Letter from Emily Susan Newell Bates to her granddaughter, Helen E. Bates:
"Mancelona Michigan Grand Pa & Grand Ma started at 11 oclock yesterday feeling well. Grand Pa had got all over his sneezing spell did not have a symptom of a cold. he bought 12 bushels of Potatoes of Wislers [???] & he invited us us [the 2 "us"s are at the end of one line and beginning of the next, respectively] all up to the Bazar to take coffee & biscuit made in the new Bement [???} Steel Range just before train time which we did. Mr. & Mrs. Wallace called Monday evening & we all called at Joe Holcombs yesterday morning as we strolled through the city looking at the lights. I presume you all pretty lone some now we do too. Grand Pa says that they are paying 85 cts for Potatoes to day Mr. Baker thinks they will be considerable higher. Mrs. Blair says to tell your ma she cannot weave her carpet for some time. Mr. Blair has 10 acres of corn to husk & he is the one that does most of the weaving & that we had better get someone in town to do it if you wanted it done soon. So Mrs. Wallace & I went to see Mason Huslin [sp?] last evening (he is crippled with sciatic Rheumatism) & has a blind mother living with him saw carpet that he wove its good & firm said the first that comes is first served has only one on hand at present. [The next section is on a separate, piece of paper that has the top third torn off. It doesn't look like anything is missing, though. "Pa3" is written just above the word "yard" in Emily's handwriting, so I'll assume it's complete.] 10 cts per yard is the price for hit & miss tell ma to get the measure of her room & he will weave in carpet wash [???] at the end of each strip as it is not a striped carpet it can run the same way mine did. it will take 10 lbs of wash. Told Nellie about the table & she said it was all right just to keep it & use it until Mrs. Reno wanted hers. she said she found out it was not black walnut after all & perhaps it was not worth as much as Mrs. Mathewson said. I would keep it & use just as she said it will not hurt it. I know she would much rather you would has no place for it only to store it away & if you want us too will watch for a cheap one. The Lamp she gave to me so you need not worry about. will make it right with Nellie. Grand Pa wants his cart brought when Pa comes if you have to draw it after the wagon. also his shovel. we have our wood all move & it is so far away he is not able to carry it & would like some Potatoes by that time. Grand Ma E & G M B think that ma had better keep the woolen vests for her self & take the cotton [the rest is finished on the first sheet of paper in the space at the beginning before "Mancelona Michigan"] cotton for you as children are not so cold as older People. How are you coming on with your knitting. Love to all & write soon.
Lovingly from
P.S. be sure & bring storm doors our doors are rather open at bottom
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