Letter, James Gleason to Kate Gleason

[page 1]
Dear Kate;
Your letter of March
8th received; Now that everything
is going so well I feel that you
should know more exactly the
effect S.F. had on Mother. I did
not want to alarm you all unnecessarily.
She was very weak and much frightened.
Aunt Kate was afraid that we might
have trouble getting her back to Sac.
All the effect of not being able to eat.
Perhaps you can see an explanation
of what might appear my very wild
appeal for money to come home on.
If you could see Mother now you
would say that I was a fool for

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stopping work and writing such a
letter but it had got down to that
she wanted me with her, though she
never lost her nerve for an hour.
Her old theory that she would
outgrow the infirmities was exploded
and she realized the fact that
she was sinking.Then it was that
that she consented to see this Doctor
Huntington and that terrible week
in S.F. has saved her.Now she
minds the doctor as she never
would before. Then too this doctor
handles the case in a masterly
way. He found out what he was
doing before he proceeded. There
seems to be no doubt left that Dr
Sherman made a wrong diagnosis.
That is a serious charge but the
facts seem to bear it out. Kate if
you remember Mr Sherman told you

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that Mothers trouble was in a great
part mental in that she would not
eat. This doctor gave her a thorough
examination and told her why she
couldnt eat and made her able to eat
moderately in four days and has made
a decided advance in her whole make
up in two weeks and a little over.
Dr Ely it seems comes off all right
though what his idea of the case
was I dont know; it is only what
they tell me.
Aunt tells me that the medicine
Mother takes has only been known to
the Profession for about a year.
This Doctor Huntington is the S.P.R.R.
Co. Physician and a fancy priced man
like Ely.
We will not go into a wholesale
denunciation of the doctors at home
until their doctor has proven his case.

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It will be too bad if Dr Sherman
let Mother come out here to find out
what was the matter with her.
Last night Aunt Kate saw Mother
eat a good sized piece of ham and
of course thought it would be the
death of her, but this morning
Mother reports herself all right
and she looks it and certainly
acts dead game. Just now they
are downtown to buy a new stove
which is to be Mothers present to
the family.
We will follow Fathers scheme about
comeing home. Mothers first class
trip to New Orleans will be $67.50
My tourist trip to Rochester 61.40

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5.
I will pay a little extra for sitting
with Mother during the day. That
is the only arrangement that
can be made for even the first
class tickets are limited now so
Mothers ticket would have to be
bought to New Orleans anyway.
I had another of those wonderful
rides yesterday. We rode in a large
party nearly every one rides here.
We went through the beautiful
country roads with immense orchards
in full bloom and rode across
green fields all sprinkled with
bright colored wild flowers. As
I sat in the saddle and looked
around I could see blossoms

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and flowers with the fields showing
all gaudy colors. If you could
picture a long stretch of perfectly
level soft springy road running
through orchards in full bloom
and the road ending in a beautiful
green field all sprinkled with
bright wild flowers as large as
roses at home, and all colors.
At the end of this field stands a
wind mill with a long weather vane.
Through all this was run the great
race. Scattered all along the
road and field were spectators on
horse back. At one end of the road
all the racers were lined up in two
rows with the starter and at the

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wind mill away across the field
was the judge. It was just the
young people of the town out on the
annual grand race and ride.
It was one of the finest sights
that I ever saw. Everyone
animated and the horses fairly
shivering with excitement.
I stood in with a livery man down
town and he gave me his best horse.
Eugenie stood in somewhere too for
she rode a big bay and looked
a fair picture in the saddle with
her horse jumping and pawing the
air. Katie rode the Hughes war
horse but Katie didnt cut any
figure beside her sister for she
isnt a good rider and not over
good looking. Eugenie drew her cut
for the front row in the race while
Katie and I drew our cuts for the second

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row. About 15 starters but only ten
crossed the finish line which was
the ^long weather vane on the wind mill.
Eugenie led all the way over the
course and I had the honor of
finishing about a neck behind her
on one side while a young man on
her other side was a neck behind
but the Judge gave me third place.
Talk of excitement the people yelled
themselves hoarse encouraging the
four young ladies, But Eugenie was
the only one that was in it and she
can ride like a whirlwind. She
won the race fairly and is very
conceited over the fact. The other three
young ladies were tail enders, Miss
Katie bringing up the rear though
she whaled the old horse hard and
faithfully. They said that one of the
young ladies really rode the fastest

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horse but she didnt win because
she didnt use the whip. Eugenie
used the whip though her horse
was as fiery as our old horse Charlie
used to be. Her horse was so
nervous that he laid down and
dumped the rider after the race,
but she didnt get hurt. I wish
you could see that race it would
fill a book to give the details but
I will tell the rest in a couple
of weeks. I think I will get a
photograph of Eugenie on that big
horse taken to bring home it
would be worth the cost and you
could all see the finest rider in
Sacramento as she is regarded.

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10.
As I told you before the Hughes
girls with Eugenie excepted are
not beauties. Perhaps she wont
be in a few years but at the
present time she can perform
circus acts and no mistake, and
is a fine looking girl.
If you send us about $160. we will
be all right and I can leave
Mother with some money in her
pocket in New Orleans. She may
decide to go tourist to New Orleans
seeing its only for three nights and
set in the Pullman sleeper daytimes
She could save $20. going for $47.50
to New Orleans this way. Mother has
not paid her doctors bill or bought

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the stove yet but she has $100. the
stove will cost about $50. Her doctors
bill $20. and we can live on the
balance for two weeks. Then my fare
61.40 home and hers first class to
New Orleans 67.50 with cost of sleeper
berths and meals, she may require
them by that time, I think $160 would
be about right.
I will go to S.F. on Wednesday
Yours
Jim.