Letters from Grandpa 22 February 1916

Golconda Hot Springs Hotel

Golconda, Nevada

Miss Allene S Kelley, 

Modesto, 

California

Little bread is better than no bread at all Dearest, and it will be the little that my girlie'll be getting today. Haven't had a moment's time all day till now and the train will be here in about five minutes, or less, so if there's an abrupt ending you'll understand. Trains only come to about a standstill and then start right up again at this place,-and I don't blame 'em.

Tho't you'd appreciate those pictures of me. Honestly I didn't know I did look that way. Hardly see how pictures can lie tho'.

That's a real luxury,--living so close to the City [San Francisco-ed.] that you can go almost whenever you wish without losing a lot of time. Selfishness makes me glad that the Berk'y [Berkeley-ed.] and Oak'd [Oakland-ed.] boys have dates ahead till the 24th of March and causes me to wish they'd continue to have dates ahead--way ahead. Of course I want you to have a dandy time--all the time dear--but the City is no place for a nice respectable girl to be running around loose with college boys (or any others) than Carlin is for a boy.

Train's coming--

I love you dear.

Frank.

Washington's Birthday

Letters from Grandpa 21 February 1916

Golconda Hot Springs Hotel

Golconda, Nevada

Miss Allene S. Kelley,

Modesto,

California

Dearest, kindly tell Mrs Maze I thank her for the perfectly frank manner in which she expresses her opinion of my intelligence,~~or rather the lack of it. You might add that I'm a very hard worker, -when I get started,-and don't need a coat when I'm at the small end of a "Number 2" shoveling snow.  Also I'm going to answer her letter,-that great big dandy "thriller" that make me feel so good.

Yes, that nice chubby round face man is Dr. Whitesides. He's 6 feet 2 and weighs a little over 200. And he's been married and has a married daughter and he's engaged (so I was told) to a nice lady in San Francisco and he's a pretty fine fellow and I hope he does well in matrimony, for his sake, and business, for ours. And I'm a dude and wear white collars in cold weather because I catch cold when I wear flannel shirts unless I leave them unbuttoned at the throat and by golly, it's too cold in this country in winter to do the likes of that.

Oh say dear, I'm sorry you had to go clear up (or down, or over, or across) to the express office after that package. Next time I express anything, other than myself, I'll try and remember to put the street number on the outside. 

Let's see,-about tomorrow I'll get a letter with a comment on that picture of me in the gateway at Midas. Would like to see you try to make a face like that. The snow was about four feet deep on the level when that was taken. A trench or path was dug from the level of the packed snow in the street to the ground at the gateway. The picture hardly shows the picturesqueness, but it was very pretty in reality.

We're going to leave for Battle M't'n next Sunday afternoon and will go up to Austin Monday morning on the motor.~~~~~Providing, of course, no new work comes in to hold us. I hope we're held cause we're a good many hundreds of dollars short.

Yours with love, dear.

Frank

Monday, February 21st, 1916

Letters from Grandpa 20 February 1916

Golconda Hot Springs Hotel
Golconda, Nevada

Miss Allene S Kelley
Modesto,
California

Allene Dearest, have you consumed the contents of that case of complexion compound and did it add to your avoirdupois? I've been told that sweets would do that and I know you hadn't reached the desired limit, so tell me it was sweet of me to remember you in that way,--or something equally nice, dear. I know you cried quits on the candy stuff but I don't think you meant that to last forever and there's a very slim assortment of things to select remembrances etc. from out here. I'll try not [to] be monotonous tho' and will only "sandwich" candy occasionally.

Almost wish I hadn't gone to Elko cause I've contracted a peach of a cold to pay for it. Put on a light summer suit and wore it back. It fixed me alright. It's a mighty good thing I've got plenty of clothes, also that I bro't another heavy suit with me, and if this weather continues the light suit will last a long time.

You ask the trouble between Dr. Moore and me. It's a long story dear, covering over four years. It is just a case of misplaced confidence and of my being too lenient with him after I saw that he was abusing the trust I placed in him. The inevitable split up was the result and in the settlement, I forced an acknowledgement of our business relations and an agreement to settle the accounts and amounts in full within a specified time. This document was drawn up by my lawyer, (where I out-witted Moore), signed by Moore and his wife doesn't love me at all. All I can say is that I "have it on him" and will make it very uncomfortable if he doesn't pay up.

I've gotten all your letters now dear. The Jan. 17th  one was the first sent to Midas,- the first time we didn't go, and it was held there till the day we left. The other one went up there and came right back so if it has a good beginning, "all's well that ends well" So you got two,--you spelled it "to-," valentines dear,- Well I got a couple too and darned if I know who did send 'em. Came from Calif. One from Oakland and the other from San Francisco. Are you guilty, dear, or am I on the wrong track? If you didn't send one I must agree with you that they are silly things but if you did,--I agree with you anyhow.

If the Ne'er-do-Well was as good in pictures as the book you had a real treat. Don't blame your grandmother for being romantic this kind of weather and with these moonlight nights but that light suit of clothes took all the romance out of me.

If boarding school has all those effects you say it has on one I'm mighty glad you didn't stay and furthermore I'm glad you're immune if that doesn't cover too much territory and include Nevada.

All my love dear.

Ever yours,
Frank

Sunday, February 20th,
1916

A Railroad Map from Grandpa 18 February 1916

In his previous letter, Frank H. Russell told Allene S. Kelley that he was sending her a little railroad map which he had marked up a bit. These are scans of the marked up portions of the pages he sent her and the note he included. Please click on the images to enlarge them.

Letters from Grandpa 19 February 1916

Box 162, Elko
Nevada

Miss Allene S. Kelley,
Modesto,
California

Allene Dearest:-

Aboard the train for Elko Wednesday I wrote you and when I arrived I gave a small boy a whole nickel to take the letter over to the P.O. We stayed overnight there,-just long enough to get ourselves groomed a little and attend to some business matters relative to our offices, automobiles, and "Moore." The last mentioned is on the fire, cooking and I am awaiting developments.

Expressed you a box of candy which I hope didn't get all mashed in transit. Returning on the train Thursday afternoon I penned some more and told you I'd try and write again that night, but dear it was out of the question. And the next morning, yesterday, before we could get our things unpacked there were three patients waiting. Well we peeled off our coats and went to it. Worked without a stop, excepting for a hurried lunch, until after five o'clock and then started in after supper and put in about two hours. Promised to finish the one patient by ten o'clock this A.M. Missed it one hour only.

That's the reason my girlie didn't get a letter yesterday and I'll bet she's getting awful tired writing when she don't get any replies. I don't blame you, dear, when I fail to hear from you for a few days, when conditions are like they have been, but I'm disappointed every time I go to the P.O. and don't get your letter.

Think we will be here another week and then we'll go to Battle Mountain and Austin. Don't expect to stop in B.M. Change trains there and take narrow guage [sic] up to Austin. Am sending you a little R.R. map which I've marked up "a bit."

Oh, did you like "The Clausman," dear? I saw the pictures of it and it was fine. I never read "Michael O'Hallorhan," but if it is like "Corporal Cameron" or any other of Ralph Connor's works it's certainly going to get me. Here I have your letter of Thursday the 10th,-the morning after the "Five Hundred" set-to,-and when you were all excited about the case you had on a married man: It's not only disgraceful but provoking  and besides dear I'd rather you'd not have room for "cases" on any other than me. Your confidence in me dear shows me that you were not sincere with the case at hand, so I'm not too jealous.

You say you had a good time at the Winter Garden that night? Did you like the new (?) styles of dancing you saw? I'll bet it was some kind of tough ragging that was demonstrated. Isn't it ridiculous the way some of 'em dance? And after all I think the old fashioned waltz has 'em all beat.

In another of your letters you said something about eating worms cause nobody loved you--you'll have to recall that remark dear--right away quick. And now you weigh 126 1/2, golly!! I'll bet I've lost about that many since we went to Midas. Am glad you've got 'em, dear, since it pleases you so much, but I haven't any to spare so when you get thru with them send 'em back--P.D.Q.

I didn't get any letter from you yesterday or today dear so just for that-take this-It's more'n four pages anyhow.

Always yours
Frank

Feb. 19, 1916

Letters from Grandpa 17 February 1916

Box 162, Elko
Nevada.

Miss Allene Kelley,
Modesto
California

Just an excuse of a letter to my girlie to let her know I've not forgotten her today.

Will be in "Goldamya" in a few minutes.

From Elko I expressed a package of sweets, dear, You should get 'em about the time this letter reaches you. Enclosed a couple of pictures but saved the best one for this. It's a lovely likeness, don't you think?

Will try and pen you a few more lines tonight dear but I'm pretty near all in.

Always yours
Frank

Enroute. Feby 17, 1916

Letters from Grandpa 16 February 1916

Box 162, Elko,
Nevada


Miss Allene S. Kelley
Modesto,
California


Dearest:- The section foreman's note to the roadmaster "Off again, on again, gone again, Finnegan," would almost fit our visit at Midas.


We have found, dear, that our initial visits are not howling successes, financially, but it is gratifying to learn that the return ones are more profitable. We were in Midas just a week and while we made a little better than expenses our main accomplishment was the acquaintance of the majority of the population. And a couple of confidential and reliable tips that we would get three big jobs of crown and bridgework the next time we went in to the camp; these were given us yesterday morning as we were getting into the stage.


You know, dear, it makes a fellow feel "kinda" good when he learns that patients are pleased with his work and that they boost for him.


Last night when we got into Golconda found several days work waiting for us. Three big jobs and two others which we haven't examined and estimated. So taking it "all in all" I think the sun is going to shine very brightly for us. I think we will "make" Austin, Eureka and Wells before we return (for any length of time) to Elko.


I can account for all your letters,-got the last two, Sunday's and Monday's, this morning at Golconda. And the one that went astray, Allene, Jan. 17-to Midas, I got in Midas yesterday morning.


Golly dear, it's sure nice of you to just keep right on writing every day when my replies have been going so irregularly-and sometimes not at all. I'll pay you back tho' dear, someway, sometime.


We had a tough trip down yesterday. The first relay,--or stretch of about 16 miles,--was in sled, then we changed to wagon and it was a terribly heavy drag. Snow, ice and mud all mixed. The outcome of it was we didn't get any thing to eat from 7 a.m. till we arrived at our destination at ten P.M.~~and it was some cold after the sun got out of sight. Say but we didn't do a thing dear when we finally did get into that Hot Springs Hotel. We each (5 of us counting the driver) took two big jolts of whiskey and then made tracks for the dining room. Don't think there was a one in the bunch who tho't about washing his face and hands first. Well when we had satisfied our ravenous appetites, and it took some bulk to appease them, I "kinda" separated myself from the others and got the key to the "No 1" plunge and--well I did it. When I got out and went to the room there was old Doc in bed. He was all in.


This morning we got up and found the six o'clock train accomodatingly [sic] late. Our general appearance being rather shabby and that business I have to attend to in Elko, we decided to "hie ourselves hither." Now we are on the train. Don't know where Dr. W. is but I'm back here in the Pullman with you dear. Oh, if it were only a reality!! But maybe_______! I'm one who lives in hopes.


I'm not attempting to answer your letters herein dear. This is just a tale of woe. When I get more time (alone) I'll be with you, deeper in tho'ts-if that is possible.


Anyway dear I'm always
Yours
Frank


Feb'y 16th 1916.