July 28, 1914 - My heart was in my mouth . . .

Here is the last postcard from Joe's business trip in July 1914. I love the old postcards and  quick notes that he shared along the way.

Have just come up this machine. My heart was in my mouth near the top when the car gradually stopped.
Joe.

The Duquesne Incline Pittsburgh has been refurbished and is still in operation. Really nice to see landmarks preserved.
Here are a couple of  images that show how it looks today. One from the top and one from the bottom like Joe's postcard.

In August I will be posting newspaper articles, a letter Joe sent a good friend on August 21 and photographs of Helen and her family on vacation.

July 27, 1914 - Postcard from Cleveland

As Joe continues his business travels he keeps Helen updated with postcard messages.

In addition I might add that the Elk's Club House here is all that you could desire. It's simply wonderful.
Joe.

As you can see from this postcard this was a very thriving part of Cleveland in 1914. The monument in the center is the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument. This area of Cleveland looks very different today but the monument still stands.

The next postcard will be July 28.

July 26, 1914 - It's Greek to me.

Joe continues on his journey from Peru, Indiana to a small town north of Detroit, Michigan and then to Ontario, Canada. He sure got around.

 

7/26/14
Am now in Mt. Clemens. All hotels & baths here. Just had a "Kosher" dinner & it was some meal. Almost as good as in Pine Forest Camp. And the service the same. Never again.
Joe.

Spending the afternoon here, don't ye know.
Have heard lots of French, but it's all Greek to me.
Joe.

The next postcard will be July 27.

July 25, 1914 - Bound for Indiana . . .

Joe was off on a business trip and for the next couple of days he jotted postcards. As you will see he managed for Helen to get two postcards on the same day form the same town of Peru, Indiana.
As we can see from the address Helen is still in Far Rockaway.

7/25/1914
Am on C.& O.train bound for Indiana.
The train is just stopping at Melville. Its 7:40 A.M.
You see, I got up before breakfast & am still without it.
Joe

The joke is that I have a lawyer from Bayonne N.J. with me, with whom I became friendly in Chicago & who, when he heard of my trip, asked if I would take him. I was very glad for this; & this morning when I gave him some cards to mail en route, he mailed them from here. Now you have 2 from Peru.
Joe

The next postcard is July 26.

July 17, 1914 - Tounge Wagging Must Stop

This brief article from July 17, 1914 really gives a glimpse into the moral character of the time, 100 years ago. I can't imagine what the courts would look like now if that were the case today. I know that Joe would be appalled by the language in the media and on the streets.

TONGUE WAGGING MUST STOP.

Judge Dillon Issues Threat Following Trial of Neighbors' Quarrel

In the town court this morning before Judge J. B. Dillon a neighbors' quarrel was aired. Mrs. John E. Soderstrom of Howe avenue, was charged with breach of the peace, but as there was no evidence to uphold the charge, Prosecutor Shapiro recommended a nolle in the case and on the recommendation of the Attorney Frederick M. McCarthy of Ansonia, who represented. Mrs. Soderstrom, the accused was found not guilty and a discharge given inasmuch as the case had been heard.

Prosecutor Shapiro announced while making his recommendation to the court that he was introduced to some of the Shelton women the very day he took his oath of office and that he has been writing letters and threatening to prosecute ever since, and has decided that tongue wagging and scandal mongering which gives rise to the many neighbor fights mostly of the tongue lashing character, must stop. He also stated that in the future he will give these matters investigation with the idea of prosecuting both parties on a breach of peace charge.

I have included a link to explain the word nolle to those that may not know this legal term.

More articles to follow soon.

July 8, 1914 - Addendum to Postcards at Sea

Everything, it appears, was newsworthy in those days. I have come upon an article when Joe and his friends arrived home safely from their trip to Block Island. This is an addendum to the previous two postcards that Joe sent Helen from his exciting summer excursion. As you will see from the newspaper clip it was actually that exciting.

  

HAD GOOD SAIL.

Prosecuting Attorney Shapiro Off with a Party Cruising to Block

Prosecuting Attorney Joseph Shapiro has returned from a cruise along Long Island sound extending beyond Block Island. Prosecutor Shapiro accompanies Judge Wilder of the Bridgeport city court and other friends including Capt. William Howell, who is a lieutenant in the U. S. navy and was on the monitor Montaug during the Spanish war, and Louis Boetger who is engineer in the plant of the Wheeler & Wilson Company of Bridgeport.

The outing which was made in the motor cruiser "Peggy," was filled with happenings. The run to Block Island from Bridgeport was made in nineteen hours. The party ran into a school of sardines which were so thick that they almost stopped the progress of the boat. The party was especially fortunate in running into this school at night as the fish only run into certain places about once a month in season. The party saw lots of sword fish, porpoises, mackerel and blue fish

The men had a wild night last Wednesday night when they tried to negotiate the eastern end of Block Island during a gale. To round the point is quite an accomplishment even in ordinary weather being quite a test of seamanship. The gale was so severe that the cruiser was driven out to sea and all efforts to get back to port were futile until the next day. It was a wild night on the coast for the land
lubbers but the fact that Capt. Howell was at the wheel was reassuring.

The return home was made along the Long Island shore where the principal points of interest were taken in. At Greenpoint on July 4th the party ran into the fleet of millionaires' yachts which was an interesting sight as there are an unusual number of these floating palaces anchored there.


I thought this was fun to add into the archive because Joe did not give all of the details of this excursion most likely due to the lack of space on the postcards.


There will be another article posted on July 17.

July 5, 1914 - Meanwhile on Ellis Island

In 1891 Boruch Srapocznik was born in Odessa, Russia. In about 1912 or 1913 at the age of about 21 Boruch set out for America. There were quotas in America and therefore he left Russia and went to Buenos Aires where he stayed until he was able to complete his journey to the United States. On June 11, 1914 he left Buenos Aires and arrived 24 days later at Ellis Island.

Below is a copy of the receipt for his ticket for the trip. Because we had this information we were able to locate the ship manifest for the SS Vauban in the files at Ellis Island and find where Boruch was listed and all of the information they needed about him. He was a 23 year old tailor with brown eyes and dark brown hair. He was a small man, as it states, only 5 feet 5 inches tall. The manifest states that he was going to stay with his brother-in-law David Etin in New York. In fact, we do not believe he had a brother-in-law so we assume it was a cousin or a friend of the family that had settled here earlier.

Below is the receipt for this exciting journey. It cost $4.00 for a Third Class ticket.

 Here is a painting of the ship. Third class must have made for an uncomfortable journey for 24 days.

Here is the spread in the log book when Boruch was signed into Ellis Island. I have highlighted in pink where his name is.

So who is Boruch Srapocznik? Why am I including this on the blog about Joe and Helen?

In America Boruch became Benjamin (Bennie) Shapiro. He continued his craft and skill as a tailor and eventually met Gertrude (Gussie) Zimmerman. They wed and they eventually became Joe and Helen's in-laws.

As I write this I realize that both of my grandfathers were aboard ships within miles of each other. One, an educated lawyer from Connecticut embarking on an exciting career and courting a Barnard College sophomore. The other, a poor tailor arriving in a country where he did not speak the language, only had slight acquaintances, given a new name and entering the unknown.


The next letter is July 25.

July 4, 1914 - Lost in North Atlantic Sea

This postcard must have been a continuation of the trip Joe was taking when he wrote on July 2, 1914 from Block Island.

Fourth of July
1914
We were lost in a North Atlantic sea till this morning. Gale almost ruined our yacht, but finally sun came out. We are all in from 48 hours constant watch.
Joe

This postcard shows the Long Beach Lighthouse which is still in existence today and can be visited on tours of lighthouse cruises. In researching this lighthouse I discovered that the original Orient Long Beach Lighthouse burned down in 1963. The foundation remained and that is where the replica was built in 1990.

Photo by Photo GEM on Flickr

The next post will be on July 5.

The next letter will be on July 25.

July 2, 1914 - Hit a storm at nightfall . . .

July 1914 was filled with postcard correspondence from Joe. He traveled on business and perhaps pleasure and it appears that Helen was in Far Rockaway for most of July. Below you will see a spread from Helen's datebook from July when they left for Far Rockaway, a getaway for New York City dwellers.

Joe sent postcards when he could from his business and holiday journeys. The first being Block Island, Rhode Island.

7/2/14 No mail will reach me for at least ten days.
Am off to Rhode Island & yesterday sailed for 17 hours. We hit a storm at nightfall and were buffeted around. During the day I was taught to steer and was at the wheel from 3:30 P.M. to 9 P.M. and finally had to seek refuge in this lake.
Joe

Helen's Datebook from 1914

Here is the datebook of Helen's from 1914. Since this is the first time I am posting from this I am including the cover and the inside front page. I will periodically post pages throughout the rest of the year where informative. Whenever I come across Helen's writing I am happy that I am transcribing Joe's letters.

You can see that Joe and Helen had a date on Saturday June 28th. I can not make out the writing but I see that it is n quotes so they must have gone to theater.

New Yorkers flee to Far Rockaway

This is a postcard that I found online of the street that they stayed on.  From what I can surmise Grand View Ave. does not exist anymore.

The next postcard will be on July 4.