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McFarling Letters Obtained from Mrs. Geo. William Stine, Healdsburg, c1989
Bess (Elizabeth Lynn) McFarling Bigham to her mother, May
2, 1923:
Hyder, Alaska
May 2nd -23
My Dear Mother.
I have received your letter saying that you hadn't heard from me.
I can not understand why you haven't got my letters. I have sent them
all in care of George Rose since you started moving around as I
thought you would be more likely to get them there. Did you receive
the announcement card that I sent there I also sent a card to you for
Ethel & Les as I didn't know just where they would be at that
time. I didn't answer the two letters that you wrote me from
Watsonville as I was sick in bed when they came but I wrote you &
Ethel & Charlotte each a letter at the same time and sent them
all to Ethel's I also wrote one to Gertie. I hope you have got the
one I wrote you by this time. I know Ethel got hers because she
answered it. How I wish you could see little Billy he is growing so
fast I am afraid he will be grown up before you see him. Just think
he will be 3 months old in a few days. I haven't weighed him since he
was 2 months old and he weighed 11 lbs and had gained 3 1/2 inches in
length. We will weight and measure him again the day he is 3 months
and see how much he has gained since. His is such a little Roly poly
with dimples all over him. he has the McFarling Blue eyes with long
dark lashes and has a little round face what hair he has is a reddish
Brown. Everybody says he is a pretty Baby and of course I think he is
rather pretty myself. There has been three more Babies born around
here within the last week. A little English girl a Bride of 9 months
gave birth to a Boy on the 23rd. She would have been married 9 months
on the 28th he Father-Mother Brother & herself came here from
England a little over a year ago and she married Louie Legg an old
timer of the Camp. She made all of her Babie's clothes, and had a
most beautiful & elaborate outfit all hand embroidery &
chrochet and silk lined. she wanted a girl and instead got a very
homely Boy - but he may improve as he gets older. There were two
other babies born just a month and a month and a half before Son was
- And we are looking for 3 more along in June & July One of my
best Friend's expects one in June or possibly July. She is about my
age. Another young woman here has a Boy about 2 yrs. old and a Baby
girl 8 months and is carrying another that will be born in about 3
months. Hyder sure is taking a boom in Babies. My next door neighbor
had two girls 8 & 10 yrs old then she had another girl - and when
she was 20 months old she had another Baby girl so she says she has
given up trying to get a Boy. Gertie is getting quite a few
Grandchildren isn't she. I was wondering if Mabel was ever going to
have any children not very long ago, what is Mabel's married name? I
didn't know what Zelpha's was until I got your letter telling what
they named their girl. I was going to tell you what Mrs. Legg named
her Boy but forgot to while I was on the subject. She named him
Kenneth Livingston Legg, she had the name of Thelma picked for a
girl. I think I would have had to change my mind about the name of
Betty if I had a girl. There are so many Betty's & Elizabeth's in
Camp now. There are quite a number of Billy's too. but I guess we
won't live here forever and it doesn't make so much difference for a
boy anyway. Mrs. Balch my next door neighbor picked some rather
pretty names for her Babies one is Barbara Anne & the other is
Virginia Lee her two oldest girls are named Donna and Della. They
call the oldest Baby Dudie - and the little one Doll-Doll. I had some
snap shots taken of Billy the first time I took him up town - will
send you one if they are any good. Lester makes a pretty good Daddy
and takes quite an interest in the Little Fellow as he calls him. but
he will enjoy him more when he gets older. Lester has not been very
well for several months - his throat & chest troubled him . he
went down to Prince Rupert a short time ago to consult a Dr. there he
was gone 10 days. He took treatments from a Chiropractor all the time
he was gone they seemed to help him some. The Head Dr. at the
Hospital in Rupert gave him a thorough examination and could find
nothing wrong with his throat or Lungs and his heart was all right.
He laid it all to stomach trouble gas on the stomach as he diagnosed
it. He has to be careful what he eats, and is taking some medicine
the Dr gave him so I hope he will get over it eventually. Mother have
you ever found out what became of Jack and his Family. Seems as tho
they had dropped off the Earth. Where is Charlotte now? I wonder if
she got the letter I wrote her. I owe Floss a letter yet. and also
Ethel & Al. It seems as though I cannot get caught up with my
letter writing. O yes! I had a letter from Maude not long ago and owe
her one also. Well mother the snow is about all gone now except a few
little patches here & there. We have had an awful long siege of
it almost 7 months since the first snow fell. We have it so much
longer here where we live than they do down town. There are quite a
few trees around here that is one reason the snow stays longer here
than it does on the Flats. We mother Dear I must stop for this time.
I have my Son on my lap and he is kicking & howling sometimes I
hardly know what to do with him and wish I were near you you have had
so much experience with Babies and it sees as tho I don't know very
much at times. I will send this to Windsor and see if you get it.
With Love and best wishes from all of us.
As ever
Bess
Bess to her mother, July 20, 1923:
Hyder, Alaska
July 20th 1923
My Dear Mother -
I received your most welcome letter yesterday - and will try to
answer right away. I have been so far behind with my letters, I just
wrote to Floss a few days ago. So she will probably get it while you
are there. You certainly are traveling a lot I wish I lived close
enough so that your next trip would be to see me. Any way I hope I
will be able to go down there before Billy gets grown up, and he is
growing so fast. I was just up to see a new Baby today. Peggy Bunting
- The friend I told you of - gave birth to a 5 1/2 pound Boy on the
18th. John William is his name. Billy doesn't look like a baby at all
beside him. Pegg's husband's name is Billy too. they have always
thought so much of my Baby and they made him a present of a nice
Silver cup with his three initials engraved on it. Where is Charlotte
staying now? - and why doesn't she write to me? I thought she was in
New York by now. Edith wants her address as she is going to take a
trip to California this summer. I don't believe I told you that she
and Burt are separated and she has been married again for almost two
years. Her new husband's name is Clifford Swanson and they have the
Angeles Hotel at Port Angeles, Wash. She is eight years older than
he, but she says they are perfectly happy. They have a big car they
call the "Cliffordina" and are going to sell their Hotel and travel
in their car. he must have had a little money. Poor Zelpha has had
lots of trouble hasn't she? Gertie wrote me about them all being
sick. I think she said the little Baby had the measles. I wonder what
has become of Jack anyway. He has probably got the wandering fever
again. Lester told me to ask you what Alfalfa land is worth an acre
down there. What size ranch has Cecil and Floss. When we make our
stake we will come down there and buy a ranch too. You had a nice
trip didn't you that country must be almost as mountainous as this
is. We had a nice ride up the Bear River road the other evening. Mrs.
& Mr. Mayer came in their car and took Lester and Billy and I for
a drive. We went through Stewart B.C. and away up among the hills on
the Canadian side. We didn't have anything here on the 4th only a
ball game and a dance. I took Billy to the dance and he was just fine
and slept most of the time. He wore his first pair of rompers and
looked so cute in them - he weighs 17 lbs now. Well mother I must
stop for tonight as it is 11 p.m. and Lester and Billy are both in
bed asleep. Write again soon. With Love and best wishes from all of
us. as ever. Bess
I will send 2 pictures and you can take the one you want and give the
other one to Chi
Note: both the above letters were in an envelope addressed to
A.V. McFarling, Healdsburg, RTD, Sonoma Co., Cal c/o Geo.
Rose ... Windsor c/o Mrs. C.A. Pitkin were crossed out ...
enveloped dated May 13, 1923.
Ethel (McFarling) Rose to her sister, Mrs. T.R. Barton,
January 28, 1930:
Healdsburg, Calif
Jan 28 - 1930
My Dearest Sister -
Will at last try to write you a few lines. I've just been too
ornery to write letters its been so cold had to keep covered up to
the eyes most of the time. I didn't get up much during that cold
spell we had. We had snow too but it did not stay long on the low
ground. stayed quite a while on the hills. The last few days has been
sunny and nice. I am feeling some better than when you were down
here. I was glad to hear you got home all OK and just in time too to
miss most of the bad weather. I got the things you sent me and they
sure do come in handy the shawl even makes a cover for me when I am
lying on the couch, and thanks dear for the things to pretty up with
you put in the vanity case. Cant think of much of anything new since
you were here. Jessie and Dorist came the same day you left here.
they were on their way to Lakeport Jessie spent Christmas in S.R.
with Ardith had a letter from her saying she wants to come down and
stay with us for a while. I must answer it as I don't want her to
come while I am gone. I am going over and stay with Ethel Bill you
know that is what we all call Bill Rose's wife. she just has her
heart set on me coming. she is good in Science and wants to help me
so will go for a couple of weeks. have you heard anything from Ethel
Mc. I wondered if she came back, but I suppose she did haven't heard
a word of them. I hear from Eva quite often. Guess you had a letter
from her telling you about Rita & Ed arriving there the same day
you and Tom left there, on Monday so guess they had a lively
Christmas, I guess poor mother feels like she is buried in the snow.
They had a lot of it up there. Eva said she dont think that mother
suffered any with the cold. They kept good fires burning she said day
and night. Well dont know much more to write and I am getting tired.
I am lying on the couch writing its hard to lay down and write. The
kids are fine, Sis has been trying to make Bernice and herself a
dress she dont seem to get much time to sew. Well I will ring off.
and say dont be afraid to use that paper I always like to hear form
you, With lots of love Your Sis Ethel.
(PS) You wanted to know if I had Shys add. I did have but guess
the letter it was in got burnt up, you can get it from Eva. I'll have
to get it again too.
Note: above letter addressed to Mrs. T.R. Barton, Sappho,
Wash. from Mrs. Geo. W. Rose, Healdsburg, RFD #2, Calif.,
stamped Jan 31, 1930. In the same letter was a torn scrap of
paper with "died 1934 May 8 Alice McFarling 75." Ethel
(McFarling) Rose died 30 April 1930. Also in the same letter
was this poem:
This Christmas Card carried the following message from Bess
to "Tom & Allie" [Tom and Alice (McFarling) Barton],
1944:
Skagway Alaska
Dec 10/44
Darest Sis. what a surprise this will be after all these years. I am truly ashamed of myself for not writing before. Seems as tho I just keep putting off writing all of the time. and it never gets done. If you get this please answer and I will do my best to write a real letter to you - and tell you, all the news from us. Bill is in the Coast Guard service, so he isn't with us any more. Love and best wishes to you and Tom.
Your Sis Bess.
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