Cousin Walter Walin: Nov. 9, 1925 Chicago, Ill.

Dear Friends,
I hope everyone had a good Easter weekend. Mine was good. No dramas. Just a nice weekend for me.
It's been a while since I've shared a letter with you from Cousin Walter. So here it is.

When Walter writes a letter, he writes a letter. As always here is what it says:

                    Chicago Ill.
                    Nov 8, 1925
Dear Howard:
                  Received your
letter some three or four
weeks ago and have
bee rather busy so didn't
have time to answer
before. I took a little
walk this a.m. and happened
to walk past this girls house
you told me about. Clary
or something like that at
3510 Southport Ave and I
thot' gee I haven't answered
Howards letter so I decided
to do it tonight before
I go out on my usual
Sun eve jaunt. (Ha!) Do
you ever hear from her

Give me her number and address
and I'll call her up some
time & say its you.
  Hows the weather
up north. its pretty cold
here today. Rained all
day yesterday & last eve
at 8 it turned to snow
and also turned colder.
   Jalmer Sulkko came
to Chi. several weeks ago.
He wrote me from here
but I never answered yet also
they called up twice but
I was out. I think I'll
have to answer it soon
or never. Guess they tho't
perhaps a I could locate
a job for him. Well
they're out of luck as I
can hardly keep working

myself. Oh no not that
I'm out of a job but just
don't like the one I have
but must hold it as
they are very scarce.
         How's the Roseen,
Julin & Westberg family's
O.K. I suppose. I understand
Anna wanted to come to
Chi. Boy she'd get spoiled
down here (Ha!
   I met a swell girl
the other eve altho I already
have a couple others but then
whats a girl or two extra Ha
This one I met Thur eve
is about 17 years old and
sings in a choir. She
doesn't dance or go to

shows, she's a real goody goody.
I'm meeting her again
next Thur eve. Her mother
is sickly & she's the only
one in the family & her dads
dead. They own a swell
3 story brick house they live in
and judging from its location
it is worth close to
a 100,000 grand dollars. She
seemed to like me pretty much
& Oh Boy what I wouldn't
do for a $100,000. Ha! it
sure is worth while if I
can only make the grade.
I'd get married next week
for that amount wouldn't
you? Wish me luck
will you old boy. Listen
mum's  the world about
this please as I don't

want any one to know,
so please tell no one.
   Well news is rather
scarce so must close
for now. Write me
a line soon & tell me
the news.
           Your Cousin
            Walter
greet Tom and the folks for
me as well as Ma & Pa.

Walter can definitely write a letter. I wonder what Grandpa's letter looked like. I will never know I guess.
I wonder if Walter ever hooked up with Katheryn.
Or did he hook up with the girl that lived in the place he figured was worth $100,000? If he did will he ever say her name?  If her place was worth that much back then I wonder what it would be worth now days.
I wonder how many girlfriends he had at the time.
It sounds like he still has the same job but like so many other people does not like his job but with the lack of jobs he has to hold on to it.

Here is a joke from the joke book that might just fit here.

"Are you looking for something, sir?"
I thought it was kind of funny.

Here are a few random pictures for you to look at.

On the back it says Mr. & Mrs. P.W. Johnson
Mr.& Mrs. S.A. Roseen
about 1922.

I wonder if this is the same Roseen Walter mentioned.

I'm pretty sure this is Grandpa. But I don't know what year it was taken.

This one was to big to put in the scanner so I took a picture of it.
At the bottom it says:  N. Nelson  Ogema, Wis.
A logging camp. No idea what year it was taken.

Well that's all I have for you today.
So come back on Friday and I will have another new letter and bunch of pictures for you to look at.
Your friend,
Sandy

Mary Kauer: Nov. 26, 1924 Rib Lake, Wis.

My Dear Friends,
I hope this letter finds you well. I'm as good as can be expected. With each day we get closer to Christmas. Are you almost ready? Not me. I can't seam to get in the mood.
Anyway here is the next letter from Mary.

As always here is what I read when I read it.


             Rib Lake Wis.
             Nov. 26, 1924
My dear Howard:-
   Now Howard, this is not
going to be a sweet letter
I'll say(nice) things to you
if you come over Saturday
but I can't write them.
  How did you get home
Sat. I hope you did not
have car trouble on your
way.I was home Sunday
so I know how the
roads are. I'd never
go to see a girl if I had
to take such roads.
  I wished for nice

weather every day but so
far I've had no luck. Do
you know that the week
seems awfully long from
one Sat. to the next? I
hope this Saturday will
be nice. I hate to see
you freeze going home alone.
  I got your card Monday
and I certainly was sur-
prised. I think that
girl (the one on the card) ought to be ashamed
of herself, don't you? She
has no modesty whatever.
(It's naughty but its nice)
  Did you write all
those letters already?

  I'm glad that I have
no cousins to write me
eight pages and expect
me to answer as much.
   Rosie isn't home
yet but she's coming home
pretty soon. I guess
Mrs. Youmans always
coaxed her to stay, but
Mrs. Kauer says she will
have to come now when
the boys go to camp.
  That show that was at
Westboro is here now. I did
not go to see it yet. I wanted
to go tonight but I thot
I better write this letter

or you would not get it
before Saturday.
  I almost got into trouble
on account of your cap.
They all wanted to know
where I got it. Did I buy it
or was it the kids cap?
Joseph told my mother he
thot I got it from you
but I just let them keep
on guessing------------
Well, this is as much as
I can write so goodbye
         Love from your
                  M. Kauer
S.W.A.K.

It sounds like he shared a lot of things with Mary. Telling her about how long the letter was from his cousin and expecting him to write just as long one back to him.
Giving her a cap. I liked how she kept others guessing how she got it.
I think this is the first letter she signed  Love.
S.W.A.K. I think stands for "Sealed With A Kiss."
This one was easy to figure out what it stood for. Later there will be others that could be more challenging to figure out.
As for the mention of Rosie, I wonder if the two of them were friends.
I wonder what the card looked like that he sent her and why Mary makes it sound like the girl was not very
 modest. I might see if I can find something that might fit the bill. But not this time.
So many things that have already faded from history.

Here are few random pictures that are slowly fading away.

A couple of pictures that were at one time in I think some kind of album. No clue when they were taken or who is in them.

No idea who this little girl is or when it was taken.

A couple of Grandpa and Grandma's boys with their pet goat.

Well that's about all I have time for so I will close for now.
So have a good weekend.
Your good friend,
Sandy

Alfred Johnson: Feb. 26, 1924 Park Falls Wis.

Dear Friends,
I hope you had a good weekend. Mine was not to bad. I went to a 50th wedding anniversary on Saturday for my Uncle Jerry and Aunt Nancy. It was nice to see some of the cousins that I don't get to see very often. Plus my husband got a 6 point buck Saturday, so we will have fresh venison in the freezer soon. As soon as we get it back from the meat processor.
Enough about my weekend, I'm sure you want to read the next letter that is from Alfred Johnson.

 Here is what it says:
                Park Falls Wis
                Feb. 26, 1924
Friend Howard.
     Just received your
letter and I am sorry to
say that we cannot pay
4.00 Pr day and board the
Best we can do is $4.75 Pr day
if you want to work for that
you can start next
Monday.
if you want to come
let me know. if you come
you can be sure that you
will be treated 100% Human
no teasing going on here.
            Sincerely
             Alfred

I wonder if Grandpa took that job. It looks like he could have made more a day then he thought he would. Could you imagine earning $4.75 a day? That was a lot back then. Today people expect a lot more then that. I wonder what that would translate in today's pay rate?
It was good to know that he would be treated like a human. I'd hate to think he would have been treated like anything else. And no teasing, that is good to know and I suppose was a load off of Grandpa mind. That is one thing most places don't promise today.

Here are a few random pictures for you to look at.

I wonder if these are the men that Grandpa could have worked with. If this is the same place the job was offered at.

I thought since it was harvest season I would share a picture of a field that was harvested of what I'm not sure right now.

Well that's about all I have to offer you today.
So till next time.
Your friend,
Sandy

Alfred Johnson: Feb. 20, 1924 Park Falls, Wis.

Dear Friends,
 Well it's the weekend, finally. I don't know about you but I'm looking forward to it.
Anyway here is the a letter from a new person, Alfred Johnson. I don't think he is a relative. At least I don't think it's Grandpa's brother.

Here is what it says:
       Park Falls Wis.
       Feb. 20, 1924
Friend Howard.
    I am writing to
let you know that there
will be a chance for you
to come up here and set.
for me this summer
if you want to come
let me know how
much you want per day
we have a new Enter-
Price mill it is a dandy
and I am sure you will
like it if you want to
come up and look it over
I will Pay your fare one
way we have 75000 trees
to saw

and will be ready to
start in about 2 weeks.
       Sincerely
       Alfred Johnson

My address is

J.A. Johnson
       Park Falls
Bx 24        Wis

P.S. I am staying at
Wisconsin Hotel.

I think that he was offering Grandpa a job in a saw mill or logging or both. I wonder if he took the job or not? I do have a lot of pictures of logging. I just wonder if any were from this area or if most of them were closer to home.
For anyone who does not know where Park Falls is here is a map of where it is.

The population of Park Falls today is about 2,462. It was incorporated in 1912. Logging use to be the biggest business back in the day. A paper mill was and still is a large employer of the area.

Here are a few random pictures.

 Just a couple of logging pictures that are from that area.

Just a picture of flowers that grandma planted in an old water tank.

Well that's about all I have for you this time.
So I hope you will come back and visit again real soon.
Your friend,
Sandy

Lila Haapoja: Oct. 13, 1923 Brantwood Wis.

Dear Friends,
How was your weekend? Mine was not to bad. Ended up going to Appleton so my daughter could get her wedding dress on Saturday. It rained some on Saturday and a little Sunday night. but other wise not a bad weekend.
Here is the next letter from a new girl Lila Haapoja from Brantwood.

As always here is what is says if it's hard for you to read.

     Brantwood, Wis.
       October 13, 1923
Dear Howard,
  I suppose you're
thinking that I'm
writing to you
on an unlucky
day, but it happens
to be Saturday, and
I have plenty of
time.
I haven't much
to write about,
but I wanted to
thank you very
much for the
pictures. You
asked for our
pictures in return
          2
Well, I haven't any,
but the wisest
thing you could do
would be to come
and take some of
us, then you'd
have them. Don't
you think that
would be the
best plan?
  The fires have
been raging quite
badly around here.
All week, the men
have had to be
fighting them day
and night. It's been
rather terrifying.
people have had
         3
their clothes all
packed, ready to
flee. Some places
have burned
altogether.
 And when are
you and Annie
coming to see us?
Be sure to come
while the roads
are still good.
 I guess this is
enough for once,
so good-bye.
     Sincerely,
        Lila Haapoja
Address:
Brantwood, Wis.
R.2.D. #Box 37

I'm not sure how many letters are from her but she sounds like a nice person. I was trying to figure out how to say her name and even asked a few people how to say it but they couldn't. One person did tell me it is a Finnish name. In that area there were a lot of Finns, Norwegians and Swedes.
I tried to see if I could find anything on the internet about fires in that area but couldn't find anything. I did find a little info on Brantwood if you want to know about it.
It is an unincorporated community in southern Price County Wisconsin. It's on Hwy 8 between Prentice and Tomahawk. It was settled in the late 1890's as a logging community by the Knox brothers from Stevens Point. it prospered in the 1920's but in the 1930's it closed up because of the Great Depression.
Today there are less then 400 people in the area.
I have been through there a few times but there is not anything there that I can think of right now.

Anyway here are a few pictures from the past.

Just a couple of the logging pictures. I wonder who the guy is that is waving from the top of the log pile?

This is of the Swanson children who lived close to Grandpa.

Well that's about all I have time for now.
Till next time.
Your friend,
Sandy

Kathryn Clary: Nov. 28, 1919 Chicago

Dear Friends,
How are you? I'm fine except for being very tired of too much snow.
Any way here is the next letter from Kathryn.

Here is what is says in case it's hard to read. This time I will try to correct the mistakes.

Dear Friend:
 I received your letter and box of candy and certainly appreciate
your thoughtfulness in sending it. I was very glad to hear from you
so soon as I tho't maybe you would not write as soon as that.The
candy was very good and your letter very nice. I don't mind your putting
Dear Kathryn down it does not make any difference to me. Yet this
letter was very nice and that's the kind I like. So you say you do not
get lonesome out there, well if you like it that makes it still better.
So you get home that early eh? Well I must say that it is early, what do
you think? Oh I think Santa Clause will come to you I don't think you
are quite that bad do you? Well I do hope he comes to me because I want
so many things that I can't count them all. What all do you want? Yes I
have a camera, what made you ask that question? Do you still take as many
pictures? We don't take them very often lately we're too busy with shows.
I go to a show almost every nite. Theresa and I don't go together anymore
her mother shut the door in our face the other day when my girl friend and
I were over there and I don't know what now why Theresa is mad and I care
less. If that's the way she is I don't care to go with her any more, she
thinks she can make the whole bunch fall for her just because she has a
lousy Cheverlet and she found she was mistaken. Her mother tho't that I
 wrote some fool letter to Theresa that I don't even know anything about nor
and I going to find out either, if she gets sore at me for something she
thinks I've done and can't prove it or is not sure of it that is her fault
and not mine. I can have all the friends I want and I don't have to vamp
them as she does. I don't care whether you tell her this or not because it
is only the truth anyhow. I guess she is too busy vamping some one to bother
writing to you otherwise I do not know anything about her. I wouldn't give
her Greetings for the President so if you want to give her any greetings
you will have to write to her yourself and tell she has not enough brains
to write to you and I can't help it. I suppose you think I am rather fresh
but I am just telling you some plain facts. No I have not been skating this
year yet but I expect to as soon as they freeze the parks. The first snow
we have had was Thanksgiving Eve and it is not very cold here, is it cold out
there? How is your mother, father, Thomas, Elmer, the cat, cows, chickens &
of course yourself? I hope you are all enjoying the best health. Say
how much would you charge for a case eggs? Can you get sugar out there?
We can't get any out here. Do you read books very often? What kind do you
like? I like mystery stories don't you? I hope you had a nice time Thanks-
giving did you? I slept until 12:00 pm and then I got up and ate my dinner
and fooled around the house until about eight o'clock and then I went to
the show. Our Boss is not down today and of course everyone in the office
is stalling with the exception of me. Theresa does not work here anymore and
so you see we are away from each other entirely. I'll close now.
Your best friend,
K. Shirley Clary

The more she wrote the more upset she made herself upset with Theresa. I've looked up a couple of definitions for vamp and vamping this is what I found.
Vamp: A woman who uses her physical allure to attract and exploit men: a forward girl who endeavors to entice or captivate men.
Or maybe she meant the upper leather of a boot or shoe, but I doubt it.
Some of it will be explained in future letters.

I've decided not to post any more winter pictures from the scrape book. I am instead showing you a few pictures of people I do not know. Maybe you do.

This is someone's wedding picture. It was taken at Dake (I think) Medford WI

Here a couple of logging pictures. I like the guy who is just hanging around. How about the guys sitting on top of the log pile? No idea who they are.

Well that's about all I have time for now.

Till next time.

Your friend,

Sandy