“AN INTERESTING LETTER FROM AN OLD RESIDENT"

Source: Family Scrapbook, Contributed by Pat McDougall

The following letter was sent us by Kin Andrews of Colby and will be of interest to many old timers.

Seattle, Wash, Sept. 28, 1938

Mr. Kin Andrews

Colby, Wis.

Dear Friend Kin:--

Mr. A. J. Beardsley forwarded your letter to me, referring to Ed Hommel of Ironwood, Wis. He got his wires crossed somehow, and got the right man in the wrong place.

I will never disown good old Greenwood, and would give my right eye to go down old Black river with an old fashioned log drive along with you and the rest of the old boys, a pretty good bunch of old slough bears, if I do say it myself.

There is a lot of them living out here and quite a few of them dead. I presume that the same is back there. 

Well, Kin how are you and every body. I was tickled to hear from you, and to know where you are living.

I presume that you have a wife and grown up family, and grandchildren. 

Well, I am pretty well hooked up myself, I have six children [3 boys and 3 girls] and 6 grandchildren.

I have lived out here 38 years. It don’t seem possible, not a very long time, but when I meet some one from back there, we cannot recognize each other.

We lived within 3 blocks from Lottie Howden for nearly 4 years and did not know her.  North Brooks and Jim Copeland came to see me, and we could not recognize each other.  Brooks lived at 1111 K Street, Tacoma, Wash. the last I heard from him. He is 82 years old if he is still living.

Jim Copeland is dead.  He died 3 years ago the 12^th day of December. Jim had a very nice family, a wife and 3 boys and 2 girls, and he tho’t lot of them. One of his boys had a store at Dash Point, and when he died the shock killed poor Jim.

Jim was well fixed, he was worth $150,000 when he died.

Well, I am the last of the original Hommel family.  I was 74 years old last June and am still going some.  I am working for the Pioneer Transportation Co., and the Pioneer Sand and Gravel Co. Have been working for them 19 years. Have been watchman for the last 9 years, watching boats, tug boats, scows, building materials, gravel, bunkers, concrete mixing and Plant.  They let me be my own boss.  This will be my last job and they know they can depend on me, so they give me a good deal of letting alone.

I suppose Greenwood is about the same old town, and mostly new people.  There is not many people living there that I know if I did come back there.

I heard that your brother Dud and Frank are both dead, also Ben Andrews.  Is Peter Peterson, Fred Oelig and the Hogue boys still living?  Please write and let me know about what old timers are left back there.

Kin, you had better take a trip out to the coast some time, it would do you good to see the big timber National Parks, the nice lakes, big mills, and see many nice cities. Seattle is a lively place, boats come in here from all parts of the world. The population of Seattle is about 450,000.

Well, Kin, I will close for this time with best regards to you and your family, and any of my old acquaintances if you see any of them.  Goodbye from your old friend,

Edd Hommel

3508 Meridian Ave., Seattle, Wash.