Charles Bessey, Letters, 1881

AMES. IOWA SUNDAY JULY. 10. 1881.

DEAR PAPA. I WILL BE GLAD TO HAVE YOU COME HOME.

THE PASSENGER TRAIN WENT TO DES MOINES YESTERDAY BECAUSE THIRTEEN BRIDGES ARE BROKEN DOWN BY THE RAIN BETWEEN AMES AND COUNCIL BLUFFS.

IT RAINED AGAIN LAST NIGHT AND OUR SIDEWALK WAS WASHED A WAY AGAIN.

IT RAINED 5in, 48 ' MAMMA TOOK ERNST AND ME TO THE BARBER'S AND OUR HAIR IS SO SHORT NOW THAT YOU

YOU COULDNT PULL IT IF YOU WERE HERE.

I SHALL BE GLAD TO [sic] HAVE YOU DRAW THE SUSPENSION-BRIDGE.

PLEASE WRITE TO ME IF YOU HAVE TIME.

WITH LOVE.

EDDIE.

AMES. IOWA. MONDAY JULY. 11. 1881.

DEAR PAPA. IT RAINED SO HARD LAST NIGHT THAT WATER CAME INTO OUR CELLAR 5in. DEEP. MAMA IS GLAD YOU DIDN'T TAKE YOUR RUBBER BOOTS FOR NANA PUT THEM ON AND WADED IN THE WATER TO GET THE POTATOES FOR BREAKFAST. MR. NORMAN AND MR. LUCAS CAME TO SEE HOW MUCH RAIN FELL. IT WAS 5.6

THE PASSENGER TRAIN FROM THE

EAST CAME SATURDAY NIGHT AND CANT GET AWAY THERE IS A SLEEPER AND A DINING-ROOM CAR

GOOD-BYE

FROM EDDIE

PS MR SIMMONS MOWED OUR GRASS TO-DAY AND HOED THE WALK.

Ames Aug 16 1881 [Ioa?]

U. S. Postage Three Cents

Prof. C. E. Bessey – Cincinnati, Ohio

Care of Sec'y of Am. Association for the advancement of Science – Grand Hotel.