Mary Mattingly: July 31, 1928 Willisburg, Ky.

Dear Friends,
I hope everyone had a good weekend. Mine was good. It could have been better. I've been having an issue with vertigo.Still trying to figure out the exact cause. But I will get through it.
Anyway, here is the next letter from Mary Mattingly:

As always, for those who find it hard to read,(Mary's are a bit more of a challenge)  here is what it says:

             Willisberg Ky
               July 31, 1928
Dear Friend Howard
I am answering your letter several
days a go I guess you thought I wasn't
going to answer your letter but I have
been so busy I hadn't got to answer
I hope you won't get mad at me
I am keeping busy now have you
lots of busy and there well the
craps loads callers will hear from
I don't live on my farm I have it
rented and will I hope you are
having nice weather now. We are
having fine weather we need a
rain just now Note I will close
hoping to hear from you gone soon
                   answer

From Mary to Howard
With Best wishes to you

As always I did the best I could to figure out what she wrote. I know I got it wrong but at least I tried.
It made for an interesting write for me.

Here are the next two viewer cards from the "Panama 1906" set:

 21. Street Scene, Panama.

 22. Street Vendor, Colon, Panama.

Here is a more modern street view:


Here is a more to date picture of a street vendor in Colon:



Here is a random picture for you to look at:

No idea who they are or when it was taken.

Well that's about all I have to share with you today.
I hope you will come back soon for more Fading History.
Till then.
Your friend,
Sandy

Mary Mattingly: July 16, 1928 Willisburg, Ky.

Dear Friends,
Boy that was an interesting kind of week. We have a new possible leader or is he called president elect. Whatever. Time will see what kind of history this will be. You know 100 years from now, how will it be looked at.
Anyway, here is the next letter from Mary Mattingly:

As usual I will try my best to copy what she wrote but it is always very hard so bare with me:

   Willisburg Ky
                        July  13 1928
Dear Howard
I received your most welcome letter
to day was glad to hear from you and hear
you was in. Saying life I am to I didn't
go any place the 4th of July our church
had a picnic but I didn't get to
go we was be far behind with our hay
it is so rainy here on it was dry mix
to mark the 4 of July and I have tobacco
I would love to meet after I couldn't our
big meeting is going on now this will
on next we are having a good meeting
I think I wish you was here to go with
me it is hot here now the crape
loaf fine But it is okay with for now
Well I haven't got my pictures just but
I think I will have them and get you
with a some I have I will for & need
to send you one in return a far the one
you sent me I was glad to get yours and
I guess you will be to so i will close
for this time answer soon
    from your loving Friend
    Mary Mattingly
      to Howard

I know I got a lot wrong but I tried. Maybe you can do better then I did. Maybe I would have done better if I was more rested. Sometimes I'm a little tired from work. Well that and the time change doesn't help any. I'm not sure if there is a picture of her somewhere or not or if she has not sent one yet.
Time will tell.

Here are the next two viewer cards from the "Panama 1906" set :

 11. Crossing Chagres River, Panama.

12. Ditch at Cut, Colon, Panama.

These two show scene's from the area where they were starting to work on the Panama Canal.
Here is a more up to date picture of the Chagres River:

 I wonder if it could have been taken around the same area?

Here is a random picture for you to look at:

I'm not sure if I have shown you this one before or not. I do not know who this is or when it was taken . I was taken in Kaukauna Wis. by H.J. Wagner.

Well that's about all I have to share with you today. I hope you have a good weekend.
I hope you will come back again real soon for more Fading History.
Till then.
Your friend,
Sandy

Mary Mattingly: June 21, 1928 Springfield, Ky.

Dear Friends,
I hope you had a very nice weekend. Mine was good. I got a few things put away for the winter. I have a number of little statues that I always like to put away for the winter. It will not be long and winter will be knocking on our door.
Anyway, here is the next letter from Mary Mattingly. It's always a bigger challenge trying to figure out her letters.

  As always, for those that find it hard to read here is what it is. I've done my best to figure out exactly what it says:

                    Willisburg Ky
                     June 19 1928
Dear Friend Howard
I received your letter yesterday
and it is so wet and we can't work I
will answer your letter for we will
be busy when it gets dry for a
while my garden looks good if it
would fair up so I could work it
the ground have hardening been dry
enough to work for three night
you know have for be kind we are
with our work it is fair today
and I take it will scurry that till
we can get home work done
which do you like the first town

                .2.
or the country it is nice you don't
use tobacco there an't many in our
country that don't But i think
it is a bad habit don't you
Well I have some pictures made
on that I will get them by
the time you write again and I
will have you one as soon as I get
them I'm sure you are tired waiting But
I had some taken once and they
weren't any good an I have had them
taken again I think they will be good
this time I know so far you are
tired looking for a picture an I don't
blame you but I can't help it I would have
sent it long go if I had had one so I will
close for this time looking to hear from you
again soon.

From your Friend
Mary Mattingly


I did my best to figure out what she meant but I know I did got a lot of it wrong. Maybe you can do a better job of figuring it out.
She is still promising to send a picture of herself.
  She must live in Willisburg but it gets postmarked in Springfield.

Here are two more viewer cards from the "Scene's from New York":

 Interior of Madison Square Garden at Night.

Madison Square at Night.

The picture of the interior of Madison Square Garden is from the second version of it. The one we know today is the third version of it.
Here is what Wikipedia had to say about it:
 Madison Square Garden was an indoor arena in New York City, the second by that name, and the second to be located at 26th Street and Madison Avenue in Manhattan. Built in 1890 at the cost of a half-million dollars and closing in 1925, the arena hosted numerous events, including boxing matches, orchestral performances, light operas and romantic comedies, the annual French Ball, both the Barnum and the Ringling circuses, and the Democratic National Convention in 1924, which nominated John W. Davis after 103 ballots. The 1890 version replaced the first Madison Square Garden, and was itself replaced by the third Madison Square Garden (which was the first to be located away from Madison Square).

And as for Madison Square this is what Wikipedia has to say about that:
 Madison Square is a public square formed by the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Broadway at 23rd Street in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The square was named for James Madison, fourth President of the United States. The focus of the square is Madison Square Park, a 6.2-acre (2.5-hectare) public park, which is bounded on the east by Madison Avenue (which starts at the park's southeast corner at 23rd Street); on the south by 23rd Street; on the north by 26th Street; and on the west by Fifth Avenue and Broadway as they cross.

The park and the square are at the northern (uptown) end of the Flatiron Districtneighborhood of Manhattan. The neighborhood to the north and west of the park isNoMad ("NOrth of MADison Square Park") and to the north and east is Rose Hill.

Here is a random picture for you to look at:

No idea when this was taken or who they are. 

Well that's about all I have to share with you today.

I hope you will come back soon for more Fading History.

Till then.

Your friend,

Sandy

Mary Mattingly: May 6, 1928 Willisburg, Ky.

Dear Friends,
I hope you had a good week. Mine was quiet as usual. I'm looking forward for the weekend to a point. I do not have to work but it could rain during half of it.
Anyway, here is the next letter from Mary Mattingly. It is another hard one to read and figuring out what she was trying to say, So bare with me.

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

                   Willisburg Ky
                      May 6 1928
Dear Friend Howard
Received your letter yesterday
and will answer now this.
Sunday afternoon it is
a pretty day we have had
Some fine weather the last
week most of people are
done planting corn just I
own the farm but I don't
live on it I live with
my mother and brother my
sisters are married I am
the youngest child is
your Brother younger
than you will it would
been nice if you had
a sister to keep house
for you will I guess you

             2.
have your grain should
bring this time I bake so
I would be pleased to
get a picture of your
farm I love to get
letters and pictures
I don't live on the
road and I get awful
lonesome sometimes I
usually go to town Saturday
a four noon and you never
was in Kentucky was you
I just you wouldn't like
hear do you thank you would
I have never lived in
any other country I don't
know where I would like
Please answer soon
from your friend
Mary Mattingly

I did my best to write what I think she wanted to say. Her spelling is so bad I would like to say I am sorry if I got things wrong.
I'm pretty sure she was Swedish.The spelling of a lot of the words tells me that might be the reason things are spelled the way they are.
She is a farm girl so she would be a hard worker, I think.
I'm not sure right now if there are any pictures of her.

Here are three more cards from the Fun with Friends set that tells a little story:

These are very faded. I did my best to get them darker so they could be seen better.
The things that are colored in these pictures, were colored by hand.
Do you think they add to the pictures? They do make things pop a little more.
The last one are the names of the people in these pictures.
I wish I knew who took these pictures. For that time, they had an eye for fun.
It proves you could smile in these kind of pictures.

Here is a random picture for you to look at:

This is my Aunt Jeanie.I'm not sure what year this was taken.

Well that's about all I have to share with you today.
I hope you will come back again real soon for more Fading History.
Till then.
Your friend,
Sandy

Mary Mattingly: April 26, 1928 Willisburg, Ky.

Dear Friends,
The weekend is here once again. This week started out on the hot side and ended very wet. Why can't things just be more in the middle and not to the extreme? I guess we just have to except that nature has a plan and does not want us to  know what it is.
Anyway, here is the next letter from Mary Mattingly. It was a very hard one to get right. Between sometimes bad spelling and broken English it's been very challenging. So if I get it wrong I'm sorry.

As always, for those that find it hard to read, here is what it says. I've done the best I could to get this one right.

          Willisburg Ky April 25
     Mr Howard H Johnson
Dear friend I take the pleasure
in answering your letter I
received yesterday and glad to
get it an now sure glad to get
your picture and will send you
mine as soon as I get them I
sent them off a while ago I
guess I will get them soon
how is the weather with you
By this time it is pretty
good weather here now the trees as
having art and the front trees
are in bloom in my garden is
up and winter is about 5 month
I have three Brothers and
three sisters
I live at farm of 40 acres and
have one horse and one hog

and a bunch of chickens I
enjoy farmers life I like
to raise chickens and work in
garden any kind of work that
I can do one the farm I haven't
any milk cows I did have
to but I had them I miss
one year baring a crafs tending
and didn't any feed for them
I am sorry I did I live a
bout 6 miles from the town
it is a high place have you
any sisters Now you ever in
Springfield I not there afar
I ward too glad to meet you
so I will close for this time
looking to hear from you again
soon Your friend
Mary Mattingly

I did my best to write what I thought she meant. A number of her words are misspelled or maybe a little Swedish.Some words were so bad I was not sure how to fix it so I just wrote what I thought the word was, even if it made no sense.  If I got it wrong, once again, I'm sorry.
It sounds like she lived on a farm and didn't mind doing that kind of work. Being a hard worker is not a bad thing in my book.
It sounds like she came from a big family.

Here are the next two viewer cards in the Childhood Fun set:

 Getting Our Pictures Taken

  Driving to Market.

Having your picture taken with all of your favorite things is always a must have kind of picture.
I wonder how fast a couple of pig could go pulling a wagon with a little girl in it.
I wish I could challenge people to take a picture similar to one of the ones I've shown. I wonder what they could look like.



Here is a random picture for you to look at:

No idea when this was taken. This is the Johnson home place. It looks like in the middle is a newly wed couple. I am not sure who it is but I do have a clue. I'm sure someone, maybe on Facebook will tell me who this is.

Well that's about all I have to share with you today.
I hope you have a good weekend.
I hope you will drop by again soon for more Fading History.
Till then.
Your friend,
Sandy

Mary Mattingly: April 11, 1928 Willisberg, Ky

Dear Friends,
I hope you had a good week. Mine was good. I had most of the week off from work, except Tuesday. The reason I had off is because I'm involved with the local community theater. This week is when the public gets to see our hard working results. And last night was opening night. We were a hit! Now for the next two nights to be the same or even better.
Anyway, here is the next letter from Mary Mattingly:

Now this letter is once again very hard to figure out because of the, what I like to call, broken English. I'll do my best to get it right:

                    Willisberg Ky.
                     April 10, 1928
Dear Mr. Howard H. Johnson
I received your letter yesterday
was glad to get it. I
in joy receiving letters
it is a pleasure to receive
them and to answer them
I am American and belong
to the Baptist Church
I am sorry I haven't
a picture.
to send you today
I am going to have
some taken today
and will send you
one as soon I get
them send me one
of your pictures if you
have one I will

send you mine just as
soon as I get them.
I have a picture of my
one. My father is
dead. He died when I was
ten years old and my
mother is living she
is 73 years of age. I will
be 28 the 27 of next lik???
I am sorry for you I know you
are lonesome without your
mother she was your best
friend is she. So please send
me your picture and I will
send you mine as soon as
I get them so answer soon
from Mary Mattingly
Willisberg Ky.
excuse my bad writing
my pen is bad I will be better
                          next time

I guess each one is waiting for a picture from the other.
The one word on the second page I was not sure what it was. I tried to put what I thought it was in google translator, which was interesting. The language it detected could have been Norwegian. But I don't think it was suppose to mean corpse count. I could have guessed but it didn't feel right to me. Can you guess?
I'm not sure if a picture will ever show up in another letter or not. I guess we will just have to wait and find out.

Here are the next two viewer cards from the "Childhood Fun" set :

 A Stylish Turnout.

 Getting Ready for the Masquerade.

In the first picture , that must have been one big rooster to try and hook a wagon up to it and expect a ride.
I wonder what kind of masquerade she was planning on going to.

I'm always amazed at how bright the colors are in these pictures.

Here is a random picture for you to look at:

This is was taken during someones class trip. I thought because of what has been going on lately this might be a good thing to show.

Well that's about all I have to share with you today.
I hope you will find yourself coming back again real soon for more fading history.
Till then, stay safe.
Your friend,
Sandy

Mary Mattingly; March 31, 1928 Willisburg Ky.

Dear Friends,
I hope you had a good weekend. For me the weekend was not to bad. Kind of on the hot side. But it was not to bad. There was a good breeze on Sunday and on Monday. On Monday sometime, a maple tree in the yard broke off. There is only one tall branch still there but it will have to be cut down . The tree was very rotten. it happened while I was at work and the husband was not home at the time. So we are not sure when or why it came down when it did.
Enough of that. This next letter is a little hard to figure out. I think it is from a Mary Mattingly from Willisburg Ky.Someone cut the post mark and stamp so I could not tell for sure if the information is right.

 I will do the best I can to write what it says so it makes sense.

                            March ib 31, 1928
Dear friend I received far non
thrul the friendship club while
I am a minbir I would in
for receiving letters from you
for description says you are
a farmer I live on a farm
on in you farm life I am
27 years of age have for cokeall
Dark hair on Brown eyes
I in joy receiving letters
I would be glad to meet
for I live in the mafarboard
of Willisburg Ky.
So I will close looking to
hear from you soon from
mary Mattingly to H Johnson
my adress is Mary Mattingly
Willisburg Ky.


I am sorry for not being able to make enough sense out of it. I will try to look up some of the words on the translator. There is a possibility that some of these words are Swedish. I don't know how many letters there are from her. Right now, I hope not to many.

Here are the next two card from the courtship and marriage set:

 19. The Bridegroom's Kiss.

 20. The Mother's Kiss.

It's official, they are married. Sealed by a kiss from the groom and then by her mother. I wonder if many use the kiss from the mother in their ceremony. I've never seen it before myself.

Here is a random picture for you to look at:

No idea who this is or when it was taken.

Well that's all I have to share with you today. I did my best to write what I thought the letter said.
I hope you will come back again soon for more Fading History.
Till next time.
Your friend,
Sandy