The Letters: Noodles and Chicken for Dinner, 1892

In the spring of 1892, Samuel Gallatin Blair, my 2nd great-uncle, was a student at the California State Normal School, about 35 miles from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (but less than 10 miles from his home). The town was established in 1849 and named “California” due to the excitement over the California Gold Rush. The school trained students to become public school teachers.

Photo courtesy of calu.edu.

I don’t know the length of the program or the age at which students enrolled, but Sam graduated from the school at age 17. His sister Sara “Sadie” Blair saved his graduation announcement, dated June 30, 1892.

Sam wrote three letters home in April and May of that year. His first letter is addressed to Sadie, then 12. (I'm including scans of the original letters as well as my transcriptions.)

Sara “Sadie” Blair

California Pa.

April 4th 1892

Miss Sadie Blair

Dear Sister

         I have not rec’d a letter from you yet but I am going to write to you any way now and send with balance. I wish you could of comeover here and went to school to. Was you at singing last saturday eve and was Willis there and did he give you any candy. If he did then save me some till I come home. Well I must get to writing better so nonsence than this.

       What kind of a day was sunday I took a walk and just as I got home it hailed and stormed here it was the largest hail that ever I saw did it hail at your place. I got Marthas letter and card. oh my it tickled me Sadie you must write to me write and tell me what you are all doing up at your place. Maybe I will be at home next Sunday week the 18th I believe I will start from here on friday evening and get home about dark. Well I guess I will have to quit for this time so hoping to hear from you soon I remain your Loving Brother Sam

         Write Soon S.G.B.

I love Sam’s language — “of comeover here and went” and “Was you.” Did he know this was poor grammar, or is this the way everyone spoke? He mentions the same mundane things I mention in my correspondence — waiting to hear from someone, the weather — but his references to singing and candy and his pleasure at getting a card from his 5-year-old sister Martha animate the people in these letters even 125 years later.

Martha Jane Blair

Sadie’s response to Sam’s letter is delightful, from her opening salutation of “Dear Brotherly” to her teasing tone about mashes (crushes?), and sisterly advice. Her confessions to feelings of loneliness and her longing to be with him at school are touching, and the little details of her horse-back ride, her dinner of noodles and chicken, her “commencing to make garden,” and other specifics illuminate her life at that moment in time.

Note that the image above shows the first and last pages of Sadie's letter. Pages 2 and 3 are below.

Perryopolis Pa

Apr. 7, 1892

Mr. S. G. Blair

Dear Brotherly:

       I received your welcome letter last night and oh, but I was glad to hear from you. Grandma has been here all week; I will take her home in the morning (Saturday).

       We are all well, except ma, she still coughs so much.

       Oh, Sammie, I would love to be at school with you.

       When you told me that Dot and Anna Luce was there I just felt like coming straight down over. Am so glad that you have such a nice place to stay. And allow me to give you a word of advice, when you are about the house and can turn your hand to help Mrs. W., do so, and I think you would be more thought of. You know how Willis acts here. No, we have not got any mail for you except a pamphlet, and we didn’t think worth while to send that.

       I don’t think from all accounts that you pay much attention to your old “girs,” do you? Oh well, Maig will wait patiently till you return; and she will give you a hearty welcome. Sutton and I went to call on Bert last Tues eve and he had hold of my arm and he didn’t watch where he was walking, and he just fell flat upon the ground. I had to lift him up; now that is the kind of beaux I have. ha! ha!

       I took a horse-back ride this morning, went to Flattown and got a very nice letter.

       Willis is working at Shaffer’s yard fence; he intends going to Phila. Monday.

       I am glad that you joined [illegible] society.

       Have you made any mashes yet?

       Don’t say no, because “I smell a mice.”

       I commenced to make garden to-day but it began to rain and I had to play quit. Oh, but we had a heavy storm last Sunday.

       I got so lonely Sunday, well I didn’t know what to do with myself; I would try to play and sing, but, guess I felt more like crying than any thing else.

       Last Sat eve we met at Jackson to practice and I had to be teacher; I tell you I just made them walk the chalk mark.

       I wish I could go with you to Brownsville to-morrow. I would enjoy a ride on the stemer so much.

       Oh, I forgot, Ann was here for dinner the other day. I just put the big pot in the little one and had noodles and chicken for dinner.

       I expect this is enough for this time. The rest of them want to write some too. I received a letter from Blanche [illegible] and one from Blanche Lloyd this week. Blanche L. wanted to know W if Willis or Dunn was married. Just as if they had a chance to get married. I allow to write to her if she wants them married she had better propose as this is leap year.

       Well please write soon to your loving Sister

       Caddie or Lina

PS Blanche L says she think it so nice for you to go to school for she likes educated young men so much; ha! ha!

         Lina

I don’t know who most of the people she mentions are. “Grandma” could refer to her mother’s mother, Sarah Strickler Gallatin, or to her father’s mother, Minerva Sutton Blair. I think Minerva lived close enough that she wouldn’t have needed to stay with them, but at the same time, I’m not sure how a 12-year-old girl could take someone home if the distance were too far.

One line that struck me after I had spent some time researching the family was her observation that “ma…still coughs so much.” Josephine Gallatin Blair was pregnant with her son Earl Emory Blair at the time, but the cough foreshadows the tuberculosis that would kill her ten years later. It’s awful to realize that the disease was already wracking her body.

I also don’t know the significance of the nicknames (“Caddie” or “Lina”) that Sadie uses above. “Dunn” is possibly Avaline Dunn Blair, a younger brother of their father, O.S. Blair. I don’t know about the Blanches or Dot and Anna Luce, but Willis was a cousin, and it appears that he is boarding with them. Christina Shaffer is another sibling of O.S. Blair, and the fence Willis was fixing was probably hers. Like Sam, Sadie also uses the singular “was” in place of “were,” so maybe that was the dialect.

Sadie’s letter is the only writing I have of hers, even though she lived to be 78 years old. I’m impressed at how mature she seems at 12, and at her strong writer’s voice (and her beautiful penmanship). I wish I had some writing of hers as an adult, to see if the vivacious spirit she was at 12 survived the changes and losses of growing up. She saved so many personal items and photos of others, and yet she remains frustratingly silent.

Sadie Blair Luce (sitting) surrounded by her son Paul and daughter-in-law Mattie Lee Ames Luce (standing), husband Patrick Watson “Wat” Luce (sitting), and her grandsons, 1939.

© Kristin Luce, 2017