Old Timer's Warner-Longwood Townships Mail Route

Letter Published in the Greenwood Gleaner, Nov. 24, 1938

(FROM ONE OLD TIMER TO ANOTHER)

To Young Tommy Steele;

I suppose you are bout 79 now, but your Daddy was "Old Tom," and you were always "Young Tommy" in the Gude Old Daze.

Dear Old Timer--

just a few lines to tell you I am caring mail just now on rout too. We cot 5 routs outa here now, I'll tell you whare I gow. I'll have to use names ov places you know but folks who live here now won't know whare they be.

First I cross Black River on the new Forty Seven Thousand Dollar Bridge. Its at the southeast corner of the the old Moses Bab place. Thn I go N. & E. pass the Charley Carpenter place and whar Jerom Ostrom lived to the Fred Decker corner whare Herman Schwarze had his Blacksmith Shop, two miles S. to our old place. On west pass the Eph. Sanford and Neiman places to John Schwarze corner, north pass the Baldwin place, Charley Patterson and Bilkes to the Morris Markham corner whare the little Log School House was and whare we lerned to read & rite and spel. You mind when Lincoln and Jimmie White and sister came to school, the dog haulin them on a sled. Parents cookt in camp. Gow west there, pass the Charley Steele place, Albert Fravert that married Ella Kuester lives thare now. On to the Tome Steele corner, north to the Hank Ferguson place, whare the little Sofker girl came out when she was lost all night, slept in a holler log, was 3 miles from home. She cuden talk Inglisk enuf to tell whare she lived. Hank took her to the Braun School to find out who she was.

On north and west pass Fritzy Braun's and up near the Eau Claire Co. farm, bend back pass the old Dam whare we use to cross the river on that dam, on the old Woods road from yur place to Thorp. You mind the winter of 1883 when I took my two yooke of two year old steers up that way to haul cord wood to the Cole Kils. One mile east of Thorp thare was great ranks of the best Maple Cord wood to buy at $1.00 per cord. Sold it at the kils for $1.50 per cord. We boarded at George Burk's Hotel. He had a stable made of poles covered with straw, we kept the Steers in. The Soo Depo stands on that spot now. You noo it use to be a half mile west of town.

On east and south to the Cameron camp, John Vollrath lives near thare, on south pass the Mack Robertson and Sever Ellifs to the August Sofkers place then east pass August Noah and Vollraths, south to the Peter Miller corner, then west pass whare Mary Smith lived when you was courtin her and she woden hav you, but you got a fine girl when you married Christine Tederman, even if she did haf to die and leave you with one little girl. On west pass the Alton place, cross the river, ther bitden a new big long iron gridge on big, big concrete pears. I bet it morn a hunnert feet long. We hafto cross now on a little bride made of planks lade on stringers. Thares Ingins livin on the hill whare the big pines use to be. On west most to the place whare old Conger had his shanty, then back to Pete Miller corner, then south to whare Tom Sells had his Skiddin Shanty, east pass the German church and south at the Elias Homsted place to the Henry Schwarze home. One boy Simon is Marshal here. He tends special to the water tank. Then east pass the Francis Harlow and Ikel place.

Mark Warners grandson Donald is carrier on rout 4. It gows up pass the John Vine and Spaldin farm pass Bill Goodwins & Rod Webster's to cross the river at Hemlock. Thares an iron bridge thare now, gows west most to Peter Gullen's camp. Then north pass Yokab Beebles to John Mabies corner, then west Robert Horns, north to John Poppes corner, one mile west and then south to the Yankee place, whare Cassie lived, east to Robert Horn's again and south pass Ira Beams, John Warnke, Frank Williams, John Drinkwine's to Morris Markham's corner, east pass Curt Markam's to Varney corner, east pass Henry Decker's, Henry Sundermier's and north to the old Withee field. Goin pass old Pete Anderson place, then east thru Hemlock again and Warner's corners to the old Robert Smith place and to the road that gows to the Lloyd place south on that road past the Knut Anderson place to Iver Hembre's place, Pete Christopherson's and Simon Johnson's. South and west pass the Fritz Garret place to the Main Road and south to town. The Post Office is in the brick building whare the Greenwood State Bank use to be.

Thare are roads made to all these places now sow the carrier don't haf to walk but can drive an Otamobile all the way round the rout. The same on rout 1 that serves the country southeast and no. 5 that country southwest. They go half way to Neillsville.

Number 3 gows northeast, covers that 6 miles north and 8 miles east. We got a new paved road finished this year thru Greenwood all the way from Withee to Neillsville, give us a fine outlet. No more wallowing in mud as we have had to do many yers.

If any one has truble findin these places just show it to Herman Schwarze or August Noah, they will set you rit in a jiffy.

Were havin winter but I got my shed full o wood now leter snow! Now I have to kwit an git a load of wood so the wife kin git our supper.

Your friend an Old Timer,

I had the paper print this sos you can read it without trying to read my ritin.

***I believe these to be Charles Varney's memories of his old mail route. Below is a map of the route described in the note above. Click on the map to enlarge it.