Allison, Ill. Jan. 1.

Dear Brother Charley.

Well Charley the New Yrs. is starting in and I feel some how like its going to be a lucky yr. for me and Im going to try and do my best to make it lucky. I bet they wont be no throwing away money this yr. like they was last yr. and by a yr. from now I wont have no morgage hanging on my head but will have the house all payed for and every thing clear and a little money in the bank besides.

Between you and I Charley theys some money in the bank right now and beleive me thats where shes going to stay. I got some thing over $600.00 salted away and they wont be another paymunt on the house dew till July and nothing to pay between then and now but regular expences that a man can pay out of your salery if you dont make a monkey out of yourself. Thats what Im going to do this yr. Charley is live close and not toss my money a round like it was a drunkard sailor.

In the 1st place Im going to cut down on smokeing because I figgure where I smoke to much and when a man smokes as much is I been in the habit you get up in the a.m. feeling like a tramp and hawk and cough like you was going to loose a lunge. And Im going to cut out the booze all together and of coarse you know I aint the kind that guzzles it down like I was scarred they was going to quit selling it though I can hold a bbl. of it and not never show no affect but I dont never take more then say 5 or 6 drinks a day and mostly beer at that but it runs in to money because you dont feel like buying for yourself and none of your friends and they aint a bar where I go in to that they aint 1 or 2 of my freinds in there and I got as many freinds is the next man but they aint none of them that sores there throte up saying No thanks or Have another or stranes there bicepts halling out there money to buy back. But any way Im going to cut it all out and Im going to try and make my cloths last as long is theyll hold together and if I play cards it will be jest for fun and not cent a pt. or nothing like that.

The $600.00 thats in the bank is what Grace give me to keep for her and she says she was scarred to trust herself with that amt. in her own name or she would be blowing it in for cloths. I never seen the woman yet that could hold on to a chunk of money but they got to throw it to the birds as soon is they get there hands on it. So Grace used good judgement turning it over to me and they couldent no body get it away from me with a crow bar unlest its to pay honest dedts or some thing.

Of coarse the $600.00 was part of Graces berthday present from her old man and she can do what she please with it but she turning it over to me looks like she had better sence about money then the 1st few yrs. we was married.

Happy New yr. and prosterity to you and Mary.

Allison. Ill. Jan. 22.

Brother Charley.

Well Charley I was wandering how long it would take before Grace begin iching for the little hunk of money she give me to keep for her and its a good thing I got it where she cant touch it or she would be as clean is a whistle in the side of a month.

When I come home last night she was all exited and I ast her what was the idear and she says she had some thing to tell me but she was scarred to tell me so I told her to hurry up and get it off of her chest because even if it was a murder confession I wouldent squeal on acct. of she being the mother of my childern. So she says. They aint no crime about it but your such a old Sherlock with other peoples money that Im scarred to ask for whats my own. So I says I suppose you want to buy a fur coat or a new dress or some thing and you all ready got enough cloths a round the house to make Marshall and Feild jellus. Yes she says but they aint none of them in styles but theys no use argueing a bout that because it aint cloths Im thinking a bout. So I says Come clean with your getting at and if its some thing you realy got to have I wont raise up no objections.

So what do you think she sprung on me Charley. She says she had been down on Wabash ave. with Mrs. Dutton and walked passed a piano store and seen a piano in the window that was advertised to sell for $110.00 and the reglar price of that kind of a piano was $250.00. But they was selling this 1 cheap because some body had ordered it and made a paymunt and had it sent out to there house and then desided they dident want it and sent it back. So Grace says she wanted to buy it.

Well I says if them other people dident want it they was probily some thing the matter with it and may be it was off the key. No she says it was OK because Mrs. Dutton set down and tride it. So I says I dont want Mrs. Dutton hanging a round the house all the wile and they aint niether I or you or the babys that can play a piano so what good would it be to us. So she says she or the babys could lern on it. Yes I says you got a lot of time to lern a piano and as far is the babys is conserned the 1st thing I want them to lern is sleep nights and get there mouth located at table.

Well she says supose they wasent no body to play it it would look good in the liveing rm. All right I says I know where I can get a man down town to paint 1 on the wall for $20.00.

So she says she knowed I would act that way a bout it and I says Yes and your pretty lucky to have a husband thats got some thing under there hat besides scalp deceases and I says if you got to have a music instermunt in a famly where they cant no body even play rummy get 1 that dont cost no big money and 1 that dont take up no rm. Get a flute I says and when we hear callers comeing at night we can set it up in a corner for them to admire it and day times you can use it for a roling pin.

So she left the rm. without saying nothing and thought I would feel sorry for her and chase after her and tell her she could buy her old piano and higher a forner to come out evry night and play it but I wasent going to fall for no sob stuff and when I says I would keep her money for her I ment I would keep it and not throw it away on junk we cant aford let alone got no use for it.

Well Charley things is dull a round here as far is haveing any funs conserned and I aint been no wheres so long that I cant remember where I was the last time I was any wheres. Tomorrow Im going up to the Coliseum to the automobile show and Id rather lay a round headquarters but I promised Alec Welsh Id go a long with him.

Regards to Mary.

Allison. Ill. Jan. 24.

Dear Charley.

Well Charley I was up to the automobile show yesterday and they certainly got a grand show and I couldent help from wishing I was in a position to buy a car and a man can get a good 1 now for the next to nothing. The shows the prettest sight I seen in a long wile and when I come home I tride to get Grace to go with me some night and see the show but shes still sore yet on acct. of me not leaveing her throw her money away on a piano.

I dident have no idear that you could buy a car as cheap is they got them for sale now and you can get a big size 5 passenger car and not no flivver niether for $550. It would be pretty soft to drive to town and back every day in your car and not half to patternize them suburban trains where your lucky to find rm. enough for your ft. to stand on let alone rm. enough to set down unlest you starve your self for a few months 1st.

Alec says it aint no trick at all to lern to drive and hes got a car that holds 7 passengers and never had no trouble with it and it dont cost him hardley nothing for gasoline and new tires and etc. and its only the grate big heavy cars that costs money to run them and of coarse I couldent aford 1 of them big boys. I wisht though that Grace wasent such a old grand mother about leting loose of a little money on pleasure and I would certainly invest in 1 of them light cars that dont cost hardley nothing in the 1st place and practally no keep up. I guess some of these here smart alex a round Allison wouldent set up when they seen me breezeing along in the little speeder and theyd wave there hands good morning in the hopes Id ask them to ride down town. Fine chance the cheap stiffs.

Well Charley it seems like a crime to not take advantage of the price you can get good cars for now and I wisht I was in a position where I could blow myself to 1 but I dont beleive in a man spending money for what you cant aford and liveing behind your means and a mans 1st duty is pay your debts.

Regards to Mary.

Allison. Ill. Jan. 27.

Brother Charley.

Well Charley old boy I got grate news for you Im a full fledg motorist now. What do you think of that Charley only of coarse I aint got no car yet but I made a paymunt on it all ready and took a driveing lesson and I could drive OK right now only these cars like the kind I bought is such a bargain that every bodys went crazy over them and the Co. is behind there orders and cant deliver without you give them a little time. But they promised me mine by the middle of next wk. and they got to keep there promise because if they dont I will take my money back and they can keep there car in the stead of there promise.

I guess you dont know much about cars Charley but you must of herd of the kind I got. Its a Swift Six and the name tells you how fast it can go but you wouldent need no name to tell you if you seen it spin up and down Mich. ave. The Six means 6 passengers it will hold but I dont only want rm. for I and Grace and the kids because Im not going to take no cheap skates along that cant aford cars of there own.

The price of the car is $550 fob Detroit and that means its made up to Detroit and if you buy it there you got to pay for the freight to get it here but I wasent sucker enough to go up to Detroit and buy 1 when they had them for sale right in Chi. I payed $490.00 down and I dont half to pay the rest till I get the car and I guess I can rake up $60.00 some wheres and I aint like the man that aint got freinds that will come acrost for them in a pinch. I could of payed for the hole thing at once only for Grace makeing a holler and I had to leave her have her way this time or she would of whinned a round the house till we was all deef.

It was yesterday I went up to the show on acct. of haveing to find a fellow and I figgured thats where he would probily be and I made the deal for the car there and I says I was sure of takeing it only 1st I thought I better ask my wife to come down and look at it to see weather the color sutted her OK and etc. So I come home and I says Well Grace you cant call me no Sherlock no more and I got a big suprise for you so she says Did you buy me that piano. So in the stead of me answering I halled a pitcher of the car out of my pocket and showed it to her and I says how would you like to ride in that. So she says she would rather ride in a limosene this time of yr. So I says Yes but we cant aford no limosene. So she says pitchers of limosenes dont cost no more then any other kind of pitchers unlest there in gold frames. So I says Yes but I got some thing more then a pitcher of this baby. I bought the car today.

At 1st she thought I was jokeing but I finely convinced her and she says whose going to pay for it and I says the price aint only $550 and we got $600 in the bank. Yes she says but who does the money bellong to. I says You give it to me to keep untill I seen some thing that we needed and was worth buying. So then she got sarcastical. Yes she says if theys 1 thing we need its a car be cause we get invited out so many places and we should ought to drive to them because we aint got decent shoes to walk in. So I says Oh all right if your going to make a holler I will half to call it off and tell the man I changed my mind but I thought you give me the money to spend like I seen fit and you give it to me knowing I wouldent throw it away on no foolishness but when I spent it I would get some thing good. So she says No I turned the money over to you so as we wouldent be worried about it more then a wk. or 2 because it would keep me awake nights thinking about it but if you had it we would be sure to be broke again as soon is you seen some thing that cost the hole amt. weather it was $600.00 dollars worth of fresh eggs or a set of dimond buttons for your under shirt. So I says This here car aint going to cost the hole $600 but we will still have $50 yet to do what ever we please with it or leave it lay. So she says Yes on $50.00 we can take a trip to Japan China or save up the intrest for 10 yrs. and buy a evening paper.

So I got disgusted with how she was carring on so I says all right keep your old money and be a misser so she says No they wouldent be no use now because youd borry $550.00 some wheres and get your car and then when I ast you to take me rideing youd say No you dident want the car bad enough to spend a nichol on it. So I says Are you going to leave me spend the money and she says I will tell you what I will do I will leave you buy me that piano tomorrow and you can take whats left of the $600.00 and spend it on the car. So I argude a wile about what use was a piano going to be for us but she says she dident have no more to say and was sleepy and going to bed so finely I give in and agrede to her proposition.

So today she met me down town and we bought the piano and payed $110.00 cash for it and then I took her out to the Coliseum and showed her the Swift Six and of coarse when she seen it she couldent help from likeing it and they couldent no body that seen it and seen what a bargain it is when you consider the price we are geteing it at.

Its fixed so you dont half to turn no crank to start the engine running but jest press your ft. on a peddle and its got red wheels and a reglar set of tools under the front seat so a man can do all your fixing but they claim it dont hardley ever need nothing done to it and the way it is now theys a top on it but you can take the top down on a nice day and 1 man can put it up or put it down and theys a tank to hold gasoline so you dont half to stop at every garrage and buy some more and cushions on the both seats and every thing spick and spand.

Well Charley I cant hardley wait untill the middle of next wk. but tomorrow Im going to take an other lesson driveing and then I will be ready to run her to hellangone as soon is they got 1 to spare for me. Dont you wisht you was in my shoes Charley but never mind and when you and Mary get out here next time I will ride you till the cows come home.

Regards to Mary.

Allison. Ill. Feb. 15.

Charley. Well Charley Im still patternizeing the trains and no telling how much longer they will stall me off and the next time I beleive 1 of these here automobile agts. it will be when there talking some forren languige that they dont know what it means.

They promised I was to have my car the 3 or 4 of Feb. and says they would take care of me 1st before they filled any other orders and here it is 2 wks. late and not no sine of a car and the way it looks like to me there filling there orders in alphabet order and begun at the Zez.

Well I told them when I bought the car that if they couldent deliver it the 3 or 4 of Feb. they could give me my money back and keep there car so when it come the 10 of Feb. and no car I says to them All right give me my money and you can have your car so they says all right they was sorry and I was entittled to my money back and the man started to the cashier after the money but I felt so sorry for him looseing his sale that I told him to never mind and I would leave the deal go threw if he would promise to get me the car by today. And here it is today all ready and I got no more car than if I never seen 1 and the piano come out the day after we bought it and its setting in the liveing rm. all the wile and takes up so much rm. that I half to peel off my coat and vest and shirt when I go in to answer the phone and all the noise we got here now that we dident have before the piano come is from the kids climeing up on the stool and falling off and hollering like a stuck pig or when Grace gets reckless once in a wile and tackles over the waves with 1 finger.

But theys 1 thing sure that Im makeing them birds give me plenty of driveing lessons and Im getting so now I can go any wheres without the man telling me nothing and he says I picked it up quicker then any body he ever seen and the funny part is that Grace thinks I will half to start takeing lessons after I get the car and she dont know that all ready I can drive as good is any body so when the car gets here I will drive it out home that night and she will be the most surprised woman in the world.

Well Charley I supose I should ought to be thankful that I aint runing up no gasoline bills but Id be willing to put a little bread and butter in John Ds mouth if theyd give me some thing to use gasoline for besides takeing gravey spots out of my heavy overcoat.

My kindest to Mary.

Allison. Ill. March 3.

Bro. Charley.

Well Charley if you was here tonight I could give you a little ride and I wisht you was here so as I could have a excuse to go out and ride a little myself but I dont dare go out alone because Grace would feel bad and I wisht Id called her up from down town when I knowed the car was here and then she wouldent of left the girl that stays with the childern go over to the dutch church to a dance but I wanted to suprise Grace so she dident know what was comeing off so she left the girl go and now we got to stay in ourself and of coarse its a pretty cold night to drive down about zero or a little better but I wouldent care how cold it was if I could jest get a hold of that wheel.

They called me up as soon is I got back from lunch today and told me my car was in town and I ast the chief to leave me beat it for the p.m. and I got there and was going to take her right home but when I give them the $60.00 that I borried off of the chief to pay the bal. what I owed they says it would be $20.00 dollars more. I ast what for and they says to pay for the freight from Detroit to Chi. So I says I bought the car in Chi and not in no Detroit or no other place. So they says Yes but the cars made in Detroit and when a man in Chi gets 1 he pays the freight. So I says Yes and stamps is made in Washington but they cost 2 cts. weather you buy them here or there so we argude back and 4th and they says I couldent have the car unlest I payed for the freight and I finally got tired of argueing and ast them if theyd leave me take the car and they could charge the freight to me and Id pay it next month and they says that was OK. So then they ast me did I want a extra tire so I says yes and they hung 1 on the back of the car and the man says that would be $16.00 more so I says they could take it right off again so by the time I finely got started it was dark and I hadent never handled a car in the dark before but I got along great but my hands got pretty near froze and I had to stop in a salloon and get them thawed out.

I wasent thinking when I got to the house and I run right passed and I forgot for a min. how to back up so I run a round the blk. and the 2nd time I stopped OK in front of the house and then I tuted the horn and that was for Grace to come out but she was puting the kids to bed and so I finely got out of the car and went in and it was 7:30 and Grace heard me open the door and she come downstares and says Well I thought you was on the wagon. So I says I am on the wagon. Well she says what are you getting home this time of night for. So I told her to come out in front and Id show her. So she come to the door and seen the lights on the car and she was so exited she couldent hardley talk and then she says I would half to take her for a ride before I ett supper or done anything so I was going to take her and she happened to think about the girl not being there so she couldent go and she was about ready to cry but I told her she should run out and set in the car a min. so she did and she dident set there only a min. on acct. of how cold it was.

But she was tickeled to death when she seen we realy had our car and she couldent hardley beleive I knowed how to run it and she says I must lay off tomorrow and I and her and the babys and all of us would have a ride 1st thing in the a.m. So Im going to give them a ride 1st before I go down town to the office.

While we was eating supper Grace kept jumping up and running to the window to see was the lights still there in the road and finely she ast me where was I going to keep the car. Well Charley thats the 1st time I thought about that and of coarse a man couldent leave it out all night in a blizzerd or rain storm or the seats would get spoiled. So it looks like I would half to build me a garrage and maybe spend another $150.00 on that but they aint no hurry about it because I can leave her stand out on clear nights for a wile and if it looks like its going to storm I can take it down to the town garrage. Grace says it might may be rain or snow tonight and spoil the seats but I looked at the sky and they isent a cloud in sight and besides 2 above zero is to cold for rain or snow either 1 so every thing is safe for to nite.

Well Charley I must get up early in the a.m. and take the famly rideing and I wisht you was here to go with us. O you Swift Six.

Regards to Mary.

Allison. Ill. March 5.

Dear Charley.

Well Charley the cars down to the town garrage here in Allison and Grace aint had a ride in it yet and the man says it wilk be OK tomorrow a.m. but if he sticks to the truth like all the rest of them he means next New yrs. when he says tomorrow. There fixing up the batery now so as the self starter will work and I would of took it in to town and made the Swift people fix it free for nothing only I called them up and told them about it and they says they was so busy they couldent do it this wk.

The batery died on me when I was trying to start her yesterday a.m. and I made a mistake leaveing her out the doors in cold weather like it was but how did I know what would happen. I guess they think a man should ought to know all about a car if he seen 1 before or dident see 1 before.

Well Charley the night I left her stand out all night the engine froze up and it took the garrage man pretty near 2 hrs. to get her runing again and in the mean wile Grace was about ready to cry and the kids was balling so loud you could hear them in Kansas city and all of them standing there in the window waiting for us to get the engine started and me freezeing to death out on the st. You see when I 1st went out there in the a.m. and tride to work the self starting peddle it dident do nothing so I was afrade I wasent pressing hard enough so I give her all the weight I got and nothing doing and finely they wasent even no more noise when I pressed on the peddle and I pressed and pressed for a ½ hr. and then I went in the house and set on the kichen stove till my legs was so as I could stand up and then I called up the chief and ast him to leave me stay home and he says nothing doing I would half to come down so then I called up the garrage and they sent there man over and he seen that the thing was froze up and I staved there and helped him as long is I could and then I had to go and now there chargeing the baterys up because it seems like I done wrong standing on the peddle so hard and besides they aint nothing a garrage can do as good as it can charge.

And today wile I was down town Grace called up from home and says I would half to buy a couple robes to help keep the kids warm in the car and I ast her what was the matter with useing blankets off of the bed and she says all right go ahead and use them but I wont ride with you. So it cost me $11.00 for the 2 cheapest blankets I could get a hold of and the next thing is build a garrage because the garrage man says the car will freeze up every night I leave it out the doors and if you keep your car in the town garrage its $10.00 per mo.

If it dont cost nothing for the keep up of this car Charley Im glad I dident get a dodge or a saxon 6 or any of them other big babys.

Kindest to Mary and yourself.

Allison. Ill. March 9.

Dear Charley.

Give me what this here Swift Six has cost me all ready Charley and I will sell it to you fob Chicago and no questions ast.

Im staying home this a.m. and Grace called the chief up and told him I was sick and when she told him that she wasent springing no automobile story but she was telling him the truth.

After the garrage had a hold of the car fixing it for pretty near a wk. and promiseing every day that I could have it tomorrow they finely give it to me yesterday and give me a bill for $7.50. So I says I would settle the 1 of next month and I got in and drove her out to see how she run a minute and it was such a nice day that I says why shouldent I drive down town and so I started and got along fine and of coarse I was a little shakey going in the loop the 1st time but I was OK till I got to 5th ave. and Washington st. and then 1 of the traffic men hollered at me. It was Jerry Donahue. So I says Hello Jerry and kept on going but he hollered for me to stop and when I stopped I was right in the middle of the car tracks. So he come up to the side of the car and then he sees who I was and I says Whats the matter with you stopping a old pal and he says I dident know you at 1st but I jest noticed you was driveing without no lisence. Well Charley that was the 1st time I thought about a lisence. So I told Jerry Id forgot about it and he says You better get 1 or all the boys will be stopping you so he says your blocking up the traffic so beat it. So then I found out all of a sudden that my engine wasent runing and it had died on me and I stuck my ft. on the starter peddle and Id forgot to stick the gear in neutruls and the min. the engine started I shot ahead and run right at a crowd of people that was crossing the st. Well I felt for my horn and it dident make no sound and I thought it was good night but Jerry seen what was going to happen and yelled to the people to duck so I jest missed them and by the time I got to LaSalle st. I had her under controls.

Well Charley I finely managed to get to headquarters and all the boys come out and overlooked the car and I offered to give them a ride but it seems like Jerry the big fool had called them up and told them what happened over to 5th ave. and they all pretended like they was scarred to ride with me.

Well Charley wile I was up in the office 1 of them dirty bums out of spite work for me calling them a cheap skate come down and let the wind out of 1 of the back end tires and I dident never know it till I was clear out here and run the car in to the garrage. You ought to seen the rim on the wheel Charley and the hole wheels pretty near a wreck and the man says they isent only 1 thing to do and thats get a hole new wheel and a new tire because the tires cut all to peaces. Hows that for a fine trick Charley and jest because a man dont know how to take a joke.

The man at the garrage says he dident see how I could drive all the way out here and not know they was some thing wrong and wile he was talking the car begin to smoke and flames begin shooting out the front part and I thought for a minute the hole place was going to explode but the man had the fire out all most as soon is it started. So I says I got a fine bunch of freinds that leave me come home on a flat tire and then try and burn me up. So the man says your freinds may of give you the flat tire but the reason you was going to burn up was on acct. of they not being no water to keep the engine cool. So I says did they leave the water out to. So he says when did you put some in and I told him I hadent never put none in. So then he laughed till I thought he was going to choke and I wisht he had.

When he got threw cackling he says I should ought to pour water in the front part every time I started out to go any wheres and keep it filled up with water. Well I says thats 1 more thing they left me to guess. So he says Your suposed to know that without no body telling you. So I says do you play rummy and he says No he dident have no time to play cards. So I says what can you meld in rummy. So he says how did he know when he dident never play the game. So I says you ought to know that the 1st thing after your born. You ought to guess it before you ever set in a game I says. You cheap stiff I says. Your a wise guy I says. And theys another thing you ought to guess without nobody telling you and thats what to use soap for. But if you ever seen a cake of soap I says you must of thought it was cheese and ett it. You big cheese I told him.

I was pretty sore Charley and when I come home Grace had a grouch and begin nagging at me but she dident nag long after she seen the way I was feeling and if youd blowed in to our house wile we was haveing supper youd of thought you was in the home for deef and dum muts.

So after supper Grace snuck off to bed and I went out and found some thing in the pantry and I set up last night till it was all gone and this a.m. I been pouring water in my radiater all a.m. but I cant get the old engine to cool off.

Regards to Mary.

Allison. Ill. March 18.

Bro. Charley.

Well Charley sence the last letter I wrote you about all I been doing is borring money and paying it out and the garrage that I ordered built is going to cost pretty near $200.00 dollars but I couldent get 1 for no less and the Swift peoples going to soak me for a new wheel and a new tire and the garrage says I owe them $30.00 and it would be some satisfaction if I could fine out who done that dirty trick about leaving the wind out of the tire and I would brake them in 2 but the boys down to headquarters jest laughs like it was a good joke and wont squeal on who ever done it but keep asking me dident I never hear of a tire getting punctured. Yes I says but not no bran new tire that hadent had no ware. So 1 of the boys says Your brains could get puntured couldent they and its a cinch they aint had no ware. No or yours niether I says and he layed off of me after that.

An other thing I had to pay for was the lisence and its costing me $3.00 for a lisence to own a car that I aint hardley seen let alone get any pleasure out of it.

The Swift people called up today and says I could come and get the car tomorrow. Well as far is Im conserned they could keep it a wile longer but Grace aint had no ride in it yet so she says for heavens sake hurry up and get it so as your present to your famly will do them some good. Well I says I guess my presents doing as much good is your present thats rented the hole liveing rm.

Any way if the cars ready tomorrow I will go and get it and give Grace and the kids a ride before some thing else happens but I guess its pretty near time for the luck to brake the other way hay Charley. Thats what I told a fellow today that come in and tride to sell me some insurence. What kind of insurence I ast him. He says automobile insurence. No I says my cars cost me enough all ready with out it costing me no more So he says its libel to cost you a hole lot more before your threw if you dont have no insurence. He says its libel to burn up or run in to some body and kill them or some bodys libel to help them self to it when its laying in the st. Yes I says theyd be libel to steal a car that bellonged to 1 of the detective bureau. So he says No probily not because it would be like stealing pennys from a blind man. But anyway he says the fire insurence and libilty insurence would cost $40.00 dollars per annum and $40.00 dollar bills is jest as plenty a round me these days is whiskers on a flute.

Well Charley give our kindest to Mary and I hope lucks been better with you then I.

Allison. Ill. March 22.

Brother Charley.

Well Charley I wont write you no more letters about my car Charley because I got no car and who evers got it can keep it. And Im tickeled to death that they dident get it till Grace and the kids had 1 ride and they dident only ride about 4 or 5 miles but long enough to say they road in their own car any way.

Well Charley I will tell you what come off. In the 1st place the car wasent ready the day the Swift people says it would be ready and of coarse I knowed it wouldent be but it was finely ready yesterday and I went out there early in the p.m. and got it. So it was the 1st day of spring and the finest day I ever seen for March. It felt like June and the sky dident have no sine of a cloud in them.

I called up Grace before I got there and told her to fix it so as her and the kids could go when I come for them and I got out there about 4 a clock and then by that time they was a few clouds in the sky and I says some thing about may be we better posepone the trip. But Grace says Not much you dont do no more poseponeing or the babys and me wont never know what kind of a driver you are. So they come out and got in and I set alone in front and Grace and the kids behind and away we went.

Well Charley we was jest turning in to Ogden ave. tords town when I felt a rain drop and I says to Grace we might get catched but she says she dident think it would come for a wile and besides we could put the top up in a minute so I says all right and kept on driveing and I hadent went more then 3 blks. after I felt the 1st splash when she begin to beat it down a mile a minute. Well I stopped the car and jumped out and tride to get the top up and I couldent buge some of the straps and levvers that was holding it down. So Grace hollered that we better run in some wheres and I was to mad to answer her and I kept tugging away at them levvers and straps and she kept hollering and the kids was bellering to so finely I happened to look at them and Grace and they was as wet as if theyd fell off the top deck of a steamship. So I give up trying to fix the top and looked to both sides of the st. and it was raining so hard I couldent see nothing but finely I grabbed the kids and run tords 1 side of the st. and Grace after me and as luck would have it we ran right in to a salloon with a family entrence.

So they was a couple wommen setting in there the props wife and an other and between them and I and Grace we got some of the kids soked things off and the props wife dug up a couple blankets some wheres and rapped the kids up and then Grace begin howling about how near drownded she was and I thought Id be better off in the storm then listening to she howling so I blowed out again and the rain had let up a little but jest enough so as I could see acrost the st. Well Charley the car wasent nowheres. They wasent no body a round no wagons or no st. cars or nothing.

I stood out there getting a little wetter then I was and then finely I turned a round and went in to the front part of the salloon to phone headquarters and standing up to the bar was a big turk policeman.

You certainly take good care of your beat I says. So he ast me what was the trouble and I told him and who I was and he was scarred pretty bad but that dident get me nothing so I called him every thing I could lay tungue to and then I phoned the chief and when I got threw phoneing the turk had snuck out and I hope he drownded.

Well Charley they wasent nothing to do but brake the news to Grace and she got hystericks and the kids was pretty near as bad and I got exited and begin kicking things a round and finely the prop come back and told us to cut out the noise or he would call a policeman so I says they aint nothing you can call him that I aint called him all ready so I and the prop had a few words and I dont half to tell you who got the worst of that. Well any way Charley when it stopped raining and the kids cloths wasent so wet no more we went home on the st. car and dident only half to transfer twice.

Its been over 24 hrs. sence the car was stole and not a word about it from no wheres and they tell me theys so many Swift Six been sold in Chi that it aint nothing but luck when you identify witch is yourn.

So Grace is upstares giveing the kids some hot baths and thats all shes gave them sence we got home last night as if they dident get enough bath out rideing to last them till the last Saturday this yr. And I been setting in the pianos rm. figgureing out how much that there car cost all together and I got it figgured where it stands me $849.00 and that includs the garrage Im building and the storage and the repairs and gasoline and lisence and robes and etc.

A fine investmunt that was hay Charley and I guess Grace will know enough next time to try and save her money and not go splurgeing on pianos and cars and stuff that they cant nobody aford unlest there millionares.

If Mary ever gets a hold of a peace of change Charley you make her turn it over to you and then you stick all of it in a bank where she cant get at it or 1st thing you know youll be like I and not know weather your going to live in a house next winter or up in a tree.

Kindest to both of you.

Allison. Ill. May 22.

Bro. Charley.

Jest a line Charley to leave you know wear getting a long OK and not starveing to death and the reason for that is that I set down on Grace spending her money like she was Mrs. Grundy or some body and it aint no tough job to keep her from splurgeing now days because they aint nothing to splurge with if you wanted to splurge.

Theys an other interest day on our morgage comeing the 1st of July and how wear going to meet it I dont know but we will meet it some way because we cant aford to loose our propetty now because its more valuble then ever on acct. of there being nice garrage in the back yard.

Well Charley I bet youll be suprised to hear that Im a piano player now and I picked it up myself without nobody showing me nothing and I got so now I can sing a couple songs and company myself with cords and of coarse I cant play the hard cords yet but only on the black keys but I will be a reglar Crusoe when Ive had plenty of practice.

Theys a hole lot of things Charley that makes a piano better then a auto mobile and 1 thing is that you can leave all the keys on the piano and go in a salloon and they wont nobody steal the piano and you can put your ft. down as hard is you want to on the peddle with out unchargeing no baterys and you dont half to buy no license for it and dont half to buy new tires for it and you can leave it any wheres all night and it will start up next a.m. and you dont half to pour water in them all the wile to keep them from catching on fire and they dont take no gasoline or they dont get stalled in the middle of a st. car track.

And you dont half to build no new garrage to keep them in because theys plenty of rm. for them right in the house.

Kindest to both you and Mary.