New Home Hotel
Mr. and Mrs. R.G. Williams
Friendship N.Y.
Jan. 19, 1921
My Darling:
As I have often told you I can get along without letters from you when through my fault you don’t have right addresses, but it is a big disappointment when you have my route. I wonder if you have kept wrong slip. My last route was as follows: Monday, Carlile; Tuesday, Belfast; Wednesday, Wellsville; Thursday,
and Friday Corning; Saturday, Binghamton. You see I am behind schedule again. And I am sending you a new route.
It was about 15° below zero this morning and has been awful cold all day but is quite a bit warmer tonight. Have had a very unsatisfactory day. Worked in Belfast till about 11 o’clock with one order for $51. Got a car and drove to Angelica and found my banker out of town for the day, the first time in 15 years that I have missed seeing him. From there drove to Belvedere, nothing; from there to Belmont where I got one for $52 and then to this town and have one here for $18,78. Busxxday and livery hire in the deal.
It is simply wonderful and splendid to get the reports of what other men are doing. It makes me feel like a pied piper. The Co has had my routes but they don’t get any mail to me and I don’t know that it makes very much difference whether they do or don’t. Can’t do more than I’m doing and we mustn’t worry. Hope my bank accounts are not overdrawn. I have decided to go back to Angelica in the morning at 7:40 to see if I can sell the bank and from there will go to Wellsville. I hate to stay out for another week but don’t see any way out of it,
Accept a heart full of love for my sweetheart.
Jack
Editor's notes
Enclosed with John’s second letter of the day is the “Salesman’s Route List” from the Osbourne Company. This seems to be a record of the towns and hotels that the salesmen visit each week so the company can “KNOW WHERE TO REACH YOU AT ALL TIMES.”
This letter points out how different business was in the 1920s, before people could call to set up appointments. John is turning around and going back to a town he visited yesterday because he missed the bank contact out of town for the day.
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