J.C. Albers:: March 6, 1934; Phillips, Wis.

Dear Friends,
I hope everyone had a good week. Mine was okay. It could have been just a little bit better, but I will say I handled it. Nothing to bring into the weekend. I am so looking forward to a nice three day weekend. I just hope Mother Nature will let it be just right when I need it.
Anyway, here is a letter from someone named J.C. Albers:

As always, for those that find it hard to read, here is what I think it says:

                         Phillips Wis.
                        Mar 6 1934
Mr Howard Johnson
                 Ogema
                        Wis
Rt 3
Dear Sir
         I am told that you have some
poultry raising equipment that you would
like to dispose of.
I would like very much to get a good
sized incubator and a brooder stove,if
you have these I would like to bean
hom you, also if you would care to
take in trade something that I may be
able to do without, as I have no cash and
have about given up hopes of having any
again.
I've a dandy flock of turkeys and realy
do not care to part with them. they are
more to me than the other stock but I
would if you have some eggs later
or when they lay. anyway some in part
payment. I also have a trio of nice
big ???? Pekin ducks. I like them
too but turkeys are a weakness with me.

all the chickens I have don't amount
to a hill of beans if I did sell them, I
have about 40, mostly a congromoration
of leg-horns. They wouldn't bring much
on the market & they do shell out some meat.
I have a gasolene heater that I kept
the hens warm with this winter, as we'll
have a warmer place next year we won't
need that, its just the thing to move
into the cold spots & would be very nice
for warming up a stiff car, (we have none)
its not brand new but works like a charm
& doesn't burn such an awful lot either
I wouldn't mind trading that for a brooder
stove.
We've two boys that are in the (Poultry) 4H
club, they've got to have a hundred chicks
each, but I have that will be about all
the chicks we'll have, I like Indian kemer
ducks better, they lay circles all around
leghorns& don't need foxy coops & roosts
etc & not much fence either & the eggs
sell OK. I've five now & i sure like them
have two deals on for more eggs & would
like to have an incubator to set them in.
I don't know of anything else I have
that I could trade unless you could

use a pretty quilt. I can make one yet
before its gardin & poultry time.
I suppose I could part with a few turkeys
if I had to I had such a time getting
new toms I couldn't let one of them go,
I have an 18 mo old tom but he's almost
too big especially with young hens. but
i guess i could spare a couple of hens, tho
I'd much rather not. I'd be willing to
let you have young stuff next fall
along in Sept or Oct. 4 I have any kind
of luck at all & don't have to sell too many
eggs & poulets to get feed etc I should
have 300 or so next fall & that will be quite
a few to pick from. my young June & July
hatched birds weighed 16-20 lbs, dresses &
drawn with heads & feet off. if the holiday
season & they were not especially fattened
either if I'd had plenty of feed they
would have been 4-6 lbs heavier.
perhaps you saw my birds at the fair
last fall one nice thing about my turkeys
they are not wild. they are tame as my
chickens I can catch them anywhere
& that means a lot of hatchery time.

I don't know what you ask for your
things but I'd be glad to hear from you.
I hope we can get together on some sort
of a trade, I would like the brooder
stove most. I can have the eggs hatched
out but I can't sit still very well & keep
ducklings warm.
I'd be glad to have you rise out here
if you happen to be in Phillips some time
we live 8 miles from town, 7 miles east
on the Big Elk road (county H) and 1 mile
south from the Big Elk school house
Hoping I may be favored with a reply
                         Very Truly yours
                              Mrs J.C. Albers

Wow! All that to try and make a deal for an incubator and brooder stove with no money.
I wonder if they were able to make a deal where everyone was happy.
I don't know if Grandpa ever had any turkeys but I know they had chickens.
I know I got a few words wrong, but I tried.

Here is a story from Thursday, March 19, 1936; The Milwaukee Journal:

I wonder how long this dragged out before it was totally worked out.

Here is a story from Tuesday, January 24, 1961; The Evening Telegram from Superior, Wis:

A big headline for this story was " PIRATES HIJACK PORTUGESE VESSEL"

Now that was a very scary cruise to be a part of.

Finally, a random picture:

The one sitting might be Grandpa but I'm not sure. Who ever it is they might be holding a chicken. Or maybe it's a rabbit.i can't tell for sure. Can you?

Well, that's all I have to share with you today.
Have a safe Memorial weekend.
Don't forget to drop by again real soon for more Fading History.
Till then.
Your friend,
Sandy