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Page 8
Don't forget our spree down the creek next summer. While I was
writing just now I heard the whistle of the steamboat on the
Mississippi. We hear several every morning. . . From what I know
now I shall be home about June 7 or 8 and we will get right to
work on the boats.
Yours Truly,
Andrew E. Durham
Upper Alton, Ill.
April 6, 1899
Dear Mother,
After going to so much trouble to get a declamation it is not
going to do me any good. Instead of having a preliminary contest
in which we all could speak and then having some good
elocutionist decide those who were the best speakers, the
teachers here allowed each fellow to vote for anyone he pleased
and the three boys getting the highest number of votes were
elected to speak. . . And I cannot even get to try. . . There was
nothing fair about the thing at all. . . You see, all the
officers here work for each other. . . They just got up and
nominated each other and that was all there was to it. It is very
hard on me coming in at the middle of the year and have just
barely gotten acquainted. Nearly all of the Senior Class are
officers and I am a private, and being as there are so many
officers it is nearly impossible for a private to get anything.
But there is one thing that I didn't get left in and that was
Scholarship. They have here what they call the Upper Ten. That is
the ten students who have the highest grades in the whole school.
These ten get their names put in the school publication. I was
fourth on the list of ten out of 84 scholars, and first in the
senior class . . . My general average was 95 percent.
Are you taking care of my shotgun? Have you had it cleaned out?
Where is it? . . .
HELP THE KIDS START OUT BUT DON'T HURRY THEM
(Andrew and Aura May Sawyer had a prolonged engagement. The
reason becomes clearer upon reading this letter, written
surreptitiously by Pap's future father-in-law, F. P. Sawyer, of
Muscatine, Iowa, to Pap's father, James V. Durham, in
Greencastle. This is not one of Pap's own letters, but is
interesting nevertheless for what it says about family values).
Muscatine, Iowa
February 17, 1909
J.V. Durham
Greencastle, Ind.
Dear Sir:
I suppose as is quite natural, you are giving some thought to the
approaching happiness of Andrew, as we are to that of Aura May;
so you will understand my motive in writing you direct, and
without the knowledge of either Aura May or Andrew. . .
I think you probably know our suggestion as to building a
moderate house to rent to them, but as we have never boiled it
down to exact conditions (only the general idea), you may not
understand just what we contemplate.
You are unquestionably as mindful of what your son does, as we
are as to ours; but the boys are expected to "look out for
themselves" more than the girls; yet had it not been for my
father's help, both as to judgment and moderately financially in
the way of a gift at majority and loans to help me start (which I
later repaid) I would not have been able to succeed or don't
think I would--as I have. And the gift of $500 after the wedding
from my father-in-law was not without big appreciation on my
part. A few years later, when I was building a moderate home on a
lot bought with part of the $500, which my wife had not invested
in special furniture, and some I had saved, he gave us $2,000
more to help build the home. I certainly appreciated it, and put
the home all in her name. Later, after we moved and it was sold,
I returned the money to her and she still has it.
My own experience and observation convinces me that the best time
to help young people who show qualities . . . is when it will do
them the most good, which I think is when they are starting out,
and not after they have slaved along and shown their ability to
take care of themselves (though it does often bring out their
best qualities quicker, but they don't need the help so much
then). I don't mean that one should go so far as to lessen their
realization that they must "support themselves", but the first
three or four years are hard for young people who have to make it
all without some help.
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