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Title: Emma McClintock, U.S.A., to "Dear Bertie".
ID3766
CollectionIrish Emigration Database
Filemcclintock, emma/8
Year1934
SenderMcClintock, Emma
Sender Genderfemale
Sender Occupationupper middle-class socialite
Sender Religionunknown
OriginHuntington, West Virginia, USA
DestinationIreland
RecipientBertie
Recipient Genderfemale
Relationshipdistant relatives
SourceD/3561/A/5/3: Deposited by Dr. E.R. Green
ArchiveThe Public Record Office, Northern Ireland
Doc. No.9806323
Date15/4/1934
Partial Date
Doc. TypeEMG
LogDocument added by LT, 15:06:98.
Word Count925
Genre
Note(Parents were Charles McClintock and Adeline Richey; lived in the Charles Ritter household with his wife Mabel) Source: http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~cabell/genealogy/d160.html
TranscriptRitter Place,
Huntington, W. Va [West Virginia?]
April 15/34.

Dear Bertie,
I have just been going over your letters. The first
I read was concerning the heart trouble of your eldest
sister and the paralysis of the husband. Then the one
about the death of both. Since these letters were so
far apart, I did not realize conditions until I read
the letters together tonight.
You certainly had a load to bear and I wish to
express my sorrow. I just hope you will soon be able
to have a rest. Summer is coming with all its
gorgeous setting after a very bad cold winter. Our
temperature was around zero and 10ø above for a long
time. We have had snow for the past two months. A
short ago we had ten days of hot weather from 80 to
88. Cold again. But today calmy. A grand Easter.
Janquils are about over. Forsythia nearly gone.
Magnolias, hyacinths (jasmine), japonica, and lilacs
in bloom.
One of your letters stated that in case you found
the fortune you would visit us. Get busy, quick. Mabel
had a wonderful cruise to Iceland, Russia, Germany,
Switzerland, and France last summer. I think this
summer she will take a house at Atlantic City again so
the grand-children can be on the beach.
We have had a terrible tragedy since the new year
came - Mr. Ritter had put the youngest , but largest
unsophisticated son on a 300 A. [acre?] farm up on the
Ohio R . He did not attend to it at all, so he
moved him to the city. They did not have their
draperies up yet when his little wife wanted to have a
party. After they had gone, a neighbor [neighbour ?]
heard a crackling and discovered the living room afire.
The fumes were so deadly that Mary, her sister and the
ten months old baby were suffocated without knowing
anything about it. Don had gone up town with a boy
friend to get a sandwich (as usual) and was not at
home. We had brought Don Jr. here so I could take
him to Sunday S. [school?] So these two were saved.
The three were laid away nicely and the flowers
gorgeous. Both Dons live here now.
Mr. Ritter had just gone to Tuseon for his sinus
trouble. His eldest son and his wife are there for her
sinus trouble. This is Donnies birthday and they are
getting him a pony. I have not been teaching for two
years. I am glad to be out of the profession. Salaries
are very low and I get a pension. My stocks have paid
nicely. So I am quite content. I began painting last
summer, but have not done anything this winter as my
time has been given to Donnie. He attended
kindergarten all year in the morning. He has always
lived here. Then I put him to bed and cared for him
until nearly dinner time. We have a fine colored
[coloured ?] nurse now which relieves us very much but
either Mabel or I have to remain at home when the other
goes. We have had some cousins from Pittsburg, a gentleman
from Bluefield, two ladies from Indianapolis (one that was
on the cruise with Mabel) and a table of bridge in the
last ten days. A friend from Santa Fe came suddenly
just before that and spent a week. We are expecting
our niece from Washington, D.C. soon to stay for a
while. She is an ananemic [anemic?] since graduating
in pipe organ at the conservatory in Boston and Mabel
thinks our country quiet, fresh air, and sunshine,
with some diversion will strengthen her. She must have
liver and spinach too.
I went to a bridge party lately which was given for
a benefit for a church school, and four of us are
going to the school Tuesday to a luncheon. Friday
night I attended one for the Episcopal church but I
was one of twenty-four guests.
Rhonda Neal plays with three of us once a week. She
is quite well. She stayed with me one night two weeks
ago while Mabel and the Dons were in Lexington, Ry.
with a friend that came from Santa Fe.
I am still writing to people concerning my
ancestry. I found the name Tennant in an Ad recently
and wrote to her. She sent me a clipping from a W. Va
[West Virginia?] newspaper which gave an account of a
reunion of the family at which 8000 descendants
attended. I never hear the name and it was a big
surprise to know that one end of this little state
could have so many in one big family. Now I am about
to write to Glasgow. A Scotch family here were reared
in the midst of Tennants, I found out last night.
These W.Va [West Virginia?] people came in 1760. The
eldest brother did not come. He was Lord Tennant. But
who my grandmother's father was I have not been able
to find out. They settled in the New England states.
I want to go back to the winter temperature. My
cousins said their daughter who lives in Maine wrote
that their temperature was 50ø below zero for weeks
and sometimes 100ø below. In New Hampshire it was 45ø
below for three weeks and about that in New York. Wm
[William?] Ritter and his wife were in Florida most
of March so they escaped the worst.
I await the photo and letter. Regards to Robt
[Robert?] from whom I hope to hear soon.
Aff. [Affectionately?],
Emma McClintock.

Word count: 925