February 25, 1913 - Thank the little Roman gods . . .

It has been a month since I posted the first letter from Joe to Helen and he is starting to reveal his personality and his sense of humor.  If there are expressions in his letters that need explanation or translation I will note them at the bottom of the transcription as you will see in this current post.

February 25th
Dear Helen,
I received your kind letter Monday morning but have not had one moment that I could reply in.
As you surmised I was quite sick last week, but in spite of it, I had two cases to try out, and both together took up from Tuesday till Friday afternoon. You would have laughed - unless your sympathetic nature got the best of you - to see me talking to witnesses in my office, while I would be taking some medicine, and then figuring out when the next chill was due. I imagine that my unusually good "tummy' revolted at something I treated it with and then a sort of cold crept on and got a strangle hold.
In addition to all of that, I could hardly spend one night all last week at home, because of the number of things that are constantly bobbing up.
Well, when Washington's birthday stepped into town, I decided to stay at home and fix up. I decided in other words to spend a quite little evening in a soliloquy with a particular friend of mine whose initials are - as Pauline refers to him - J.G.S. Do you know him? We had one grand time. We agreed perfectly. He had seen all the plays and operas I had, and he knew all of my friends.
But this comedy aside, Sunday, it seemed everybody I ever knew had guests. Why even Saltman had a house full. And of course, wie heisst*, I was invited to help entertain in five different homes on one evening. Can you beat it? Sometimes I haven't even one call on hand. In the morning I was rooted out of bed and taken for a long country walk with a fellow I like to walk with when I feel good, but he had a walking bug on and he being familiar enough paraded into my private rooms and hustled me out of the hay. While gone, my sister-in law told me an auto party called by but I was gone. Thank the little Roman gods I can't swear perhaps I would have. In the afternoon I enjoyed a session with some Elbert Hubbard friends and then in the evening you should have seen me hustle. From 7:30 to 12 I made four calls and had to cut one.
Do you remember my pet theory of a table of work? Recall how I divide hours for work, study and play? That's what I did. I divided the time into five parts, knew just where I'd be each minute, and in several places, killed a little too much time, so I cut the last out all together. But if I had not planned perhaps I would not even gone that far.
About the time I retired, my brother came in from a lecture in Brooklyn, and of course, we had to talk it all over.
So that when yesterday morning when I awoke, lo and behold, I was feeling a la Jonah** again. But I did not mind that so much because there was lots of work that occupied my mind till about 3 P.M. I had planned to answer your letter. Can you imagine my surprise when at that hour the door opens and in walks an old friend of mine from Toronto. The man that I visit when I'm there, whose sons treat me like a brother and whose home welcomes me royally. By now you are waiting for me to say something about his daughter. All right I will. She is extremely pretty, had Titian hair, and a wonderful girl. Is that enough? No! Well then, here's some more. She was eleven or twelve years old when I was there last August. I can just hear you roaring out loud.
So in he came. He was in New York on business, and as he says, he couldn't go back without calling on his dear "J.G.S." as he calls me. I very naturally spent the rest of the day with him and gave him the best there was here. That, incidentally, spiked my chances for letter writing.
So today I decided to reply before any new delays arose.
I now fear I have written too much, but you'll forgive me, I hope.
We have a meeting of an important lodge tonight and I've got to go; I'm Secretary.
Elbert Hubbard's lecture must have had its effect. Your letter style shows his influence. The short, epigrammatic, and long climax sentences abound in great numbers in your letter. It begins "I hope you are not ill". Of course you might have "hoped you are well", but Hubbard always reverses things to make the contrast sharper, and perhaps you have too.
I will not waste any more of your time. I am feeling fairly well again, and hope to be in New York Saturday.
How are your studies?
Sincerely,
Joseph G. Shapiro
*Called by name - as best as I can translate, if you know a better translation please let me know.
**As in under water.

In the next couple of weeks I will finish up about Meyer and start to explore some of the  photographs of Helen and Joe and their families.

Joe's next letter is on St. Patrick's Day 1913.

News Travels to Texas

After Meyer graduated, the local newspaper, The Bridgeport Sunday Herald wrote an article about the newest member of the law firm Shapiro and Shapiro. This article then got picked up by a newspaper in Houston, Texas called the Jewish Herald. They reprinted the article sharing many of Meyer's accolades with readers throughout the Jewish community. Another proud moment for the Shapiro family. Here is the front page of the newspaper, which gives a feeling for the look of the newspapers at that time. It is then followed by the article about Meyer and the transcription of the article.

HIGHEST HONOR THAT YALE COULD BESTOW.
Youthful Jewish Law Student Whose Name Will Be Enrolled with Noted American Jurists
(From the Bridgeport, Conn.,Sunday)
At the recent Yale commencement President Hadley conferred upon Meyer Merwin Shapiro of this city (Bridgeport) the highest honors that have ever been bestowed upon a Jewish student at Yale Law School. Mr. Shapiro was awarded the "Phelps Montgomery" prize for passing the highest examinations and his name will now be inscribed on the "Tablet of Honor" at Yale Law School, where the names of so many noted American jurists are enrolled. He also received the degree of L.L.B. Magna Cum Laude, the highest honor conferred upon any member of this year's graduating class in Yale Law School, for maintaining the highest excellence in all studies during his course. This entitled him to be class marshal at the commencement exercises.
As a result of his high standing in his class he was elected to the "Xi Tau Kappa," the honor fraternity at Yale Law School. Mr. Shapiro was very popular with his classmates, and was voted the hardest worker as well as one of those members of his class most likely to succeed. It is to his credit that he worked his way through Yale after having the misfortune of losing his father while a mere child. He was born in New York City, January 1 1889, of Russian Jewish parents in humble circumstances, and received his education in the public schools of Bridgeport and the New Haven high school, where he was also awarded honors on his graduation.
He has recently passed the Connecticut bar examinations, and intends to take up the practice of law at Bridgeport, Conn., with his brothers, Messrs. Charles H. Shapiro, an honor man in the Yale Law School of 1903, and Joseph G Shapiro, an honor man in the Yale Law School class of 1907, and winner of the first parliamentary law prize awarded a Jewish student at Yale
The Jewish Herald (Houston, Texas), Vol. 3, No. 3, Ed. 1, Friday September 30, 1910

The next letter from Joe to Helen will be posted on Monday February 25th - it's a good one . . .

Meyer Graduates Magna Cum Laude

In June of 1910 Meyer graduated Magna Cum Laude from Yale Law School. He received the highest grades in his graduating class which entitled him to be the class marshal. Meyer must have been proud of this accomplishment having seen his brother Joe leading his class in 1907. Because Meyer died so young his few possessions were cared for my Joe and that is why I am able to document this time in Meyer's life in such detail. Below is his official graduation photo taken at a New Haven portrait studio.

The Yale Law School had its own yearbook, called The Shingle. From my research this was published at the end of every year from 1893 to 1912. Perhaps it reflected the idea that when these young lawyers left Yale they would hang out their shingle in the town they would settle. Here is the cover of The Shingle from the class of 1910 followed by the piece that was written next to Meyer's portrait.

  

In the back of the yearbook they had a chart with student characteristics. I have added that here and highlighted his row. He did not get first place but as you can see he was often known for being the "Greatest Grind" as were his brothers in their yearbooks.

Of course, the diploma was his most cherished document that he acquired upon graduation.

In the next week I will add a bit more about Meyer.

Joe's next letter will be posted on February 25th.

Meyer works for tuition . . .

All of the Shapiro boys had to find ways to make money to pay for tuition and school supplies. Joe did tutoring and secretarial work among other odd jobs. Meyer had gained a reputation at Yale for being a hard working scholar and by his third and last year in law school he was getting requests for tutoring. Because he wanted to maintain his grades he reached out to his brother Joe for some advice. Here is a letter that Joe wrote Meyer to help him sort thru this decision. The envelope indicates that Meyer lived at home. This was the convenience of living in New Haven. Their home was about 1.5 miles from the Yale campus. 

May 11, 1910
My dear Meyer,
I received your letter, and hasten to reply in reference to your tutoring the fellow you speak of.
The most important thing is to do your own work yourself. That cannot and must not be overlooked.
If you can do your own work properly, there is no harm in tutoring the chap. I think it would help you learn a few things in addition.
You might study together with him; or you might read together after you studied your work.
That all depends on your own taste; so long as it does not impede or harm your own studying.
As to the price; try to get $50 for the work for I think it is worth it easily. Try hard for that amount. If you cannot take less; but I shouldn't go less than $25; as you suggest. Leave it to him to suggest a figure and make him pay you before you finish your work. See that you don't get stung.
Charles told me that you could get 40 or 50 volumes of American Decisions or some reports like that for ten cents per volume. If that is so; buy them at once and leave a deposit and we will reimburse you.
Hoping that everything is OK, I am
With regards
Your brother
Joe

More information to come about Meyer soon.

February 11, 1913 - Duty Calls . . .

The law firm, Shapiro and Shapiro, was doing well and this required that Joe travel some around the state of Connecticut and as you will soon see throughout much of the United States. He often took a moment to send a postcard to let Helen know that he was thinking of her.

2/11/13
Doesn't this remind you of a western scene? It is surprising how beautiful the country is right here. Mountains (almost) on one side and the river on the other. It is snowing viciously just now, but duty calls and the slaves must obey.
J.G.S.

The next letter in February will be on February 25th but I will continue to post more information about Meyer - giving him some attention that he never received in his short life.

Meyer earns a Key

Meyer continued to work hard at his studies and received high grades in all of his courses. In 1909, his second year, he received his key to the law honor society Chi Tau Kappa. This was the equivalent to Phi Beta Kappa key in the academic fields. Since we all saw my grandfather's key, daily on the vest of his suits, this was a familiar image. Recently, as I was sorting through a box of odds and ends, it was a total surprise to find the key Meyer had earned. Below is a photograph of the front and back of Meyer's pristine, almost never worn, key.

I went in search of the history of this honor society and found the beginning in a Yale Law Journal from 1908. Below is the page that I found and the transcription of the entry below it.

SCHOOL AND ALUMNI NOTES

At a recent meeting of the Law School honorary society of Chi Tau Kappa, held at Hendrie Hall, Chief Justice Baldwin of Connecticut delivered an address to the new members, explaining the aims and objects of the organization and reasons for its maintenance. At this meeting, the society, which had heretofore been in an embryo state only, was fully organized and plans laid to make the chapter at Yale the mother chapter of an organization which will have chapters in every important law school in the country. The society was founded on April 22, 1908, to take the place in the Law School filled by Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi in the Academic and Scientific departments, respectively. Every man who has an honor stand, which is the official mark of excellent scholarship in the Law School, is eligible to membership.


When this society became official in 1908 both Charles and Joe received their keys retroactively for the academic excellence they both achieved in their time at Yale.

Meyer Goes to Yale

Meyer followed in his brothers' footsteps and entered Yale Law School, a three year program, after graduating from New Haven High School - Hillhouse School in 1907. June 1907 must have been a very proud time in the Shapiro home because that was when Joe graduated from Yale Law School. Meyer had observed a study and work ethic from Charles and Joseph and would not disappoint. It was understood that they all had to work various jobs while in school to help pay for tuition and books.

Meyer completed his first year and below you can see the simple report that Yale sent out to the students to show their advancement to the next year.

Remembering Young Meyer

Meyer Merwin Shapiro was born in New York City on January 1, 1889 and as an infant moved to Bridgeport, Connecticut with his parents and brothers Charles and Joseph. Meyer was always a good hardworking student and looked up to his older brothers for guidance. He was still in grammar school when his father died in 1902. By this time Meyer had a younger brother Louis Leonard and a sister Clara Gittel. Their mother Esther was a very strong woman and managed to move to New Haven and successfully raise her five children in a community where her "boys" could go to a good college. They all went to New Haven High School - The Hillhouse School. Below is a report card that we found from when Meyer was in his second year. It is interesting to note that he changed his name for a short time to Meyer Martin and dropped the Merwin. On the family tree posted earlier Meyer's middle name was originally Mendel. So it looks like the path was Mendel to Martin to Merwin.

When you take a close look at the signatures above you can see that the first two are different from the last two. From looking at other report cards of Joe's I have come to realize that the former are signed by Charles and the latter by Joe. They apparently signed for their mother.
Since the next letter is not until February 11 I will take the opportunity in the next week to fill you in on some history that we have about Meyer.