August 1917

by Louise Smith Posted on April 9, 2013

McKinley Austin, Chattanooga, Tenn., to Aida Austin, Eldred
August 4, 1917
Dear Aunt,

I am here and like it better than at Fort Slocum. We get better food and the officers seem better, though we had a fine sergeant there. It took over 34 hours to come here, counting from the time we left the barracks at Ft. Slocum, till we got here.

If I am lucky, and come back, I wouldn’t miss this for five thousand dollars. The trip down to here was worth a year of a man’s life. I’ll never forget it. I am sure. For the present, my address is: Mortimer Austin, 11 U.S. Inf., F Company, Military branch, Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Your nephew, McKinley

McKinley Austin, Chattanooga, Tenn., to His Family, Eldred
August 4, 1917
To all family, relations, friends,

I am very well and certainly like this place. We left Port Jervis on the morning train instead of the 12:15. Of the 15 applicants, only 2, Al Delaney and I went. We were examined at Poughkeepsie and a bunch of us, 13 in all, were sent to Ft. Slocum. We got there late at night. Sunday we were examined again and four were sent back. Also we were vaccinated and inoculated for typhoid. My vaccination didn’t take, but the inoculation did.

Monday we got our uniforms and were assigned to our squads. Tuesday afternoon, we were told to get ready to go South. And we were examined again. About 7:30, we left our barracks, turned in our blankets and marched to the parade ground. The commander inspected us. Then we were sent aboard a ship and sent down the East River. Continue reading →

Posted in Echo Hill and Mountain Grove, People, World War I, World War II | Comments Off on August 1917

Dear Soldier Boy, April 1917

by Louise Smith Posted on April 8, 2013
McKinley Austin at his aunt Aida Austin’s house, 1917. Photo courtesy of Mary A.

My Tuesdays are meatless
My Wednesdays are wheatless
I am getting more eatless each day.
My house is heatless
My bed is sheetless
They’ve all been sent to the Y.M.C.A..
The bar rooms are treatless
My coffee is sweetless,
Each day I get poorer and wiser
My stockings are feetless
My trousers are seatless
Oh how I do hate the Kaiser.

Quite a poem, is it not?

Well let’s hope that there will soon be an end to this awful war.
—Your friend, Ruth Colville.

In 1917 McKinley (Mac) Austin (my dad’s oldest brother) enlisted in the Army for WWI. Raymond Austin would also enlist.

Ruth Colville who lived in Barryville at the time, was one of McKinley’s friends who wrote to him.

Posted in Echo Hill and Mountain Grove, People | Comments Off on Dear Soldier Boy, April 1917

Book 3 Update

by Louise Smith Posted on February 27, 2013
February 2013 desktop.

The third Smith wedding in a year (March 2012 to February 2013) took place over the weekend.

Before the wedding I was working on the WWII years and writing multitudinous “notes to remember.”

In the week since the arrival of family for the wedding, I have received more super information, letters, and photos.

Today I am back at the computer surrounded by colorful notes, a tea tray, and a pillow to rest my foot that is still healing from a bad sprain. (The sprain means Gary is the chauffeur for groceries, as well as chief cook and bottle washer.)

I am putting the notes galore in the appropriate year on the large orange sheets that cover each year from 1920 to 1950.

Back to 1942.

Posted in Farewell to Eldred, General information | Comments Off on Book 3 Update

Baker Business School

by Louise Smith Posted on January 29, 2013
Baker Business School in NYC, around 1930.

I am currently working on the Town of Highland Story in the years 1930 to 1933. My father graduated from Eldred Union (he was the only graduate that year) in June 1930 and then went to Baker Business School. I can’t seem to find information about the school on google. I was wondering if any Halfway Brook readers might have heard of it.

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12th Annual Library Reception

by Louise Smith Posted on January 11, 2013
1915 Program with similar numbers played. Program courtesy of Victoria K.

Monticello, N.Y., Republican Watchman, May 11, 1917
Miss Minnie Meyer led off with a piano solo and it was of such par excellence that it made the other participants hustle to keep the pace. Miss Anna Meyer and Miss Edna Gardner followed with a piano duet that was especially fine.

Adelbert M. Scriber, the editor of the Watchman, was an invited guest and was introduced by John C. Metzger Jr., one of the trustees of the Hall, as the first speaker of the evening. Mr. Scriber talked on thoroughness.

Mrs. Minnie E. Myers was on the program for a vocal solo and did her part beautifully. That is the word that was coined especially for Mrs. Myers’ solo. Miss Christina H. Leavenworth was another vocal soloist and acquitted herself splendidly. She possesses a sweet voice.

Another pleasing number was a vocal duet by Mrs. Minnie E. Myers and Miss Raola Kelley. Miss Kelley is the Postmistress of Eldred and she sings as well as she handles the mail. Their voices harmonized well…Miss Edna Gardner closed the program with a piano solo.

In the beginning, Sunshine Hall Library was a Sunday School library with about two dozen books. W.B. Styles, the treasurer and librarian of the present institution went to New York City and talked library and worked library among his friends. The patriotic people of Eldred took up the cry and in a year’s time, the two dozen books had grown to 700, and year after year new books were added until now 7,000 volumes grace the shelves of Sunshine Hall and are a standing invitation to every visitor to read. Continue reading →

Posted in Echo Hill and Mountain Grove, Old Newspapers, Uncategorized | Comments Off on 12th Annual Library Reception