some snow has accumulated.
Best,
Walter
St. Lawrence, Newfoundland
January 7, 1934
Dear Mom and Pop,
Happy New Year to you all. We received your Christmas card just as we were recovering from our own twelve day celebration. We both loved the Courier and Ives painting on the cover, which made us both nostalgic.
I surprised Urla with some fancy French food that I picked up in Saint Pierre. It was the perfect addition to our Christmas day dinner. Mrs. G produced her own loaves and fishes story with a table worthy of a king. Urla surprised me with a sock knitted by her own hand—a new skill courtesy of our next-door neighbor. I’m hoping the second one comes before the winter is over.
You would be very proud of your son’s popularity during the dances. I have never danced so many squares, and these people can go as long into the night as the rum lasts. But the most entertaining for both of us is what they call mummering. Without warning, there is a knock on the back door and in they come, a group of five or eight, dressed in all kinds of regalia, faces blackened or shielded from the host. They sing, dance, and play music all the while we have to guess who they are. This went on every night of Christmas, and you could hardly believe there are enough people in this town to fool you but fooled we were. Then all hands have a drink and something to eat and off they go to another house to try their luck. Apparently, it’s an old English custom started on Boxing Day, which is known as St. Stephen’s day here.
Still waiting on word of financing from Siebert. We are so close now to getting ore on the wharf that I don’t want to lose momentum.
We are going through what everyone here says is the worst winter in years. We already have about three feet of snow on the level and up to ten feet in the drifts. Snow doesn’t fall here but comes in absolutely horizontal on the high winds. The sun is very low in the sky. Every morning someone will announce if we have had “frost,” which is another way of saying freezing weather. Ten degrees of frost is ten below zero.
Dorothy and Bill sent us a subscription to Colliers as a Christmas present and three of them arrived in yesterday’s post. They have finally directed my Popular Science magazines to this address so we have plenty to read at the moment. I suppose by now you have had notice about the Saturday Evening Post. I hope you folks like them and can share them with Howard and Edith.
I joined Father Thorne last evening for a good chat and his favorite evening beverage, which happily also happens to be mine. Radio reception was excellent and we enjoyed Amos and Andy holding forth on the qualities of Madame Butterfly.
Speaking of radio: Mother, I must ask you to be careful about what you say in interviews. I know you were thinking only the people around you were listening but you must remember that almost 50,000 native Newfoundlanders live in Brooklyn today. So your comments about us being in a very primitive place are now circulating in St. Lawrence. Josephine, the daughter of Mr. Turpin, our local customs officer, has just returned from living there (on Fourth Avenue near Greenwood Cemetery). So it didn’t help our cause to have your views making their way from house to house. Plus, I can’t afford to be on the bad side of the customs officer.
Hope gifts arrived from Saint Pierre and the New Year is treating you all well.
As ever,
Donald
St. Lawrence, Newfoundland
January 30, 1934
Dear Ivah,
So happy to get your letter and I hope studies are going well.
I had to write you today because I know everyone wonders how I fill my days, yet I can’t imagine being any busier than I am right now.
I think I told you I have met two sisters my age, Gertie and Ena Farrell. They come calling most afternoons to go for a walk if the weather allows or just to sit and chat. They are both gifted piano players and sometimes we spend an hour playing and singing. They are very worldly
Best,
Walter
St. Lawrence, Newfoundland
January 7, 1934
Dear Mom and Pop,
Happy New Year to you all. We received your Christmas card just as we were recovering from our own twelve day celebration. We both loved the Courier and Ives painting on the cover, which made us both nostalgic.
I surprised Urla with some fancy French food that I picked up in Saint Pierre. It was the perfect addition to our Christmas day dinner. Mrs. G produced her own loaves and fishes story with a table worthy of a king. Urla surprised me with a sock knitted by her own hand—a new skill courtesy of our next-door neighbor. I’m hoping the second one comes before the winter is over.
You would be very proud of your son’s popularity during the dances. I have never danced so many squares, and these people can go as long into the night as the rum lasts. But the most entertaining for both of us is what they call mummering. Without warning, there is a knock on the back door and in they come, a group of five or eight, dressed in all kinds of regalia, faces blackened or shielded from the host. They sing, dance, and play music all the while we have to guess who they are. This went on every night of Christmas, and you could hardly believe there are enough people in this town to fool you but fooled we were. Then all hands have a drink and something to eat and off they go to another house to try their luck. Apparently, it’s an old English custom started on Boxing Day, which is known as St. Stephen’s day here.
Still waiting on word of financing from Siebert. We are so close now to getting ore on the wharf that I don’t want to lose momentum.
We are going through what everyone here says is the worst winter in years. We already have about three feet of snow on the level and up to ten feet in the drifts. Snow doesn’t fall here but comes in absolutely horizontal on the high winds. The sun is very low in the sky. Every morning someone will announce if we have had “frost,” which is another way of saying freezing weather. Ten degrees of frost is ten below zero.
Dorothy and Bill sent us a subscription to Colliers as a Christmas present and three of them arrived in yesterday’s post. They have finally directed my Popular Science magazines to this address so we have plenty to read at the moment. I suppose by now you have had notice about the Saturday Evening Post. I hope you folks like them and can share them with Howard and Edith.
I joined Father Thorne last evening for a good chat and his favorite evening beverage, which happily also happens to be mine. Radio reception was excellent and we enjoyed Amos and Andy holding forth on the qualities of Madame Butterfly.
Speaking of radio: Mother, I must ask you to be careful about what you say in interviews. I know you were thinking only the people around you were listening but you must remember that almost 50,000 native Newfoundlanders live in Brooklyn today. So your comments about us being in a very primitive place are now circulating in St. Lawrence. Josephine, the daughter of Mr. Turpin, our local customs officer, has just returned from living there (on Fourth Avenue near Greenwood Cemetery). So it didn’t help our cause to have your views making their way from house to house. Plus, I can’t afford to be on the bad side of the customs officer.
Hope gifts arrived from Saint Pierre and the New Year is treating you all well.
As ever,
Donald
St. Lawrence, Newfoundland
January 30, 1934
Dear Ivah,
So happy to get your letter and I hope studies are going well.
I had to write you today because I know everyone wonders how I fill my days, yet I can’t imagine being any busier than I am right now.
I think I told you I have met two sisters my age, Gertie and Ena Farrell. They come calling most afternoons to go for a walk if the weather allows or just to sit and chat. They are both gifted piano players and sometimes we spend an hour playing and singing. They are very worldly
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