)
Addressed to: Miss E. Nelson, Dear Ethel (21 yrs old)
Mailed to: Huntsville, Ont
Mailed from: Grand Coulee (Sask)
Relationship: Courting
Profession: Farmer
Writing instrument: Fine point pen, Black ink which lightens as the letter lengthens.
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 straight down both pages.

People/Places mentioned in this letter:

Ma - Noah's mother, *Sarah Sophia Deverell
*Elva Jane Nelson - Ethel's cousin, currently living in Indian Head, Sask
*Sadie - Ethel's 16 yr old sister back home in Belhaven
Manuel - *Emanuel, Ethel's 6 yr old brother back home in Belhaven

**Dominion Exhibition
*Regina, Sask
the head - *Indian Head, Sask, located east of Regina on Hwy #1

Phrases/Cliches in use at the time:
- "going to get hooked up"

* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right column for more on posts on the above people.
**More info under Genealogical Notes

Grand Coulee July 23

Miss. E. Nelson,
Huntsville. Ont.
Dear Ethel, -
Received your welcome
letter last week and was glad
to hear you were having
a good time. Hope it may last.
Say you want to have lots
of boat riding this summer
for you are apt to be a
long time up here with
out seeing much water here.
Well we have four
carpenters and two well
diggers here so you see
Mother has plenty to do.
have sent down to Manitoba

for a girl & I certainly hope she
comes for it is to much for mother.
Am going into Regina to-morrow
to get a furnace and see about the
plasterers. so you see we will
be buisy right along untill
after harvest or rather threshing.
Well I suppose you know
wheather Sadie has passed
her examinations by this time.
dont think there is much danger
of her failing.
Dominion exhibition starts
in Regina Monday next and
lasts untill the 13th of August
dont think I will be able to spend
muchtime at it tho for it is
harder work to keep the other
men going than it is to work
My self.
Suppose that new barn is
about finished by this time
or at least the rough work.
Oh say I dont know wheather
I told you I saw Elva at the
head on the 18th or not. she was
telling me she heard I was going
to get hooked up. Ha. Ha.

Well. who in the world was
telling that Manuel was
trying to set a hen's tail
on fire. (poor hen) I guess
she would go some. Eh.
Say do you know any
one who is coming up to
the exhibition or do they
all think it is out of their
reach and to God forsaken
a country to travel in. Ha. Ha.
Well I guess I will have to
close for this time wish I
were there to take you
out for a row. when you
get this but you will not
be far away in my thoughts.
Well bye. Bye. Write a long
letter to your little Lover.
xxxxxxxx N.C.D.

Genealogy Notes

In this week's letter, Noah mentions that the Dominion Exhibition will start on Monday. The above images are taken from the 1911 Dominion Exposition Regina Prize List which I found as a free download PDF at University of Alberta Libraries.

However, it notes the Regina Fair as the Dominion Exposition instead of an exhibition. In all my years, I've always known it as an exhibition or fair, although fair is usually reserved for smaller locations and exhibition for provincial capitals - like Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, etc. I checked dictionary.com and it states:
expositon - a large-scale exhibition or show

Calling the 1911 Exhibition an Exposition fits then, because it was the year Regina hosted the Dominion Fair - a privilege awarded annually from 1879 to 1913 to Canada's biggest fairs. This meant that exhibitors from all over Canada vied for the chance to win not just a ribbon that said Provincial Exhibition, but a medal confirming the exhibitor won it at the Dominion Exhibition. As you can see from the lettering below, even the organizers weren't sure if is was an exhibition or exposition.

Obverse: 1911 bronze Dominion Exhibition Regina Medal. Courtesy of Library and Archives Canada, Acc. No. 1979-13-232M

Reverse: 1911 bronze medal donated by the Ontario Sheep Breeders' Ass'n for THE BEST ___ WON BY ____ Courtesy of Library and Archives Canada, Acc. No. 1979-13-232M

Although cash prizes were handed out, the top breeder for each breed would receive a medal like the one above which were sponsored by commercial associations, like the Ontario Sheep Breeders, who used the Dominion Exhibition for promotion. The above medal isn't engraved with a breed of sheep nor a winner. The medals would have been struck ahead of time, but sometimes there aren't enough exhibitors in category so a medal isn't awarded.

Much like the Olympic medals are different for each game's location, so are the Dominion Exhibition medals.

On the right is the style of medal handed out at the 1904 Dominion of Canada Exhibition. Unlike the 1911 Regina medal, this one comes with a ribbon and badge for hanging on your chest.

I like the Winnipeg one, except for the hole they've drilled into the medal to enable it to hang. Truthfully, it's hard to find medals without a hole, but as a coin and medal collector, I tend to steer clear of the holed ones unless they were manufactured in that fashion, such as this one.

(Click the image for a larger version.)

“DOMINION OF CANADA EXHIBITION 1904 WINNIPEG” brass medal with ribbon and badge.

Exhibitions are made up of Livestock and Homecraft Exhibits, a Midway with rides, games, etc, and a commercial Trade Show where you can buy anything from homemade jams to farm equipment.

The on-line McCord Museum has a brief write-up about the trade shows on their site, which states in part, "Agricultural fairs and industrial exhibitions were an excellent opportunity to reach huge numbers of people." I always find interesting images at the McCord Museum, but I never imagined I'd find an engraving of a late 19th/early 20th century trade show booth for a corset manufacturer...

1850-1885 engraving by John Henry Walker showing The Crompton Corset Company trade booth. Courtesy of © McCord Museum

The Crompton Corset Company which was located in Toronto, Ontario displayed its line of corsets at trade fairs and exhibitions across Canada.

I wonder if Noah passed a booth like this at Regina's Dominion Exhibition?

Courtship Letter Special: July 20 From Ma & Sadie

7/7/2013

The Massey Harris binder about to start cutting the wheat. Courtesy of wikipedia.

In this week's letter, Ethel's ma tells Ethel that Pa bought a new binder and already has some wheat cut. This was necessary since their old binder burned in their barn fire. Although the above photo shows a binder pulled by a tractor, in 1911 Ethel's pa would use horses to pull his binder which would cut the wheat, tie a string about a bunch of stalks to bind them in a sheaf, then drop the sheaves by the side where someone would come along and stand them in stooks or shooks to dry. The shape allowed the rain to slide off.

Author of Letter: Ida Amelia Glover Nelson and Sadie Nelson
Dated:  July 20th, 1911
Addressed to: Dear Ethel (Ethel is up in Huntsville, Ontario visiting Ida Amelia's sister, Sarah Elizabeth Glover)
Mailed from: Belhaven, Ont.
Relationship:  Ethel's ma, and Ethel's 16 yr old sister
Profession:  Farm Family
Writing instrument: Blue Ink
Written on: Off-white, beautifully textured, linen-like paper, 9 inches x 7 inches, folded in half. Two notepapers, one with a pansy motif, the other with a forget-me-not motif.

People/places mentioned in this letter:

- *Christie - Christine Maud Nelson - Ethel and Sadie's 6 yr old sister
- Crouders - *Crowders
- *Noah Draper - Ethel's fiance out on the Canadian prairies
- *Elva Mitchell - see Special Letter of July 15 as well as Label list
- Pa - *James Henry Nelson
- Grandma - *Eliza Crouch Nelson in Aikens, Benton, Iowa, USA
- Aunt Lill - Lillian Maria Blizzard married to Pa's cousin, James A. Nelson- **Sarah - *Sarah Elizabeth Glover, sister of Ethel's ma
- Theao Ralston
- Francis Slingerland
- Edna, Wilmot, Gertie, and Lottie
- Sweets and Thompsons
- Gertie and Walt Brooks
- Nancy
- Perry Morton

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

Page 1 - Written by Ethel's ma, Ida Amelia Glover

Belhaven July 20. 1911
Dear Ethel.
got your letter tuesday
I suppose you are going
to the picnic. we are
staying at home having
a good time watching the
people go by Crouders just
went by in a buss it is Just
1/2 past 9 oclock. I washed tuesday
Sadie and Christie went picking
berries got 2 quarts we had 7
men tuesday. yesterday Just

Page 2 - Written by Ethel's ma, Ida Amelia Glover

our own men and J and
your pa went to theao
Ralstons raising and I
got the sick head ache
came home and went to
bed. there was only about
50 men and 15 women
and some kids. they had
a nice supper but I couldnt
eat any they were very
clever with me. and there
was Noah Draper from
the west there. when I heard
them peeking about Noah
you bet I did some squinting
untill i saw him but it
wasnt tall Noah.

Page 3 - written by Sadie

Ma is getting to be a
regular gad about
since you went away
She has been away
nearly everyday. Tuesday
was the only day she
stayed home. Christie
wants us to tell you
that she can comb her
hair. I have got two
cards and you got
a letter from Elva
and pa got one from
grandma. I am having
a fine time since you
went away. Francis
Slingerland came here

Page 4 - written by Sadie

Sunday after dinner
and stayed until
after nine at night
Edna, Wilmot, Gertie
and Lottie have been
here. I was down to
Sweets and Thompsons.
The rigs are just stringing
along here to the picnic.
There has been an awful
lot go. Mine hasn't come
yet but will be here soon.
Gertie was here last
night and Walt Brooks
walked home with her.
Ma is going to see how
Aunt Lill is if she can

Page 5 switches to Ethel's ma where she writes, "Well Sadie has been spinning yarns..."

over the 'phone
She did and she
is better. We have
got beets and
beans on for
dinner and we
are going to have
green apples for
supper. (Don't your
mouth water?) We have
got liver too for dinner.
well Sadie has been
spinning yarns I was
to Crouders 1/2 a hour was
not in house and to

Page 6 - written by Ethel's ma

Nancies about 3/4 hours
took her nives home
well i must quit
this and get to work
perry Morton is working
here to day Christie
has got to go to
belhaven for salt
for dinner.
Sadie has got the blues every rig goes
by it makes her worse
there was a big storm
yesterday. we have got
our new Binder set
up and one piece
of wheat cut

Page 7 - written by Ethel's ma

well my head aches
and i dont feel
very good wish
i could scribble
some more. but i
must quit how
is Sarah hope she
is better did you get
a return tickit if
you did you will have to come
in a month for it is only good
for a month unless you got
if for longer. say you
write soon for i get
the blues once in a while.
Sadie is looking bad she is
holding her mouth on one side
she looks so cross.

Page 8 - written by Sadie

Ma wants to know
if we can set the old
hen behind the bee boxes
If so how soon? How
many eggs do you
think she can cover.
It is the grey hen that
has a red feather for
a collar. They have
got the barn boarded
in and the floor
nearly all laid. As we
can't afford to waste
any more paper over
you we will have to quit
Write soon
Ma and Sadie

Genealogy Notes

Genealogy Note 1: Update on Fred Coventry's Sister in Alberta

Update to Louie and Fred Coventry going to visit his sister in Alberta which Noah mentioned in his last letter in 1911 Courtship: July 19 Dear Ethel... we have a new development. While researching the Coventry family and trying to find out what happened to Louie (Noah's sister), I hit a newspaper goldmine on the usual ourontario.ca website I use for the Newmarket Era except this time, I've discovered the Halton News which encompasses the Acton Free Press and Georgetown Herald.

The Coventry family came from the Halton area of Peel Country, Ontario and the newspapers covered many of their social events. One of the first items I discovered was a wedding announcement for Maggie Coventry aka Margaret Jane Coventry and a Mr. W. T. Campbell.

Acton Free Press (Acton, ON), 1 Aug 1901, p. 2

CAMPELL-COVENTRY - At the residence of the Bride's parents, Kenlis, Assa., on Wednesday, 10th July 1901, by Rev. A. Robson, Mr. W. T. Campell to Miss Maggie Coventry, daughter of David Coventry.

From the same newspapers I've found the obituary for Fred's father, David Coventry, as well as the brief announcement on Louie's death. They are both almost illegible due to the inking process and I need to decipher them. However, I've read enough to know that David Coventry's daughter, Mrs. W. T. Campbell (Margaret Jane) lives in Vancouver, BC and his other daughter, Mrs. C. F. Powell, lives in Alberta. So it's not Maggie in Alberta, but rather Mary Catherine whom I thought stayed in Ontario. (I've updated last week's Genealogy Note 1)

Genealogy Note 2 - The Lennox Picnic

Can't you just picture 16 yr old Sadie in this week's letter as she stands by the door watching all the rigs and outfits (autos and conveyances) filled with excited people as they make their way to the Lennox Picnic?

I love the part where Ethel's ma writes on page 7, "Sadie is looking bad she is holding her mouth on one side she looks so cross."

For more info on the Lennox Picnic, check the Genealogy Note 3 on July 2: Dear Noah. Here is a news article about the post 1911 Lennox Picnic:

The Newmarket Era. July 28, 1911 - Page: 5, Part 1

That's 15,000 people attending the Conservative Party's annual picnic and a good portion of those people drove right past the Nelson farm where Sadie stood by the door watching them go by. No wonder she felt she was missing out.

However, other snippets tell of pickpockets in the crowd, as well as people coming home with empty pockets due to buying the refreshments. Many people commented that their neighbors either got home late and loud, or didn't get home until the next day. By most accounts, it sounds more like a 'liberal' party than a 'conservative' one.

The Newmarket Era. July 28, 1911 - Page: 5, Part 2

1911 Courtship: June 12 Dear Ethel

4/7/2013

Saskatchewan c1911, Courtesy of the Prairie Postcard Collection, http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/postcards/PC002983.html

In this week's letter, Noah writes that he's now living in a grannary, (or grainery) next to the tent on his land. A grainery is a small building, traditionally wooden, but more recently metal, which is used for storing grain. In the above postcard, the grainery is the small building in the centre of the image, on this side of the fence. The smaller building beside the grainery could very well be an outhouse or an equipment building of some sort. The above image is a typical layout for a Saskatchewan farm and the house could even be an Eaton's kit house as shown in 1911 Courthship May 21 Dear Noah.

Author of Letter: Noah Clement Draper (24 yrs old)
Dated: June 12th, 1911
Addressed to: Miss E. Nelson, My Dear Ethel (21 yrs old)
Mailed from: Grand Coulee (Saskatchewan)
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.

People/Places mentioned in this letter:
- Fred's - Noah's sister, *Louie, is married to Fred Coventry, and they live nearby
- Mother - *Sarah Sophia Deverell Draper
- *Sadie Nelson - Ethel's 16 yrs old sister- *Veda - 16 yr old daughter of Noah's sister, Eva Amelia and Joe Perrault
- *Fanny - niece of Joe Perrault, husband of Noah's sister, Eva Amelia
- your Aunt's - Ethel's Aunt *Sarah Elizabeth Glover, sister of Ethel's mom, Ida Amelia Glover
- Dora *Mahoney - a neighbor and school friend of Sadie's

- "get a man" - a *hired man to work on the farm
- Bell Plain - a town (Belle Plain) to the west who play baseball with Grand Coulee

- a rod** = approx 165 feet

* 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. 12./11

Miss. E. Nelson,
Belhaven Ont;-
My Dear Ethel;-
Received your letter Saturaday
Morning and was glad to hear
you were well as this leaves me
at present.
Am going into Regina today
to order the lumber. also a circus
in town but dont know as I will
go. As I want to get a man and
get back home to work.
Well Pense did not get down
to play ball last Wed. on
account of the rain but will
be down this Wed. We were
up to Bell Plain on Sat.
and beat them 10 to 7. not
Bad for the coulee.

Say I guess Dora would be mad all
right when the teachers told her
she could not pass her exams. I'll bet
she told the teachers a few things.
No I dont think mother will go down
in the winter for it is not near as nice
as it would be in the summer time
for her as she does not like the cold.
Say I hope you can go up for a few
weeks to your Aunt's it would do you
a lot of good I am shure.
Guess I will not get down to the
raising but I would like to I guess
I would be a dandy at it as I have
only been at two that I helped
at.
Oh. say Ethel! Veda seems to know
me better than you do but still I guess
I would not have to die an old bachelor
if I had tried very hard. HaHa.
She sure is a great kid I showed
her that part of the letter and she said
it was Fanny sent it. Fanny asked her
what but she wouldnt tell so Fanny
said some more of your lies eh.
I was down to Fred's last night
after church for a couple of settings
of eggs. sothegirls went along and I
laughed untill I thot. I would
hurt my self. Veda kept bothering
Fanny untill she got about half mad.
so she said if we would stop the

horse she would get out & walk
back home. so of course we
stopped & she got out and started
back she went about 10 rod & we
sat in the buggy laughing at
her and she turned around & run
back. Oh gee but it was funny.
Am living in a grannary beside
the tent and having a bigtime.
batching mother will be coming
down this week I guess. so it will
soon be over for this time.
Well I guess this is all for this
time only be a good little girl
untill I get down & after that
I will make you. Ha Ha.
Well good bye untill next time
I am yours as B. 4. N. C. Draper.
xxxxxxxxx and a thousand
and one more.

Genealogy Notes

Note #1: A Rod

In this week's letter, Noah writes, "...she went about 10 rod & we sat in the buggy laughing at her..."

Do you know what a rod is? In its simplest term, a rod = 16.5 ft, so if Fanny walked 10 rods ahead, she was about 165 feet away. I tried writing a good explanation, but after struggling, I decided to give you the wikipedia version:

The rod is a unit of length equal to 5½ yards or 16½ feet. Under an agreement in 1959 between Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States, the yard (known as the "international yard" in the United States) was legally defined to be exactly 0.9144 metres. Prior to that date, the legal definition of the yard when expressed in terms of metric units varied slightly from country to country.

In surveying, fields were measured in acres, which were one chain (four rods) by one furlong (in the United Kingdom, ten chains). Bars of metal one rod long were used as standards of length when surveying land. The rod was still in use as a common unit of measurement in the mid-19th century, when Henry David Thoreau used it frequently when describing distances in his work Walden.

Note #2 - An update on Melvina Cole

In the Genealogy Notes of 1911 Courtship letter of May 7, Ethel mentions that her cousin, Melvina Cole, will have a June 1911 Wedding. Although Ethel doesn't mention it further in her June letters, I found the following snippet in this week's 1911 Newmarket Era:

1911 Courtship: June 4, Dear Noah

3/26/2013

Clipped from The Newmarket Era. May 26, 1911 - Page: 7, Courtesy of OurOntario.ca Community Newspapers Collection

In this week's letter, Ethel writes, There is going to be a wild beast show in Newmarket on June the 6th. I think it's cute that she would call it a "wild beast show" instead of of a circus. But don't you wish Ethel had a chance to go?

Sorry for the delay this week... I've had a bit of a problem with one of Ethel's letters because she dated it June 2nd, 1911, but after I had it all done, I realized that it was all out of context. So that meant research to jive the events in her letter with the events in the June 1911 newspaper. Of course, I had wondered why she'd written one letter on June 2nd and one on June 4th, but I figured she may have been missing Noah, eh. However, dates mentioned about her father's barn raising, her trip up to Aunt Sarah, etc all point to her writing June when she meant July. Hence, you'll get that letter in a a few weeks. Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming:

Author of Letter: Ethel Isabell Nelson, age 21 (born 31 May 1890)
Dated:  June 4th, 1911
Addressed to: Mr. N. C. Draper, Grand Coulee, Sask. (Dear Noah)
Mailed from:  Belhaven Post Office, Ont.
Relationship:  Courting
Profession:  Farmer's Daughter
Writing instrument: Fine point pen, blue ink
Written on: Light bluey/gray, slightly thick, textured, linen-like paper, 9 inches x 6 inches, folded in half. The paper is folded in half with the first page on the front and last on the back, but inside, she's turned the paper and written across the short width and turned both pages into one long page. Hence this letter has only 3 pages.

People/places mentioned in this letter:
- *Veda - 16 yr old daughter of Noah's sister, Eva Amelia and Joe Perrault
- Noah's mother - *Sarah Sophia Deverell
- Aunt Sarah - Sarah Elizabeth Glover, sister of Ethel's mom, Ida Amelia Glover
- Dora *Mahoney - Ethel's neighbor and schoolfriend

**Howe's Great London Circus

Legend:
* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right side column for more posts on this
person/place/thing.
** see Genealogy Notes below

Belhaven. P. O.
June 4th, 1911.

Mr. N. C. Draper,
Grand Coulee,
Sask,

Dear Noah,-
Rec'd your letter
Friday evening, and the same
as usual, was flad to get it,
and to know you still continue
to have good health, the main
thing in this world, "eh".
I had a card from
Veda, Thrusday, I think I
shall have to tell you how
she started it.

Dear Aunt Ethel, "ha, ha," said she
was glad you had got a girl for she
was afraid you was'nt going to get
any. I think I shall write and tell
her. I am glad I had the chance then
to help you out a bit. She certainly is
quite a girl. Say I am glad your mother
is going down to stay with you this
summer. If she does'nt come down East.
Now, will she come with you this winter,
Well you certainly did fine at your
ball game. There is going to be a wild
beast show in Newmarket on June the 6th.
but I don't hardly think we will be able
to go. we will have 7 or 8 men then.
They start in the morning at the wall.
I got a letter from Aunt Sarah, wanting
me to go up there for July and August,
I may be able to go for a week or so, but
I am afraid it will be hard work to get
away from work.
And as to your message it certainly
does seem hard to get away.
Wish you were coming down to the
raising. I think they intend to raise the

barn about the first of July.
Dora Mahoney has quit school.
The teachers told her there was no
use of her trying her exams
than anything.
We had some quite windy
weather a little while ago. I suppose
about the time you had your
snow storm.
The plan for the house seems
allright so far as I see now, and
I guess if you build the way you
think best, it will be allright.
And Noah built it Just as you
feel that you can. For everything
put to gether means a lot, I know.
I guess I will write Veda a card
when I get your letter finished, and
I guess it is nearly to a close for this
time. So must say good-Bye. with
love from Ethel. (Yours) "eh" xxxxxxxx

Genealogy Notes

Here's a write-up I found in the Newmarket Era about Howe's Great London Circus that Ethel calls, the wild beast show.

The Newmarket Era. June 2, 1911, Courtesy of http://ink.ourontario.ca

Many Great Features

Coming With Howe's Great Lon-
don Circus.

The shake-ups to the nerves, the
rag-time beat of your heart, the
fear that someone will be hurt,
with the accompanying apprehen-
sion that they may not, all of this
--and this is the delight of the
Great London Circus, to be at
Newmarket, June 6th, must be giv-
en by the professionals who shake
dice for their lives with fortune
every performance.
The Great London Circus is high
hygiene. It is a Yankee Doodle
circus for Yankee Doodle kids from
"six" to "sixty." One of the big
acts is the original Eddy Family.
What this wonderful family do
looks easy. Suppose you try it,
and newspapers will write a story
about it, with a diagram showing
the place where your body struck.
Another of the best-ever acts is
the leaping contest. Fifty leapers
take part. Charles Lumkin is the
champion and does a double som-
ersault over elephants, camels and
horses. Marle McPhall, Elding
Wallotts and many other big acts
are presented in many new riding
stunts.
You will see the Ben Hur herd
of Arabian stallions and the Black
Hussar horses perform. They prove
what a perfect world this would
be if all men had as much intelli-
gence as horses. You will see ele-
phants waltz, teeter, play hide and
seek, and undress and go to bed
like people. You will see dog
shows and mule? shows and count-less clowns. The Howe Circus is a
great show, presenting magnificent
good old barbarous sport that
makes you happy in feelling that
civilization has not eliminated all
the traits your grand-dads of the
stone age left you as a message.
The $25,000 Dublin Gray Horses are
also coming and they are a show
in themselves.

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1911 Courtship: Dear Ethel Sep 3

Genealogy Notes

1911 Courtship: July 23 Dear Ethel

Genealogy Notes

Courtship Letter Special: July 20 From Ma & Sadie

Genealogy Notes

1911 Courtship: June 12 Dear Ethel

Genealogy Notes

1911 Courtship: June 4, Dear Noah

Genealogy Notes

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