Charles E. H. Bates Family Correspondence, 1922-1923

[Imprint: H. L. A. Bates 227 Pine Street San Francisco, Cal. ]

May 29th 1922 Monday 10 AM

My dear old Sned:

I enclose you cheque for June. We got a fine long letter from you Sat, in which you felt confident as to the outcome of your exams. I dont expect to hear from you again until next week as you will be boning on your exams until June 1st and wont have time. We are praying for you at this end of the line.

We dont know where to address Dick, as we have understood that he would be through at Columbia about now. I hope he will let us know as there are letters from the Treasury Dept and from Mr Bank for him.

Jos is entering his fourth week of vacation and is still at Brookdale. Mother and I were to have visited them there but the girls are having houseparties and there is no room. I feel a little hurt about it, though I have no right to be as the house belong[s] to the L's, and not to Jos. Mrs. Kilpatrick has been there for a week and got back (on her way back to Vallejo) last evening. She telephoned to say that Jos hoped to come back to Alameda this week so that he could see something of Mother and me, before going back to Marysville, but I doubt if Martha will want to leave until the last minute.

Mother has been feeling better the last few days and thinks the warm weather is good for her. Yesterday Jack John Ella Mother & I went to Redwood Canyon

on a picnic and enjoyed it very much. Tomorrow is Decoration Day, a holiday, but I dont know what we will do. Old Alex Marcellin left last night with his wife on the way back to France. We are sorry to have him go. He leaves from New York on a French liner for Havre. Mother was wishing that you could see him as he was a faithful soul, and thought so much of you boys.

They have begun work on Jack's house. He is having the bathroom all torn out, and is going to put in a shower etc. and tile it all. I dont think they can get in until the end of June.

I hope to hear from you before long regarding your back transportation. If you dont get it, you will have to let me know how much money I shall send you to come home on.

We got a nice letter from Helen. It seems she is not getting over those attacks as we all hoped. She has been two years under Zabriskie now.

Best love to you, Nor & Helen from your loving father

H L A Bates

May 30, 1923

Dear Edward,

What do you think of my children? Aren't they two of the finest babies you ever saw? They can't be beat, I am sure of that.

We went on a picnic today to Calaveras Canyon with your father and mother, and had a fine day. Mary Helen Bates advises to get out in the country, but "Baby Buzza" had a tummy ache so wasn't so happy.

Richard Jocelyn Bates is a wonderful boy as good as gold and his gaining so fast. He weighs 13/2 lbs now, he'll be four months on the 9th of June. He sleeps a great deal, and I don't[underlined] pick him up or allow others to when he cries unless he's in pain which is very seldom. I read your letter about nursing babies, and I agree heartily with you. I have been so thankful that I have been able to nurse my babies so long.

Dad bought the old transport "Buford" and has almost made her over to carry passengers and freight to Alaska. She went out today for

her first trip. Marion, Mabel, Jane and John expect to go in July as they are going to run an excursion, and to the inside passage to Nome, and Siberia, and into the Arctic Ocean. They are quite excited about it, and I wish I were going to.

Alice is home again after having had a wonderful trip. She just loved Louisville, Ky.

We are still at home but hope to find something for ourselves very soon we're living on love now but Joc likes his position and expects a raise very soon.

Well Sned, there's news, and Jane is sleeping I can't see. We are hoping to see you this summer and wish you could bring Nor, Helen and Patsy along with you.

We all send our love, Be good, and come home this summer

Lovingly, Martha

[Imprint: H. L. A. BATES 277 PINE STREET SAN FRANCISCO, CAL. ]

June 7th 1923 Thursday 1030 AM

My dear old Sned:

We received your wire yesterday, and were delighted to know that your hard work and devotion to your duties had enabled you to pass all your examinations. We wired you love & congratulations last night. Your message said "am now SOW senior". We suppose this means "LOW" senior. We note that you have had a hot wave and hope that it will soon pass. Here we have hardly seen the sun for a week or more. High fogs are the order of the day, and so cold that we have the furnace going at home every evening.

I got a letter from Les yesterday acknowleging receipt of my photograph and expressing his views favourably regarding it. He wants Mother and me to take a couple of weeks off and come down, but we cannot do it for various reasons. Jack Fritschi has left the St Paul office. He was let out May 31st. Goodwin the manager assisted by MacKay, are trying to freeze him out of his partnership in the automobile Gen agency of which Jack/owns 1/4th.

Ella is worried and so are Mother and I, as it is very hard to get a good paying job in the insurance business, particularly for an official of a company as Jack was. John is going with a party of 50 boys to the Yosemite Saturday for two or three weeks.

Jos is working very hard with long hours. He catches the 630 AM boat from Alameda and gets home about 715 PM. Today is Martha's birthday as Jos and Martha are coming to our