Homer Jarrett
9 Walnut St.
Hot Springs, Ark
2730 Kenwood Ave
Indianapolis Ind
January 27, 1905
Mr. Jarrett;
Homer, your letter was received O.K. Very glad to hear from you so soon. How are you? Hope you are well as I am.
We are having very cold weather here just now and have had several heavy snows. We received a letter from James Mullins and he said they were having very severe weather in Michigan and that at the time he was writing they were having a blizzard.
Minnie and family are with us still. All of them are quite ill this evening with severe colds and fever She sends her best regards to you. I have been quite busy serving for her for a few days and today being clear, bright and sharp, I went for a walk about 2:30 PM. I walked all the way to the Library and back. You have no idea, how I enjoyed the walk Homer. I felt rather blue when I left home, but, by the time I reached it again, thought life was worth living after all. Really there is nothing like walking to cause you to forget your pretty troubles and ills, I think. Don’t you think so too? The book I got is “Bayou Folk,” by Kate Chopin. Have you read it, or any of her works?
Are you interested in the Russian Rebellion? I feel very sorry for them, the poor ones I mean, and I hope that they will get their rights and desires in the end, but I wonder if they sympathized with the poor negro when he was in as bad, if not worse, a plight as themselves. All of the Czar’s troubles are coming at once, it seems. The “Japs” proved too much for them and then the “people” turned as it were, on them. I think his son that he longed and prayed for has brought him ill luck so far.
I have not been any place lately and Hugh and I shall go to the Grand Opera House Saturday if nothing happens to prevent it. I do not think that I have seen the play. It is “Paul Conchas”, something that Hugh has seen before and liked I suppose.
Homer, tell me about yourself won’t you? You never tell me what you are doing at all. Are you not glad you are not here in this severe weather. I envy you your location just now. Please pity us poor mortals Homer.
You think I shall never finish. Do you not? Well, I am after all.
All send love and best wishes to you. O, have you become acquainted with many yet? Write some Homer. Yours Sincerely,
Pearl Doris Reed
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When I first read this letter, I thought that my grandmother Pearl and her brother were going to an opera. I was impressed. When I looked a bit further, I found that Paul Conchas was not an opera singer but a strong man juggler who performed in vaudeville opera houses around the country.
Stories of the Russian revolt were all over the newspapers during that time. Interesting that my grandmother Pearl was already interested in the news and in relating it to black people.
Kristin, these are such wonderful letters, and I’m interested too in the background material. Thanks. Barb R.
I’m glad you are enjoying them. I had a weather report about the blizzard in Benton Harbor, but there seemed to be so many additions on this one.
So interesting to learn what she was reading, too!
Yes! I meant to put something in about that too. One of my granddaughters told me that a book by Kate Chopin’s was still being assigned and she had read it.
i do wonder what Homer Jarrett said in his letters to your grandmother!
gem!
I wonder too, but we shall never know.
Benton Harbor snow can be heavy because of the “lake effect”. It can be cold and snowy in Chicago – but storm picks up moisture as it blows east across Lake Michigan towards Michigan’s west coast.
Yes it sure does. We lived in Idlewild for 20 years and we got lake effect snow too. Winters had gotten a lot milder when we left than they were when we arrived. Idlewild Lake froze later in the season, for instance.
They just had tornados up there last week!