Lester Mills     ( November 22, 1890 )

Lester Mills        ( August 16, 1891)

Lester Mills

1890 Page 1

1890 Page 2

Envelope Front

Envelope Back

***************

This is a set of two letters written by Lester Mills to Elizabeth Golden.  Both letters were found in one envelope.  The first one was written on Nov. 21, 1890 and the second one was written Aug 16, 1891.  The envelope was addressed to Miss Lizzie Golden, Coopersville, Michigan. The postmark on the front was Muskegon, Mich., Nov 22, 1890 and the postmark on the back was Coopersville, Mich., Nov 22, 1890.  The envelope was 4-5/8” wide by 3-3/4” high.  The envelope was stamped with a 2 cent stamp.

 

Lester’s first letter was written on lined paper 8-7/8” wide by 7” high.  One sheet, front and back.  Lester’s second letter was written on two sheets of paper.  The first sheet was also on lined paper 8-7/8” wide by 7” high.  The second sheet was a half sheet 4-3/8” by 7” high.  Both sheets had writing on the front and back.  The designer of the stationery had the top left and top right corners of the full sheets cut off at about a 45-degree angle.  The design made it appear as if the corners were removed with pinking shears.

***************

 

 

 

Muskegon Nov 21, 90

Dear Friend Liz:

 

I was thinking about you so I guess I will write a little.  How are enjoying school.  I suppose you like it.  You always did.  I think I should have a little more respect for Mr. Ernst than our friend Baldus.  Do you room in the block where you did last winter?  Has Miss Nixon come yet?  I have been intending all the time to come home Saturday night but I learned to day that I could not.  We are about five hundred machines behind on orders so they can’t spare me.  The rest are all new men.  If I come home over Sunday now I have to lose Saturday afternoon and Monday forenoon.  It seems like six months since I left Coopersville.  I am going to try and get there next Thursday.  I suppose you will be at the dance.  If I come and you are not there woe be suits you.  Well I think this must make you weary so I will let up.  How are the PO’s (PD’s) since election?  The Deuco’s (Decuso’s) had a little blow out here Monday night in the shape of a torch light procession and speech in the Opena house.  It did not amount to much of course.

 

I received a letter from Lanty last night and a card to the Thanksgiving dance.  He says it is pretty quiet there.  How I feel for him.  Shut up in so insignificant a place (didn’t you think that is a pretty large word for me).

 

Well Lizzie, I guess I have written enough to make you tired so I will close hoping to hear from you soon.

 

Very Affectionately

Lester Mills

 

 

 

Muskegon Aug 16, 1891

Miss Lizzie Golden,

Dennison

Mich.

 

My Dearest Friend.  I received your welcome letter last Monday night and I thought I would set you a good example by answering it early.  I just had an invitation to come down stairs and help eat a big watermelon a few minutes ago so I went down and ate about half of it.  I don’t feel just now as though I would ever want to eat again.

 

Well Lizzie, I have been laying around the house all day.  How have you spent the day?  Sunday is the longest day in the week to me.  You have better times in the country than I have here.  I don’t know what to do with myself evenings and Sundays.  I would like to be with you about now.  I calculated to come down to your house two weeks ago today if you had not had so much other company.  When I left here I intended to come to your house just as much as I intended to go home.  I didn’t think of going till Friday morning then I found out that I had to lay off Saturday anyway so I thought I would go home and give the people a surprise.

 

Joe was giving you taffy about me going to Milwaukee.  There was an excursion from here over there last night.  I saw the Storrs girls over here last week.  Gert came to be examined.  Why didn’t you come?  Do you intend to teach this fall!  I should think you would be so stuck on the bob tail that you would want to teach there all your life.  I suppose you will go to school again next winter at C’vill.  We had good times there last winter (at least I did).  I don’t hardly think I will be in C’ville next winter but of course you can’t most always sometimes tell.  We have had a change of Superintendents at the factory this week.  I don’t know how we will get along yet.  I have been working all alone upstairs for the last week.  The fellow I was working with layed off to bury his mother.  Well Lizzie, you will be tired out when you get this all read (providing you can read it) so I guess I will close hoping to hear from you soon.  As ever Yours

 

Lester Mills

 

 

***************

“bob tail” is the Bob Tail School House

***************

 

 

 

Click here for a PDF version of the above.

1891 Page 1

1891 Page 2

1891 Page 3

1891 Page 4