Hi Grace and Dave;
Just a note to tell you how much I enjoyed your posts of yesterdays date.......Merrill' s letter and the Christmas cards.
At about that point in time that those cards were dated, there was a large out-migration of young people from DH and SH to the "Boston States." My dad was among these migrants, and was in fact, working in Haverhill in a shoe factory when Gertie was there. Austin Manthorne, dad's good buddy was there as well, and the picture (# 18 ) in the photo section of the two of them sitting on a crescent moon was taken in Haverhill.
Dad never tired of telling the story of the time he took the trolley down to Gloucester to visit around the fishing fleet, where, having been to the Banks a few trips, had many friends.
A brand new schooner was fitting out. Dad knew the skipper and several of the crew. He had apparently made quite a name for himself as a handliner, and was in demand, and the skipper of the new build asked him if he would like a berth on this fine new vessel. Dad thought it over and said yes, so he went back to Haverhill with the intention of quitting "the shoe shop" and going down to the Grand Banks on the 'summer trip'
Arriving at his boarding house, imagine his surprise and delight, to find that his brother Os and Leonard and Fred Fanning had arrived from Detroit for a little change of scene and a visit. Of course this changed his plans for fishing, so he wired the skipper that it was off; to get someone else. The new schooner sailed in two days and was lost on that, her maiden voyage, with all hands.
Had Os, Fred and Leonard not made the trip from Detroit to Boston I wouldn't be typing this down by the Tar Ponds. It's a strange world we live in, Master Jack.
Don
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