Tag Archives: bicycle

Log of Earl W Baker 4/29 – 5/15/1917

03 Thursday Aug 2017

Posted by in 20th Century, WWI

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April 29th, 1917

The French & British commissions are being entertained in Washington. Viviani, Joffri (sic) & Balfour. Their purpose is to stimulate and to determine the extent of our cooperation in the war. America’s plans call for bridging the atlantic with a thousand wooden vessels and the raising 4 or more drafts of ½ million men each. American participation in extensive & immediate acro work is being urged. Wilson’s conscription program has passed Congress tho the age limits have not been agreed on.

Slabsides, date unknown, photo from Earl Baker’s collection

 

This P.M. rode on wheel* with Ed Maar to Slabsides (at right). Mater** told me tonight that a 2nd operation is needed. She is very discouraged & I must do my all for her.

Work – all billed & posted, save Fairview. I sales off.

Am Reading the “Harbor” a find – written by E Poole.

Refused to sign H.A.R.’s extra time pledge. Not needed yet & don’t see the connection.

*I assume he means bicycle as they used to be referred to as “a wheel”. According to Google, this is about a 10 mile bike ride one way. Go, Earl! Also, Burroughs, owner of Slabsides, was still alive when this was written. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slabsides

**This is what he calls his mother. Spoiler Alert – she’s not doing so well…

May 15th, 1917

Have enlisted with NY Naval Militia. Porter & Rogers left Mon. for Ft. Slocum. The Mater takes it very hard – I would not have gone if I had known. She feels so despondent and blue. The Hon. Peter – even – talked with me about it. The office force is pretty well shattered. The Russian cause seems lost & the state is anarchy. The Germans hence gather fresh strength on the western front. America is now even – barely comprehensive of the task. The home too, is to be broken up – but that had to come – the work & rent was too much. How I’ve enjoyed it all & how slow appreciation has dawned on me now that it is to be lost. But if I make this step – the beginning of a new epoch – manhood – it has been for the best. Pater is a brick. Work lagging a little. “I” not off – effects – minor – of the war movement. Pok’s quotia, I hear, is 1600 available men.

(Earl is only 24 years old in 1917)

New Wheels

21 Friday Oct 2011

Posted by in 19th Century Photos

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As a follow-up to the previous post, here is a selection from The Pine Plains Register of Friday April 11, 1902, a year before the date on the section of quilt. This post started as an attempt to find Ward Bathrick mentioned in the social column of local newspapers and has become a post about getting around in the early 20th century.

Although cars were just becoming popular in 1902, most folks still used horses to get around or the very popular bicycle, I learned something from this paper from 1902; people of that era referred to a bicycle as simply as “wheel”. See the entries below for three examples from the same article.

First, a fun post from a place south and west of our area about someone getting a new car:

“There were great doings in the village of Walton one day last week. One of its prominent citizens purchased a fifteen hundred dollar horseless carriage in Philadelphia, and after it reached its destination and was unloaded from the cars, because of some defect in the machinery it could not be put in motion and the disappointed owner finally hitched his horses to it and drove to his home. His admiring friends accompanied him with drums, flags, horns, etc., and made the town lively for a while.”

Elizaville (the bit I had been searching for initially)

“Ward Bathrick and wife spent Saturday and Sunday with her sister, who is quite ill at Staatsburgh.”

Jackson Corners

“A few days ago Silas Lawrence lost a bag of corn between Nelson Bathrick’s and Pine Plains. Mr. Lawrence would be greatly pleased if the finder would notify him. His initials were on the bag.

The boys in this place have been getting their wheels out and are taking some lively spins.

James R. Wilbur went to Pine Plains one day last week on his wheel.

Harry H. Bathrick has a new wheel.”

The Pine Plains Register and countless other newspapers from NY State can be searched and viewed at Old Fulton Post Card.

Click to Enlarge

Red Hook children, c. 1890: Unknown girl on left, Leland 1874 – 1918 and Minnie Curtis 1880 – 1967 with their cousin Martha Fraleigh b. 1887. This image is part of my collection.