Christmas 1912 (two cards one letter)

Ray Carroll Risley letter to Ray Carl 11.27.1912

Ray Carroll Risley in 1912

Ray Carroll Risley in 1912

My Grandfather had had a disappointing Autumn.  He had taken a position, poorly paid I’m sure, but hoping for an opportunity,  in the up-start organization,  working outside the New Hampshire Republican Party to help elect Theodore Roosevelt as an Independent, President.   This “Bull Moose” campaign only succeeded in splitting  The Republicans and ensured the election of Woodrow Wilson to the dismay and consternation of Aunt Harriett and the friends he’d made in Boston.

In the Winter of 1912 he was in New York City, looking for opportunity or some sort of career. He was still Harvard, Class of 1907, even though he had dropped out after his junior year to marry.  (In 1932 in the 25th reunion classbook he was still considered ‘Class of  ’07, although by then he had acquired a A.B. from Columbia University.)

Auretta Berry Risley with infant Rena 1912

His wife, Auretta, was in New Hampshire looking after their second child, a girl, Rena, still an infant.  My father, Ray Carl, was farmed out to his grandparents in upstate New York.  In New York my grandfather was either staying at the Harvard club, or, at least, using their writing room.  This is what he wrote to my father, aged six at the time:Ray Carl, age six, in indian dress           New York, N. Y.

Dec. 31, ’12

Dear Carl

Papa was down at the harbor to-day and he found this picture of the Woolworth Building, also some others.  I told you how I went up to the very top as far as a person could go and I have marked the place where the little balcony is on which we stood.  From the picture you can imagine how it looks to stand at the bottom and face the top.  It seems as though it would pierce the clouds.  This is New Year’s Eve and school will begin Mon. or Tues I suppose.  This has been a beautiful day, hardly a cloud.  I hope you have had a nice vacation.  Have you slid down hill much yet?  Papa would like to have another letter sometime if it is not too hard work.  With much love and kisses.   Papa

 

 

"Souvenir folding post card

“Souvenir folding post card

 

a souvenir folding post card

a souvenir folding post card

 

 

Nov. 27, ’12

My Dear Little Boy,

                                                                           Papa often thinks of you and wonders how you are getting along.  I suppose it is rather cold up there now and the squirrels and woodchucks have got settled down in their winter houses.  It is still nice fall weather here is New York.  Mama writes me that you sent her a nice letter. wasn’t that fine?

Did you get the steamer posters and booklets?  Papa was down near the Battery where the ships and steamers come up the bay from all over the world and where their offices are They sent them to you free. Was that not kind?  

How Papa wishes you could see that big Woolworth building which is higher than your old “Mutton Tower” (Metropolitan Tower. Grand-ma will know what you mean.)  From the top one can see the great ocean steamers for out in t;he ocean many miles from land. It is interesting to watch them build these great sky scrapers.   From the pavement you can look straight up in the air hundreds of feet and see the derricks carry the great steel beams and lay them in place and then you hear the clatter of the great hammers which pound down the red hot rivets.  You hear these noise (sic) all around.

The elevators carried us as for as the 51st story(sic) and from there we climbed up a narrow stairway which went around and around until finally we came to the very top and could look out from a small lookout surrounded by an iron railing.  Oh, my, it almost took my breath away to look down and I hardly dared go to the railing to look over.  It seems miles to the streets below and the big skyscrapers looked far beneath us foe this building is higher than ony other. 800ft to the top of the spire and we were about 25 feet below that so we were almost 800 feet from the ground.  If you could imagine about 15 of those trees in front of grandma’s place one on top of the other up into the air you would have something about as high.  We were so high that buildings five or six stories high seemed flat with the ground while the people looked like bugs crawling about.  We could look down on the harbor and the rivers (and) the bridges and way out over the Hudson.  If it had not been misty we could have looked out 75 or a 100 miles away. The workmen were busy finishing off;  plastering etc. There are thousands of rooms and thousands of people will soon be in it at work.  Well Papa must close.  I hope you will have the best kind of a xmas and take good care of your presents.  With much love and many kisses

Papa

Merry Xmas & a Happy New Year… presents.  Tell grandma she will get a letter very soon.  I’m glad you like school so well.  How are George and Robert?

 

 

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