Ten Yard Letter

The following is a letter written by William Wurm/Wurn to his sister Annie Wurm. Based on events referred to in the letter, it is most likely that the letter was penned in July 1899. Punctuation is limited in the original document but has been added by the webmaster for ease of review. Information contained within [brackets] is not part of the original document.

Teeswater [, Ontario]

July 8th

My Dear Sister,

Your very kind and most pleasing letter was received a short time ago and was much pleased with it. No doubt you expected to hear from me before this but I had been so busy last week getting in shape for the first of July. I had to get the store in good shape and dress both windows. One window I had trimmed in white and yellow muslin for the back ground and then I had a lot of nice dishes in it. And the other window I had nothing but white goods. In Ladies ware such as skirts, night gowns and corsets. And I tell you they looked swell. Then I had to attend to the Band. We had to practice for the 1st as we played all day. We had 18 men in it. 3 clarionettes and 4 cornets. I will send you the paper so you can see what kind of a day we had.

I tell you Annie we have a nice Band here now. All young fellows. I am playing trombone part and I expect when I come home again I will be able to give you a little music. I wish you could have been here for the first [of July] and you would have had the opportunity to hear us. We played 7 or 8 pieces in front of the Town Hall. And whenever we do any marching we always play. That is something the old Zurich Band never used to do.

Well Annie how did you spend the first of July? Did you go away any place? I suppose Sister May will be home by this time as I had a letter from her about the time I got yours and she was saying she intended going home about the fifth of July so I expect she will be there by this time. She wanted me to answer her letter before she left Milwaukee but I didn’t do it so I will have to wait until I hear from you before I write her as I don’t know where she is.

July 9th

We have been ….weather …week back and yesterday it poured down all day but today it is just fine again. How is Bro Jake getting along since he is left alone? [Jacob Wurm was widowed on June 5, 1899.] Is he still on the farm? I wrote to him right after the funeral but he never answered me and I wish if you see him tell him I … so sorry I couldn’t get down to the funeral for I often think perhaps Jake thinks I didn’t want to come but that wasn’t it at all as we were so busy in the store and I would have had to come back again that Wednesday evening so I thought I had better not go as it would have cost me 5 or 6 dollars again and I couldn’t have done any good anyway although I felt very much like going all the time. So you can tell Jake not to think I didn’t care to come and tell him I am anxiously waiting to hear from him. How is Grandpa Wurm [Henry Wurm Sr.]? Is he keeping well now? Kindly remember me to him when you see him. And do you ever hear from Grandpa Zeller? [This would be Daniel Zeller. Death date of Daniel Zeller of 1898 will need to be reviewed.] How is he getting along? If you send me Uncle John’s address I will write to him sometime. [Uncle John is likely John Zeller.] I suppose you received my pictures alright and how do you like them?

Oh say my old boss and his … from Chepstow were over to Teeswater on the first and they were so glad to see me. You know I was not over to Chepstow since last winter. He wanted me to come and work for him again. But I don’t think I would care to go there again although I like McNabs first rate as they were always good to me. But the place wasn’t cut out for a fellow of my stamp as for one thing they were all Roman Catholic. And besides they were all like a lot of heathens and it was only spoiling me to live there. And now I can’t say anything else but that Teeswater has made a man of me or rather the people living here. It is a long time since I was in a Bar room and a longer time since I tasted liquor which is about the only thing that spoiled me. Had I never taken a drop of the blooming stuff I would be in a different position today. But perhaps it was all for the best as it has certainly taught me a lesson and a lesson I hope that will last me my life time. And as far as Church matters are concerned I can say I attend pretty regularly both Church and Sunday school and sometimes I go to League. They have been wanting me to join the League and I think probably I shall sometime soon.

I expect to stay in Teeswater until January next and then I will likely go to Sault St Marie where I will likely be married if nothing prevents as my young Lady’s home is in the Soo. I wrote Louisa about it one time and asked her to speak to you about it and let me know what you all thought of it but she never answered my letter yet and you can tell her to get a move on. Miss Lindsay, that is my girl’s name, is still here with her Uncle [likely Samuel Lindsay] and Grandparents who are very wealthy. She is quite young yet, only 19, but everybody thinks she is such a nice person. The way I met her was by her Grandma bringing her to the store and introduced me to her and they asked me up to spend the evening so that’s how we started. I don’t think I could ever do better and besides I like her in every way. She is also a good protestant girl which means quite a bit. If May comes up to see me she can have the pleasure of seeing her and then could explain full particulars to you. I will likely be home for a few days before I go although I told ma I wasn’t coming home for two years but if she wants me to come I will.

Now my Dear Sister, I want your advice on this matter even though it would be against my wishes tell me anyhow what you think of it. For Annie I am sure you all would like her and it would be better for me. And another thing Annie I want you to strictly understand that I won’t have to get married like so many of the Zurich boys had to do. And that is another good reason why I would like to have this girl for it is not every day a person finds theirs. Now I won’t say any more about it but don’t forget to give me full particulars when you write. And if there is any little things that you could fix for me alright such as little fancy work and so on.

Well Annie, this is Tuesday night and I haven’t your letter finished yet. But you know it takes a little time to write 10 yards ha –

Well I just come in from playing in the Band. We played out on the street tonight. Oh say, by the way, my boss Mr. Ewing was married the other week. He married a young lady from Mitchell and I tell you what they have their place fixed up pretty swell. His wife’s name is Minnie and so is Mr. Mann’s wife and the lady I go with name is Minnie too so they very often tease me and say whey the firm will soon all have Minnies. Ha---

How is George Apple keeping now? Does he drink much? I remember the night before I left home he was in Fosters drinking. It is really to bad for George. I pity any man that drinks.

Is Ed still in Crediton? I had a letter from him sometime ago but never answered it yet. Is John Deichert still there? Did Hoffman buy him out? No doubt you will think this letter is quite a curiosity but nevertheless there are worse things happen than writing a letter in this fashion in the world. It saves a lot of writing paper. But a person has to do a lot of thinking to write a ten yard letter I tell you.

Did you have much rain down there lately? We had a terrible lot of rain here. We had a heavy shower again last night. Say Annie I wish Jim recovered….week or get May to answer it if she is home as I am anxious to know whether she is or not and I would like to know when she is coming up here to see me for I am just dying to see her. I know I should have answered you sooner but on account of getting ready for the first is why I didn’t answer it before but I’ll try and not keep you waiting again. And the picture, I will send you one of them as soon as I get them. I am getting some made. How do you like them?

How is Ma [Catherine Zeller] getting along with her work this summer and say you tell her I’ll send her that money as soon as I settle up with the firm as I have it coming to me. How are the crops looking down that way? I suppose Jonathan Merner is going on the old way again. Does he have many horses now?

Oh say I wish you would ask Fred Hess if he could finish one of those pictures of our team. He told me last winter he would finish one for me in the spring but you can never depend on Fred. You know last winter he promised for sure he would write to me as we were pretty good chums when I was home. So I wrote to him but he has never answered yet. If you happen to think of it just put him in mind of it as he might take the notion to write.

Well I do wish you could be here now and tell me what to write as I am getting run kind of short of news. But I’ll soon be to the end of the ten yards. Tomorrow is the 12th of July. There is going to be a big time in Wingham but I don’t think I’ll go any place. Do you intend going? I suppose they are having a celebration in Exeter this year. We are invited out to play at Lawyer Stephen’s next Tuesday evening for refreshments and no doubt we will have a nice time. We have different engagements on ahead now.

Business has been fair so paying 12 cents for butter and eggs and giving 20 lbs of the very best formulated sugar for $1.00 or $4.90 a hundred weight. I suppose it will be something the same down there.

Does Jacob intend selling his household goods? Have you heard from Bertha lately? I haven’t heard from her for sometime. Do you know does she intend coming home this summer? The last time I heard from her she said she wasn’t sure what she would do about it. I suppose they are still trying to build up St. Joseph’s [,Ontario]. Have they that large brick building finished yet?

How are your cherries this year? Say if you have any ….I wish you … send me a piece of it when May comes up as I don’t think anyone in this place knows what it is and I would like very much to have a taste of one. For I am so fond of them. I doubt that cherries are selling at here as we don’t handle them in the store. It’s only the grocery stores.

[While the letter continues on for another yard, the paper is too brittle to access the remainder.]