Iowa History

An IAGenWeb Special Project

The Journals of Emma Troutman Boylan

Emma #15: December 1928
Telegrams, Ruth, Christmas, and Bambi

~~I have quite a few documents that predate the beginning of Emma’s journals, and will drop some of those in from time to time. Here’s one from December, 1915—a Christmas telegram from Tell and family to his father, William Wesley Boylan.

NOTE: Click on small images to view them in full size.

~Sat 1. Have sewed on a dress for myself this PM. Spent the most of the morning typing Christmas pieces.

~Sun 2. Had Gerald and his family for dinner today. Taught Mrs. Rowley’s SS class. Went to hear the Negro singers & preacher from Perry in the evening.

~~I wasn’t able to identify the singers and preacher specifically, but my guess is that these were members of the African Methodist Episcopal church, which was founded in 1816. ¹
Black gospel music emerged in the 1920s—here’s a wonderful Library of Congress collection on African American Gospel.

~Mon 3. Went over & helped Miriam—she has an attack of appendicitis. Got Libbie to help me wash in the PM.

~Tue 4. Helped over at Miriam’s again. Am sick myself this PM. The Campfire group met here this evening.

~~A shout-out to my assistant Jeanette, who is doing these journal transcriptions. She notes: “Camp Fire Girls founded in 1910, and happens to be the organization that I am close to.” In a previous entry, I shared a picture of a beaded headband that Ruth made in the Camp Fire Girls program.

Wed 5. Gerald is going after Nora today. I am not to be on my feet. Miriam is better.

~~Nora is one of Tell’s sisters; Miriam is Gerald’s wife.

~Thu 6. Nora came yesterday. It seems good to have her here.

~Fri 7. We have been sewing some today. Mrs. Walker came down in the evening.

~Sat 8. Ruth went to Iowa Falls.² Gerald took Nora home today. I am better. Went down town in the evening.

~~Here’s an undated picture of Ruth from about this time.

~Sun 9. Went to church & SS this Am. Went to Gerald’s awhile & made a short call on Mrs. Campbell. Ruth went to the church to practice. It has been much warmer today.

~Mon 10. I washed today. Mrs. Baker came down in the PM to work on Christmas program.

~Tue 11. I ironed some curtains and hung them. Got a letter from Katharine.

~Wed 12. Spent the day sewing for Miriam. Drove to Eldora in the PM. Fasted two meals.

~Thu 13. WFMS Day at Lottie’s. Only five there but we had a good meeting.

~Fri 14. Did my Friday cleaning today. Went over to Miriam’s to sew in the PM. Made some buttonholes and cut out Betty’s dress. Heard on the radio via Eldora that Chicago U is closed owing to Flu.

~~Katharine was at school at University of Chicago at this time. The 1928-29 flu epidemic was not as severe as the 1918 pandemic (aka the Spanish Flu), which was the second-deadliest pandemic in history, second only to the bubonic plague. ³ Here’s a great archive from the Chicago Tribune with pictures of the University of Chicago researchers who worked on isolating the virus in 1928.

~~As I dug into the whole flu pandemic thing, I ran across this interesting research/opinion article comparing the coronavirus pandemic with other pandemics in history.

~Sat 15. Finished Betty’s dress. A telegram from Katharine says she will be home in Iowa Falls at 2:40 in the morning. It is warm and the roads are frightfully muddy.

~~Telegrams were a common means of long-distance communication in 1928, as they were cheaper than long-distance phone calls. Telegraphers used Morse Code to translate words into electronic signals that were automatically decoded by a receiver the other end, printed, and delivered by a messenger. Here are a few interesting articles on telegrams and their history.⁴

~Sun 16. We met the 2:40 train. K did not come. Her telegram said “Sunday morning” so we met the 10 AM train. I was so glad when she got off. We had a chicken dinner then went to Eldora in the PM. Rev Rowley talked on Rel. Ed. In the evening. Rev. Rodenbeck & Rev. Bock were there. He said the School board had the right to cut R. E. out and it is not illegal.

~~Religious education in public schools was a subject of great debate at this time.

~Mon 17. Did not do much but visit with Katharine today. Went to PTA in the evening.

~Tue 18. Washed. It was a pretty day, but the clothes line came down.

~Wed 19. I cut out two romper suits & nearly made them today. Stayed with Gerald’s children from 4 PM till 11PM. Ruth went with them to Eldora. They brought home some pecans that Chris had sent.

~Thu 20. Katharine visited school today. I kept busy. Gertie & her family are driving to Oregon. Was so glad to know they were through Wyoming.

~~This is Emma’s sister Gertrude, who had been living in South Dakota.

~Fri 21. School was out today but I did not feel well enough to go to the program. Ruth went to Alden to a basket ball game.

~Sat 22. Ruth has a bad cold. Am getting ready for the children tomorrow.

~Sun 23. Today is Ruth’s birthday. Fifteen years old. We had Gerald & his family here today. Gave our gifts today. Have a tree with lights on.

~Mon 24. We got things ready for the Christmas dinner—a duck & chicken. Went to the Christmas service at night—Betty & Margaret spoke for the first time.

~~Betty and Margaret were Emma’s granddaughters. They would have been 3 and 5 at this time.

~Tue 25. We had Will, Nora, Daisey, John & Alice here today. Had a Christmas dinner and a nice time. Sewed a while. Margaret stayed. We played Flinch in the evening. Finished The Children by Edith Wharton this evening.

~~Based on a later entry, I’m guessing this refers to Nora (Margaret Manora), one of Tell’s sisters. She was unmarried and living with her siblings Will and Daisey.

~~Novelist Edith Wharton was the first woman to win the Pulitzer prize in literature in 1921 for “Age of Innocence.” The Children was published in 1928.

~Wed 26. Have sewed all day. Have been trying to make two dresses for Katharine.

~Thu 27. We practically finished the dresses for Katharine. Daddy took Margaret home. Ruth went along to be her daughter at a social affair today.

~Fri 28. We washed this forenoon. Katharine & I drove to Eldora. Ate dinner with Aunt Alice. Went shopping. Bought Katharine a pretty new silk dress. Ruth came home with us.

~Sat 29. Spent the forenoon work on Daddy’s telephone report. Ironed & sewed this PM. Ordered a dress from Mrs. Landis. Ruth is going to a Leap year party at Ruth Bocke’s. Is taking Lloyd Dillon.

~Sun 30. No church. Rev. Rowley is sick. Finished reading Bambi by Felix Salten. We are invited over to Gerald’s for dinner. After a fine dinner we drove to Eldora. As we could find no church we went up to JB Strothers in the evening.

~~Bambi, a Life in the Woods was written in 1923 in Austria, and published in English in 1928 with illustrations.

~Mon 31. Katharine, Ruth & I went to Iowa Falls in the AM to shop. In the evening we all played Flinch.

~~I hope you have enjoyed this installment of Emma’s journals! See you next week for January 1929.

^1.The AME denomination had over 500,000 members in the early 1900s and currently has over 2.5 million members around the world.

². I believe Ruth was taking music lessons at the conservatory in Iowa Falls. A side notation in Emma’s journal reads: Recital parts—Feb 21 24, March 5, 10, 12, 29, Apr 3, 5, 10. May 29—First lesson at Thalman, June 14, Aug 21, 28, Sept 4, 14th 18th ?, Oct 2nd 15th, 28th, Nov. 6, 11—played for church, 15, Nov 27—Report card., 29, Dec 2 – 10 - ?, Dec 29.

³. Here’s an interesting public health research article comparing data from 1918-19 with 1928-29.
^4. Wired: Telegram passes into history; Atlas Obscura: Telegrams; APH: Telegrams