The Travelling Man’s Home
Hotel Covington
Mrs. Catherine Smith
Proprietor
Perry, New York
Jan. 14, 1921
My Darling:
I received the good letter you wrote yesterday at 4 p.m. just after breakfast this morning. That was splendid time. Wonder where the letter has gone to with Elizabeth’s marks. I knew she would get good marks and I am pleased. Don’t understand how she is home again so soon. Guess my mailing route for the coming week is as good as I know how to make it. Will get the package alright at Hornell and it is alright that you sent it there. You don’t ever need to send collars or socks or shirts. I need new ones, and shirts too.
Hoped for a good day but got skunked in Mt. Morris. The bank president and cashier treated me very cordially and I thought would be easy but as soon as they found the prices were higher than last year, they just balked and would not buy. Hired a rig and drove to Groveland and sold a store 300-“Isle of Somewhere” for 156. Took train to Linwood and got order for $37 and back to Leichester where I hired an auto to take me to this town. One knitting mill here has closed for 3 months and Mr. Traber’s big mill is running only three days a week so things are not rosy here. Hope to get away without a skunk. Probably will stay here over Sunday.
How are the hens doing? I sometimes truly wish we were going to live on and work the farm next year. I mean it too! Wonder if Lilith in Lakeside has freshened yet?
Why don’t you have the Co. send you the Bulletins? It is still warm and no snow.
Hope you all have a pleasant Sunday. Glad to see by [The Earlville] Standard that the church has hired Mr. Aulick as pastor. That’s fine. Wish I could hear him preach next Sunday.
This is not a very good hotel but there is no good one till I get to Portage where there is a dandy but I have two or three little towns to work before I get there.
Love unbounded for each,
Jack.
Editor's notes
This is John's second letter home today, Sue's birthday.
"Beautiful Isle of Somewhere" was originally a poem written in 1896. A 1908 and 1916 song with the same name was very popular. It appears The Osborne Company may have commissioned a painting as well.
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