Jaci Dawn

Dear Folks,

I was glad to get your letter today. You had lots of news in it, and as you all wrote in it, – so much the better.

I am glad to hear that the new stove is working all right. I hope it will make your work easier for you this winter. You don’t want to be so harsh to the Ladie’s Aid ^Ma. Maybe they couldn’t get word to you, or maybe it was through a misunderstanding that they didn’t let you know about the meeting.

John, you must take care of those dogs, and make things as easy for Ma as you can.

That was too bad about those ducks. I know how you felt, but then maybe you will get a chance at them some time with a good gun, and then you will make a killing.

I tell you John, be careful about spelling. You know how to spell all right, but you are careless. Now such words as “on” spelled “one” and “from” spelled “form” make a big difference in the meaning sometimes. If you are going to take the 8th grade exam in the spring you had better get a speller and let Ma drill you in these words, but above all, be carefull.

That is too bad about the Wheeler boys. Bad luck seems to be with them all the time. If you see them you might tell them that I would take it as a personal favor if they would take the trouble to answer my cards.

We have had the finest kind of weather lately. Some days are as clear as bells, and on the rainy days the air is just as soft and mild as spring. The only thing wrong is that the leaves are falling fast, and I have to rake them up at the boarding place.

The boarding place is all right. They give the best kind of board, and charge 35¢ and 50¢ per meal for it. I am afraid that, after I get about four or five cords more of fir in the shed, that I will losemy job, because after the wood is in I don’t see what there will be to do. I will try to make the job as long as possible, but I am shaky. Of course when she hired me, the agreement was, that I should stay all winter. The old maid that is boss is such a liar though, that I cannot believe a word she says, and I know that she could “can” me and never turn a hair. If I didn’t know a few good SCandinavians Scandinavians I would say that they were all crooked, but I will change that statement this way:- Everybody named Hansen is a crook.

I was supposed to work tonight in the U. theatre but Reddie got sick and the play was postponed a week. I had an invitation to a party at Spiller Hall, (that is where Mildred stays) but I declined on the account of the work and now I am out of both work and party.

Are Inez and Lund still as thick as ever? If Inez were not so unsophisticated she couldn’t help but get tired of that kid. Uncle Harry said that he would break it up by letting them be together all the time. It ought to work. I dare you to suggest it to Uncle Dezil though.

Mildred told me that Grace had a steady. Mildred said that it made her tired to see the same man coming all the time. She said that she liked variety. You should see the specimen that she used to go with. Some man!

“H” means “Honor”. One guy in twenty gets it if he deserves it which is not always so. It means unusual work. If a student gets “M” or medium he is regarded as doing well. “S” is for the 20% below the 5% of “Hs” and above the 50% of “Ms”. The other 25% of the class get “P” (Passing) or “F” (Failed).

Oh! tell John that he had better name the pup himself, but I would suggest “Kaiser Wilhelm, The Second, The Great” if he wants a name that is a good one. He could call the dog “Ky” for short.

Oct. 31. Well, I must finish this, as it has lain around for a day or two. Did I tell you that Jim Hess sent me a card the other day from Walla Walla? I guess I did.

I will call this good for this time. I will write more next Sunday.

Your son

Dale D. Melrose

I just started sorting through the envelopes of 1916, and I am discovering letters are ALL mixed up. There are letters from 1911 in side of 1916 envelopes. I’ have had to sort though each envelope and attempt to create a better time line for Dale. Therefore, we are going back to the Summer of 1915, prior to Dale’s arrival at the University of Oregon in Eugene. It’s a small step backward, and then I will be back on track with the timeline of his letters (and the assorted other letters stuffed into wrong envelopes!).

Grantsburg, Wis. July 2, 1915

Dear Folks,

      I got as far as St. Paul, and found out that I couldn’t get here until the next day, so I stayed all night there and came out here yesterday. I found Park here, but Harry had gone to the cities, and perhaps he has been at our place before you read this.

      Park and I have finished painting the building, which is the house and paint factory, and we went fishing this afternoon but didn’t catch anything. There is no work going on up here. Although as soon as the boys get their lighting contrast there will be a dam to build here. But now there is not even farm work to do.

The boys seem to have a pretty good layout here, but it will need a little time to get to working. They have a good paint that comes to about $1.10 per gallon when it is ready to apply. It seems to stay on buildings well. There is a barn in Grantsburg that was painted thirty years ago with it, and the brush marks can be seen in it yet. All the material used by them so fay, beside oil, has been taken out of a hole of about 10 cu. ft. Park and I painted this house with it, and he has a few gallons to deliver in Grantsburg tomorrow. The boys have an automobile, but they dont want Grandma told about it because she might worry about auto accidents.

   I have felt all right since I left St. Paul except for a little sneezing now and then.

   I hope you folks are getting along all right. I wish I could be there working instead of loafing up here, but I am afraid that I would only be in the way around there.

I am sending you some wintergreen. The woods is are full of it up here. I am I am pressing a pink ladys slipper, and will send it if I can get it in any shape.

    Tell John that they have tame red squirrels here. They will climb up anyone’s leg and take a piece of bread out of his hand. <insert above – July 3 – I have a little asthma this morning but not very bad.> There is a chipmunk that Uncle Park is working on, but he hasn’t got entirely into the little fellow’s confidence yet.

    Well you folks must writ, and tell me all about everything. I don’t like to stay here doing nothing, but getting my board and I am afraid to go anywhere else. Write as soon as you get this, and if I have any other mail send it along too.

Yours

Dale Melrose

I have several incomplete letters from Dale Melrose in my mother’s collection (I still think of it as “Mom’s Collection”, although she’s been gone for 20 years). I am sad that there are incomplete letters, but when I consider that this collection is one hundred years old, I think I am quite fortunate to have the letters, have them in good condition, and to be able to share them with not only my family, but the world.

Prentiss Hall, June 7, 1915.

Dear Folks, I have just finished a Psychology exam. It was a masterpiece, but I think I will get about 90% in it anyway.

  We had out Bible exam on Saturday. It was like taking candy from a kid. But I have only two more easy exams coming, Germand and Greek. The other two, Math, and Physics, are going to be corkers.

   I will start away from here as soon as my exams are over, but do not know yet the exact train I shall leave on. I will be back there sometime within a week after you get this though.

~END No Signature, no second page. Darn.~

Summer is skipped over, and the next missive is dated a little over two months later. It is also short a page, right in the middle. Dale bemoans employment, and is working his way south to Eugene and the University of Oregon.

Newberg, Ore. Aug20, 1915

Dear Folks,

       I finished my job at the crusher last night and was not very sorry either. Hanson is no man to enjoy working for and I would enjoy it more if I had my money now. I worked 8 3/4 days for him, and I cant get paid until the county pays him.

      I heard that Hodges is running a crusher north of town and it is a toss up with me whether to hit him for a job or not. I would like to work for him in a way, and again I would rather get some board job lined up for the winter down at Eugene. You may have noticed the condition here for board jobs for students. If you haven’t, look at the want column in the Enterprise.

       Do you remember Johnson the man who lives in Dammon’s house? Well, he worked at the crushed in about the same capacity as Dad worked at Votaw last fall. He told me to come up to his place today and he would give me an auto ride. I am going to take him up in about an hour from now. (?) I haven’t found out about your note yet but will before I finish this letter.

How are things back there. Tell Aunt Jane that I have just finished her honey. It thawed out and ran some, but it tasted mighty good anyway.

     I hope I can get settled some place before long. This sleeping in the jungles and eating what

(missing a page here. Too bad – I can imagine he was camping in the fir forest, among bracken and sword ferns.)

I was talking with Edna Hodges about working for her father in the crusher, and she told him that I wanted a job. He expected to see there last night to get the job, so she told me this morning… I will have to see him, I guess. I may have to work for him.

      I would like to get that money from Hanson. The men are afraid of him and his “County Pay Day” story. I will make another trial at him today. I dont want to go very far until I get that money.

     Well, this will be enough for now. I will write again soon.

Dale Melrose