Category: Seeding

1911 Courtship: May 14? Dear Ethel

2/10/2013

Since Noah's letter mentions the devastating fire at Ethel's farm, this week's genealogy notes will concentrate on that event.

Author of Letter: Noah Clement Draper (24 yrs old)
Dated: May ? (Suspect May 14 - see below)
Addressed to: Miss E.Nelson, Bellhaven, Ont., Dear Ethel
Mailed from: Grand Coulee, Sask.
Relationship: Courting
Profession: Farmer
Writing instrument: Fine point pen, Black ink, but looks grey in places and pencil-like in others.
Writing Paper: Thick, textured, linen-like paper, 9 inches x 6.5 inches. Paper is folded in half, and written in a 4-page booklet form. The paper is ripped on the first page so we can't read the date, but because Noah writes every week with his last letter dated May 7th, and his next one dated May 21st, the evidence is there that this is dated May 14th, 1911.

People/places mentioned in this letter:

Mother - *Sarah Sophia Deverell Draper, Noah's widowed mother
Bertha - wife of Noah's cousin, *Stewart Trueman Draper of Indian Head, Sask
*Louie - Noah's sister, Sarah Louisa Draper, married to Fred Coventry
*Veda - 16 yr old daughter of Noah's sister, Eva & Joseph Perrault who live nearby
*Joe - Veda's father, Joseph Perrault

** The Belhaven fires

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

Grand Coulee M----------

Miss. E. Nelson,
Belhaven, Ont.
Dear Ethel ; -
Received your letter
last week and was glad to
hear you were still in the
land of the living. Hope
you are well as this leaves
me at present.
So you have had a fire
eh. Well it is a good thing
no one was killed. you dont
know how it started.
Well I was home all day
Sunday. & have not been
to church for two weeks

so I must be getting bad.
Mother came home Saturaday
ght & Bertha and the children
me up with her. They
e going home tonight.
Mother & Bertha went down
to Louies today.
Well we had a great old
rain yesteraday it must
have fell about 3" of water.
but it is fine today.
Have not sowed my oats
yet but guess I will sow
them as soon as it drys up.
Say Sadie has not had
her final examinations yet
has she.

Am going into the Coulee
to night base ball pratice
We play Pense on the 24th.
Veda is in Regina now
doctoring with her hands.
I guess they will cure them
all right.
Joe has the frame of his
barn up but it will take
about a month yet to finish
it.
Say didnt you get my card
you didnot say any thing
about it.
Well Ethel you know
them five words allright
and all remains is to say them

Well Idont want you to
think I am so selfish as it
may seem Ethel. & I guess
you will have lots to do
there for a while. Eh.
Well I guess I will have
to close once more for I
do not know what to
write outside of a lot
of foolishness &. I will leave
that unsaid this time.
So Bye Bye .Write soon
to your Loving Friend
& future Hubby.
X X X N.C.D.

Genealogy Notes

Here's the newspaper article about the fire that burned the barn at Ethel's place in Belhaven...

Clipped from The Newmarket Era. May 12, 1911 - Page: 6

BELLHAVEN.

The 5th paragraph down is about the barn fire at Ethel's place:

Mr. James Nelson's barn was burn-
ed on Monday and Mr. Roy Murrell's
on Tuesday. We sympathize with
them. Mr. Nelson's barn was com-
pletely destroyed, together with three
calves, five fat pigs, poultry, imple-ments etc. The wind was blowing
from a favorable quarter, so that his
dwelling was saved. The loss of
barn, and contents will probably
reach from $1500 to $2000. There
was a small insurance on barn and
contents. Mr. Nelson was not at
home when the fire first commenced,
but returned before it was all over.

It's estimated that Ethel's family lost $1500 to $2000 all things considered. That doesn't seem like much by today's standards, but to put it into perspective, here's what costs were back in May 1911:

Newmarket lies halfway between Belhaven and the city of Toronto. I know it's hard to read, but a pound of butter costs between 16 and 25 cents between the 2 markets, while potatoes are from between 80 cents and 1.05 a 100 pound bag. Put in that light, the Nelson's have lost a huge amount.

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1911 Courtship: May 7 Dear Ethel

1/27/2013

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Indian Head, Saskatchewan, Canada. The town is off to the right side. Undated postcard, suspect around 1910. Courtesy of http://scaa.usask.ca/gallery/mainstreet/images/033a.jpg

Author of Letter: Noah Clement Draper (24 yrs old)
Dated: May 7, 1911
Addressed to: Miss E.Nelson, Bellhaven, Ont., Dear Ethel
Mailed from: Grand Coulee, Sask.
Relationship: Courting
Profession: Farmer
Writing instrument: Fine point pen, Black ink, but looks grey in places and pencil-like in others.
Writing Paper: Thick, textured, linen-like paper, 9 inches x 6.5 inches. Paper is folded in half, with a front and back page, but inside, Noah has turned the paper lengthwise and written straight down both pages.

People/places mentioned in this letter:

Mother - *Sarah Sophia Deverell Draper, Noah's widowed mother
*Steward - Noah's cousin, Stewart Trueman Draper of Indian Head, Sask
*Louie - Noah's sister, Sarah Louisa Draper, married to Fred Coventry
*Veda - 16 yr old daughter of Noah's sister, Eva & Joseph Perault who live nearby

Other mentions:

-Alf - Noah's *hired man, also referred to as 'that man'
- manless - doesn't have a hired man working for him at the moment
- Will's man - also referred to as the parrot - hired man of Noah's brother-in-law, Will

- the dog mentioned in Noah's postscript (written along the side of the last page) refers to Ethel's last letter where she wrote, "Manuel got bit on Friday night by our dog. It is torn to the bone on the one side of his leg." Emanuel is Ethel's 5 yr old brother, so this is a very traumatic experience for the Nelson family.

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

Grand Coulee, May 7/11.

Miss. E. Nelson,
Belhaven, Ont.
Dear Ethel; --
Well I got two letters
this week but none the
week before so you see it
is either a feast or a famin
Well I hope you are all well
as this leaves me. Mother is
down at Steward's went down
last night expect she will
stay a week.
Have not started batching
yet but I guess I will to-morrow.
Am going into Regina in
the morning after my buggy
have been getting it painted
Wine. colour. come up and have
the first ride in it.

Say Ethel mother is afraid to go east alone
& wants me to go along but I am afraid
to go unless you will come back with
me. cant you see your way clear to come
back about the first of August. it would
only be about five months and I guess
I could get you enough to eat for that
much longer . . eh. But if for any
special reason you feel it your duty
to stay at home that much longer
why just say so and that ends it.
but I dont think they love you any
better than I do.
Well Ethel I guess you will think
I am selfish & I cant deny the charge,
so far as you are concerned anyway
so if you can over look it I guess I
can.
Well I finished seeding wheat on the
4 of May. and will sow the oats next
week. thot it was a little early to
sow them when I finished the wheat.
Say that man of yours must be a
sticker. I have had two this spring
already sosoon, no. yes. but as they
say am manless just now. & I didnt
have any trouble geting rid of the
last one either. Mother & Louie were
up last Wed. & Louie asked me if I
were going to keep Alf. and I said I did
not know. I did not like him nor never
did. & our parrot (that is Wills man.) went
& told Alf so as his his time was up
next night when I went out after

supper he said will you make
up my time please and I said
all right. He had told Will what
the old man said so I did not
blame him for leaving. Eh.
But he had told Will the day
before he was going to stay for
the summer. Ha Ha.
Say did'nt I tell you Veda
did not go to College. She is
having her hands treated in
Regina with the ex-rays &
radium. but I hope she
will be able to go after summer
hollidays.
Well Ethell I guess this is all
for this time. so good Bye
am looking for a letter on
Thursday. Bye Bye.
May your shadow never grow
less. write soon to your little Willie
x x x x x N.C. Draper

P.S. Have you shot that dog. if you dont. we will
have a funeral when I go down. N.D.

Genealogy Notes

Since Noah keeps referring to the Stewart's, this would be a good time to show you my research on the Stewart Draper family, continuing with what I've already posted:
- Stewart's name (Stewart/Steward)
- map showing Indian Head, Saskatchewan

Stewart Trueman Draper b 1876, Belhaven, N Gwillimbury, York Co, Ontario
Bertha Charlotte Hamilton b 1879, Mount Pleasant, N Gwillimbury, York Co, Ontario

Stewart and Bertha married on 29 Jan 1902 at her family's home in Mount Pleasant, North Gwillimbury Township, York County, Ontario, Canada:

Taken from The Newmarket Era dated February 21, 1902. (Note spelling of Stewart's name.) Courtesy of www.ink.ourontario.ca

Sequence of Events:

Nov 1902 - Elvyn Hamilton Draper is born, but he dies 9 months later of meningitis.

Aug 1904 - Norma Elizabeth Draper is born.

Based on the above confirmed facts, I suspect the date of 1904 on the photograph below is wrong for the following reasons:
- the child Bertha is holding (behind Stephen and Martha, sitting) cannot be Elvyn, nor is it a newborn.
- Almeda and Edward didn't have a child until 1905

Farm home of Stephen Draper and Martha Barnhart and Family, ca 1904 ?, Keswick, Ontario. Courtesy of a member on ancestry.ca

I'm so very grateful to the ancestry.ca member who contributed the above photo as it's the only one we have of Noah's cousin, Stewart Draper and his wife, Bertha Hamilton, who play a big part in the upcoming courtship letters. Although we can't make out the actual faces, the notation shows us:
- Stewart's parents: Stephen Draper (1846-1919) & Martha Barnhart (1846-1923)
- Stewart and Bertha's child - Elvyn b 1902 or Norma b 1904
- Stewart's sisters:
- Almeda with her husband, James Edward Baker, and child, Milburn b 1905
- *Edith Draper and future husband, Frank Kavanaugh
**see Genealogy notes below for more info on Stewart, Bertha, and their child

Apr 1906 - Lennox Draper is born.

The Newmarket Era. April 13, 1906

Stewart & Bertha head to Canada's North-West Territories (the prairie provinces).

The Newmarket Era, Apr 12, 1907

I suspect the family photo above was taken during the summer of 1906 as preparations were underway for Stewart and Bertha to move West.

This brings us to the date of Noah's letter of May 7, 1911. Stewart and Bertha and their 2 children are living a few miles out of Indian Head, Sask (image at the top of this post).

Noah's mother, Sarah Sophia Deverell Draper, spends time at Indian Head because Stewart is her nephew by marriage. (Noah's dad, David, and Stewart's dad, Stephen, are/were brothers.)

If anyone has more information, or would like to dispute my research, please let me know as I strive for accuracy.

I have more images of early Indian Head, but I'll save them for future posts.

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1911 Courtship: Apr 24 Dear Ethel

1/6/2013

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Since it's spring seeding in both Ontario and Saskatchewan during the time of this letter and Noah talks about his equipment, this week's images will be on that theme.

Different brands of pre-1920 Seed/Grain Drills, courtesy of Prairie Postcards, Peel Library, University of Alberta

Author of Letter: Noah Clement Draper (24 yrs old)
Dated: Apr 24/11
Addressed to: Miss E. Nelson, Bellhaven, Ont., Dearest Ethel
Mailed from: Grand Coulee, Sask.
Relationship: Courting
Profession: Farmer
Writing instrument: Fine point pen, Black ink, but looks grey in places and pencil-like in others.
Writing Paper: Thick, textured, linen-like paper, 9 inches x 6.5 inches. Paper is folded in half, with a front and back page, but inside, Noah has turned the paper lengthwise and written straight down both pages.

People/places mentioned in this letter:
*Will - William Rigler, married to Noah's sister, Ethel
*Veda - 16 yr old daughter of Noah's sister, Eva Amelia and Joe Perrault
*Sadie - Ethel's 16 yr old sister in Belhaven
Alf - Noah's hired farm worker
Sam - Noah's horse

Other mentions:
*diptheria
** Deering seed drill
** Kentucky seed drill

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

Grand Coulee, Sask.
April 24/11.

Miss E. Nelson,
Belhaven, Ont.
Dearest Ethel;-
Received your letter last
Friday and was glad to hear
you had escaped . the
diptheria. Hope you are well
as this leaves me. also as
buisy. Ha. Ha.
Say Kid I have had a
big time getting a drill
to suite me. ordered one from
the Deering people. lost
about four days over it
so yesteraday I tookit
back & went in to Regina

and got another make. New Kentucky
brot it home & set it up today
and it is a dandy. I drove in the buggy
to Regina. and my man took the
waggon. I left the buggy in to
get painted. & Alf. that is my mans
name led Sam out behind the
waggon & I came home on the
local & brought up a team from
the Coulee, got home about 2 am.
so just laid down in the stable
& slept untill 4.30. that is the
third night I hve been out.
so I feel like bed. but as I am
going down to the office tomorrow
night thought I would not miss
this chance.
Say Ethel dont you get a letter
every week? I have not missed
writing once. but I have missed
your letters. & Oh gee aint I cranky.
I guess. ma????
Well Isuppose you have nearly
finished seeding down there by
this time. We have Wills wheat
in & will have about 2 days yet
at mine we sow from 40 to 45
acres a day with 2 drills.

Well May will soon be here
wish I were down for the 24th.
Oh you fishing.
Well Ethel Veda is not going
down to college untill after
mid summer hollidays. but
is going to the public school
now.
Tell Sadie to be careful
how she starts her letters
to the young men. Ha. Ha.
Well Ethel I guess I will
have to close for this time
& am looking for a letter so
good bye. from your Lover.
x x x x x x x x x N. C. Draper

Genealogy Notes

Noah talks about needing a new drill for seeding his crop. For whatever reason, he's not happy with his Deering model, so he brings it back and buys one with the Kentucky brand.

Deering sounds like it belongs to the John Deere company, but it's not. William Deering (1826-1913) was an American businessman who established the Deering Harvester Works in 1880. In 1902, the Deering Harvester Company and three smaller agricultural equipment companies merged with the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company to form the International Harvester Company (IHC).

In 1911, LA Langford uses a 4-horse team and an IHC grain drill to seed land in the Hanna, Alberta area. Courtesy of Glenbow Archives of Alberta.

Here's an illustration from the 1910 Kentucky Grain Drill catalogue. The big difference that I see is that with the Deering a drill, the farmer stands on either the foot boards provided at the back, or on the top of the seed hopper as in the photo at the top of this post, whereas the farmer sits at the back of the Kentucky Grain Drill. I wonder if that's why Noah calls the Kentucky make a "dandy"?

Sometimes called a seed drill, and other times called a grain drill, the purpose is to plant all the seed at a uniform depth. Before the seed grain drill was invented in 1701 by English pioneer agriculturalist Jethro Tull (1674-1741), the seed was broadcast by throwing it - a very inefficient method of sowing.

Although many farmers still use the updated versions of the older type, modern ones use hydraulics to shoot seed and fertilizer through tubes and into the ground.

I took the following video of an air drill in action from my front yard. It's not the best footage, and the sound is horrid due to the wind, but it will show you how drills have changed over 100 years.

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1911 Courtship: May 14? Dear Ethel

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1911 Courtship: May 7 Dear Ethel

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1911 Courtship: Apr 24 Dear Ethel

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