Letters from Grandpa 20 March 1916

The Brown Hotel
Daniel Morrison, Prop.
Eureka, Nevada

Miss Allene S. Kelley,
Modesto,
California

Allene Dearest:- All day yesterday the wind blew a gale and just before I started to bed I noticed it had banked up the clouds on all sides so I wasn't surprised when I "came to" this morning and found it trying to wash out my room by forcing rain drops in thru' the open window! Maybe the Lord forgot that Saturday night just passed and tried to give me the bath I didn't need. If it doesn't let up pretty soon it will turn into snow, as these storms always do, and then that'll put the roads out of commission for another few weeks,--and just when they were getting almost passable.

Of course Elko has warm weather dear--and yes, it does get very warm there. An even hundred in the shade is the hottest I ever saw it there tho'. But Elko is high and dry,- 5,000 feet above sea level,- so there is little or no humidity and the air is always nice and cool just after the sun goes down,-and if you don't like hot weather you can wait till after sunset.

I just noticed in your letter that buried is spelled with one r and I remember of telling you our office at Midas was burried under the snow (with two r's.)  But now we are even dear, because w-i-e-r-d is a weird way to spell weird. Maybe tho you've discovered a lot of misspelling in my letters but didn't say anything about it~~Have you?

In my letter of yesterday dear, I think I said it all so I'm compelled to leave you now and wait for the inspirations tomorrow's mail will bring.

With all my love dearest,
I'm always yours
Frank

Eureka, Nevada,
Monday, March 20th, 1916.

Letters from Grandpa 8 February 1916

Box 162, Elko,
Nevada

Miss Allene S. Kelley,
Modesto,
California

Dearest Girlie

It's 7:30 A.M. and my fingers are almost frozen but the stage leaves in a few minutes and I don't want to disappoint you nor cause you to look like "the last rose of summer," as your aunt said.

We had a dandy sled ride from Red House up yesterday altho' it was a heavy pull for the team. The last twelve miles we had to use four horses.And at that they didn't get out of a walk, except at one or two little down hill places. 'Twas a little after seven when we got in and then after we ate and got our things put away we rolled in. Couldn't find any stationery or would have written then.

The day was as near perfection as could have been expected out here at this time and not once were we cold or the least bit uncomfortable. The snow here is several feet deep and even on the tip top of the summit was about four,--and they say it must have settled eighteen inches yesterday.

I may be able to get some snow scenes before we get out of here. It looks favorable for such.

With love dear,
Yours,
Frank

Midas, Nevada
Feb 8, 1916

Letters from Grandpa 1 February 1916

Box 162
Elko
Nevada

Miss Allene S. Kelley
Modesto
California
Box 686

Old Pluvius,~or whatever they call him,~Dearest, is bound to hold us here. This is the day I told you we were to start for "Red House" and this is the day we had a continual snow storm.

Anyhow it's an ill wind that blows nobody good. We landed a patient today for a full mouth of gold. Put gold crowns on every tooth in his head. 'Twill take us about three days to finish his work and maybe by that time we will,~~but the next time you hear about it will be a telegram saying we've started. I'm not going to count on our getting started again.


Am glad you liked the "snow" pictures dear but the one at Golconda is not snow. That's frost on the trees. It forms during extremely cold nights and drops off as soon as the sun strikes it~almost.

So you only weigh a hundred and twenty two~~and a half? How tall are you dear?

And I was just going to ask you to send me  another picture of yourself~one that I could carry in my pocket. Hurry 'em along Allene, cause I can't wait,~that is, I'm very impatient.

With love dear, I'm
Just yours
Frank
~~~~~
Tuesday, Feb. 1st,
1916

Letters from Grandpa 29 January 1916

Box 162
Elko
Nevada

Miss Allene S. Kelley,
Modesto,
California
Box 686

This last storm, Dearest, has put things "on the h[illegible]mer" again and the letter I wrote Thursday night or Friday (yesterday) morning is still here in the P.O. My letters are usually mailed on the train but when no trains come along~~well I've just got to get rid of them. I don't know what the outcome will be; whether you'll get them singly or in bunches, but I'll see that I have one ready for either "No. 19" or "No. 9," the west bound mail trains, each day.

Yesterday dear, of course, I didn't get even the scratch of a pen from you~ and today, altho' the east bound trains have gone thru', just the one tardy missive. Yours and Mrs. Maze's came. I don't seem to be missing any,~the dates check up,~but there's no regularity.

It's surely awful out here and no mistake. The mail carrier, who was going to take us to Midas, left here in the stage two weeks ago day after tomorrow. He hasn't been able to get back,~~nor did he get in. They had to go out and meet him. The other day he started out with the intentions, as I understand, of coming back here. Snow was so deep he was unable to get thru. Got caught in a big drift, had to stay there all night. The next morning he left the team and started to walk. During the day a relief party was sent out for him.(by telephoning they found that he'd not reached his destination) and they found him floundering in the snow entirely exhausted. Had they arrived a little later they'd have found a corpse. When the wagon roads are so bad you can't get thru with [a] big team it's pretty bad.

I'll bet you are happy, dear. There's such a  big feeling when [you] cross the line,~ from exercises to real music. It's very much the same feeling as when a boy gets his first pair of long pants. I took piano lessons some years ago. I drilled away on the old monotonous finger exercises as faithfully as could be,~~while they were watching me,~and oh, how proud I was when I got that first piece. I seemed to have gained the summit.~~Anyhow I "camped" right there. I quit while I was filled with pride.But you mustn't follow my example dear.

And have I been scolding too terribly much? I 'pologize dear, but if you should quit writing I'll "take it back" and scold worse'n ever. So there!

I've been shaving, dear, almost regularly, but by no means for the cause you mention. I do it selfishly~Do you know how that can be? Well before you have time to answer I'll tell you. I do it for my own personal comfort and no one else is taken into consideration~that is no one out here.


Thru' your experience with the "borrowed" baby you've concluded you and Hazel would make wonderful mothers, huh? Blood's thicker than water," [sic] and you can't judge from another's how you'd be with your own.

I'm glad you feel that way about it, Allene dear, ~"if you went to bed without writing your day would not be complete." My days seem to be your days dear.

Frank
January 29th, 1916.

Letters from Grandpa 22 January 1916

Golconda Hot Springs Hotel
Golconda, Nevada
The Whitesides Co

Miss Allene S. Kelley,
1020 15th St.
Modesto,
California

Dearest Allene:~
After I'd written I received two letters from you yesterday. The one written on the 18th, addressed to Elko and the other on the 20th to this place, "Goldaruya." The latter one sort of puzzled me until this morning when I was again agreeably, double agreeably, welcomed at the P.O. by the one of the 19th, forwarded from Elko and the other of the 21st, sent direct.

Now I am short just the one written on the 17th and it must be in Midas. The stage left here last Monday and hasn't returned altho'  it is scheduled to go on one day and return the next. There is some snow out here.

Don't think for a minute dear that I'm going to condense an answer to all four of 'em in one letter~~and leave myself short of material for the one tomorrow. Truth of the matter is I haven't read the last one yet and I can hardly wait to finish this. Had to read the one in between to clear up the mystery. Gee it was a long wait, those four days dear, without a line from you and I can tell you I was kind of uneasy, but everything is all lovely again and if old Dame Nature will only quit interfering there'll be no more of 'em."

Didn't you like "So Long Letty?" I tho't it simply great. And Charlotte Greenwood is surely the one who put the "Long" in the name. And "Grace" was good too~~but Grace is fat!~like Hazel(?)

I see you are cultivating an extravigant [sic] pastime, dear, besides degenerating, and I'm both shocked and surprised. It's terrible dear,~to gamble,~~(longer pause)~and lose, but it isn't half bad when you win. Is it? Anyhow this life is nothing but a gamble after all and so long as one doesn't cheat it's alright to get the other fellow's money. Self preservation at all times.

I don't know anything about my brother's affairs, dear,~that is, their "affairs d'amour." I have often noticed that they are very particular about their appearance and if that is the sign of a woman hater then we are. I don't know whether they are unlike myself, but whenever there are young ladies present they cut up like two-year-olds and act just as foolish; and I don't think any of us are woman haters. That's all I know about it except that I'm hard to please.~~There's more that I might add, dear, but there's a time and a place for everything~and a girl too. I will say that this is not the date nor do I think the location correct.

So my french [sic] phrase didn't call forth the dictionary? Too smart,~little girl, but you missed when you tho't I gained my wonderful knowledge from some associate. Several years ago I visited Canada,~up around Montreal,~and I noticed at all Rail-road Crossing signs were the usual warnings in english [sic] and also the french [sic] words "Traverse de Chemin de Fer"~~well "Traverse," I guessed, must be "crossing." So it was not association but observation, dear.

I've just got to get into that other letter dear~can't wait another minute so you'll get an answer to these last two in my tomorrow's.

With love always, dear,
Yours
Frank
~~~~~~~
January 22nd

Letters from Grandpa 18 January 1916

Golconda Hot Springs Hotel
Eugene L. Dutertre, Proprietor
Golconda, Nev.

Miss Allene S. Kelley
1020-15th St.,
Modesto,
California

Allene Dearest,
You just aught to see this country now. More snow that I ever saw before! Almost impossible to get anywhere off the main line. No Western Pacific trains at all and S.P. are late and irregular even tho' that Company is well supplied with snow plows etc.

Wrote you a letter last night and told you we had,~after all,~engaged a fellow who guaranteed to take us and our baggage into Midas today. Put the letter in the "Out Going" mail box here at the hotel. This morning when I got up 'twas snowing "like sixty" and our man said he would have to back out. Your letter hadn't gone so I got it.

We're going to Battle Mountain tonight and if the narrow guage [sic] from there to Austin (90 miles south) is running we will leave for that place in the morning.

Address all mail to Elko unless I wire you differently. I'll bet we don't get to Midas for a month, but we're going to keep trying. Every time we talk to anyone about the place the distance increases~ Now it is 50 1/8 miles.

You may think we are wading around in snow and subjecting ourselves to all sorts of exposures, dear, but let me assure you that we are very comfortable at all times. Steam heat, electric lights, and all those accomodations [sic],~or luxuries,~ are ours. There's only one thing that bothers me much dear,~~it's lonesomeness.

First thing I think of in the morning is mail~ and you dear,~and you're the last at night~ and often during the day. When I don't get your letter the day seems an eternity, unless work occupies my mind, as well as my hands and body.


For a few days I won't be able to get your letters~haven't known where to have them sent. Will keep up my end of the corresponding and hope you will do likewise.

With all my love, dearest mine, I'll say adieu for now.

Yours
Frank

Golconda, January 18, 1916.

Letters from Grandpa 14 January 1916

Capitol Hotel
W. C. Hancock, Prop.
Battle Mountain, Nevada

Miss Allene S. Kelley,
1020~15th St.,
Modesto
California

Allene Dearest:~
Too bad you should be kept in such terrible suspense and over such an insignificant thing as a photograph, but you've surely received it by this time and are all calmed down.

Your letter telling me about it is over the other side of the Sierras,~behind a big pile of snow. Trains are blockaded both ways lately and mail is rather uncertain. We're going to Midas tho'~~will leave for Golconda Sunday P.M. and take stage from that place Monday morning. It's a little further up there than I tho't. Instead of being about 25 miles it's 45 and the stage can only get within about ten miles of the camp. We have to transfer to a sled for that last part of the trip. Of course it's like the usual mining camp way up in the mountains~~and snow!

We've been awfully busy here and have all our time taken up till Sunday eve. If anything else, (new work) comes in we will either have to put it off or postpone trip.

I'm glad you find a little time to practice, dear, even tho' you do have innumerable interruptions. And say that sounds good to hear you complain of the way maids clean house and that you've decided to do that part of the work yourself.

And another thing, don't flatter me, dear,~~~that is not too much. Let "Daddy Long Legs" or anybody else resemble me all they want to, providing their faults and shortcomings and my virtues are the only conspicuous parts~~to you.

I don't know when this letter will reach you but I'm going to bid you good night dear, and start it on its' [sic] way.~The postoffice [sic] is downstairs.

Always yours,
Frank
~~~~~~~
January 14th, 1916
~~~~~~~
P.S. Better address the next to Midas, Nevada, via Golconda

Letters from Grandpa 13 January 1916

Capitol Hotel
W. C. Hancock, Prop.
Battle Mountain, Nevada

Miss Allene S. Kelley,
1020~15th St.,
Modesto,
California

Allene Dearest:~
The letter and pictures came this morning and I've been busy every blessed minute till now,~9:30~, or I would have had this letter written and gone.


It's real live snow alright but what we call "wet" The sleighing must have been about the same as boat riding--in the mud.

Where are you, dear, in the group? I had no trouble locating "uncle and auntie" but none of the other faces seem familiar.

Well what do you think of that Miss Housel? She must have a "terrible" mean disposition to want to keep your clothes when it's so cold and snowy where you are. That's just like an old maid school teacher.

Yesterday dear I told you business was good, today you ask if the trip is going to be worth while. Will answer that by telling you it has to be cause we're going to stay until we make enough to furnish a swell office~~and we've got a good start and haven't arrived at Midas, where we expect to "make the haul," yet.

We've certainly got some boosters. I know most everybody around here and a great many knew Dr. Whitesides when he was over around Mina and Hawthorne.

Say, dearest, that was certainly a sweet little card you sent. It came in this morning's mail but was put in with hotel's mail and I didn't get it till later. Wish I could show you my appreciation. Will have to eliminate that enchanting distance tho' first.

We took some snow pictures last Sunday~There's three more films on the roll. When those are exposed I'll have 'em all developed and will show you what snow is.

It's "pertinear" my bed-time so 'll say good night dear.

Love from yours
Frank
~~~
January 13th, 1916
~~~~~~~~~