41] Big Falls Jan 11 1908
Dear Brother:
Your letter arrived this AM with the receipt enclosed. I will send the check right down today as you may need it. You will have another one coming in a few days and I will get that to you as soon as possible.
I think perhaps we understand each other a little better now in regard to the work. I have heard nothing from the Northome job yet and don’t know as I care too as I would just as ______ stay here in town.
A vacation would be the last thing I would think about just now. So I suppose we had better let matters stand as they are, for the present. If any thing starts up I will let you know although I doubt if it would pay you to move up here again if you are decided to go to the Gn. No more now
Your bro -- Andrew
[ Written in black ink on 8 3/8 X 10 3/4" faint blue ruled stationery; the paper is brown from age; the letter head has in the very top middle of the sheet- F .09 and in the upper right corner- 4.07 10M RP; in large capitals is the heading- MINNESOTA & INTERNATIONAL RAILWAY COMPANY. and in smaller letters just below it is- Agent’s Office and a line for the station and date 190--; no envelope exists.]
42] Big Falls Minn., Jan 5th, ’08.
Dear Brother Walter:
I think I will write a few lines to youalso today. I have been getting all my old letters answered up today. I will be looking for a nother letter from you before long as I remember that you are owing me one.
That old telescope came all right. I am sorry you bothered to send it back because it was not worth the express charges, or at least I would not have given that much for it. You did not say in your last letter just what you were intendingto work at. I was a little surprised that you gave up coming back, and cant help; being a little sorry that you have given up working on the M&I although I suppose it is a more of a selfish feeling than anything else as it would be nice to have both of us on the same line. Grace said she thought you probably got to thinking that you would probably be pushing me out of this job here if you came back as decided to stay down there for a while, but I hope that was not the reason you changed your mind as I thought we talked that over plainly when you were here, and besides that I think I could have got something else along the line Things are pretty dull here in town just now. Every one seems to be crying about it. Of course it makes a big difference with the work. I don’t think I ever saw things quite as light on the road as they are just now.
We have been having some fine skating for the last few days they have a nice place right down in front of the house. They have a fire down therr nearly every night.
Well we have a new postmaster noe. It is Mr. Oiler he just started in this last week. This is my week to work at night and I suppose I will have to break him.
Well I do not know as there is very much to write just now. Hope you will take care of yourself and not get hust. It seems as though there is a lot of your clothes up here that you would want if you were going to stay down there for any lengthof time. If you want any of them sent down just let me know what you want and I will check it down. I am hopes that you will decide to com back again although I suppose it is more of a selfish wish than anything else as there is not much doubt but that you can get a better job down there than you can here. So you will have to do just as you think best about it.
This is all for this time,
Your brother,
Andrew
[ Typewritten in pica type with purple ribbon on 8 1/2 X 11" typewriter paper and signed in pencil; the envelope has - Form 34 in small type in the upper left corner and in large capital letters is- MINNESOTA & INTERNATIONAL RAILWAY COMPANY.; the address is- Mr. W. E Paul, Barnum, Minn. and on the left side is- Carleton county; the right side of the envelope is torn open but shows - Ry.; the postmark reads- Big Falls Jan 5 P.M. 1908 Minn.; on the reverse a postmark reads- Barnum, Minn., Jan 7 10AM 1908, Rec’d.]
43] Big Falls Dec 28 1907
Dear Brother Walter:
Your letter together with mothers came last night. I got them just after mailing the one to you. Was glad to find that you were having a good time. I don’t hardly know what to think about your going to the gn. in the spring, if that is your meaning. If you waited until April I have no doubt that you could get an easier job and probably one that would pay more on the gn than you could here although you would not have as pleasent surroundings as you might have. Of cours about coming back here it stands just as it did when you went away and you seemed to understand it then. It just rests with you whether you want this job or not. Of course, again if I got this station some time next summer I would rather have you here than any one else but then again you know the job will never pay more than $55.00 and you will probably get $60.00 on the start with gn and I guess you can stand up under the work all right.
Say, I wish you had made application for member ship in the ORT. And I would advise you to make a try for it anyway I just got my receipt last night for my membership dues. I went in the gn Division No 70 at St. Paul at St. Paul. I suppose that is the same division Melvin will be in when he goes back. I only took out $300 insurence but their K I shall change it to $500 anyway before long.
The dyptheria scare seems to be quieting down and some now, in fact there are a lot here In town that think it was only a fake, but I am sure there was a few cases of dyptheria mixed up in it anyway. That Mrs. Thiebert had a hard run of it and has not got out yet. Mr. Richards expects to have the card taken off his door tomorrow. I suppose they will have to have the rooms fumigated again Last Sunday they fumigated the office and waiting room and you could hardly live in here the next day. The children have been just as well as they ever were for the last two weeks. They are getting pretty tired of the quarentine by this time. As I told the folks down at the house if it was really dyptheria they had here this case alone would be enough to spread the disease all the way from here to Brainerd. Mr. Richards has been right with the family all the time in spite of the quarentine. I think Mr Radcliff would have shut the station up if he had dared but he was afraid they would move all the business across the river incase he did that. The business on the other side of the river seems to be very quiet just now. I think George has rented his building and has got rid of the Post sffice, that is what he says anyway.
Arthur is working for Mr. Richards this morning fixing up the Chicken coop. He is going to have some game chickens from the East in a few weeks and I suppose we will have some fun then.
Say did you mean that you had checked that Telescope back to Big Falls. I could not understand what you meant by sending those BF & IF Bg.Check back for. I knew they had nothing to do with your baggage anyway
I am sending you a receipt to sign for your November pay check. I could send the check right down with it, only in case Johnnie Shultz or some of those fellows might drop in and then we would want either the Check or the Receipt to show, I will send the ch down to you and you can sign it and send it back and I can get the money for you if you want to do it that way. They will probably charge you exchange for it down there but it might be cheaper to get It cashed there at the Bank anyway as the check would need to be sent registered mail if you sent by mail. Of course if you decide to come back and want the check left here, just keep the receipt untill you come back.
We have been having a few days of pretty cold weather. Have had a little more snow but not much.
I guess by what Mother wrote you have been having a pretty good time sleigh riding and everything. I don’t blame you though and if I was you I would “Go it” while I had a chance for you know when a fellow gets to rail roading he can’t always go where and when he wants.
This all for now.
Your brother
Andrew Paul
[ Written with black ink on 8 1/2 X 10 3/4" on very faint blue ruled stationery that is brown from age; the letter head on each sheet is the same as in letter 41 except in the upper right corner is- 8-06 10M RP; the envelope has form 35 and MINNESOTA & INTERNATIONAL Railway Company in the upper left corner; the address is in very large handwritng- Mr. W.E. Paul, Carlton Co Barnum , Minn; the postmark is incomplete and indistinct; the postmark on the reverse is incomplete and indistinct; the postage is a red Washington two cent stamp, torn in half when the envelope was opened.]
44] Big Falls Dec 27 1907
Dear Brother Walter:
I will write a few lines this morning before the train comes to let you know that I am getting along all right. Hope you had a nice time on Christmas and are enjoying your visit.
We had a nice time up here as usual.
Grace got your card saying that you had been to Superior. Am sorry you did not make out better at the Gn. Office, did they speak as though they would want any more operators in the near future. When you come back do you think you would care to call at the NP office and see what they say about it and if they want any agents. The general office is right up stairs in the Union Depot in Duluth if you are going through Duluth when you come back I didn’t know but that you would just as li[?]es call and see what they pay. If you are not going that way I would not ask you to make an extra trip on account of it. I shall be looking for you now in a few days. although you may stay another week. Remember what I told you when you went away, not to wait until you are sent for but stay as long as you want and come back whenever you want to go to work again.
Everything is going OK. here at the station. The work is light and easy.
This is all for this time, A Merry Christmas and Happy new year to all of you.
You brother
Andrew
[Written in black ink on M&I letterhead paper as in letter 43; the envelope has the M&IRC return address as before; the address reads- Mr. W. E. Paul, Barnum Minn Carlton Co. as before and the postmark reads- Big Falls Minn. Dec 27 P.M. 1907; the postmark on the reverse shows- Barnum- Dec 28 1907 Rec’d.; the postage is a red Washington two cent stamp put on upside down and the end of the envelope is torn off but showing Ry.]
45 Big Falls Minn. April 1st [ Note by WEP penciled in right margin and circled: 1907 W.E.P.]
Dear Brother:
I will take a few minutes to write to you this noon. George has another plan for getting you up here and he wanted me to do the writing for him. So you don’t want to think that you have me to blame for it. You see the Railroad construction’s headquarters is located here in town and they are hiring more or less men this winter. George just had a talk with the Chief Engineer this morning and he said he wanted another man around the office By what George told me I got the idea that he wanted some one to do errands and make themselves generally useful about the office. That is I get the idea that he is not exactly looking for an office clerk. But some one to help out here and there wherever he is wanted. It will be a good chance to get started in Railroad construction work if you cared to try it. Mr. Huss, the Chief Engr said that it would pay about $45 or perhaps $50 per month if the man turned out all right. He is a nice fellow and all his office help seem to like him. There is one thing about it though that I want to say, I don’t know that I would advise you to take it unless you thought you would care to hold right on to the job untill you made something out o of it. Now I know just about how you are fixed at home and I suppose you may think that you could not leave just now and perhaps you can’t you will have to be judge of that yourself. Mr. Huss seemed to be satisfied with the description George gave of you and said that he wanted you the first of next week any way, and that he wanted you to wire him at his expense immediately whether you could take the place or not. If you do so send it to G. M. Huss Chief Engr, Big Falls Minn.
I suppose after another month I shall find myself on the claim again. I have decided to prove up next fall or bust in the attempt. I don’t think it will pay to spend three years more on the place when I can Earn about three times as much in the same time if I am free to do so.
This is my new typewriter, I suppose Clara wrote something about it in her letter. I think it was quite a bargain. It is Remington No 2, and in good shape too. I paid only ten dollars for it. I have not got quite familiar with it yet but think I can run it all right after a while.
Arthur and I are going to get a team tomorrow to haul some stuff down to the claims, we are just in time as it is getting pretty bare in some places. I am going to shingle my cabin this spring and I want to put steel siding on it some time next summer,
Hope you are all getting along well, and hope to hear from you soon.
Your brother,
Over.
[Handwritten in black ink on the reverse side: had a talk with Mr Huss himself this evening and he spoke much the same as he did to George. Have no doubt but that is a good place to rise. Hardly think it is necessary for you to wire answer just reply by letter as soon as you get this.
-0-
[ Handwritten note in pencil attached by WEP: I went to work in Mr. Huss’ office as office boy for a few months before going to work for the R.R. as station helper.]
[Typewritten with purple ribbon on same M&I stationery as before, except the sheets are cut in half crosswise; no envelope exists.]
46] Big Falls Dec 10 1906
Dear Brother:
I think it has been some time since I have heard from you and I believe I have been owing you a letter for some time. I think the last I heard from you, you was working at the saw mill, how did you get along and how did you like it anyway.
I have been pretty busy ever since I went to work here, of course it has been inside work mostly, but I have had pretty long days and you know that gets tiresome after a while. They have begun to build the railroad from here to International Falls now and of course that makes more or less work at the office. Some of them claim it will be completed by the first of July, but it seems to me that, that will be pretty quick work. Of course this will be a lively town as long as the road is building, but I don’t expect it will grow as fast after the road is completed as it has during the past year. Even now there doesnt seem to be much going on, of course there is lots of work to be had but there doesn’t seem to be much of any real estate being sold and I think it would be hard for a person to see a town lot or anything like that just now. I have no doubt but that the town on the other side of the river will make some kind of a start in the spring and if they do of course, Backus and Brooks, the people that are back of it will probably buck Big Falls all they can.
I have been having an awful cold but I think I am getting better of it now. I had a hard cough and I have about decided that it is the whooping cough that I have been having. It seems to take me about as your cough did you when we were down there, as it seems o choke me sometimes and I have had it make me vomit too.
How are all the folks getting along. I suppose you see Clara quite often. I heard something about Melvin and Bessing going home for Christmas, is it really so? We are expecting Clara up here for Christmas wish I could go back home with her when she goes, but don’t think I shall try to get away this winter. Suppose I shall have to quit again in the spring, I didn’t know but I could run this job and the claim too, but don’t think I will be able to make it unless I can get away a little oftener than I have lately. The agent is a nice fellow to work with but he doesn’t like to work very hard and so is apt to leave most of the work for me to do as long as I know how to do it. I think when it gets a little warmer I shall go down to the claim a little oftener and so give him something more to do.
We have a lot of snow now between 3&4 feet I think, in the woods, it has been a bad thing for the loggers. Hope you will all keep well and write often.
Your loving bro
Andrew
[ Written in black ink on the 8 1/2 X 10 3/4" M&I letterhead stationery; the envelope has the M&IRC return address and the envelope address is- Mr. Walter E. Paul, Barnum, Minn, Carlton Co; the postmark reads- Big Falls Dec 11, P.M., 1906 Minn.; the postage is a red Washington two cent stamp; the rec’d postmark on the back is obscured.]
47] Big Falls Minn Jan 27 07
Dear Brother Walter
I will take a little time to write to you a few lines this morning. Grace and George have gone to the Prespeterian Church this morning and Clara and I are staying with the children. It is another cold morning we have had cold weather ever since you left here. We were real pleased with those postal cards you sent. I had them in my pocket when I was up at the drug store last night and I showed them to Mr. Thompson. He seem very much pleased with them and wanted me to ask you what you would charge to furnish 100 cards -. 50 of each view. He said they were the best views he had
seen of the town and though the the plates must be very good ones he seemd surprised when I told him you did all of the work yourself.
Clara and I expect to go to church again tonight I don’t hardly know whether to take her or not, I think you know how she usualy acts when she goes to church
I heard you were having some help hauling ties. I was glad of it as you will probably be able to get more ties cut than if you were to try and haul them yourself.
Write often and let us know how you are getting along. Thi is about all I have to write this time, so good by.
Your brother
Andrew Paul
[Written in black ink on 8 X 10 1/2" light blue ruled paper; the envelope address is- Mr .W. E. Paul, Barnum, Minnesota and Deer Park is written in the lower left corner; the postmark shows- Northome & Morris R.P.O. Jan 28 1907 --; a partially obliterated received postmark is on the back; the postage is a red Washington two cents stamp.]
48] Northome Minn., Dec. 10th 1905
Dear Brother Walter:
Yours of the 4th came to hand some time ago and I will take of the present opportunity to answer it. I generally have enough time on Sunday to catch up all my corespondenceif I get right about it early in the day. I always go to church twice on Sunday and that takes more or less time but time well spent I think. From 5.30 Monday morning until 10.00 Saturday night as a rule I am nothing more than a piece of machinery and only claim enough time to eat and sleep whenever I get a chance. I don’t want you to think I am complaining by this as I like the work and the time goes fast during the week. When a fellow goes to Railroading he might as well decide to take things as they come and be satisfied. Things are getting pretty lively up her now most too much so to be comfortable. Stuff is beginning to come in for Ripple and that wi h what freight we have for the stores and camps in and around Northome make quite a heavy freight business. The other night we had over 35,000 lbof way-freight but they had the section hands come and unload it in the morning, so that was not so hard.
This is an Oliver Typewriter that I am using and I have not got quite used to it yet. It is a nice machine and I think I would get to like it after using it a little. The key-board is a little diferent than the Smith Premier and that makes it a little awkard on the start.
Arthur got back all right and you have probably heard from him brfore this. I asked him all kind of questions about Deer Park but it seemed as though he did not have very much news to tell. He said that you were all getting along well, and all seemed healthy. We went right up town as soon as he came and I got through work and got a room for the night and I gess we talked until after midnight. In the morning I managed to get him off on one of the work trains. You see I had a pull with the train men or he would have had to walk. Since then one of the store-keepersfrom Ripple was down here and asked me if I could not get him a ride up the line., but I didn’t think I could do anything for him. I don’t want to risk my standing with the boys any more than I can help. They have been pretty strict about letting people ride on the work trains more especially so since that man got killed up here at Mizpah.
I am glad you have got that sawing machine it will be such a help in working up wood this winter. You must write and tell me how it works. I don’t think you had used it any when you wrote last.
If you intend to work out this winter I think you would do well to come up this way. Therewill no doubt be lots of work up the line this winter. How do you think you would like R.R. work, I do not know but you could get a job up this way somewhere on the road if you wanted it. may be at Ripple Mr. Robinson thinks they may have to have three men up there and was speaking to me the other day if I knew of any one that would check freight. I though of you right away and told him that you might come up here this winter but I did not know whether you would like the work or not. I would be afraid to advise you to go into it as a person has to like it pretty well in order to stick to it.
Will have no more time to write now.
Your loving brother,
J. Paul
[ Note attached by WEP: Written while Andrew was working as helper in the depot at Northome.]
[ Typewritten with a purple ribbon on 8 1/2 X 10 3/4" M&I stationery with a letter head; the paper is brown from aging; the envelope has the M&I return address and the address reads- Mr. W. E. Paul, Barnum, Minn, and Carlton Co. written on the left; the postmark shows- Northome Minn. Dec 11
A. M. 19 --; the postmark on the reverse shows- Barnum 12 9 A M 1905 Rec’d; the postage is a red Washington two cent stamp.]
49] Ripple Minn. July 2 1905
Dear Brother Walter.
It is about time I was answering your last letter to me. I was very glad to get such a long letter from you, and to have that list of questions answered so well. I think I shall have to keep the letter for future refernce as I may forget some parts of it.
I came down here to the homestead yesterday morning as the mill shut down until after the Fourth and I had some work that needed doing down here. The garden is doing quite well as we have had plenty of rain and the weather is warm. There are lots of mosquitoes down here now although they do not seem quite as bad as they were two weeks ago. The large flies are very bad just now but will probably not last more than two or three weeks longer.
I am getting along pretty well with the work at the mill. I had begun to plan on going out to the harvest this fall, but do not think I shall do so now, as this job will furnish me with as much work as I want. I think they will have about two months run. The mill is a little larger than Woodburys was and probably saws out a little more lumber I could have gone to work in the Button & Olson mill if I had wanted to, but I thought that the other mill would probably have a longer run and so worked there as I do not like to be out of a job for a while yet.
I suppose you read the account of that drowning, in the “Compass”. It was a very sad accident. I knew the man very well as we worked together quite a while this spring. Arthur and Grace were up at the falls when it happened. They shut the mill down as soon as they heard of it and we spent the rest of the day searching for the body. I think it is liable to be picked up any day now. It is the first time in years that a driver has been drowned here.
Well it is getting about time for me to start for town. I want to come back this afternoon and do some more work in the morning.
I am getting quite used to batching and like it quite well although it is a little lonesome. There are three rabbits staying around the house that make a little company for me. Two old ones and a young one. One of the old ones has a small white spot in its fore head and the young one has quite a large spot. I was throwing pieces of biscuit out to one of them yesterday. I could toss a piece right on top of its head without scaring it. I put a salt-lick out when I was here in the spring, about 10 rods from the door. I see the deer have taken all the salt away while I have been gone.
I think there will be lots of fruit in the woods this fall. Blueberries sem to be doing well and the plumbs are growing nicely.
Well I think I must stop now as it will take me over an hour to walk up town.
Your loving Bro
Andrew Paul
[ Written in black ink on 5 X 8" tablet paper with faint blue lines; the envelope address is- Mr. W. E. Paul, Barnum Min- ; the postmark shows- Ripple Minn. and except for a 5, the rest of the postmark is missing or indistinct; on the back one postmark reads- Northome July 4 P.M. 1905 Minn. And the other shows- Barnum, Mi-- Jul 6 12M 1--.]
50] Ripple Minn April 7, 1906.
Dear Brother Walter:
I suppose you people have begun to wonder what has become of me. I think I wrote to Mother a short time before I left Northome. I came up here on the 20th of March and have been helping Arthur do his loging since. we got them all hauled on Wednesday, I spent Thursday in town and then came down here to my place. Yesterday I dug a drain for my celar as the water was coming quite badly. Arthur had helped me sort the potatoes last week and we found that they had rotted a lot. I am sure they did not freeze in the celar as there was no frost on the ground next the door. But I know a lot of them was frosted when we put them in as it got pretty late before I had the cellar finished. I hope I shall be in better shape to take care of the crops this fall. I expect to be pretty busy this summer as usual and shall be lucky if I get all the time I want to put in the garden. I expect to go to work next week again if I can strike a job that suits me. There will be lots of work in town this summer and no one need be idle if they care to work. There are two new saw mills being put in this spring and Mc Afee is rebuilding his mill, or rather, is building a new one as I don’t think the old one was worth much after going through the fire. I think I shall get work at some of the mills I do not know just which one yet, I know I can get work with Mc Afee anytime as he has told me so but I am thinking of trying for a job with one of the new mills which is going to be built as soon as the frost leaves the ground. Mr. Kemp is the mans name and he seems like a nice fellow too.
I am thinking some of going out to the harvest this fall but am not sure yet. How would you like to go too if you could get through haying in time? I should like to get started some time early in August if I went, some time before the tenth anyway. I had Arthur partly talked into going last year but he decided not to and I guess it was just as well that he did not. I will probably see you some time in June and I may know more about what I can do then than I do now. I have got another payment to meet on a lot some time in September and I do not know whether I shall get enough a head to do it if I stay here or not. I have no doubt but that I can stand them off for another six months If I cannot make the raise, so I am not worrying any. I may be able to sell the lot by that time and get as much out of it as I put in at least. I don’t think it has raised a penny in value since I got it, and I do not know as the same kind of property would sell as well now as it would have then.
We have been having some fine weather during the last few days. The snow is going down now and it will not be long before a person can get around in the woods again.
I am glad to hear that Melvin is going to get a lay off. I think if he comes up this way he will strike a job all right. The M&I is having a pretty hard time with their agents just now. The agent they have had at Funkley, the next station south of Northome has been getting drunk right along. The other day he was gone and when they found him he was in a saloon, drunk and playing poker. it would not have been so bad if he had been using his own money, but he has just blown in about $100.00 of the company’s money and of course they could not stand for that, and they fired him They will let men work and handle train orders, etc. when drunk but when they begin to tamper with the money they generally find a way of letting them go. I shuld like to have staid at work long enough to have made it pay to take a station, but of course I could not, as it was. I had the satisfaction of having one offered me by the “Super” anyhow.
I suppose you will begin the spring planting before long. I shall start as soon as I can as I want to get it all done during the month of May, And then have time to get in a few weeks work before going to the wedding.
Love to all,
Your brother
Andrew J. Paul
[ Note attached by WEP: When this was written Andrew was on his homestead a few miles down river from “Ripple” which was later called Big Falls.]
[ Written in black ink on 8 X 10" tablet paper with light blue lines; the address reads- Walter E. Paul, Barnum, Minn with Carlton on the lower left; the postmark shows- Ripple A 9 1906 Mi--.; on the reverse the postmarks are partially indistinct showing- A 9 P.M. 1906 Minn. and Minn-- Rec’d.]
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