Emma #88: January 1935
On the road again, Fern Valley Ranch, mining, and a hint of an upcoming wedding
Tue 1. We are out in the woods in a beautiful place near Denison. It is so cold but the sun is shining brightly. Ruth & Robert & I have baked pancakes, fried bacon and eggs. Dad thought it too cold to come. My New Year’s resolution—I am determined to stay young. Saw a movie last nite, One Night of Love featuring Grace Moore.
One Night of Love was a romantic musical set in the opera world. It won the first Academy Award for Best Original Score category, and an Academy award for Best Sound Recording.
Wed 2. Today I went to Mrs. Hoffman’s to Missionary meeting. They asked for a speech which I gave. I went in the evening with Tell to the same place for prayer meeting. Rev. Carrol of the Baptist church led.
Thu 3. Today we have sewed for Ruth. She is counting dots in a contest. We played dominoes with the Lehman girl in the evening.
Fri 4. Ruth finished her dot contest. Counted by tens, using ten needles. Got 6318. Tell & I went to Mrs. Pierce for a prayer meeting—only a few there. Tell led. After coming home we played dominoes. We got four letters today—one from Chris, Bob, Katharine & Carthage.
Carthage, MO was the home of Tell’s three unmarried siblings—Will, Nora, and Daisey.
Sat 5. Ruth and I went down town. Got her some lovely blue shoes and a few other things. Am so glad to have her have pretty things. She needs a new hat too. Dad is getting restless. He wants to go to Chris!
Emma and Tell have been staying at a cousin’s home in Denison, IA for about a month. It sounds like Tell is ready to move on. His brother Chris was living in Wewoka, OK and working as the bookkeeper for an oil lease.
Sun 6. Dad taught a class at the Pres. Church today. We heard Rev. Fulkerson both morning & evening at the M.E. church. We went for a ride this PM and took Ruth to the train in the evening. We got her pretty well fixed up during vacation.
Mon 7. Have been lonely today since Ruth left last night. Dad & I went to church this evening.
Tue 8. Have spent the day at home here. Lucile Wagoner called on me this morning. She invited me to eat Sunday dinner with her. Dad was asked to lead the prayer meeting tonight so we went to the church at 7 PM. Stayed for a Round Table discussion on Prayer.
Wed 9. Have put Katharine’s quilt together today. It looks pretty. Dad & I went to church this evening.
Thu 10. John Sullivan got a 200 lb. hog today. Tell and I have canned up some of it and we will finish it up tomorrow. I am very tired. Tell went to church. I did the cleaning this morning.
As I read over these entries, I can see that Emma is working very hard to feel useful, and that while she’s keeping busy she is restless as well.
Fri 11. I finished up the canning and cleaning the basement this forenoon. Gerald has phoned that the Clingermans are trying to rent the farm out from under him. We first decided not to go but after Tell talked to John he decided to drive over. It is a lovely day. We came to Geralds and then to Eldora tonight.
Emma and Tell still had quite a bit of family in the Eldora area. Their son Gerald and his family were on a farm there, and Tell’s brother John and his wife Alice were living in town. It’s about 150 miles from Denison.
Sat 12. We are at Johns. The nice weather has gone and it is raining and snowing this morning. We came to see Ruth. The roads are very icy. It rained today—came back to John Boylan to stay all night. Stopped at Jerry’s but he had not got home from Cedar Rapids. Had my hair waved today in Iowa Falls. Permanent.
Sun 13. We ate breakfast in Eldora, then stopped at Jerry’s to see him & the kiddies. Came on to Hubbard and stopped a few minutes at the church but it looked so stormy we decided to come on to Denison. Called on JB Strother before SS and on Mrs. Mokler & Mrs. Robertson afterwards. Found the snow & ice gone at Zearing. Got home 3:30. Went to hear Dr. Fulkerson in the evening.
Sounds like they had a good time visiting with friends and family while back in town.
Mon 14. We have spent the day packing up. Have our car about ready to go. We plan to start out early in the morning. We are going to Carthage in the morning, or rather go as far as we can. The Lehman family called this evening.
It looks like it’s time to get on the road again!
Tue 15. We left Denison about 8:30 AM. Had a lovely drive to Clarinda where we ate dinner. We got to St. Joseph about 3 PM, where it had rained and made the pavement so slippery we almost decided to stay. But we came on as far as Platte City where we are going to stay all night. We are in a corner room at the hotel. It is large and warm. We may hunt up a show.
Wed 16. Well, it rained in the night so the ice is gone. We started out about 8:30. Ate dinner at Nevada, MO. Got to Wells about 2:30. They are living in a lovely home in Carthage. We were so glad to see them all. Stayed all night.
Here’s a map of their approximate route. Over 500 miles! I’m sure it took a lot longer than the Google Maps time estimate.
Thu 17. We drove over to Fern Valley Ranch today to see Chris. He is batching it here while Buster and Margie Lou are on a SA trip. I almost have to pinch myself to realize I am here. It is a very far leap to the conditions on the farm. I am sitting in an easy chair by the fireplace, listening to a program from Kansas City over a radio.
Tell’s brother Chris and his wife Louisa had three children. One of them, Margaret Louise (Margie Lou), was married to Howard Sharp (Buster), and according to the newspaper clipping below about the other daughter, Elaine—more on her in a future entry—Fern Valley Ranch was their home. Most of the family seems to have been involved in the oil and mining business, including some ventures in South America; Chris’s son Ebert, a geologist, lived in Venezuela until his death in 1976. I imagine that Louisa was at home in Wewoka while Chris was tending to the ranch.
Fri 18. The day has been rainy. Tell & I cleaned up the house today. I am so blue tonight. It doesn’t take “things” to make one happy. I am thankful for a place to eat and sleep but I am very unhappy.
Sat 19. Fern Valley Ranch. It is quiet and peaceful out here. I spent the morning baking pie and cookies. I took a walk up to the gate. It is uphill. We went up the hill to the cow barn. It is built of stone. We plan to go to Carthage tomorrow.
Fern Valley Ranch was near Joplin, MO. In the files, I found a small undated notebook with some longer journal entries that Emma apparently wrote while they were there. In one she describes a walk they took to a nearby Boy Scout camp. Here’s her description:
"The path follows along the little stream which is as clear as crystal—flowing along making little waterfalls here and there, sometimes falling over as many as three stone steps, and having a happy time as it went along. We walked to its source which is a Spring forcing itself out of the base of a stony cliff. The water has been partly utilized by the boy scout camp located on the hill side being forced through pipes by an engine enclosed in the pump house. We climbed the cement steps and then the path up the hillside to the camp. It is a lovely place in winter time. It must be great in summer with the oak trees green. There are twenty-two buildings—well-built buildings, too. Cabins on stone foundations built around the edge of a semicircle. A large building contained a dining hall & kitchen—another just built this last year is to be used as a hospital. We looked into the scout troop houses where double tiered cots were standing. Several of these houses were open so any wanderer might find shelter and a bed. A big dam had been built which when locked made a lovely large swimming pool—large enough to float a boat for one was moored to the shore and one was pulled out on the sand. Many evidences of the boys activities were noticeable. A play house outlined by stones, a cave which had been hewn out of the rocky cliff, and the many rustic bridges which spanned the little stream. Fortunate indeed are the boys who are eligible to this lovely outdoor playground."Based on a little searching, it looks like this property may be what is now the Frank Childress Scout Reservation.
Sun 20. We started to Carthage about ten o’clock. It was misting. Kept getting worse. Dad, Chris & I drove over. We had a fine dinner with Will, Daisey and Nora but it was getting so much worse we started back about 1 PM. We were surely glad to get back safely.
Mon 21. About all we did today was to hug the fireplace. Chris & the man went to town but we were disappointed not to get any mail. It is very cold. The roads are icy and we have to carry water as the pipes are all drained. I finished reading Treasure Island after midnight. Have read it before. We played dominoes awhile. We sent little Jerry a letter with 25 cents in it.
Tue 22. Today is clear, cold & sunny. The snow on the hillsides looks pretty. It is now 10 AM. Have had a nice day. Chris went to town. Brought a letter from Ruth. We wrote the family letter today. Popped corn at the fire place. Made some cranberry & apple relish. We had corn meal mush for supper.
Corn meal simmered in a mix of water and milk is served either soft, as a cereal, or cooled, sliced, and fried. Here are recipes for both versions.
Wed 23. It has turned so cold that we are still carrying water. Dad & Chris went to town. Dad bought 2 second-hand tires. We got three letters—one from Ruth, one from Jerrys & one from Rev. Muhleman. I have been reading and embroidering “G”s on handkerchiefs. Have read a very realistic story of SA “Stallion from the North” by Thomas Rourke. This is his nom de plume. Chris said he did not want his Catholic mother to know he wrote such stories.
Well, now, this is interesting! There has been no mention of an engagement between Ruth and Robert Grooters. This is the first indication that they are planning to marry—embroidering her new initial on handkerchiefs. I have a number of embroidered hankies from the family—could not find one with a G, but here’s one that looks like it might have been hand-done.
Thu 24. Time slips along out here. No wash day to call Monday, no ironing day to call Tuesday. We just eat & sleep and eat & read etc. After doing the work I went to bed. Had a spell of the blues. No one cares a hoot for me around here—at least that’s the way it seems sometimes. Have written Ruth & Katharine tonight. It was warmer today.
From another entry in Emma’s supplemental journal:
We surely have all we want to eat—oranges and apples & bananas, malted milk, pies & roasts & milk & cream & eggs & bacon—canned goods galore. We are making our butter & whipping cream for pumpkin pie and everything tastes good and so we eat some more. And the coffee we make in the Silex coffee pot! Is it good? I say it is!
Fri 25. A beautiful day! Chris, Dad & I went to town this PM. Chris got the washing. It was kind not to let me wash. I got some white cloth to piece the friendship quilt block for Garnette. Did the block when I got home. Sent the four handkerchiefs to Ruth—also the pair of hose that were too small for me. We plan to go to Carthage tomorrow.
Sat 26. Tell & I came over to Carthage today. We had a lovely drive & a nice day. Found the folks well. Got the dress that Katharine sent. It looks alright on me. It is plenty roomy. We plan to go back to Joplin this afternoon.
Sun 27. Cold, but clear & sunny. Dad & I went to church in Carthage this morning. After visiting awhile we drove back to Joplin. It seems like coming home.
Mon 28. After doing up the work I cut out a dress which Katharine gave me. The Hauptmann trial is on. I hear about it every day. Chris and I played dominoes this evening. We played three games. He beat me.
This was the trial of Bruno Hauptmann for the Lindbergh kidnapping. It lasted from January 2, to February 13, 1935. After a year of appeals, Hauptmann was executed by electric chair April 3, 1936.
Tue 29. We went to one of the mines Buster is interested in this afternoon to look for some stones for a bird bath. We did not find any so we may go to Pitcher tomorrow. I have written Leona Ruppel & Gertie tonight. What a hard life a miner has! It would be terrible to work so hard in a deep dark hole.
Another of Emma’s supplemental entries:
…we drove over to a mine north west of Joplin. This mine had been worked many years ago and is now being worked over for the copper which had not been removed. The mill is a large open place, with dozens of wheels & belts overhead which made so much noise one could hear nothing else. A half dozen tables shook themselves back and forth—the water which flowed over them separated the ore from the sand. A new shaft had been sunk several rods away. It was cased up and was about 125 ft deep. I looked down to where the men were picking away filling a big basket which presently was brought to the top by a windlass. Here it was emptied and taken into the mill to be tested. The indications were that a vein of lead was near at hand. Buster has some interest in this mine. It takes 300 to 400 tons a day to pay expenses so it must produce much more than this to make it profitable.
Wed 30. It is too cold for our trip to Miami. It is pretty chilly around here today. Wish I knew what we were to do. This long wait is hard. Just heard a living room described over radio. Today was President Roosevelt’s birthday. We listened to the Radio program celebrating it for an hour. Heard Franklin D. speak—with orchestras from Boston, New York, New Orleans, Chicago, etc. etc.
Thu 31. The last day of the month! Dad, Chris & I drove to Miami today to get some stone for a birdbath. We came home without any. Dad decided to use the chipped marble. We have been here two weeks today. We were in three states today—MO, Kansas & Oklahoma. Saw a long string of lead & zinc mines. Some are being worked now. We ate our lunch in Miami. I sewed a little while today after we got home. We have been listening to Booker Carter give the news.
One final entry from the additional journal:
Today we have been in three states. In fact as we drove along Tell was in Kansas & I in Oklahoma. I am not sure which state Chris was in. He sat alone in the backseat and could slide from one state to another as he pleased. The trip was interesting. We stopped in Joplin—Pitcher—Galena, Kansas—Miami, Okla etc. We saw a lot of souvenir samples of rock—lead & zinc ore, tiff etc. These samples cost from 5¢ to $8.00. We saw many mines, hills of chat. Some were being re-worked. We went to Miami today the grave yard of dead hopes—the mounds are larger than in most burial places but they represented a lot of grief and dead desires which will never be resurrected. [Note: This was likely the Grand Army of the Republic Cemetery, established by a fraternal organization of Union veterans of the Civil War.] We went after rocks to use to decorate a bird bath. Found some but decided to use the ones at home. They really are pretty enough and suit the flatness of our purses. Chris suggested that the birds have many places to bathe here in the lovely streams, and Louisa has a garden where the birds really need a bathing place, and so we may wait to make a bird bath until we get to Wewoka. We have been here two weeks. Chris says he will be all alone here when were are gone. He says the maid drew $7.00 per week & I was doing the work & Tell isn’t eating $7.00 worth a week and it was not costing any more for us to stay than not. I am sitting on the davenport. On one side is King, sleeping nicely except when he goes after a flea bite. Blackie is on the other side, making her toilet and enjoying the petting she gets. Tell is listening to a prize fight over the Radio. Chris is resting in the big chair by the fireplace. We are all rather sleepy as we stayed up for the president’s ball. Time out to sleep a bit.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this installment of Emma’s journals. See you next week for February 1935.