Old Handwritten Diary Small Town USA History 1908+ Wright Bros. Erie RR Man Rare

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Old Handwritten Diary Small Town USA History 1908+ Wright Bros. Erie RR Man Rare:
$202.50

Old Handwritten Diary Small Town USA+History 1908+ Wright Bros. Erie RR Man Rare

Unique vintage diary providing a view of small town America in the larger historical context.
The diary was written by a young man named Frank M. Walling(1889-1960) from Meadville, PA.

Frank worked as a clerk for the Erie Railroad office in Meadville; a job he would hold for almost 50 years. Working for the railroad was a family affair. Younger brother Willis worked on the Bessemer line as a telegrapher, and sister Esther followed in Frank\'s footsteps and worked as a clerk.

The diary begins in the year 1908. What\'s really fascinating about it is the way Frank describes the day to day experiences of his own life, while making note of events of national and even international interest. He talks about things like the price of apples, the entertainment at local theaters, a sauerkraut supper at a nearby church, the weather, etc., and then will mention a railroad strike in Philadelphia, a mining disaster in Illinois, and the formation of an aviation company by the Wright brothers.

Frank lived at home with his widowed mother, his teen aged sister Esther, and his Aunt Nettie, a medical professional. They enjoyed family meals, evening games and hosting classes in things like Esperanto and sewing. They kept a pet chicken named Rosebud who was given free rein about the property. In addition, the family had an interest in things of a metaphysical nature, attending classes in Theosophy and holding exhibitions of mesmerism and experiments in \"psychological phenomena.\"

During the course of the diary, Frank is suffering from some undiagnosed illness which affects his ability to eat and maintain his weight. He drops to an alarming 90 lbs. and is forced to enter a hospital where he is fed a diet of raw eggs and milk. He apparently recovered and by the end, recorded his weight at 146 lbs.

Description: Leather-bound book with front cover missing. Lined pages. I counted 110 pages of entries, or more than 3/4 of all pages, filled out. Mild age-toning to pages and some discoloration caused by a newspaper clipping noting the death of former Meadville mayor, William Reynolds, in 1911. The date of the last entry in the book is July 10, 1911.

Some excerpts:

February 29, 1908 - Saturday. This day comes but once in four years and is therefore worthy of more than passing interest. The Partello Stock Co. closes its engagement at the Academy of Music tonight. \"Gardner West and Sunshine\" at Schatz\'s Lyceum Thurs. Fri. Sat. - return engagement. A lady and gentleman ventriloquists at the Star Theatre the last of the week. The gentleman is very good. The Morning Star published the 9-story bank building story a day or two ago. The Erie shops closed this afternoon. Jos. Johnson the timekeeper quit today. It is a week ago today that all the offices had a holiday. Dr. Burdette was at our house this evening and did a few experiments in psychological phenomena. He has been here for the last week.
March 1 -08. It is hard to tell whether March came in like a lion or a lamb this time. The weather was rather warm but it rained and all the walks are very slippery. Many persons took a tumble. The 8 hour law for telegraphers went into effect today. Dr. Fawcett and Dr. Burdette went to a Spiritualist meeting at the temple on Center St. tonight. Dr. Burdette stayed with us for supper.
March 3 - 08. The Erie strike has been declared settled and this is the day that the old machinists were to return to work but none of them did. Dr. Burdette\'s class met tonight. Paul Huff has been taking treatment for increasing his speed in running a typewriter. This is Shrove Tues. Pancake social at Christ\'s Church parish house this evening.
March 4 - 08. This morning three of the striking machinists returned to work at the Erie. Willis took his examination in color, hearing, sight, &c. yesterday for the position of telegrapher for the Bessemer. He went to Watson\'s Run this afternoon to take up his job there... I went to the Lyceum tonight to see the young Gilmore sisters as \"The Western Ranch Team.\" The Lyceum room has been enlarged and a sloping floor put in. At the Star for Mon. Tues. Wed. is Prof. Roberts and his 25 trained white rats. This is Ash Wednesday. A year from today the new(?) president will be inaugurated.
March 5 - 08. Thursday. Received wire today saying to put shop on at 5 hours per day. Shop closed this afternoon. Another reduction on all rates today. Several machinists to quit because of short hours and poor pay...
March 6 -08... The Evening Republican this evening gives the following account of Dr. Burdette\'s experiments at our house last evening - The Wonders of Psychology - ...The first person \"operated\" on was a young man who is endeavoring to escape from the evils arising from the excessive use of Tobacco in the form of smoking. (Gilbert See). The young man sat in a rocking chair and the demonstrator sat by his side, holding his right hand on the youth\'s forehead and his left on his folded hands. The man in the rocking chair soon lapsed into what appeared to be a deep sleep and so great was the power of the professor that he could command the \"patient\" to do anything he desired. He threw up both hands and they became as rigid as pieces of wood or iron. Finally the spell was broken and the young man awoke. It was said that he would have a repulsive feeling toward his old pipe that he had smoked to excess...
March 10 - 08. ...At about 6:30 this evening Dominck Nosti shot and killed Jose Petriol at Center St., near the Erie tracks. Nine shots were fired but only one entered the body of Petriol. After the shooting Nosti ran up Center St. and into Emilio D. Lorenzo\'s store and boarding place at 893 Water. The police were notified and arrested several Italians but could not locate Nosti. A second search was made at 893 Water. at about 9 P.M. and Deputy Sheriff Paul Marshall discovered him hiding under a pile of rags, when he was arrested and taken to the county jail. Petriol was huried to the Spencer Hospital but he expired within minutes after arriving there. It is said that the three Nosti brothers were in a plot to kill Petriole and that Dominick was to leave for Italy as soon as the job was done. Nosti is a member of the Black Hand...
November 18 -09. ...made a payment on my L. C. Smith machine at the Crawford Co. Trust Co. of $5.00. The mouth of the coal mine at Cherry, Ill. in which there was an explosion on the 12th resulting in the death of about 400 miners was opened today. Preparations are being made to have the bodies removed. Fire has been raging in the mine since the explosion. Troops are on guard at the mouth of the mine to keep back the mob of people, mostly foreigners, who wish to take up the bodies. Mrs. John J. Astor, of N.Y. who recently obtained a divorce from her husband sailed for (Europe) England today. She will make her home in London hereafter...
November 20 - 09. ....Dr. William H. Crawford, president of Allegheny College arrived from Europe this morning to straighten out the financial affairs of the college and the Centenary fund caused by the alleged shortage of W. S. Smith who was formerly treasurer of the college and custodian of the Centenary fund. Mr. Crawford will return to Rome in a short time to join his family who are spending the winter in that city... James Bragg was promoted from assistant baggagemaster to Baggagemaster at the Erie station...
November 21 - 09. I slept late this morning + got up about 11 o\'clock. Willis went to bed at the same time, that is a few minutes thereafter. Esther got the dinner which consisted of fried potatoes and some kind of custard which was excellent, and Nettie made a gingerbread in the morning. This was also of unusual excellence. Nettie had to go to Mr. Frank C. Reed\'s and give him a treatment this p.m. as he is sick and not able to be up, and this took most of her afternoon. The Italians of the city are organizing a church of their own, and held their first services today in the K. of C. Hall over Peter Miller\'s shoe store on Water St. They intend to build a church as soon as they are able... Twenty men have come alive from the depths of the earth where they held out for a week in the St. Paul mine and perhaps 100 more are along the coal drifts waiting only until rescuers can reach them. The discovery of the men was almost accidental. They had been drinking seepage and were pounding on the wall in order to make the water drip down. The noise of the pounding was heard by the rescuers and the work of reaching them was begun. Inspector Crawford of the state board of health, after being down in the mine for half an hour reported that 67 of the live men were in a critical condition. They were so weak they were unable to stand the exertion of being moved. In the six days the rescued men have passed through a horror the like of which has never been described even in fiction. Without food, heat or even air, the men gnawed at barks from logs used for supports in the mine...
Nov. 22 - 1909. Monday. ...The police of the city have been instructed by Chief Kightlinger to see that no turkey raffles are permitted in Meadville this week. The butchers and grocers complain that the promoters go through the country districts and buy up all the turkeys they can get hold of and that this boosts prices. Who ever heard of the like? ...\"Joe\" Grim of Philadelphia, a well known boxer who has earned the title of the \"human punching bag\" is in the city and will privately box Kid Dixon, of this city, a fast lightweight who is confident that he will be able to defeat Grim. Grim has never lost a six round bout.
11-23-09. ...Trolley traffic in the city was tied up for a short time this a.m. as the steam pressure on boilers in power plant could not be maintained owing to the work of taking down the large smoke stack. For the purpose of controlling absolutely in this country and Canada all aviation by means of heavier than air machines, the Wright Company, backed by financiers controlling probably a billion dollars, was formed on the 21st. Wilbur Wright is to be president and his brother Orville vice president. A large factory is to be built near Dayton, Ohio. An aviation field has been arranged for in Florida and will be continued in operation until April...

Of the three Walling siblings, only Willis married. I do not know whether he had any children. Frank worked for the Erie Railroad for 47 years, retiring in 1955; Esther for 43 years, until 1960.

I will be listing a couple of diaries belonging to Esther, from the years 1919 to 1925.

Wonderful original source material!

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