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Letter Home-5 months later-Oct. 16, 1912


 

[Headlines from The New York Times (page 1, above the fold) to place the letters in context of the world around them.]


10/15/12

MANIAC IN MILWAUKEE SHOOTS COL. ROOSEVELT; HE IGNORES WOUND, SPEAKS AN HOUR, GOES TO HOSPITAL


10/16/12

GUARD ROOSEVELT AGAINST LOCKJAW;DOCTORS DENY FEAR; GIVE ANTITOXIN; PATIENT IS CHEERFUL BUT RESTLESS

High Pulse Said to Be Due to His Fretting at Inactivity.

WAKEFUL TILL MIDNIGHT

CHICAGO, Oct. 15. — Col. Theodore Roosevelt was wakeful and restless at midnight in his room at Mercy Hospital, to which he was brought this morning suffering from the bullet wound in his right breast, inflicted on him by John Schrank in Milwaukee the night before.


GIANTS WIN, 11-4; BOSTONIANS FEAR LOSS OF SERIES


 

Dear readers,

This day is my 20th transcription of "The Osborne Man" We've covered a decade of his young married life and are now moving to middle age. Please comment and "like" the posts you like and please follow this page on Facebook and invite your friends to follow along. If something isn’t clear or you have an idea to improve this experience, please let me know.. Thank you.

Holly Hazard


Hotel Langwell

Elmira, N.Y.


October 16, 1912

9 P.M.


My Darling

Your letter just received and was glad to get. I like to write to you and don’t have to wonder and ask myself every time what it is for, even though there’s no news to give. It's to assure and reassure you that I love you and that’s all about it.

This has been another perfect day, just like that Sunday two weeks ago. I have done no business again today, but I am not discouraged. I’ll win out some day. Am glad the baseball series is over and now men can turn their minds to something else. New York made a great fight for the laurels and only for one costly error today they would have had a victory. But mistakes both in baseball and life’s struggles in general have to be reckoned with. If we make no mistakes life would be monotonous I suppose yet they are to be guarded against and avoided whenever possible and at best our careers will be too much marred by error.

I am very sorry for Theodore [Roosevelt] and am rejoiced that his injury is no worse—but he can’t have my vote. [Of course Sue isn't allowed to vote as suffragists had not yet won the vote for women. It's coming--August 18, 1920]

I note what you say about the spindles and will see about it. As far as I am concerned I don’t care if they are square, round or egg shape or whether there are any spindles. I may get home Friday night. Might as well save my expense money.

Will think of you many times tomorrow and we can call Saturday our anniversary. Will be with you that day for sure. Will spend tomorrow here. No news accept much love for my sweetheart of sixteen good years.

John


 



Editor's notes


This is John's first letter, of which we are aware, since he left the feed business 5 months prior. It appears he is back on the road with The Osborne Company. For the second time in his correspondence he references world events; first, the World Series and then his sympathy, but not his vote, for Teddy Roosevelt.




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