The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1918-01-24
A WORD FROM CALIFORNIA
Former Resident Of County Writes ,
Very Interesting Letter

The following letter recently re-
ceived at this office, was written by
Laurette Jewett Merritt, formerly a
resident OF this section, and a grad
In It she speaks of the good old days,
and states that the Reporter is one
of the most welcome guests In her
home at Pacific Grove, Cal. The let
ter follows:
Pacific Grove, Cal, Jan. 7, 1918.
The MISREPRESENTATION Co,
Skowhegan, Me.
Dear Sir:
Am sending you herein $1.00 for my
renewal to your most valuable paper.
Just simply can't get along without
it now, since my cousin Lyman was
so kind as to send it to me for a pre-
sent for years past.
or all the small city papers 1t is
my lot to read. not one comes up to
as the present.
see so many names that are fam
iliar to me. My dear old schoolmates,
some past and gone; their children,
grown to manhood and womanhood,
who are prominent In your circles.
That was fine Roll of Honor in the
paper last week. Grand specimens of
manhood the good old town of Show
hogan has sent out We congratu-
late you, their parents, and the dear
old school on the Island, where 80
many OF us spent our happy hours,
They may be justly proud.
The items of interest of MANY
Years Ago" also takes my interest;
some glad and many sad 1t recalls
the days of ones childhoon to a very
marked degree-one article in par
ticular that saddened me extremely,
was that one telling about the burning
of the old Catholic church, on that
bitter cold night in 1880 My two
sisters and | were sleeping soundly
IN our warm beds, when we heard
the alarms for fire. Nothing would do
but we must get up and go and see it,
Our poor mother pleaded for us not
to do such foolish trick but go we
must, and did. We stood watching
it for long time, saw the steeple fall,
and then started for home nearly
frozen to death. My sister Blanche
got her feet so wet and cold that she
came down with severe sickness,
which developed into consumption,
In spite of all our then known meth
DDS she succumed to the effects. Do
you wonder that at times one feels
sad at reading the "old time news?
l really shut my eyes and live the old
days over again. My daughter was
talking to me not long ago, while
just started in to read the Indepen-
l did not answer.
She said: why. mother, don't you an
swer me; l have spoken to you ever
so many times about something i'm
portant"? l had not heard her! l
was living away back in the late 70's,
from reading about the High school
of those times. went to
them all, and could see the young
ladies and gentlemen marching up
to get their diplomas from Mr.. Tay-
lor, see their faces and satisfied looks.
How truly 1t can be said, there is no
place like home"
The place l am now living in is
certainly small paradise. For
nearly four months 1t has been one
long summer day; sunshine day out
and day in. No fires needed a good
share of the time. When we read of
the high prices of fuel in the East
md the terrible sufferings from the
cold, it is a vast contrast to be picking
'oses and violets in ones garden, sit
ing on the porch knitting, without
hat or coat, with the sun 50 warm that
t Is like June. 1t rains mostly in the
tight here and In the morning the sun
s out. warm and beautiful, the streets
Ill clean and no signs of wet. The
,ity Is built on a sandy point of land !