MIANTRIM-L Archives

From: "Lee Taylor" <>
Subject: A letter from great-great grandpa
Date: Sat, 10 Mar 2001 19:30:43 -0500

This letter is from my great-great grandfather, Chambers Sterrett Bates
dated April 1899. He was a teacher and would go into town to teach. I don't
remember off the top of my head where he and Emily were living at the time,
but he was clearly staying with his son (my great-grandfather) Elmer and his
family in Grass Lake when he wrote these 2 letters. Perhaps they lived in
Excelsior at the time? Anyhow, there are only a couple of names in here, but
thought you all might enjoy this one, too.

Lee


The following is a letter from Chambers Sterrett Bates to his wife Emily
Susan (Newell) Bates.

Sideways on the back of the letter:

"Sunday I thought I had sent this until today so I will send both"

I have another letter date 4-15-99, so these 2 were probably sent together.
I include both here.

"Excelsior Mich 4-10-99

Dear Em
Your letter read today and I answer now but do not know when I will be able
to send it to the PO [see note above] for we are busy in the sugar we brot
up tonight those 2 big pails full of thick syrup and did not get the
Evap-erator started until about 3 oclock and lots of sap ahead for tomorrow
buckets will all be full in the morning. I do not know when I will be down.
In regard to your letter had you not better wait and see if we do not make a
sale of the place there before you get them for we are a going to be verry
short before we can get our house so we can get into even the wing even.
Stoves &c &c cost heavy and if we do not have money enough I can get your
teeth and pay for them out of my pension money when it comes for the July
payment so you had better wait until I see you before you order. You can say
to them in regard to the Place they can have it for $250.00 cash or $100.00
or $150.00 down and the ballance add ten per cent per annum with a mortgage
secureing the ballance it drawing 8 per cent per annum. I will write you
this as mer [merely?] a guide you can ask what you please and can make the
trade without me we should realize the 250 spot cash and charge enough more
to make it sure that we will realise the amount of cash clear. You can say
to them there are others after the place and the first one comes will get
the place. All are well tis 9 oclock and am tired and will go to bed I may
write more later. Regards to all tell the Boy to fight for enough to eat.
C.S.B."

There is a face doodled next to the C.S.B. at the end of the letter.

This letter certainly correts a misconception that I had about them having a
lot of money. It sounds like they probably had some meager reserves, but
could not buy/furnish even part of a new place without the money from sale
of other property. The interest rates quoted seem kind of high. Were these
common at the turn of the century? Or was Chambers eager to get cash for the
property and not drag it out into a longer term series of payments? I'd like
to see the letters Emily wrote in between these. Does anyone have them?

The second letter...

Written sideways at the top of the letter:

"When I come I will bring you all a sampleso you all can have a taste of
what we have in abundance at present. Regards to all. CSB"

This must be the syrup mentioned in the above letter.

"Excelsior Mich
4-15-99

Dear Em
As it is snowing this afternoon I will improve the time in writing I
finished up this fournoon all the sap on hand and it made our stock of syrup
all told now 32 Gallons. We have had no sugar weather as yet and but little
sap it starts off brisk in the morning but dryes up in a little while we
have not had all told one days of sap in a good 24 hr run. It will be some
time probably before I can come down the snow is yet too deep to run a wagon
but will be compelled to go some place to get Canns as we are putting it in
a Barrell at pressent.
I wrote you in my last letter regarding the Place sell it to any body who
may pay our price of $200.00 and hold it for no person but let the first one
comes who has the money have it if Foxes [???] wants it they can take it now
as well as to wait and we had not better to lie ourselves up and thereby may
loose a chance of a sale they need not wait for to see me for if I do come I
will have no time to bother with them. so you can sell and make the Deed
without my being there as well as if I was there. get all cash if possible
if not all get as much as you can. All are usually well and hearty but I am
getting a little tired of this kind of a life and am in hopes you will be
able to come before long. The snow is about all gone in the fields but the
Drifts are what bothers about going. If you see Blair ask him what he done
with my Will Straps [???]. Elmer and the hired man are cutting wood when not
haulling sap. Regards to Wallaces one and all and I remain yours
Chamb

Sunday Mrs Spears is here and will send this by them they are going to Kaska
tomorrow All well today as usual the Kidds start for school tomorrow morning
for the first for the season. hoping to hear from you often. we are getting
but little sap the wind dryes up the sap and we gather once in about 2 days
and then the buckets will not be half full. Tell Mrs Wallace not to depend
on our letting them have any syrup as Elmer has got to fill his contract for
100 Gals without fail."

Questions:

- Is that Foxes? Or taxes? Who are the Foxes if it is Foxes?

- Who are the Wallaces?

- Who is Mrs. Spears?

Transcribed by
Lee A. Taylor
26 June 1999

From Roy Sherman Taylor:

"The way I read Chambers letter at the end when he talked about the kids
going to school and 'Elmer' needing 100 gal of maple syrup, is that they are
tapping maple trees on the 40 acres and then also clearing some of the land
??

Now remember in all the pictures that Heine has left and when we were up
there she indicated that there were about 40 acres clear. Now, I don't know
how large the farm was in total, but remember that it was sold for the large
trees on it ( sold to Mr. Kodak ? ).

When we saw the land, there were trees growing back into the open field, and
my guess was that the clearing was 40 acres. Remember that the company that
"bought" the farm for the trees never recorded the deed of sale. That was a
shame that we did not know about it because it could have been reclaimed for
just back taxes.

Anyway, Iam a little confused what house was being build that needed the
money. At the time of the letter didn't Chambers own a home in town
somewhere ? Or was he living in the barn and helping building the house or
what ? We need a time line to mark every thing down for me to understand
the events in their proper order.

I would also guess that someone could come up witht he names of Heine's
childhood friend. I know that her kids insisted that she spend the winters
in Detroit and that was when someone broke into her home in Kalkaska and
stole all the old stuff. They might remember details that we would like to
know."

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• A letter from great-great grandpa by "Lee Taylor" <>