This is a letter written by my great-great-great uncle Ezra describing a train wreck which could have taken his house out and/or killed his family. Just a day in the life back in 1889. As a side note, Washington became a state on November 11, 1889, and this letter was written while Washington was still a territory.
Burnett, WA
August 9, 1889
Dear Bros,
Yours received some days ago but some way have been busy and am pretty tired tonight. Been working my poll tax out and it about used me up. My hands are so soft. I was ditching in water and my hands burn in water, and my hands burn and smart pretty bad. Awful disagreeable weather now today and very smoky, so smoky a person cannot see 80 yards at any time in the day, and you can scarcely see sure at all. It smarts a persons eyes and almost strangles one. Hope it will rain soon sure as nothing else will clear it. Am mighty glad you have such good prospects for lead and hope you may strike it rich. If you get in a tight place I can help you some. I think I could send $150 any time. We are looking around for some good investment for it now. Guess I will buy a lot some place and let it lay, be good some time. Wish I could buy a good farm but every thing high in the shape of farm.
Had quite a wreck here yesterday. We are right at foot of a heavy grade and sometimes trains get away and come down flying. Yesterday morning at 6:50 a.m. a train was standing in front of the depot getting orders, and an extra came looming out of the smoke above about a quarter of a mile away, and coming about 15 miles an hour. The engineer of the train standing by the office made a jump, reversed his Engine and released his brakes and then jumped his train. Just started to move as they came to get her. I did not know whether to run or to stand still. Our shack is on the outside of the sharp curve right at the foot of the grade, and is not a safe location by any means. I stood back and watched the engines come together. I tell you, it looked bad. Two cars loaded with steel rails reared upright at the door and then swerved to one side just missing the house. Had they struck 4 or 5 seconds sooner it would have taken the whole end out of the house. Mrs. B. was not at the house, kids were back away from the track so I took chances to see the Biz. Everybody jumped. It was a great sight to see them popping out the windows of engine and going end over end. A fireman got his knee knocked out, is all that was hurt.
Olive is down to Burnett with her sister tonight. Her sister is an agent. There she has an agency post office and small notion store, a nice house to live in. Her bro, a young fellow of 19, is keeping house. They are fixed nicely. The wires are in there now you see. I have changed the address of the letter as we can get mail from there easier than from Melrose, it is One South Prairie Coal Mines. Her Bro weighs coal.
I was over to Seattle week or so ago. I tell you, that is a busy town. Never saw so much work going on in any place in my life . Can’t get anything to eat for miles as you have engaged ahead and every what place is a restaurant While I was over there I called on Lizzie Daugherty, or rather Malone. They have a nice place and 2 fine looking boys. Vincent told me she was there where I was in Ellensburg. She is rather hence sick to go back to Columbus. I expect we will soon have a new sister-in-law and I don’t know what to think of her. I think she is a good woman and smart, and will make AB a good wife. I don’t like all the family but maybe she won’t stick to them very close as she seems to have a mind of her own and I think the relatives will have to keep their place. At least she is about as different from Flora as anyone could be. She’s about the size of Laura.
Having lots of fires out here. I suppose you see accents of them in papers. Yakima still whole, but can’t tell when it may follow the rest at any time. Still streets are so broad that they have a good chance to fight it and they have rather both sides of every street.
Our kids continue well and grow slowly every day. Will soon be as big as Bertie as he improves and grows so much faster. About the pictures of your chaps, we have one of Holly taken in Iowa and a large photo of Nadine is all. I think we sent you one of our kids taken in Portland a couple of years ago. Well, my hands hurt and I am mighty tired so I guess I will nap a little. Our work is pretty heavy and keeps us close. As I do night work I am able to work where they call me, making it very handy but when a fellow has to get up a dozen or more times a night, it breaks him up pretty bad. I expect biz will be pretty heavy for a while now until I get what in, which will be a year in spring. We had a fine watermelon yesterday. Can’t raise them on this side of mountains but lots of them in Yakima County. Well good night. Write soon and often.
Love to all,
As Ever,
EHB
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