Buy this book on-line

ROY NEWELL : 1916 ORIGINAL, CHARMING MANUSCRIPT DIARY OF A BUFFALO MAN'S TRIP TO DUNNVILLE ONTARIO AND A RETELLING OF HIS SCARY TIME IN THE BANANA ROOM

8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. On offer is a super, original 40 page manuscript diary handwritten by a gifted writer and literary raconteur if ever there was. The author Roy Newell of Buffalo New York creates a diary of two distinct and utterly charming parts in their own ways. The first part is a 23 page travel diary wherein he tells of an extended trip to Dunnville Ontario, a small town west, not far, from Niagara Falls near the north shore of Lake Erie. There is some confusion as to the year of this trip though it is inscribed "Roy and Stella Newell, about 1917 or 1918" from the entries concerning the trip there is an entry from 1916 concerning his marriage proposal. Further confusion reigns as online sites claim that Roy and Stella were married in 1912. Adding credence to the 1916 assertion is a 15 page secondary section which relates to a retelling of asking Stella's father for her hand. Titled "The Episode of the Banana Room" [Stella's father owned a produce business]. Roy coyly uses an "X" when referring to himself and also blanks on occasion referring to Stella's father. It's a super story and written beautifully. Here are some snippets: "My wife and I decided to make a short trip to the town of Dunnville, Ont. The objectives of this little journey were two in number, viz. on her part to visit and renew pleasant acquaintances and on mine to meet her uncles and aunts, of whom there are not a few. And a vastly more moment to learn if it lay within the range of my capabilities, the line of lineage in the case of each relative. How I succeeded remains to be seen. Therefore, with this end in view, we set out on a fine day in the middle of August for the journey. The trip was made without a single event of moment, even the immigration and customs officials being uncommonly lenient; the latter not even objecting to the rows of peaches which he saw in my traveling bag. There was only one of our traveling companions in our coach about whom there was anything unusual; this one being a small returning woman of uncertain years, whose chief pleasure seemed to be to see how many sugar cookies she could consume between the stations Amigari and Solid Comfort. I quote these towns merely to show my perfect acquaintance with the stages along the line…." They arrive met at the stage by Grandmother Mitchener and others. He describes the grandmother and Aunt Jennie: "Aunt Jennie, being a much younger woman, requires a different characterization. One feels when contemplating her, that here is a person who has been through dark valleys, but who has fulfilled her mission, is fulfilling it, and is happy even in her sorrow. She is a widow and is bringing up a daughter of fourteen, or thereabouts. What is giving her the full measure of success that is hers, is her sterling character and her ability through it, to surmount the obstacles which arise." "Stella and I went downtown. We enjoyed one of the prettiest walks in my recollection. It reminded me much of a certain Friday night in East Aurora. Across the Grand River in the very nicest time of the evening, with the red and pink sunset reflecting in the calm waters of the river and a Sabbath stillness over all. Across the river and under a wonderful row of willows which adorn the walk, we walked and were lot in the beauty of the place. Words cannot do justice to the pleasure of it all, it must be felt deep down in one's heart, and I believe that it was." "Our next stopping place was a small store where we purchased some cards to send away, not forgetting Ray down in Elkdale. Then to the post office, where we wrote and mailed them. It was while doing this that we saw our erstwhile traveling companion, "she of the sugar cookies." She simply could not get enough of them, for there she was standing majestically on the steps of a store munching away at one of her delectable morsels. This woman of mystery passed out of our lives here, but not out of our memories." Church the next day, a ride around town visiting other relatives and Russell dear friend of Stella's growing up takes up several pages and then: "This ends the account of our trip to Dunnville with the exception of one detail, herein added I managed to develop a most beautiful case of hay fever and punctuated by sentences with sniffles and sneezes. This did not, however, detract one iota from the fine time which was mine and the pleasure I took in meeting uncles, aunts, and cousins. After a light lunch we made our way to the train, the old reliable, "Fast Mail" as the Grand Trunk pulled in. We climbed aboard, the bell rang, the whistle blew, I sneezed and we were off." "I often wonder how it is, or why it is, that my dear wife can really and truly love me. She does, of that I am certain, but still the question remains why. I have always maintained that one of a husbands sacred duties, and more than a sacred duty, but one of the conditions that go to make a truly happy and ideal married life, is in the making of a home. A home that is a home, an abode that one loves to think as an abiding place of the spirit as well as the body. It is this which cause me to….." (It ends there but on the same page is written, "The finishing of this article was sternly by lovingly forbidden by "A. J.""SECTION TWO: "The Episode of the Banana Room: It was a Friday in September nineteen hundred sixteen and the writer of this short chronicle had been restless, nervous, "fidgety" all the day from the time when he arose in the morning. And why? Because on the afternoon of this eventful day he was to have a serious interview with Mr. ____ on the Market. Mr. ____ was the sole owner and proprietor of a thriving commission business on the Elk Street Market and the writer whom we will call X, was madly in love with Mr. ____'s daughter. So much so, in fact, that everything had been decided between them and all that remained was the few awful moments with _____. (He goes on to describe Mr. ______ in detail, then …) "X left his place of business earlier than usual this particular Friday, came home, made a change in apparel and left for the market. It is well that his fellow passengers on the car could not discern by his face the terrible conflict surging in his breast. He had rehearsed his part for weeks but he knew full too well by the utter failure of other parts, which he had rehearsed, what a miserable, what an utter failure this would be. The journey to the market was short, too short for his wildly beating heart and throbbing temples but he arrived at the door marked by the sign, J______ Wholesale Fruit and Produce." (He describes the place in detail) "X noticed a small door leading to a mysterious looking small room lighted with one small carbon lamp, shedding a ghostly glow about the interior. What a suitable setting for the ordeal!" The 3¾ x 6 inch flip style notebook is G+. BIO NOTES: Roy Bieseckler Newell was born on March 6th, 1892 in Buffalo New York. His parents were Ralph E. and Effie G. (Biesecker) Newell. He married Stella May Dohn about 1916 (?) and she was born in 1891 also in Buffalo. They had one daughter, Margaret who was born in 1925. Sadly Margaret died before her parents in 1970 and Roy died in 1973. Stella had quite the life growing up. Her brother was born four years later but died when only 3 years old. Then Edson, another brother was born in 1898 but he died when just 1 year old. Then her twin brothers Howard and Carlton in 1900. Then sister Viola was born in 1904 and finally sister Marjorie in 1913. By this time Stella was 22 years older than her youngest sister. Stella died in 1984 outliving her husband, daughter, father, mother and 3 of her siblings. Stella's parents were from Canada but arrived in the states in 1890, a year before the birth of Stella. This is the reason for the journey represented in this diary, to visit relatives in her native land.. Manuscript. Book Condition: Good+

Bibliophile Bookbase for antiquarian books, maps and prints.