* Fred: A West Woods boy from Mt. Carmel in Arizona

Wooden Trestle at Mammoth, Arizona.








This is from the Oracle Historical Society. If you google it there's a lot of info and pics.

History of the Acadia Ranch

The Acadia Ranch is one of the region’s oldest and most historically significant structures. Built in 1882 by Edwin S. and Lillian Dodge, it began as a sheep ranch. Before long, it was transformed into a pioneer guest health resort cum sanetorium for sufferers of ‘consumption’ as tuberculosis and other lung ailments were then known. These guests, called ‘lungers,’ were encouraged to seek out Oracle’s clean, fresh air and pleasant climate by the American Medical Association. Today the Acadia Ranch serves as a museum devoted to the Oracle area’s rich history, as well as the headquarters of the Oracle Historical Society.


Courtesy of Ron Richo.

_________________________________________________________________________

1902 May 5 Postmark Oracle, AZ

(Fred)

Oracle, AZ

May 4^th, 1902

Dear Walter,

   Reckon it must be quite a spell since I heard from you. I haven’t been doing much correspondence the past four months. When I am at work am usually too busy to think of anything else. I had a fever a spell ago and didn’t seem to get along very well after I got out so came up here in the mountains. It is 4500 feet high and forty miles from the railroad. [Heic ?] ---about as lively as it would be over in West Woods, but I don’t mind it as I came here just to rest. We play whist and shoot target and that’s [sic] about all except to play the gramophone. Went to church this morning by gum. Yesterday four of us bummers took a team and went over to Mammoth about twelve miles from here the worst [oreide?] looking town you ever saw, just like pictures you see of [Gireadam?] Gulch. It is two thousand feet drop down there in twelve miles. The other bummers have been here two months and wanted to get a hair cut. You [inserted ought to] see the hair cuts, the barber was justice of the piece [sic] and assessor.

   I heard a spell ago that George Andrews had left Woodruff’s and you were there is it so?  We have been very busy in the bank the past Winter. They put on another man and I don’t have quite as much to do as I did. Haven’t been out evenings but a very little this Winter and it is too hot now for anything to be going on in that line. [my emphasis]

   The engagement I wrote you about last Fall was broken off several months ago. Hope you have not told anybody about it as I asked you to do then. I should never have written anyone home about it if I had had the least idea it would turn out that way.

   Think I shall go back to work very soon now. I intended to go tomorrow but it is such a luxury to get up in the morning and feel that you have absolutely nothing to do that I want to take a few days longer.

   Hope you will write to me I am not very good about replying but am always pleased to hear from any of the boys at home.

                              Your friend,

                                                 Fred

[List on back of final page and on enclosed tear-out from Woodruff’s]

Courtesy of researcher Ron Richo:




The "heic" looks like a misspelling of heck when put in the context of the rest of the sentence.

"Oreide" is an alloy consisting of lead and tin and other metals

A 1903 article in the Elmira Morning Telegraph refers to trouble out in Giveadam Gulch, Arizona which sounds like a wild place at the time.