Student Letters

1834

[Official Postal Stamp ?]

Mr. Oliver Baker New Haven Conn.

[crossed out?] born in Templeton although I have not the precise record of the place at hand. I hope this will cover all you wish to know, as I have not your first letter at hand I am not able to refer to it in particular. I am very truly Yours Lucas Baker.

P.S. Samuel Baker b. July 3 1753 d. June 22. 182[8?] aged 71 years 11 months 19 days

Hannah died Aug 11 1831 aged 71 years 6 months 28 days

There were the fathers and mothers of Oliver and Otis Baker.

B.

Phillips Academy Andover Friday Dec 30th 64

Dear Father,

I rec'd your short but very welcome letter yesterday morning and this is the first opportunity I have had of replying. It was the first one I had rec'd from home since I left and the 2nd from Palmyra. I never went so long with so few letters in my life i.e. since I came to Andover. I felt rather [provoked?] and somewhat [crusty?] at it as perhaps the tenor of my last letter showed you. But you letter fully made up for it. I wondered that my box did not arrive. I expected it by Christmas Eve but was of course disappointed. All I ask is that you will send it as soon as possible. My Boots have about given out entirely, err not entirely but considerably. That is to say the wet weather & Andover mud have considerably depreciated their value. And owing to lack of grease I have not been able to attend to them properly. Don't fail to put

all the articles I sent for and besides a holder for the stove, to take hold of my [pokers?] with. I'm sorry that the firm in Rochester have made such a botch of every order for books that you have sent for me. I have already read Smith's History of Greece & [Bruex?] Virgil They arrived before I left so if you have another copy or copies of either of those you can return them to Rochester. I want Doderleins Latin Synonyms, Henshaws synopsis Greek Verbs Long's Classical Atlas & [Gumpt's] Latin Grammar (Revised Edition & Larger works). Look in the preface and be sure that the Latin Grammar is the latest & largest edition. Also Liddell's History of Rome which I see by your letter they did not send. The German and French books I have no reason for and will be an unnecessary expence. Write on receipt of this and don't wait your letters on account of the box. I wish if it would not be too much trouble you would put in 5 or 6 lbs of your better crackers. you have to pay more than double for them here than there.

And as my lessons are tough when I get up very early in the morning I find I need some aliment before breakfast. We have supper at 4:30P.M. & breakfast at 6:30 A.M. and when I study all the evening and then am obliged to before breakfast I find I need nourishment between whiles. I will write the first of next month and send over as I promised a list of my expenses to that. Have you ever written to Josiah Hammond M.D. of Plimpstown yet? Remember me to Webster, Sophie, Jo and [mother?], Aunt [Maria?] and last but not least give the hand [puncher?] also to Andrews. I have no time to write more at present indeed I've been obliged to take time from my lessons in order to write this. A Happy New year to you all. I don't have time to do much of anything now but study and only hope my health will be preserved both of body & mind. Don't forget to write nor to send the crackers. If you have any [illegible]

? nicknacks or ???? to eat or to ornament ? or shelf ? plenty of room in the ??? considerably more and the rather breadth of carpet does ? for want of sufficient space to breath in. ?? ??? put one more stove consider to keep one in here and a

Andover Jan. 13 1865

After the lapse of one week & a half my dear Sister I snatch a few moments to write you a few lines. Since I last wrote we have had some of the coldest weather I evere experienced.

In your letter of the 8th inst. & rec'd on the 10th, you say the girls are all grumbling. I suppose in Philade the thermometer stood at about zero or perhaps a little below it. Will you please tell the young ladies with my complements that on that day I only wished I could get in a house that was so nearly airtight as yours. But this is one of the digressions for which Mr. Gough is so famous. Sunday morning I awakened at the usual time but when I put my head out of bed I concluded that I would not go to church that morning. Before making a fire the thermometer was about 15 above zero in my room. The thermometer outside of my window was 7 below zero. Seymour went to church but when he returned he said he would not go to church in the afternoon on any consideration. He ran all the way home

but said he was nearly frozen in the attempt. Perhaps you may be able to comprehend our situaiton if I tell you that the wind was blowing a strong North breeze, also that all our windows are worthless as regards keeping the cold out for they all have cracks that admit the air. Now with this discription of the weather you are prepared to hear something that with make you pity as well as wonder. About 8 a.m. on Sunday morning the "Old South" began to ring an alarm of fire. The boys turned out with the Academy hand-engine. As I was in bed I did not attend.

At this fire several of the boys had their ears frozen, one had his hand frozen, Davidson took cold in every part of his body so that it was quite painful for him to move about for some days. A few days after I went ot see the place of the fire & found the woodhouse totally destroyed as well as the roof of the backbuilding adjoining.

The house stands on main street just above Love Lane on the right side of the way going down town. It was very difficult to work the engine for the water froze & clogged the engine if they stopped even for a little while. That

day the thermometer stood at 6 1/2 AM at 7 below, at 12PM at 5 1/2 below ~ 5 P.M. ~ 5 1/2 ~ & at 9 P.M. ~ 12 degrees below. I forgot to mention that everything in the shape of water in my room froze over, & I was obliged to thaw it out before I could perform my ablutions. The next day (Monday) the thermometer at the same hours above was 18 degrees below, 4 below, 4 above, 0 degrees. When I went to breakfast I thought my nose would freeze before I reached the house, for all the way was against the wind, a strong, cutting Northern blast. Returning was not so severe because the wind was behind me all the way. At Melrose about 10 miles to the southwest it was as low as 20 degrees below. So much for the weather. To-day (Sat) I am writing in a room without a fire & 42 degrees above zero for an outside termperature. I have got so much to say that I don't know whether I will be able to tell it all in this letter. I rec'd your last letter just before I went to speaking Exercise. After I had recited my piece (The Battle of Ivry) I read your letter. How busy I have been the last week you cannot possibly conceive. As it was my first week here I have

I changed full shave for gal. of oil although I had used some because I will have the trouble of cleaning etc. (2) When I want a chess board I draw it on the slate We don't have time to play that now when the snow is on the ground it will be nice for it. Some boys show boards painted on their tables thus [drawing] I could like to ree an Inquierer once in awhile when any parade or anything is going on in the city I am glad you are going to repaper they needed it badly. My paper is not up yet. Mr. Farley says he can't get the man who does it for he is working now in a neighboring tour Where did you get carpet like mine? What price per yd? & what was freight? Lend me my experiences in Latin Prose written in stiff backed exercise cork with A.L.P.C. on bottom of yellow label on side, you lend my greek like it but I have no use for greek, I study about 3 1/2 hours a day. Lend Anthonis Lat. Die. by mail soon as possible don't wait for express I am borrowing round till it comes!