Category Archives: Things

Seaborn Wright to speak in Elgin (maybe 1910)

Things, , ,
Seaborn Wright
Seaborn Wright. Famous Georgian Orator Speaker at “Dry” Meeting Tonight

I don’t know what year this newspaper clipping was from — but it had articles mentioning Elgin, Illinois on the back. I found the clipping in an old suitcase that also contained tatting materials and several receipts for various items and services for a house on Watch Street in Elgin. Maybe the owner (a Ms. Switzer) belonged to the temperance movement? Maybe she just thought he was hot.

There is not a whole lot about Seaborn Wright on the Internet, but it seems he was active in the Prohibition Movement, was a lecturer on the subject and even ran for a government office in Georgia as a Prohibition Party politician.

He went on a tour to discuss his favorite subject in 1910 according to many newspaper articles. Apparently he was a captivating speaker.

 

Letter from Dad to his parents: September 1948

Things, , , , ,

In the box that probably belonged to my Uncle Don and Aunt Leila were some letters Dad wrote to his parents and to my aunt and uncle. Here is one to his parents. He was twenty and a half years old.

9-6-48
Great Lakes, Ill

Dear Folks,

Well, how is everybody? I’m feeling pretty good except for a slight cold which is getting better. Well our chow is a little better this week because a different company is feeding us. The company that is feeding us now has made an agreement with our C.O. that they feed us good and we feed them good when we get in chow hall. Our weekend is just about over, it’s Mon. night now and we have just finished swabbing the decks with sand, washed all the windows inside and out with Bon-ami and scrubbed every piece of wood in the building. I got all my clothes washed yesterday and left them out all day to bleach.

How is everybody at home? Is dad feeling pretty good, I hope so. I hope everybody else is pretty good too.

Say when you send my camera will you send back my toiletry kit and a good map of Illinois, Indiana or any other state you have. Send on of Chicago too if you can find one.

I’ll have to quit now because they are going to turn out the light.

Goodbye for now.

Love,
Al

P.S. Don’t forget to write

I still live at the same place, ha! ha!

Dad’s 9th Grade Report Card

Things, , ,

Among some of the more interesting items I found at Mom’s house last month was a Joseph Spiess box of photos, letters and documents that belonged to my Uncle Don and Aunt Leila. One of the items was my dad’s 9th grade report card from Plato Township High School.

For some reason I’d always thought dad quit school before 9th grade, but I was mistaken. Maybe it was just after 9th grade. It was not something he was proud of. I think he actually might have liked school — or at least respected the teachers because he always wanted me to be a teacher and was proud that I became one.

Despite dropping out of high school, this report card doesn’t look too bad — It looks like science was his best subject (after PE). His English scores were good the first semester, but not so good the second. I don’t understand the “incompletes” in Agriculture though. His dad was a farmer.

His English teacher, Miss Muirhead, must be a relative of our alpaca farm friends.