Letter, James Gleason to Kate Gleason
A letter to Kate Gleason from her brother, James Gleason. Jim asks Kate about the work he will be doing for the family business when he is home from college. He tells her about an oratory contest and provides more information about his finger bowl present, which he mentioned to her in his letter from April 28. Jim responds to Kate’s comments on yachts from her April 30 letter.
Although Jim dated his letter “May 19 – 88,” contextual clues (that fact that he is away at Cornell and that he responds to letters from April 1889) indicate that the letter was actually written May 19, 1889.
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May 19 – 88
Dear Kate;
Perhaps you noticed I didnt write last week.
Well nothing in particular happened here. In three
weeks I will be home. What sort of work will I
start at, have you any idea. I got Emma
Michels photo, it is a dandy that is a fact.
Is Andrew doing any preparing these days or
is he putting all his time in the shop. [^]May 26—89 (A pause for
one week) perhaps you noticed I didnt write last week.
The Junior prize in oratory was won Friday night by
Mr Callan. perhaps you knew him for quite a Catholic
Union man. We had two speakers contesting for it
Baton and Eidletz. Eidletz received numerous congratulations
on having won before the announcement was made;
after that he felt tired. I made Miss Boynton
a fancy bowl in the shop. It received considerable
attention while I was turning it. I had a chance to put it
in a new case Dr Thurston has just started of the specimens
of work of the students for some [illegible] past. I had to
decline for I didnt have the time to turn another for
Miss Boynton. I called on Miss Boynton Thursday
evening and she tells me that perhaps she will go into
an office in Rochester. The trouble is although she wants
to go to Rochester her influence is not strong enough
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to get her a situation. Now didnt that sound first
rate. But I dont like to use my influence often, bad
policy you know. Perhaps you will do something for her.
That piece in the paper does sound rough on the
Modjeska. It seems to me like maliciousness on the
part of the man who wrote it. Last spring when the
Modjeska was launched we had to beach her for
two days to let her soak up. After that she didnt
leak a drop all season. The boat has all oak planks
which may be the reason why the seams open wider than
the rest of the yachts who have not. That piece will
do reduce the boats value dont you think. What do the boys
say about it. You were saying something about a
standing keel assessment on the boat. has that fallen
through, let us hope.
Yours
Jim.
P.S. Blood, and Miss Boynton were elected to
Sigma Delta Ki.