River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1909-07-29
Pasadena Letter

Through the courtesy of Mr.. VIM
Palmer of this city we print the fol
lowing interesting letter from OUT
former townsman:
Pasadena, CAL,
July 10, 1909
My DEAR Mr.. PALMER
| am informed of your return to
River Falls, and can imagine your
pleasure in resuming the daily
round of visits with the old friends,
and l am presuming that it is warm
enough now so the Senate has re-
convened at City Hall. | presume
the Senate has settled all legislation
concerning the tariff in anticipation
of the hating decision to be reached
at Washington.
hope the year which you have
spent in St. Paul has contributed
to your health, and that you have
enjoyed yourself among agreeable
people.
The year in our new home has
proved to be all that we hoped. We
have been we'll, have stayed at
home much, and have had the de-
light of sunshine, fruits of all kinds,
and have seen many acquaintances
reaching not only into the list COM
ing from many places in Wisconsin,
but the old timers of 1855 and ear
lier from Vermont, have appeared.
There was picnic of Vermonters
in which | found a lady from my
native town, but her fifty-odd years
of age, were too late for my early
acquaintance-though her family
name sounded familiar. Also, the
1900 Badgers, gathered recently,
afforded many acquaintance one
whom / hadn't seen since l boarded
with his mother in 1889 when teach
ing my first school.
We have realized all we expected
in chiefly has the sun
shine cheered us-and it's production
of vegetables and fruits has been of
the greatest comfort to our bodies.
Every day the market has offered
green peas, string beans, lettuce,
cabbage, oranges and strawberries.
From May to December apricots,
blackberries, raspberries, peaches,
from August to January peaches,
melons, grapes and plums, have
been offered.
| have found that the sum which
l paid for fuel in Wisconsin, buys
my fuel, water, electricity, butter,
milk, eggs, and leaves something
over, to apply on other things.
Yet eggs sell at 26 to so sents per
dozen; butter at 35 to SO cents a
pound, milk 10 cents a quart. The
victuals consist of vegetables, bread
and fruit meats we do not have
which is fortunate, for they are high
priced. The fruits help out as
against butter and milk anyway; we
have exactly what we crave and liv-
ing table board''-costs no more
than in Wisconsin. Fifteen dollars
year pays the fuel bill-but we
had colder winter than any of those
4 winters previously spent here
and probably we spent more than
average on fuel.
l guess we ride more than we did
in Wisconsin and it costs something,
but on the whole, l am living as
cheap as l did in River Falls and
have the splendid climate thrown
in"
Of course we can't make up for
absence of our old friends. We
could acquire enough agreeable ac-
quaintances here, but we don't care
to resume the neighborhood prac-
tees, and we get on easily-though
l guess Mrs. Parker will have to go
back to visit next year, for she
doesn't take on the new things quite
as readily as l do. Of course l shall
have to go along to see that she gets
on the right trains,-and comes
back here
Please bear my warm regards to
Carruthers, and tell him that l often
re-read a good book, as though l
had his attentive ear as formerly.
We hope the season has much in
store for your comfort and are
Truly Yours,
The w. d. Parkers.
653 So. Lake Ave.