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SUSIE C. STAPLES : 1907 HANDWRITTEN MANUSCRIPT DIARY OF A YOUNG TOPEKA KANSAS WOMAN WITH CHARM, PERSONALITY AND A KEEN OBSERVER

16mo - over 5¾" - 6¾" tall. On offer is a terrific, original 1907 handwritten diary and journal of Susie C. Staples of Topeka, Kansas. This book, hand dated by the author, has over 300 entries for the year. The diary is a wonderful bit of western Americana as it provides a detailed inner look at this mature young [28 y/o at writing] woman's life is like in early 20th century Kansas and is also a super travel diary of an extended mid-western road trip. Susie worked for the Santa Fe Railway in Topeka, Kansas apparently as a senior clerk working on foreign account records, passenger records, training other clerks, etc., but she doesn't go into great detail. She is an ideal diarist starting with mention of that day's weather and a synopsis of her day and evening, mentioning names of calls and visitors and local historians and collectors will find a wealth of local history and genealogy. For transportation she still used a horse & buggy but also used the electric car and many trains to get around. At one time there is an entry that their horse got scared by an auto & fell & hurt his knees quite badly - the vet was called a day or so later and said not to use him for 10 days. They played a lot of Flinch after dinner, sewed, shopped, went to parties, Church, visited relatives constantly, she sometimes quotes what was served for dinner, it seems someone in her family was always taking a train somewhere, she mentions illness, redecorating of their home, attending parades and other amusements, and much, much more. Here are some snippets: Wed. Jan 2 - ...Terrible wreck on Railroad only 43 miles west of Topeka this A.M. at 5:00. 30 persons killed. One a colored porter was killed, lived just back of us. Thurs. Jan 31st. Ground one glaze of ice everything covered. Started to drive down - so slippery horse could not stand up had to get out & walk down so was 20 min. late. Told Miss Fauble the reason. Sun. Feb 3rd. Coldest day so far this winter...Gas pressure so low had to all live in kitchen not very warm there. Cousin Ivy started a wood fire up in her room and we visited up there. She came with me to depot. I left Kansas City at 4:30 arrived home between 6 & 7. Thurs. Mar. 14th. A lovely day first time the sun has shown for over a week. Mattie & I asked to get off to go to depot to see Cousin Agnes. We saw Cousin Agnes & her three children Lewis, Mac & Elinor & Cousin Gertrude it was quite a satisfaction to even see them & we had a nice little visit. Just think they go from Penn. to Cal. take all their meals on the train, travel in a drawing room section. C. Gertrude is not much larger than Minnie, not any better looking she is so wrinkled & freckled & red hair but very pleasant...Mama, Aunty & C. Anna went to a tacky party at Mrs. Shorts to sew carpet rags...Clarence went to "Alice in Wonderland" home talent play. Sun. Apr. 21. ...saw Marvin at church this a.m. with his girl, the preachers daughter. We had a lovely little trip to KC. Mr. Freeman knew the conductor so we got to go out on the observation car...We took trolley ride out to "Electric Park" as we had to wait till 9:00 train out. Met Mr. F at the depot. Had quite a Sunday lesson on the train. One of the girls from the office was on the train, she bo't a pack of cards & asked Marvin & I to play cards with her. Oh how it made my heart ache for her & what a lesson it taught me on firmness of character. Tues. July 23rd. Hot July day. Word was rec'd in Topeka that two vessels on the Pacific Coast had collided & lots of passengers were drowned. Cora & Sadie Shull were on one of the vessels & are afraid they are among the missing - everyone is talking about it. (Later entry confirms they died). Tues. Oct.. 1st - ...Mattie & I got off (work) to go to Kansas City, a whole crowd from the office went. Left Topeka at 5:30. Had a jolly time going down. At Lawrence Mattie & I got a seat together "skinned" a fellow out of it. Met Geo. Rogers right inside the depot...Geo. took Mattie & I to the Telephone Office where he works, he showed us through the office till Parade came along. Priests of Pallas Parade was fine, only not long enough. Floats representing different objects outlined in colored electric lights. After parade went uptown to Penny Arcade..Went to depot at 11:15 found our Topeka crowd there - got in a terrible push while waiting for our train. Left KC about 12:00 on a special of 16 coaches. Our crowd all got in one car together. Haskell Indian Band on our car. Had Jolly time. Train stopped at every station. After 4:00! when Mattie & reached home. We took a hack. Vacation snippets: Sun. June 2 Sunday on Train - The sunrise was beautiful. I was not slow in getting up this Sabbath morning. We washed & ate breakfast then had nothing to do but enjoy nature & oh the different scenery we did pass today. Irrigation, ditches; sage brush, snow covered mts. & Mts. covered with Pines. Adobe villages & lots of Mexicans. Passed through a tunnel just before we got to Raton. Matties first experience in a tunnel. Had two extra engines to help us up Raton Mt. Our 3 young men - Buttinski - Flirt & Comic - One got off at Raton, one at Las Vegas - one at Albuquerque. Trinidad, Raton & Albuq. depots are so odd - Adobe style. Arrived at Albuq. on time 7:45 & cousin Will met us...left our grips at Hotel, walked around business part of city then took trolley out to the casino. Am ashamed to tell the rest. Took car back to depot - not train time so wrote letter home from Albuq. Harvey house then C. (cousin) Will suggested we go over to Hotel & get our grips. Thurs. June 6 - Saw Mts. covered with cactus & Yucca's in bloom, Mtn Goats, Mexican cowboys & Horses, Herds of sheep. Rode by the Rio Grande river a long ways. Saw Texas State line when we crossed into Tx. Arrived at El Paso about 2 hrs. late went to union depot & washed, changed waists then went up town & got dinner stopped at The Eastern Grill, had a fine dinner 40 cents. All Chinamen waiters. Friday June 7th - We are living on "Shady Side of Easy St." now so did not get up very early. Went out to a near Cafe to breakfast, then took Trolley & went over to Old Mexico. A treat we little tho't of having a few wks ago. It is such an odd place, so many curios shops & the buildings & people so odd. No americans over there. We walked around & saw several noted bldgs., custom house, Jail, Famous Bull Ring, Cockfighting Pit. Bo't some pottery, & postals & sent home, from Old Mexico to U.S.A. We were a little cautious about buying anything to bring back as they inspect you & if you have any mdse. make you pay duty on it. But many do bring over lots of costly things, we were anxious to try it, so Mattie bo't a silk shawl & I a Mexican drawn work doily for mama, she pinned hers to her under-skirt & I put mine in my skirt pocket. We took trolley back, just at the end of the international bridge the US Inspector got on car & looked very sharp at everyone & said "Have you bro't anything over" & we said "Pottery" so we landed on Uncle Sam's land unmolested. Covers have a shallow vertical crack and the covers are rubbed and chipped but overall G.. Manuscript. Book Condition: Good. Binding: Hard Cover

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