Jaci Dawn

The letters from 1911 and 1912 amount to four total. The bulk of Dale’s letters were written from 1915-1917. All I have from 1912 are a letter and a postcard and the postcard isn’t even from Dale. There’s nothing from 1913, and only one letter from 1914.

“Newberg, Ore. Jan, 18, ’12

Dear Folks,

       I just got your letter this morning and will answer right away, though I suppose you have got my card long ago. I have got exempt from tests again so I get two half holidays. I bought a raincoat the other day from a fellow here, it is a good one and I got it cheap it only cost $(?).50 and he had to pay ten dollars in Portland for it about two months ago. The botany is all right but I cant use it in school for the state course is taken in an all together different books and of course you can’t use any other.

Say do you think that I had better drop Latin as it is not a required subject unless you intend to graduate and the only thing that it helps is to learn other languages such as French, Spanish, Italian and the like, which after you get Latin it is no trick at all to learn them.

Some of the guys around here have got the habit of coming up to my room when I am out nd getting in through a window or through the door with a pass key just everlastingly stack bedclothes and stuff around, they never break anything but, if I ever catch any of them up here I will teach them a lesson, maybe I will set the Marshal to watch it. It sounds funny to hear about 30 and 40 below when you can run around in your shirt sleeves and see green grass and vines, moss and stuff. I am coming good with my music I can play quite a few tunes on her already. Uncle Ern has a chance to trade his place here for a farm in Missouri and is thinking pretty strong of doing it if he can. Well I will have to quit for this time,

Dale Melrose

P.S. Write and tell me what you think about Latin. D.”

I do believe he really means botany in this letter, unlike the previous letter.

I think the cost of the raincoat was $5.50, but it’s hard to make out.

I especially love his comparison of winter in Newberg vs. winter on the Melrose homestead in western Wisconsin!

No. 5 AUTUMN SCENE IN CITY PARK MEDFORD ORE.

ON “THE ROAD OF A THOUSAND WONDERS”*

(Image was altered to go with the note on the back of the postcard, below

Postmarked: Mar. 14, 1912, Medford, Oregon & Mar. 18, 1912 in Caryville, Wis.

Mrs P.G. Melrose

Caryville

Wisconsin

R.F.D.

“The little girl marked X is Vivian on her way to school~taken in Dec. We are looking forward to seeing you this summer. I have been working since Sept. but will probably be through by May. With best wishes (???)

I’m not sure who the postcard is from or why it is in this collection. A cousin? A friend? I did look up the “Road of a Thousand Wonders” and it was “the route of Union Pacific & Southern Pacific from Omaha to San Francisco.” (Found in Internet Archives)

I do know that “Uncle Ern” was Mary Brown Melrose’s older brother, Ernest Linwood Brown.