Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Letters from home - Post 15

This is the fourteenth letter in the stack of Letters from Home to Austin and Della (Smith) Carringer, residing in the San Diego, California area after 1887. An explanation of the family members and situation is here.

=========================

Three letters on one set of paper, two from Della (Smith) Carringer to her husband Austin Carringer (probably at his parents home in Boulder Colorado), the second from Abby (Vaux) Smith to Austin Carringer. No envelope of letterhead.

This is the letter from Abby to Austin:

Wed. 4 P.M.

Well, Della took the boy up for a visit - Olive says his teeth are coming right along, says he is a nice healthy boy only a weak stomache will out grow that in time with care about his diet. Says she could see a letter right here that spoke of a change said if you did not change your mind you might be home before Feb said times were surely going to be better very soon, you will see by the papers the trial of Indian Joe and quite a little about the young woman that suicided at the Coronado Hotel. It seems to be a mystery yet who she is, no relatives seem to claim her yet. I tell you Johnson is making money there are two of them a cousin in company the day Mrs. Abbey was burried a young boy was at the same time. Mr. Abbey said they only charged him 60 dollars for the whole thing did pretty well.

Better prices for their land dont it look that way. Olive still says times are going to be better verry soon now, well time will tell. I think Lyle thinks you are comeing he twists his tongue in all manner of shapes trying to talk sometimes he repeats things after us that sound as plain as we say it, but of course we think it just happened so. He got his chair today and tried to bring it to the table then at another time he pushed a kitchen chair up to me and tried to climb up into it, then tonight he let us know he wanted his milk and wanted one to undress him, dear little fellow when he does get so he can tell us things by talking his tongue will just fly.


Della got a letter from your folks today with 10 dollars some stamps so she will not have to use mine now. Elmer Green is gone, the altitude was too high there for him perhaps if he had remained here he might have lived several years. His folks must feel pretty bad. Austin I imagine your mother thinks her only hope of seeing Della and the baby there in the spring is to keep you. But tell her she could go back just the same if you were here of course it would be nicer to be there at the same time. But health is better than wealth.

Mrs. Wood came and brought Della three dollars 25 cts her 25 cts on the dollar had to be counted out left 2.25. She has sold a few articles that she expects pay for Sat so we are taking in a little again. Della had a young lady this afternoon taking a lesson on the plush mill come again tomorrow their mail for the third one next week.

I bronzed three little rolling pins three potatoe mashers and three little deep dishes will put ribbons on them in the morning and hooks for shoe buttoners to hang on the dishes of wood I just plush in the center and they sell for ring holders as any kind of jewelry, all 10 cts apiece. I fixed a lot of shells for card baskets and made some thimble cases ready for Della to paint, also made some mass cards.

Jessie took care of Lyle he went to sleep before she brought him in just wheeled him from here to Bemis's Barn before she came. He kept me busy I tell you. Della is going to take him up for a treatment in the morning. It does Lyle so much good to have a treat. He has played around by himself so much more today.

??rone had to go over on the beach to treat a lady that had her hip broke made it so late for her she got so little sleep poor woman. There seems to be no rest for her at all. How much good she is doing if Elmer Green understood this phenomina he might possibly come and inspire Della with his gift of painting, too bad if he had not finished his picture for the World's Fair.

Della is goeing to write this eve and wrap up some more papers. She has stoped it and ordered the weekly Union so you will have time to read that and so will we. What was it that did not have postage enough or was it a roll of papers containing 4 instead of three at a time., I thought it was no bigger than one of the San Francisco papers would make. Well good-bye from Mother.

--------------------------------

Abby gives us even more news about their piece work - both of them are making things and bringing in some money to live on.

Little Lyle is working his tongue and trying to talk - he sounds so cute!

They apparently have been sending newspapers to Austin with their letters, but one came back for postage due.

Elmer, who died in Colorado and lived in San Diego for awhile, is apparently Elmer Green, who is not in my database. He must be a family friend in San Diego or Boulder. Austin lived with his brother and parents there from about 1873 to 1887.

Abby comments about the young woman who committed suicide at the Hotel del coronado. She may be the ghost rumored to reside in one of the rooms there even today.

No comments: