Amanuensis - Chicago Building and Trades Conflict of 1900

“An Amanuensis is a person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another. Amanuensis Monday is a daily blogging theme which encourages the family historian to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin – some we never met – others we see a time in their life before we knew them.”

This is a letter from William Ward’s cousin, William Waterman, who was living in Chicago at the time of the great Building and Trades Conflict.

653 Turner Ave.

Chicago, May 1/1900

Dear Cousin

            I received your very welcome letter Today with the
20$ enclosed for which I can assure you I feel truly thankful it is more than enough to put me on my feet again  I am feeling like my old self again and shall leave Chicago Tomorrow.  So do not write me till you hear from me again  I was more than astounded when you told me about Fred Ausore being alive and working up their  I suppose Will and Ernest would think he had risen from the dead it would be a pleasant surprise and you surprised me when you gave me the Information about Sam McCall it seems like old time around Negaunee to hear the names again  the ferns. You enclosed in your letter are Harbingers of the summertime and smell of the country.  I have been longing to get away from Chicago as this winter has been one of forced exile to me the weather is very pleaseant just now. Today and Tomorrow is Dewy day in Chicago I suppose they are going to have a procession tomorrow  Their are all kind of labors. Troubles in the City . yet the big strike is still on in the building Trades over two months. now The big stores are beginging to feel it. With a loss of 800000 dollars every week in wages alone  Their is hardly a day but someone is killed in connection with it I suppose Mrs. Griffin will be going to Canada for the summer according to the rummors but as it does not interest me I do not get any particulars I trust this will find you all enjoying good health.  I will never. forget your kindness in sending me the money I will try and repay you as soon as possible
 

            Yours Very Truly

            W Waterfield
   

The Chicago Building Trades Conflict of 1900

The historical Building Trades Conflict was a battle between contractors and employees of the building industries of Chicago in 1900.  It began in the fall of 1899 but came to a head on 5 February 1900, when the contractors posted a statement on new buildings under construction.  The posting outlined new restrictive rules to govern the workmen, and was effective immediately.
 

In response, the workmen, twenty to twenty-five thousand, and representing twenty-five to thirty trades, ceased work.  They maintained that existing agreements regulating the conditions of labor and having still two or three months, and in some cases more than a year to run, had been violated by the employers, and that their employers had therefore declared a lockout against their men.

 

More resources on topic:

  

The Quarterly Journal of Economics.  “The Chicago Building TradesConflict of 1900,” by J.E. George, Page [348] of 348-370

Journal of PoliticalEconomy.  “Analysis of the Building-Trades Conflict in Chicago, from theTrades-Union Stand-Point,” by S. V. Lindholm, Page 327 of 327-346

©2011 – Frank’s Daughter All Rights Reserved

Mark Twain's Adhesive Scrapbook in Our Treasure Chest

Samuel L. Clemens, more commonly known as Mark Twain, was a lifelong creator and keeper of scrapbooks – more than 300 of them!  He took them everywhere and filled them with souvenirs, pictures, and articles about his books and performances.  But in time, he grew tired of the lost glue, rock-hard paste, and the swearing that resulted from the standard scrapbook process.  So, he came up with the idea of printing thin strips of glue on the pages to make updates neat and easy to do.  Once the pages were wet, clippings and scraps could be easily attached.  In 1872, he patented his "self-pasting" scrapbook, and the "Mark Twain Adhesive Scrap Book" proved to be Clemens' only profitable patent, which provided a modest but steady income.


Our family treasure chest holds one such scrapbook - tattered, missing pages, broken spine - yet a few souvenirs from its former owner are still tucked in its decaying pages.

Alice Parker Murphey’s
Mark Twain Adhesive Scrapbook

Inspired by his invention, go to view Mark Twain’s Interactive Scrapbook and view his life story through the collection of texts, photos, and clippings from his day.

©2011 – Frank’s Daughter All Rights Reserved

Amanuensis Monday – A Post From John Barton

“An Amanuensis is a person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another. Amanuensis Monday is a daily blogging theme which encourages the family historian to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin – some we never met – others we see a time in their life before we knew them.”

Letter dated Dec 26 1893 to
Wm. and Hannah Ward in Chicago, Illinois, USA, from
John Barton (Hannah's father) in Newthorpe, England

To: Mr. W. Ward

850 West Congress Street
Chicago
Illinois
United States - America

From:  Newthorpe

Nottingham

Dear Son and Daughter  I received your leter and was pleased to hear that you were all well and thank William very much for his kindness  I think it would rather ____ for me at my time of life to come out there as I cant turn my hand to anything as I could 20 years since and the thought of giving home up seems to much for me at present   I would much rather keep a home to receive you if you thought well to come back while I live  I have had a severe experience for over two years and I have not got over it yet  I could tell you a good deal if I could see you much   hope to do some day  I have not been very well since  Mothers Death  I was a week before I started work    soon after I started I hurt my arm and had to away g again and now as been at home two weeks with a very bad cold _______ but glad to say I am much beter and about ready for work again so you will see I have had rather a rough time of it and I feel as if I cant aford to have any one in the house with me at present Aunt time is very poorley yet and cannot do any thing for me (Uncle _____ is also beter)  _______Straw live were Bauners did next door so Mrs and Nellie see to me now    I lock up when I go to work   when get home at night they fetch the kettle and boil it and puts anything to cook on hot for me as I want while the fire burns up and Nellie cleans up for me   they are very kind to me and I try to make myself as comfortable as I can but o it is so loneley by myself  but Mother beged of me such a many times to be shure and take care of my home and keep things together and I promised I would   she thought you would be comeing back   she would liked to have seen all three of you before she Died   there are a many things she would liked you to have I should not to see things as she as made go any ___ else you ask me what.  Mothers Illness was first poorley for along time and then the Jaundice set in and when they was at worst great black places broke out on her when getting beter of that the water got in her legs about March they seemed to ___ that she ___ untill June or July and then began she to secken again and filled with water in her bodey and was the cause of her Death if spared I will tell you inove another time your Aunt Hannah sent me a small Box by Post with a card and two nice _____ I must conclud with Love to all hopeing to hear from you soon

from your ever aff (ectionate) Father
            John Barton  
Love from Aunts Uncles and friends

©2011 – Frank’s Daughter All Rights Reserved

Church Record Sunday - The Union of Ward and Davis

This Certifies that Ernest A.H. Ward
and Effie Adele Davis were by me
United in the Bond of
Marriage
on the 24^th day of April, 1902
at Davenport Iowa
Signed by J.W. Weddell
Pastor Baptist Church

Witnessed by Joel Ellis and Mattie McGuiness

©2011 – Frank’s Daughter All Rights Reserved

Wordless Wednesday - Ward Wishes for Ernest

Family Birthday and Christmas Wishes for Ernest Ward

Card from Grandmother Ward
Christmas Card
Birthday Card (His 9th Birthday)
Envelopes posted 29 August 1888 from family in
Southwell (Nottinghamshire, England)  

©2011 – Frank’s Daughter All Rights Reserved

Amanuensis Monday – The Death of Lizzie

“An Amanuensis is a person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another. Amanuensis Monday is a daily blogging theme which encourages the family historian to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin – some we never met – others we see a time in their life before we knew them.”

May this letter stretch back in time to the family of Ward, Leivers, and Barton and help breathe life into the branches of our Tree.

Letter dated April 19, 1880
To Hannah, From M.E. Leivers of Newthorpe

Newthorpe

April 19^th/80

Dear Hannah

            I am sorry to say that it is my painful duty to tell you that Lizzie passed calmly away at half past five o clock this morning, her sufferings have been so great that it would have been cruel to have desired her to live.  Your Mother has been with her since Saturday night and has not had her clothes off since she left you.  She had begged very hard to be taken home since her Aunt came back, she said she wanted to see her Uncle, her Aunt asked her if she would like to get better or weather she would like to go to heaven, she said I should like to go to heaven, she asked her again if she knew she was going to Jesus and she said, Yes.  Your Mother says she called you about a dozen times last night, she asked her what Hannah she meant and she said, our Hannah, Your Mother told her that she had told you how poorly she was and how sorry you were and then she was a deal calmer   The Fever is very bad about here there are a very many children dying, Two more girls out of Lizzies Class are at home very bad,  Lizzie is to be buried tomorrow afternoon in the Baptist Chapel Yard, her father hears it very calm, he is going to send a POO for Polly to have some Black, it will be a great shock to you but you must bear it as well as you can we none of us know how soon we shall be called, we little thought a fortnight since of this.  I am glad to say your Father is better, We shall write again soon but you Mother wants a letter from you
            With kind regards to yourself and Husband
            I remain Yours affectionately
            M.E. Leivers

Your Mother had not time to write today

©2011 – Frank’s Daughter All Rights Reserved

The Grafted Branch - the WARD, BARTON, and ABBOTT Families of Nottingham, England

The following information has been gleaned from old family letters from the adoptive family of Alexander Ernest Hope Ward, 1861¹, 1891² and 1901³ census records of England, and deductive reasoning.  This list probably contains errors, but it’s a start at piecing together this grafted branch in our family tree.

If this resembles family members of a known tree, please make contact; there are several family letters from this family line that we would be happy to share.

First Generation

Robert WARD, born about 1825, in Birstall, Leicester, England¹ married Ruth (Surname unknown), born about 1815, in Lenton, Nottinghamshire, England¹
They had 4 children:
John WARD, born in 1851, in Stapleford, Nottingham, England¹
Sarah WARD, born in 1854, in Stapleford, Nottingham, England¹
William WARD, born in 1856, in Stapleford, Nottingham, England¹
Mary WARD, born in 1860, in Stapleford, Nottingham, England¹
The 1861 census listed Robert as a farmer of 47 acres, and he employed two laborers: Samuel Attenbro (*carter) and Mary Hayfield (dairy maid).
*A “Carter” (possible 19^th century/or earlier term) is someone who drives a horse and cart, picking up and delivering goods around the area and on farms. Carters were much like the delivery drivers of today.

Second Generation

John WARD married Sarah (Surname Unknown)
They had (?) children

Sarah WARD married John (Surname Unknown)
They had (?) children

William WARD married Hannah (BARTON)
They adopted one child:
Alexander Earnest Hope

Mary WARD married John T. ABBOTT, who was born about 1857, in Nottingham, England³  Mary and John Abbott had at least six children:
Annie ABBOTT, born in1880, in Bashford, Nottingham, England²
Florence² “Florrie” ABBOTT, born in 1887, in Nottingham, England³
Clara ABBOTT, born in 1890, in Nottingham, England³
John W. H. ABBOTT, born in 1892, in Nottingham, England³
Robert W. ABBOTT, born in 1898, in Nottingham, England³
Joseph E. ABBOTT, born in 1899, in Nottingham, England³
In the 1891 and the 1901 census, John Abbott was listed as a Police Constable²/Officer³.  In 1901, Florrie, who was 14 yrs. old, was employed as a **lace fennier and the family lived at 44Y.B. Avenue, 27 Hunger Hill Gardens. ³
** Nottingham's industrial heritage is founded on lace. Nottingham led the way pioneering the great lace making machines that took its production from the cottages to the factories. Its fascinating story is told at the Museum of Nottingham Lace. It is located in what was the hub of the world's 19th century lace industry an area still known today as the Lace Market.

Third Generation

Florence “Florrie” ABBOTT married Horace DANKS in 1910 at Upton Parish Church, in Southwell on Boxing Morning.

©2011 – Frank’s Daughter All Rights Reserved

Sports Center Saturday - Salem Wildcats of 1939

Frank “Dick” Andersen loved sports.  Besides golf, baseball and track, Dick played four years of high school football at Salem High in Massachusetts.  He was elected captain of the football team his senior year of 1939.  He’s the handsome one in the team photo (back row, far right).

Salem High Football Team, 1939

That same year, he was also elected class president, and was a member of the student council.

©2011 – Frank’s Daughter All Rights Reserved

Treasure Chest Thursday - A.E. Ward's Shaving Kit

I took a couple of photos of Alexander E. Ward’s (my husband’s grandfather) razors and shaving mug.  My plan was to write a quick little “blurb” about straight razors and post a nice picture of the grouping.  What I discovered in my Google search is that I cannot write a quick little blurb; there is way too much to say about these simple utilitarian objects.   

Straight razors, also known as cut-throats, like A.E. Ward’s pictured below, were the most common form of shaving before the 20th century. 

  

Pictured in this collection: the box for a DE-Fi 34 Razor by the Wester Brothers of New York; a razor inscribed with Joseph Rogers & Sons, Cutters to their Majesty, No. 6 Norfold Street, Sheffield; the Griffon Straight Razor made in Germany along with its original yellow box; and a German Imperial Razor with its original box and blade that read XTRA HOLLOW GROUND, FULLY WARRENTED, the box cap also has a sticker showing where it was purchased - R. HELLIWELL'S (917?) S. MAIN ST. LOS ANGELES.  The personalized shaving mug was probably a gift from A.E. Ward’s association with the Freemasons.

For further reading about straight razors and a brief history of their development from 1500 through 1820, go to The Invisible Edge.  The site also has a Jargon Buster page illustrating the anatomy of the razor, terms, specifications, and its condition.

©2011 – Frank’s Daughter All Rights Reserved