Winnie's Journal

                    I imagine Winnie and Lizzie may have looked like these young ladies from Godey's                     

            Winnie Gould was a bright, very well-educated woman from Ohio.  I had the privilege of reading two journals she kept on trips she took 1889-1891. Reading diaries and journals often gives you a very refreshing, unique view of a world that has since disappeared. Some detective work is required, and of course the internet contains a world of almost lost information. 

This is from her journal of 1889.

Winnie is a young woman, Vassar alumna, who lives somewhere in Ohio, reached primarily by boat. She is obviously very literate and well-educated, and belongs to an affluent family.  Because of the warm reception she receives at all spots along railroads all over, I suggest that she may be related to Jay Gould, the so-called “Robber Baron” responsible for much of early railroad development in the United States.

Mar. 12, 1889. Left home on the 3:55 am train. Helen and Rebecca helped me off and Papa went with me to the depot. Consulted Capt. Warrick in Cincinnati as to tickets. Jessie Clinton and Cousin Isa came down town to see me. Took sleeper for Peoria.

Mar. 13. DeForest met me at the depot in the morning. Lizzie and I spent part of the day planning for our trip. 

Mar. 14. Called on Mrs. Rugg and Lucy. Packed our trunk – prepared our lunch, etc. In evening played cribbage with DeForest and visited with him and Lizzie and about 10:15 p.m. we started for the depot accompanied by Mrs. Tennery. Farewell was said and the train moved off.  Mr. O’Brien kindly assisted us in changing cars in Bloomington where we rode in a very hot chair car for St. Louis.

It sure beat the stage coaches.

Mar. 15.  St. Louis. Mr. Morton and the other Missouri Pacific officials were as courteous as possible to us in every way. We bought our tickets over this line to Mexico City, San Francisco, Portland, Denver, etc. paying therefor $144.15. At one o’clock Dr. George Dennis came to the depot and took us out for a drive, showing us the prettiest parks and handsomest residence portions of the city.

Hot Springs, Ark. Took bath and champoo   [old spelling for “shampoo”]

Malvern, Ark. 14 mi. horseback ride..

Mar. 19. San Antonio. Stayed at  Menger House.. street car drawn by small mule….. Visited the Alamo.

Spofford, Texas Strap Iron Jail

Mar. 20 took the noon train for Spofford Junction, Texas  Lieut. Rivers on board, 3^rd cavalry. Six hours ride over Texas prairie, a wild, unsettled country, immense ranches. A few ranch men on board with belts and high-heeled shoes. Major Smith met us at Junction  with army ambulance, a nine mile drive to Ft. Clark, reached at sundown. Mrs. Smith very cordial and pleasant. Dinner, evening bath and a good night’s sleep.

[Note: Spofford Junction was a shipping point for area ranchers shipping sheep, goats and cattle on the Southern Pacific Railway, which ran through here. It is less than 30 miles from the Mexican border. When Winnie visited the population was about 100, with two saloons. In 2000 the population was 75.]

Mar. 21. Saw guard mount. Then made the rounds of the post, the library, Quartermaster’s dept., corral etc. In the evening some calls, and a heavy rainstorm followed by hail.

Mar. 22. In the afternoon the Major drove us over through the Seminole camp. They look more like negroes than Indians, though they are half breeds. Live in most wretched stick huts called jacals, their only wealth a flock of goats like Father Abraham’s. Then drove through Brackett and saw the Mexican quarters. [Note: Fort Clark, where she visited, was one of many Army outposts for defending the border against raids from Mexico, and Indian tribes.  Many infantry regiments and almost all cavalry regiments were at one time or another based at Fort Clark, as well as companies of Texas Rangers and Confederate troops during the Civil War. The Army's Seminole-Negro Indian Scouts also were assigned to Fort Clark. These are the Seminole-Negroes she writes about.  They were brought from Florida to Texas to help the Army in fighting Indians in the southwestern United States. Some of them served as the famed “Buffalo Soldiers”.  During the past two centuries Seminoles often met and had children with slaves, so that many Seminoles were also black.  The Fort was built in 1852 and remained until 1946.]  

In the evening almost every lady in the garrison called.

Mar. 23. Played some tennis and had some calls.

Mar. 24. Sunday at Ft. Clark, Guest talk. Elaborate dinner; church in the evening.

Mar. 25 Early 9 mi. drive in army ambulance across Texas prairie to Spofford Jct. On train talked to Mrs. Mary Meredith, niece of Justice Stanley Mathews [Supreme Court Justice, 1824-1889] just died and cousin of Henry Watterson of Louisville. Watterson, b. 1840, d. 1921, a journalist, founded the Louisville Courier-Journal.] She was a character, eccentric and wealthy. Came down here for her health, went into real estate speculation, made money, owns and manages 3 immense ranches. Goes to St. Louis and Chicago to sell cattle.

At Menger House met again Dr. Wolfred Nelson, special medical representative, New York Mutual Life Ins. Co. went to supper with him and spent a pleasant evening.

Laredo. Last American sunset—rosy.

Nuevo Laredo.

Monterrey. Stayed at Hidalgo.

Mexico City.

Pueblo.

The Personal Navigator offers these books and papers:

Today we offer an uncommon little book of Yale poems by a member of the Class of 1900 and Skull & Bones;

A collection of 150 Italian sonnets, etc.;

An instruction book on how to make enemies, with interesting insults, etc. included;

Instructions for Town Officers in Massachusetts, including what to do with Lunatics, including Lunatic Indians;

An interesting commentary on the Acts of the Apostles;

Advice to young people, primarily of  religious nature;

And an 1820 issue of American Baptist Magazine, in the days when missionaries sought to save the whole world.

The Litter of the Years,   by Cross, John W. 1947. New York, NY: The Cheltenham Press.  This is a collection of interesting and lively poems by a distinguished architect and a member of an old patrician family.  Cross, born about 1878, was a member of the Yale Class of 1900 and Skull & Bones; he died in 1951.  Many poems revolve around a lifelong Yale affection. One poem, "Past and Present" mentions several members of the Yale 1900 Skull & Bones Society-- (Hulbert) Taft, (Percy) Rockefeller, (Corlis Esmonde) Sullivan, (Frank Dexter) Cheney. "Sheba" is about a black Labrador presented by another 1900 S&B member, F. W. Allen, to George Dudley Seymour (a distinguished city planner and benefactor).  On title page is inscription by Cross to Harry Staton: "To Harry Staton -- who put me on the Editorial page of the (Herald) Tribune several times. J.W.C." 48 pp. 14 x 21.6 cm. Black pebbled leather on boards with slight upward edge warp, with gilt title, very good. (2549)  $44.00. Poetry

Raccolta di Cento Cinquanta Sonetti e di altri Componimenti Poetici di vari Autori, seconda edizione, con aggiunte 1870. Firenze, Italia: Enrico Moro Editore. Sonnets, in Italian: La casa del Petrarca di Alfieri; Las sua vita di Alfieri; Il suo Ritratto di Alfieri; Forza dell' Innocenza, di Baciocchi; Morte d' abele, di Baldis; Processione del SS. Sacramento, di Costa; Ritratto d' un Amico, di Vittorelli. 448 pp. 8 x 12 cm. Marbled paper on board cover worn, owner name on front pastedown, good. (5428) $20.00. Poetry/Italian

Gentle Art of Making Enemies, as pleasingly exemplified in many instances, wherein the serious ones of this earth, carefully exasperated, have been prettily spurred on to unseemliness and indiscretion, while overcome by an undue sense of right;  Collection by Whistler, J. McNeill. 1927 New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons.  The running gunbattle between the Artist, J. McNeill Whistler and his critics gets played out here in this remarkable collection, which begins with many quotes from 1890 issues of Pall Mall Gazette.  This collection is filled with insults and accusations, back and forth. Many of the insults are quite eloquent, particularly those of John Ruskin and Oscar Wilde. 340 pp. 15.7 x 20.5 cm. Tan paper on board with tan cloth spine, gilt stamped title is missing gilt. No dj.  Bookplate on front pastedown: "Ex Libris George Schley Stillman".  Very good.  (2195) $26.00. Printed matter 

Thomas' Town Officer, A Digest of the Laws of Massachusetts in relation to the powers, duties and liabilities of towns; New Edition, revised, corrected by Dwight Foster and James E. Estabrook, Counsellors at Law 1856 Worcester, MA: Enos Dorr & Co. The previous edition of this guide for Massachusetts town officials was published in 1849. This 1856 edition has removed inconsistencies and brought things up to date. Town Meetings. Collection of taxes. Settlement of Paupers. Surveyors of shingles and clapboards. Viewers and cullers of hoops and staves. Measurers of upper leather, made of the hides of neat cattle, buffalo or other animal.  Overseers of the Poor. "The overseers of the poor may bind, as apprentices or servants, the minor children of any poor person, who has become actually chargeable to their town, as having a lawful settlement therein, or who is supported there.. at the charge of the Commonwealth...Such children.. may be bound, females to the age of 18 or to the time of their marriage within that age, and males to the age of 21 years..." Lunatic Paupers: " Judges may commit any lunatic.. who .. is so furiously mad.. that it is dangerous to the peace and safety of the community...to the (lunatic) hospital.  Judges shall have the authority to commit lunatic Indians.. to the State Lunatic  Hospital..." Surveyors of Highways: "Any person who travels on the Lord's day neither from necessity or charity, cannot maintain an action for an injury received by him while so traveling..." 486 pp. 12 x 19 cm. Calf on board, outer front hinge cracked,  2x 3 cm piece of leather on spine chipped off, scuffed, front board slightly warped.  Inscr. On front endpaper: "Horace Wallis Jr., Town Officer, Holland, Mass." and above that, "Presented to the Historical Association July 1922 by .. daughter of (Hollis)." Good condition. (5916) $75.00. Reference

Acts of the Apostles, The: with a Commentary, First Edition by Rev. Abiel Abbot Livermore   1844 Boston, MA: James Munroe and Company. Livermore (1811-1892) was a Unitarian pastor in Keene, NH when he published this Commentary. Includes map of the Mediterranean Sea showing the travels and voyages of St. Paul, as well as a Calendar of Events during the first century of the Christian Era, and a Pronouncing Vocabulary. . 330 pp. + 24 pp. catalogue. 12 x 20 cm. Cloth on board with blindstamped design, cover moderately worn, faded with several small holes in cloth. Map of Mediterranean detached. Front free endpaper inscribed: "Amory Holman & Fanny Holman". Good. (5826) $48.00. Religious

Advice to a Young Christian on the Importance of Aiming at an Elevated Standard of Piety, w/ intro by Rev. Dr. Alexander; third edition, revised and corrected 1830 New York, NY: G.&C.&H. Carvill, 108 Broadway "The age in which we live (1830) demands a high standard of Christian character," writes author in preface. Consists of series of letters to young people. 196 pp. 9 x 14 cm. Paper on board, with leather spine. Bumped and rubbed. Owner inscr. on ffep, dated 1830. Very good. (1329) $39.00. Religious.

American Baptist Magazine and Missionary Intelligencer, May 1820, Vol. 2 No. 9 Boston, MA: Baptist Missionary Society of Massachusetts. Memoir of Rev. Henry Jessey. Review of sermon delivered at the ordination of Rev. Stephen Chapin by Jeremiah Chaplin, Professor of Divinity in the Maine Literary and Theological Institution, at North Yarmouth. Extract of letter from Missionary College, Serampore by W. Ward. [Note: Ward was among founders of this College in India in 1818. It still exists in 2010.] College is open to all denominations of Christians, and to as many heathen scholars as choose to avail themselves of its exercises and lectures. Letter from Pomare, King of Otaheite, Society Islands. Report on efforts to Christianize American Indians of the Oneida and Stockbridge; letter signed with marks by Oneida Indians asking to embrace Christianity. 34 pp. 15 x 24 cm. Paper periodical, edges frayed, page corners curled, poor. (6399) $34.00. Religious/Missionary

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