Aunt Ada is Herb’s mother’s sister. Good to know that she is in the City, or maybe in New Jersey at this period in time. I don’t think I knew where she was. It will help with the research. Ada only had one daughter, Helen, and Helen only had one son. The son, William Arthur, never married and never had any children, that I know of, at least.
Harry was born in 1899, so he is about 17 at this point.
I don’t know who this Charlie is. Hopefully more will be revealed.
Herb worked with Case, Pomeroy & Co. before he enlisted. I’m afraid my research has not yet revealed what kind of business they were in. I believe Herb’s resume indicates that he worked as a statistician for them. Case, Pomeroy & Co. had their offices at 60 Wall Street. Theodore Pomeroy wrote a nice recommendation letter about Herb, indicating that he “has proved himself an efficient, capable, honest, thorough-going young fellow.”
I don’t know who Herb would be staying with in Hasbrouk Heights. According to Wikipedia, Hasbrouk Heights is located about 8 miles northwest of the City. Perhaps that is where I will find Aunt Ada. I do know that Herb used to live at Sterling Place in Brooklyn.
Monday, July 23, 1917
Dear Mother,
I am awfully sorry not to have written you before but I have been on the jump ever since I sent you the telegram. I had to hustle to get to the train Friday evening and then it got in Jersey City about a half hour late. I had at once tried to get Charlie on the phone but is I found out later it was not yet connected at his end so I couldn’t get him. I then went over to New York and called up Karolyn at Bridgeport and arranged for her to come over to New York in the morning. Then I called up Sterling Place and went over there to spend the night. Kimber and Zillesen are both enlisted in the Aviation Corps. They have been sworn in but are still waiting to be called and are getting so anxious that they watch for the mail man like two hawks.
I left there in the morning and went over to the Bank to see Charlie. He told me that Aunt Ada was to meet him at 12:30, she having been in to find out if he knew where I was and go out to Jersey with him. He suggested that I bring Karolyn along and we’d all have lunch together so I agreed. Then I went down to 60 Wall for about an hour. Fred Judson is on active service and Mr. Case + Mr. Pomeroy were away for the weekend but I had a long talk with Mr. Friedman about nothing in particular. It was then time to meet Karolyn so I went up to Grand Central. I brought her back and showed her around Wall Street a bit and then went around to the Bank and met Charlie and Aunt Ada. We all had lunch together and after Karolyn and I went with them over to the tube (?) and left then because she had to go back to Bridgeport. We took the 4:26 only New York and went to Fairfield, near Bridgeport and stayed at the beach there about an hour. Then we went to Bridgeport, had something to eat and I went home with her. Her grandmother wanted me to stay overnight at least with them, but it was sad enough as it was and I didn’t want to prolong the agony so I came back to NY. I left her about 12 o’clock and took the 1:00 back to NY. I arrived in the station at NY about 3:00 am so darned tired I couldn’t move. In the waiting room were about 35 men in uniform peacefully sleeping so I took off my coat for a pillow and joined them till seven o’clock. Then I washed up, went out and had breakfast, went over to Matthews to see Aunt Ada and from there over to Hasbrouk Heights. I had dinner there and early tea and left about 5:00 to come back to camp. Gee I did hate to come back here, but I had to do it.
Aunt Ada says Harry is trying to enlist. (Here Herb changes to pencil) The ink has run out. My advice to him is not to do it. (Herb changes back to pen.) I don’t believe there is any real obligation on him since I have gone. Anyway he’s too young for this sort of thing. It’s a hard, nasty life, and I should hate to see him in it. He’ll be more real use to the country by looking for a job on a farm for now and trying to go to Agriculture college, if he likes, in the Fall. If it were a war at home I wouldn’t try to dissuade him but as it is, I say, for God’s sake stay out of it. One of us is enough. Think it over Harry. I never steered you wrong yet.
Love to all,
Herb
I would say that the Charlie refered to in this letter is probably my grandfather Charles O Cornell Sr. He and Grace were married on June 21st of 1917 and moved to Hasbrouk Heights shortly afterwards. That ties in with the phone not being connected yet. My grandfather was working in a Bank at the time, I don't know which one.
ReplyDeleteOh, thank you for the date - I have just transcribed a letter that Herb wrote - he missed their wedding, but he doesn't indicate the date n all his letters.
DeleteAnd you are right - it is your grandfather, I have since learned that. He mentioned Edith Parker, Howard and Russell Parker, too. You will have fun as the letters are revealed..... :)