Author: CC Ballou

Bertha's father was a major general who fought in the Spanish-American War as well as in the Philippines. He later commanded the 92d Division - a black unit - during World War I.

A balance of one dollar and eleven cents in bank!!

To Bertha Ballou from CC Ballou –

Fort George Wright, Spokane, Washington

My dear _____,

Your letter came a few minutes ago and I am very glad to get it. Your letters would be welcome in any case, but they would be of interest of anyone else wrote them – though I doubt if anyone else could describe things as you do. I infer that you haven’t found any smashed preserves, jelly, etcetera, in your trunk – a matter that gave me _____ concern. What did you think of the _____ and _____ for it’s as _____ splendors and size. It was among years in building, and they _____ were told that when it was completed, Christ would take up his residence in it and make it his headquarters. I dare say that this was meant in a spiritual sense, but the idea of physical occupancy was _____. The labor _____ was _____ noted for its seating capacity – any great for its time – for its peculiar shape, which, as you no doubt observed, is similar to an inverted oval ______ dish – for its remarkable acoustic properties, that no doubt resulted from its shape – and for its fine organ, then the second in size in America. I suppose the old “Lion House” is gone.

We are all well and comfortable. There has been all sorts of weather since you left. Right now, everything is white with snow that fell before daylight yesterday morning. I have begun my carpenter “exercise.” I have some fairly good pine boards, about 13½ inches wide and one-half inch thick, from which I can make since inside _____ for things that ought to be packed double and I find that I can make a nice box, much better than the carpenter would make, in about two hours. Thus far, I have only made only two – one for the two glass lamp shades, and one for the _____ and the Barratta. My next essay will be a smile box for four of your paintings – The two copies, the “still life,” and The Rock ______ Autumn. They differ by only about an inch in width of frames and little more in length. I am planning it in my mind as to have slate separating the pictures, giving each a separate skeleton _____, so as to present any action of their combined weight on any frame. Then I will take up the matter of separate boxes for they ______, _____, _____, etcetera. I get some good exercise and at the same time accomplish something.

We are going to the library this _____ to look for some reading matter. Thursday we had a great time over our bank account. We were sixty-five dollars short. The bank account showed $65.00 less than the checkbook did. After a whole afternoon of research, we found that Mamma had carried forward the “total,” in one instance, without deducting the three checks on the opposite page, aggregating fifty-five dollars. The other ten dollars we were over did account for – probably an error many months old. The result was that we had actually last month a balance of one dollar and eleven cents in bank!! Pretty close to a withdraw! However, it is _____ right now. Well, I must skidoo.

Your loving old Dad.

 

The Butte companies left there this A.M. to resume station here.

Also I wanted you to feel assured of my entire willingness to assist financially

To Bertha from C.C. Ballou – January 12, 1921

Fort George Wright, Spokane, Washington

My dear Speksie,

Quite a snow storm visited us early this morning, but it has suspended operations. The pines are covered, of course. The weather has been “right sharp” for two or three days – mercury twelve about Monday night.

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Mamma as adopted two small cats, of various colors, and I dare say will desire much satisfaction from their antics. On Monday, I built the box for four of your pictures – as forecast in my last letter – worked hard for four and a half hours at it. The extra work was caused by the arrangements for separating paintings by slats. Yesterday, I made one for The _____. Today I will not work, as I intend to go to the library for more books.

I can quite understand your desire to work, and your enjoyment of it. It is life. If I appeared too urgent in my expressed hope that you would not put in a second year at Elks, it was because I feared the loss you would sustain in being so long and out of touch with real painting. Also I wanted you to feel assured of my entire willingness to assist financially. I don’t like to urge you one way or the other, for I always feel so afraid lest some development might prove that a different course would have felt better. So, I will leave it with the assurance that I want you to do as you wish, relying on my entire willingness and ability to help you financially – if I live. In other words, money considerations should not at all constrain your action or influence your decision. It was very nice of your landlady to change your only half for _____ and very different from the profiteer at Ann Arbor, who charges ten dollars a week for an unoccupied room [Note: Where Senn is living].

Mrs. _____, in common with the other nuisances, is to be clad in uniform. Isn’t that idiotic? Colonel Black is now a full Colonel. There is no other news, as far as I know, except that one of the officers from Butte, a West Pointer I am sorry to say, is so lacking in the conceptions of a gentleman that the ____, Lanes and ourselves have left the big table at the mess and sit at the small one. It is not a recent matter, but one that is awaiting the action of a Court of Judging. We don’t care to recognize him socially. The mess has a new cook, a soldier, whose wife waits on tables. I have relieved Major Brown and put Chaplain Lane in charge of the mess, which is somewhat improved.

Your loving old Dad.

Don’t try to imitate the Italians at the expense of colds and pneumonia

To Bertha from CC Ballou –

Spokane, Washington

November 17, 1926

Dear Specks,

A letter from you came a couple of weeks ago and Mamma had one since then. I don’t get much writing done these days. I anticipated to know you are feeling well and sleeping well, and hope you will keep warm. Don’t try to imitate the Italians at the expense of colds and pneumonia. It don’t pay. One _____ much of course in the way of making up for their small fires dressing warmly.

Sally is gone to a tea with Winona _____ this evening. Mamma is as usual. I saw her out with a hoe – digging up something she wanted to make grow in the house.

I am rather worthless – so much so I had to hire a man to do the outdoor work and mend the furnace. I pay him forty a month in winter and fifty in summer beside his quarters in the garage. Don’t know how it is coming out, but he claims know how to take care of…

(Rest of letter missing)

It is too bad that all taxes come right at this time of year

To Bertha from CC Ballou – February 26th, 1927

Letterman Hospital


Dear Specks,

I got a letter from you. I forget just when, but about a week ago, I was operated under local anesthetic last Monday. The operation was long and exhausting, but not all was very painful. Well, I have had every attention, fine nurses, etcetera. The operator, Dr. Sloat, formerly of the majors, has been to see us every day and one day twice, and Wednesday, all the big guns were in. The superintendent of the hospital, Chief of Medical Service, and two _____ surgeons beside Sloat. Well, I am all right. Took the night turn that day. Of course, I am in bed and will be for three weeks. I did quite well, I believe, for an old man with such serious factors against me. The great fear was that my blood pressure would blow the top off the kettle during the operation.

I got your check today. Thanks to _____, and send it. I will send the emergency check later on. Hope you are all over _____ _____ and that you will not be too much pinched for funds. It is too bad that all taxes come right at this time of year. Well, I am tired.

Your loving old dad.

[Note: He died a year and a half later.]