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Theodore Drake to Jennie McQuivey
dated: Oct., 17, 1870
Dearest Jennie,
I have returned from my long tramp. got home yesterday about 11 O’clock. found the
folks all well. we got as far as Clark’s the night before. I was glad to get home as it has
rained nearly every day since we started from the Falls & very bad traveling most of the time.
I suppose you were waiting to hear from me. I know I am to hear from you. shall expect a
letter as soon as you can send it. we came home rather sooner than we expected to. was not
pleased with the Spirit Lake section very well but I think as a state Iowa beats Wis. some
parts are poor others are as fine as any could wish for with plenty of water & timber. but as a
state the timber is scarce. there is a section through the north part of the state I like first rate
around Mason City. ---- City. ----Lake & Mason City is going to be a great RR center. there
is four RR there now two have the track layed the other two are to lay theirs this fall. I think I
have been well payed for the time I have spent. I did not buy any land because I could not get
my money without injuring others. I could of traded my team for land but could not get a fair
price so I’ll keep them. a man can buy there & get a good long time to pay. but I think
Jennie we had better go there in the spring. what do you say. but I don’t know as you intend
to go anywhere with me. I heard before I got home that Jennie Mc. was to be married to a
young man from Waukegan, that is all the news I know about it. but I place all my trust in
you Jennie, you don’t know how bad I want to see you. I don’t know what is best to do, to
come down there this fall or not. I think of going north with Lee but have not made up my
mind yet. Lee is bound to go to Iowa this spring. he says he is going to have a woman this
winter. I don’t know who, but I know who he has taken quite a fancy to. he may of said it all
in fun but he is anxious for me to go in the spring. he is a good steady fellow. I heard your
Pa has been here. I would like to see him or would like to of been at home when he was here.
I suppose you know C. Spaulding is married. he married one of the Adams girls a daughter of
the man that works Spauldings farm. he was down here the day he was married until night
went home went to Juneau & was married in the night. it seems to me though he was
ashamed to be married in the day time. I hope I never shall be. W. Hambright is married.
W.B. teaches The Grove school this winter. Jennie write me all the news when you write &
please write soon, I am anxious to hear from you & very anxious to see you, mean to before
long. hope you are well & enjoy yourself. I have enjoyed myself very much this summer but
will feel better when I can share it with the one I love. I will write soon again. please excuse
this writing as I can’t write with pen or pencil fit to be seen today & dear do write soon. With
much love I remain
Very Truly Yours
Theodore Drake
Jennie to Theo
dated Oct 20, 1870
*note on scrap of paper
Dora my dear,
Be sure and come down there is a great deal I want to talk about. & write & tell me
when you are coming down. think am crazy to write some things & did. but come down.
be sure & write.
Yours in haste,
Jennie McQuivey
Jennie McQuivey to Theodore Drake
Waukegan, Illinois to Clyman, Wisconsin
dated: Oct. 23, 1870
Dora Dearest
I cannot tell you how glad I was to get your letter and to know you are well. I was very
much surprised to hear “Jennie Mc. was going to marry a young man from Waukegan,” she
never told me any of this & has certainly kept company with no one in Waukegan, or
elsewhere. No, the truth is this, (though few know of it) her heart was anothers before she
came here and having only that one heart, has not one for another and she will never bestow
her hand without her heart. I am so glad you did not believe it. it is false, every word I have
never given anyone occasion to say I had a lover, escorts I have had but they all understand
their company is not desirable ------- night,, & none of them have dared to take the liberty
ever to kiss me in private. so you can judge whether I am familiar with them. I have never
felt a warmer attachment for any one than friendship, nice young men too. I have wondered
why but overlooked the fact that someone else had my heart. There is or rather was a young
man in Waukegan that I have been to several parties with & who has been here but always
------- once or twice in company with his sister & thinking matters were getting to far, I told
her under promise-not-to-tell. Of course I knew she would give her brother s hint. he has
gone east to vermont to stay until spring which wouldn’t be likely if I was going to Marry
him. I am not so base as that. and dear I am so glad you do not chew tobacco, when I see a
young man chewing my first thought is of you & that you do not. & you do not drink either.
The glory of the young man is his strength & surely the young man that drinks and spits
tobacco juice hasn’t much strength, spiritually. I think dearest sympathy was the bond that
first drew me towards you. My brother ---- dear Charley was your sincere friend & next to
him, his friend was dearest to me. that is why you seemed nearer to me than the other young
men. Oh dear, it must be eleven o’clock. I did not get home from church until 9 o’clock but
hearing Pa say he is going to Waukegan in the morning, was anxious to do as you requested
and so am writing this in the ------. I dreamed a while ago that we were married & that Con
Driscol said the marriage was not legal.
Yours through life,
Jennie
Oct. 24
Well breakfast is ready & while waiting for the men I will finish this letter. we all got up very
early to see the northern lights. the sky was blood red & I have never seen anything so intense
a color. Oh Dora, I am so curious about Lee, who is it he has taken a fancy to. It would be
so nice if you were to go to Iowa, to have someone there that one is acquainted with. So you
did not buy. Pa said if he had the money he would buy some land where the Perry boys are.
he thinks you ought to have bought but he has heard very unfavorable remarks about Spirit
Lake. he has talked about it ever since I told him you were going there. he says he don’t
think I would stand it in the northern part of the state, says the climate is like minnesota. I
could tell you what I think would be well if we go there. It is not my own idea exactly either.
I was reading a piece called “advice to young men & women” & in the piece it said that every
young man should be something of a farmer. would it not be well for you to buy land to pay
for at some future time & take your money to build a store & home together in such a way
that it could all be converted into a store when your pocket books got longer & the country
more settled so you would get more -----, in the meantime you could be improving your farm
& if you preferred a fruit farm you would have the time to arrange it with care & taste & by
the time you are able to build a house it would be a lovely place, & then if you wished to sell a
part it would be very valuable & then by tearing out the partitions you would have a
commodious store. you know I could keep store while the custom is scarce (you know I
mean to be as much of a helpmate as possible) & I could keep books. I know we are both
competent for that. I remember what you wrote a while ago in favor of farming but Dora I
think it is the man that makes the business, as well as the business makes the man. I think you
would do well where a great many young men would fail why is easily perceived & if failure
(as in some cases) was ---- causes beyond our control it might be the same in other situations.
One part of the advice I liked was this, However small your income, resolve to save one half.
this is where so many have failed. instead of saving they have lived beyond their income.. it
says too that you should consult your own tastes being governed by conscience (never
choosing that which when done will injure others more than it can possibly benefit yourself
(liquor traffic)) knowing that if a person learns a trade, or business against his own inclination
it requires double diligence to make only half speed & hardly ever meets with success. It says
you should not put off too long commencing for yourself better to begin in a small way &
learn as your capital increases how to manage a larger business. it says “I knew a gentleman
to begin with sixty dollars & in fifteen months he cleared over 450 dollars.” besides
supporting his family & then sold out & lost all before he again got into business. persons
should ever sell out or quit an honorable paying business. but Dora I will not worry you with
extras. when you come down you can read it all if you choose. I would like to see you so
much, but will not be selfish. Pa says we are foolish, thinks we ought to wait a year, we are
both so young, till you are settled. but Dearest it seems to me I cannot live another long year
away from you. I told Pa the Tribune said young folks should not delay until they had
something. the sooner they commence (together), the sooner they will have something. I am
willing to go with you in the spring. who is Lee C going to marry. I wish it was Lina (that is
if he is a good intelligent young man). tell her I will write to her in a few days. I have been
waiting for Tammie to answer mine tell her to do so. Dora, you have never sent me that
picture & I wish to thank you for the postage stamps. I have always forgotten it here to forth.
did Tim have anything to say about Mary N. is she married yet. who will Will Hambright
marry. there was a wedding here the 19th Oct. and one the 23rd Sept. we are all well and Pa
does not feel so blue as he did before he went north. thinks it looks so much better here. you
ought to have come down before the leaves began to fall, the place looked so much better. it
did not look really beautiful in Sept. I think no one around here suspects that I am to be
married this winter. I have been asked probably a hundred times if I was going to teach. I tell
them no I am going north visiting which they think is better & I agree with them don’t you.