Mail Call: 12 April 1935 (Marjorie)

From Marjorie Potter in Cabool to her sister Mary in St. Louis

The continuation of the Potter's rescued baby story, thanks to cousin Linda Rauk who contributed this letter.  The baby was in some distress because of a sensitivity to cow's milk; the Potters were able to somehow buy goat's milk which made him more comfortable.

Soon after this letter was written, the father came for the baby (and his sick wife, who had not died in the interval, the County doctor being quite wrong in this case).  Mr. Barton had found a job, and he next shows up with his wife and children in Pratt, Kansas in the 1940 Federal Census.  The baby lived to be 78 (d. 2014)  Although I am 90% certain I know who "Melvin Dick" was...(and anyone with an Ancestry.com account and fifteen minutes could find out, too)..I'll think I'll leave it at that.  Nobody wants to google up an ancestor and find them abandoned to strangers by their kin as infants.

Mail Call: 31 March 1935 (George)

George Potter in Cabool, MO to his daughter Mary in St. Louis, who has recently gotten a raise in pay.

Mary is applying for government jobs in Washington, DC, but George is concerned that the upcoming 1936 election might put FDR out of office and his administration's hires out of work.

Mary is being dunned by the Draughon's Business College (Tulsa branch) for her school debts and is advised to try to pay it off in installments.

Despite their problems, the Potters have taken in a 7 week old baby and Gladys is looking after the mother, who has been diagnosed with tuberculosis and is not expected to live.  Later census records show that mother and baby survived, but they are mentioned in only one later letter (12 April 1935).

Pat (the favorite dog) has wandered off and gotten pregnant, so George expects to have to drown the pups.

"Lillian Johnson Barton":  see the mention of the Barton house burning down in the Feb 2 letter.

"Mrs. Brooks" and "Soph" (Elaine): see the March 18 1935 letter from Gladys.
"Pat" is the most often mentioned of the dogs and presumably a favorite.  Other farm dogs include Smoky Joe, Poochie and Egbert (who specialized in falling off the porch).

"Walt" is George's brother-in-law in East St. Louis, his sister Dora's husband.
The "Parkers" are George's sister Emma and her husband Silas Parker in Corry, PA

Note from Mary Potter. on the reverse of page seven..the four pages of blank writing paper must have been folded over the cash she sent from St. Louis and then reused for this letter.

Mail Call: 2 February 1935 (George)

Letter from George Potter in Burdine, MO to his daughter Mary in St. Louis.  Mary's temporary job has been upgraded to a "steady position" making the Potter's financial prospects less dire.

A neighbor family, the Bartons, had a house fire and were living in an outbuilding.  Their further misadventures continue in a later letter.

Draughon's:  A large business college chain which still exists in greatly reduced form in a few places.
Mary had attended the branch in Tulsa, OK and owed a considerable debt there as a result