Letter, James Gleason to Gleason family

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Thursday Feb   92

Fathers letters of Jan 31 and Andrews letter of
the same date are received, also Kates of
Feb 3rd. Mother is delighted with the
way things are going at home. She
took her letters to her room to read
them and spent 3 hrs on the job. Then
she started to answer Fathers letter
herself but the pencil wasn’t sharp
so the job was given up. I am
patiently waiting for the express package
and suppose our creditors will go on
the war path before long. Say Kate
you know Mother spent nearly all of
her money before she left Rochester.
Now it’s all right we have the package

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2.
It just got here and it was over
four days after the letter enclosing the
receipt. Everything in the package was
all right: the package came to pieces
and the express man said the Co. was not
responsible for money sent in an
ordinary package. The climate in
Sacramento is something grand just
like a day in May at home. Only
two days has it rained since we have
been here and then only light showers.
It is cool early in the morning so that
a wrap or light overcoat comes handy
but after nine or ten o’clock no overcoat
is required. The air is bracing which
appears to be just what Mother wants.
Her voice sounds as clear as a bell and
what is more she eats here things she
hasnt tried before in a long time.
An egg in the morning milk and toast
why I suppose she would tackle almost

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3.
anything. I have been conservative
in my reports on her health for it would
be too bad to raise false hopes, but Aunt
Kate says she is getting better. The fact
is Mother is as happy as the day is long,
mending the boys clothes occasionally
doing some cooking and the rest of the
time standing me on my head. Why
Aunt Kate would smile a smile of
delight if Mother proposed to erect a
Gothic roof over the chicken yard.
I have been to San Franscisco and know
the climate there. It is foggy at times
colder in the morning and evening than at
Sacramento and the trade winds they
say will start up in two or three
weeks. I was afraid if I went there to
stay that Mother would follow me and
sure enough when I told her today
that I must start she said she would go.
Aunt Kate then decided to go next week

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4.
so Mother will stay here and go with
her then. Aunt Kate thinks that the
sea air will do Mother good, but that
if she had to stay all day alone in
San Franscisco while I was at
work the effect would be bad. Any
way while Mother is on the high road
to recovery, you can bet your life we
will regulate things so that she can
recover.
The family here are all very anxious to
see the family group, Aunt Kate never
say even a picture of Father. What
would be the matter with cutting off
Andrew’s and Elinor’s heads and then
send the picture on to us. Mother wont
allow the picture to come on as it is for

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5.
fear Andrew will not make a proper
impression. The youngsters in this
family can cry on the least provocation.
Willie and Luke are fighting and crying
most of the time. These are the boys I
described as tow headed youngsters.
Willie is 3 months older than Elinor
and a bundle of nerves, but very smart,
one of those infant prodigies with a
large head and small body and lots of sand.
He stands at or near the top of his class
in school.
I will tell you of a ride I took with
Eugenie the girl of about 16 years. She gets
out of school at 3 oclock so yesterday
afternoon at that hour I had the old
war horse belonging to the Hughes family

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6.
curried within an inch of his life,
and with bridle and saddle blanket
all complete. The girls here dont use
saddles only a blanket and sircingle.
I rented a horse from a livery stable
and got a beauty for 75 cents the afternoon.
Now the girls east can talk of their riding
and their prowess in athletics but find me
one who can do as our blooming cousin
did on that ride. I brought the old
horse around to the front of the house
and that girl vaulted on the horse while
the horse stood on level ground, and
she had on the regulation riding
skirt. You know its a regular
circus act to vault to a ladies
position on a horse and do it as she
does it. We rode all over the city and
then to the outskirts where we went
through East park an immense place
a mile square with a drive around

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7.
the outside entirely shaded by green
trees. The fashion of the city repairs
to this park afternoons to ride or drive.
The old Hughes horse carried
himself proudly he is a retired
race horse and the bustle and
excitement fired the old fellow.
Eugenie proposed a race and away
she went ^like mad with many admiring
eyes following her and many
sarcastic ones following me for
(I went with her) only I was a
little bit late. But soon my horse
[warmed?] to his work and the old
racer slacked his pace slightly
and encouraged I plied the whip
so that the wind blew through
my whiskers. When Oh Lord I
saw why the old war ^horse slacked up
an immense tree trunk right
across our path, and that girl

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8.
steered her horse right for it
and cleared it as slick as ever
you read about the girl in the
novel doing it. The people here
appriciate and admire that
sort of thing and the men took off
their hats as she tore by. My
horse knew his businiss if I
didnt and took the jump
without even slacking up to
gauge it, and I sailed by
Miss Eugenie in dead silence
for the old horse was blown.
My horse was from a riding
academy so was used to jumping
but I wasnt and didnt take
the proper position so my back

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9.
is stiff today. Eugenies pride is
hurt because I caught her but
she must learn not to run an
old horse against a young one
for more than half a mile. ¾ of a
mile with a jump near the end
tries a horses metal. Eugenie
is the only beauty in the family tall
rather dark jet black hair an
elegant complexion and a style
that is bewildering. As Mother
says she is the beauty still though
dressed in clothes made from the
cast off garments of the older
girls. We have made ourselves
very much at home here and
can give you any information you

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may desire. If it might be
as to income Emma & Adda
each earn $75. per month of which
they pay to the house $35. each.
Of course teachers dont get paid
for three months every year.
Charlie earns $22 a month
of which about $10 goes to the house.
Jennie earns $60 & Katie will
be doing the same after the first
of March they probably spend most
of what they earn. Hughes himself
probably earns about 2.25 a day
and brings home probably almost
all of it. You see Jennie &
Katie dont contribute much to
supporting the family of 12 in all

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they support themselves and a little
more leaving 10 for the others.
Mrs Hughes keeps two cows and a
lot of chickens which must
reduce the family expenses
considerably. If they were an
ordinary family they would be very
compfortable but the girls have
expensive tastes such as singing
lessons piano lessons painting
etc., and therefore Aunt Kate has
to make every cent count.
Charlie is a very fine young fellow
how bright he is remains to be
seen, but he is not the young
prig we took him for. In his
letters ^to Andrew if you can magnify into
big jokes what appeared to be
foolish stuck up remarks you
have Charley.

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My next letter will be from
San Franscisco.

Yours
Jim.