G.070.03, G.071.03 - Postcards to Gustaf from his friend John - April and July 1914

 G.070.03

Munkaberg, April 24. (Eftersänt till Gustaf i Brålanda från Fristad, 27.4.1914) 

Besta Vänner. Min resa gick bra hit till Murum. Jag kan inte komma den vägen tillbaka, ty jag kommer att taga vägen åt Härna. Så du får vara snäll och skriva till mig. Tenker du är allaredan rest när detta kortet kommer fram. En vänlig hälsning till eder allesammans från en Vän. J. --- ?

Munkaberg, april 24. (Forwarded to Gustaf at Brålanda from Fristad, 27.4.1914)

Dear Friends. My journey here to Murum went well. I can't travel back the same way because I'm taking the road to Härna. So I ask you please to write to me. I'm thinking you will probably have left by the time this card arrives. Best wishes to you all from a Friend. J. --- ?

Murum and Härna are both localities in Västergötland, not too far from Fristad. It seems the writer stopped at Storegården on his way to Murum but won't be able to re-visit on his way back as he'll be taking a different road then. Gustaf was not living in Fristad in 1914, but he would have been able to travel there by train from Brålanda in Dalsland for a visit occasionally. (Whether he did, I don't know.)

I think the next card below must be written by the same person; and based on the handwriting on both, I think the writer may be John Beckman, who also wrote some cards to Gustaf while they were both in America. The signature on both cards is difficult to decipher, though.

G.071.03

Novilla å Djurgården

Svensk Wikipedia-artikel om Novilla på Djurgården.

To: Herr Gust. Ekman, Brålanda
From: John [Beckman?] 
Arrived at Brålanda 25.7.1914

Min bäste kamrat. Huru mår du, jag lengtar efter brev från dig. Jag har hört att du skrev till Skoglund, jag kan hälsa dig från Storegd, de har hälsat de väntar också brev från dig. Jag kan väl aldrig tro att den där lilla brevduvan har flugit bort mäd dig, men om hon skulle släppa dig någon gång så sänd mig några rader så jag får veta huru du mår och hvad du gör. Adjö mäd dig, må så väl. Hälsa dina små Duvor, hoppas du tager reda på dem. Good bay. / John [Beckman?]

My dear friend, How are you? I'm longing for a letter from you. I have heard that you wrote to Skoglund. I have greetings to you from Storegården, they have said they are also waiting for a letter from you. I hope that little dove [carrier-pigeon] hasn't flown away with you, but if she drops you some time, please send me a few lines and tell me how you are and what you are doing. Farewell, and stay healthy. Greetings to your little Doves, I hope you take good care of them. Goodbye. 

/ John [Beckman?]

---

Based on things I vaguely remember having heard in the past, I think Gustaf lived with (and worked for) a woman in Brålanda, a widow with a daughter. As far as I know, I don't think they ever got married, though. But seems likely that they are who John is referring to here as Gustaf's "doves". The Swedish word for carrier-pigeon is brevduva (letter-dove). We also talk of turtledoves (turturduvor) much as one in English talks of "lovebirds".  

Gustaf dog innan jag föddes, så jag har inga personliga minnen av honom. Jag vill dock minnas att jag hört att han under åren i Brålanda bodde tillsammans med (och arbetade för) en änka med en dotter. Jag tror dock aldrig att de gifte sig (vilket kan vara en orsak till att förhållandet bara omnämndes i vaga ordalag...) Men det verkar troligt att detta är vad John syftar på när han skriver om "duvor" här. (Förutom brevduvor som förmedlare av brev, så används ju också ofta "turturduvor" för att beteckna kärlekspar.)

G.044.01 - "French Dressing"

 

"Photo only copyrighted 1909 by Theodor Eismann, New York"

Why all the men stared.
Miss Madeleine: All men are staring at us as though they were going to eat us up.
Miss Blanche: Yes, most men like "French Dressing". 

To: Mr Gust Ekman, Galeton, Pa.
From: John Beckman (Jamestown, N.Y., Oct 7, 1909)

Hello Gust. Thank you very much for the postal I just got now. Can't you have any good time in Galeton. All [I'll] tell you I have good time here in Jamestown. I was to a dance last night and after the dance was done I whent home whed the sweed girl and I stop to her home to 3 clock morning and I had good time whed her to. / Best regards to you from John Beckman / 27 Broadhead Ave, Jamestown, N.Y. / Ans. soon. Don't send it to Barrow St.

Note: Barrow Street was the address where John used to live with a girl called Manda (cf G.041.03, G.042.02)

"Hej Gust. Tack så mycket för vykortet jag just fick. Har du inget roligt i Galeton. Du ska veta jag har roligt här i Jamestown. Jag var ute och dansade igår och efter dansen följde jag med den söta flickan hem och stannade till 3 på morgonen och hade roligt med henne också. Bästa hälsningar till dig från John Beckman. / 27 Broadhead Ave, Jamestown, N.Y. / Svara snart [men] skicka det inte till Barrow Street." 

Anm: Barrow Street var den adress där John tidigare samma år bott tillsammans med en flicka vid namn Manda. (Jmf G.041.03, G.042.02) 

G.042.03 - Steamer 'City of Buffalo', Celeron, N.Y. (1909)

Str City of Buffalo, landing at dock, Celeron, N.Y.

 

Made expressly for S.H. Knox & Co. Printed in Germany

To: Mr Gust Ekman, Galeton, Pa
From: John Beckman (Jamestown N.Y., Jul 18, 1909)

Hello Gust. I will send you a postal now and thanks you very much for the postal you send me. I hear you had good times on 4 of July in Buffalo, did you have any girls whed [with] you all [-?-] Gust. I had lovely times out here in Jamestown to[o]. Alfred and Henning is working here in town now so pretty soon all de Boy [all the boys] from Galeton will be here in Jamestown. I supoese Hilding have a picnic now whed all de girls. Good bye, ans. soon. / John Beckman, 27 Broadhead Ave., Jamestown N.Y.

Hej Gust. Jag skickar ett kort och tackar så mycket för det kortet du skickade mig. Jag hör att du hade trevligt 4 juli i Buffalo, hade ni några flickor med er? Jag hade det härligt här i Jamestown också. Alfred och Henning arbetar här nu, så snart är väl 'alla pojkarna' från Galeton här i Jamestown. Jag antar att Hilding kan välja och vraka bland alla flickorna nu. Hej då, skriv snart. /John Beckman, 27 Broadhead Ave., Jamestown N.Y.

***

So instead of Jamestown, it seems Gustaf went to Buffalo for 4th July 1909.
And his friend John has a new address in Jamestown.

Så istället för Jamestown firade Gustaf tydligen 4 juli 1909 i Buffalo.
Och hans vän John har en ny adress i Jamestown. 

G.041.03 + G.042.01 - Chautauqua N.Y. Celoron (1909)

Två likadana vykort, postade med bara några dagars mellanrum; skrivna av två olika personer, som dock verkar stå varandra nära.

Two identical cards (same image), posted only three days apart; written by two different people who seem to be in a close relationship.

G.042.01 - from John

Chautauqua, N.Y. Celoron

To: Mr Gust Ekman, Galeton, Potter Co, Pa
From: J. Beckman (Jamestown, N.Y., Jun 13, 1909)

Hello Gust. Thanks for the postal you sent me, glad to hear from you. I don't think I will go to Galeton so soon now, because I struk pretty good work so all [I'll] stay here this summer. When are you coming to Jamestown next Gust, you better come 4th July and we will have a good time Gust. Best regards to you from your friend J. Beckman - Send me a postal again please and let me know what you are going to do.

"Hej Gust. Tack för kortet du skickade, roligt att höra från dig. Jag tror inte att jag kommer till Galeton så snart nu, för jag fick ganska bra arbete [här] så jag kommer att stanna här denna sommaren. När kommer du till Jamestown härnäst Gust, du måste komma till 4 juli så ska vi ha trevligt. Bästa hälsningar till dig från din vän J. Beckman - Var snäll och skicka mig ett kort igen och låt mig veta vad du tänker göra."

G.041.03 - from Manda

Chautauqua N.Y. Celoron

Photo and pub. by Geo. H. Monroe, Jamestown, N.Y.
Printed in Germany

To: Mr August Ekman, Galeton Potter Co, Pa. - Box 342
From: Manda Henrickson (Jamestown N.Y., Jun 16, 1909)

Här har jag det trefligt i Jamestown. Jag och Beckman lefver tillsammans, vi arbetar hvarje dag på stål möbel factory. Här ser ut att vara godt om arbete. Bästa hälsningar till dig från Manda Henrickson, 234 Barrow St, Jamestown N.Y.
[Adressen är densamma som John angav på sitt förra kort, G.041.02 - se föregående inlägg.]

I'm having a good time here in Jamestown. I and Beckman are living together, we work every day at a steel furniture factory. There seems to be plenty of work here. Best wishes to you from Manda Henrickson, 234 Barrow St, Jamestown N.Y.
[The same address that John Beckman wrote on his previous card, G.041.02 - see previous blogpost.]

***

"Celoron is a village in Chautauqua County, New York. It is part of the town of Ellicott and sits on the west boundary of the city of Jamestown." [Wikipedia]

G.041.02 - Jamestown, N.Y., South Main St. (1909)

 

Jamestown, N.Y. South Main St.

The Hugh C. Leighton Manufacturers. Portland, M.E., U.S.A.
Printed in Frankfort o/Main, Germany - No 4831

To: Gust Ekman, Galeton, Potter Co, Pa
From: John Beckman (Jamestown, N.Y., June 4, 1909)

Hello Gust
Jag vill senda et postkort och låta dig veta at jag har hälsan och mår bra, ock önskar dig det samma. Hur är det med arbete i Galeton nu för tiden, jag ledsnar här i Jamestown. Vill du Gust vara snäl ock senda mig ett kort ock tala om hur det är med arbete där. 234 Barrow St, Jamestown N.Y.
Helsning til dig från John Beckman

Hello Gust
I want to send you a postcard and let you know that I am well, and hope you are, too. How is the work situation in Galeton these days? I'm getting fed up with Jamestown. Will you please send me a card and tell me if there is any work there. 234 Barrow St, Jamestown N.Y. Greetings to you from John Beckman

Kommentar: Det här kortet får mig att tänka om angående ett tidgare kort (G.033.02), där avsändaren (Hilda) säger sig ha hört att Gustaf tillbringat 4 juli 1906 i "Jamest." Det framgick inte där vilket Jamestown som åsyftades. Men nu (1909) dyker det här kortet upp från Jamestown New York, som även följs av fler kort därifrån (som kommer att visas i kommande inlägg). Detta gör det troligt att det var Jamestown NY som Gustaf besökte i juli 1906 (snarare än Jamestown PA).

Comment: This card reminds me of an earlier card (G.033.02) which suggested that Gustaf spent 4th July 1906 in "Jamest." It was not clear from that card which Jamestown was referred to. Now, 1909, we have this greeting from Jamestown New York - also followed by more cards from there (which will turn up in blog posts to follow). This makes it likely that it was Jamestown NY that Gustaf visited in July 1906 (rather than Jamestown PA).

G.043.02 - Boat Landing at Celoron, Chautauqua Lake, N.Y. (1909)

 

Boat Landing at Celoron, Chautauqua Lake, N.Y.

(Can't interpret the publisher's symbol)

To: Mr Gust Ekman, Galeton Pa, Box 342
From: John Beckman (Jamestown N.Y., Aug 26, 1909)

Hello Gust
I thougth I will send you a postal now and thank you very much for the letter you sent. I se[e] you whont [won't] come over to Jamestown. I was to a picnic 2 weeks a go, and here is the boat. How do you like it all. Tell you Gust I had [a] pretty good time that day. Ans. soon. - Best regards from your friend J. Beckman. Send my best regards to mine girl, you know who that is.

Hej Gust, jag tänkte jag skickar dig ett kort nu och tackar så mycket för brevet du skickade. Jag ser att du inte tänker komma över till Jamestown. Jag var på en picknick för 2 veckor sedan, och här är båten. Vad tycker du om det hela. Du ska veta att jag hade roligt den dan. Skriv snart. - Bästa hälsningar från din vän J. Beckman. Hälsa så mycket till min flicka, du vet vem jag menar.

***

I googled "steamboats celeron new york", and found a web page from Chautauqua County Historical Society: Large Chautauqua Lake Steamboats. (Phew, that is one tricky name to keep spelling...) Evidently there were several steamboats of this kind in traffic on this lake in the late 19th /early 20th century. On a previous card (G.042.03) from John B. we had the steaner City of Buffalo, The one on this card looks similar but not identical. The card does not reveal its name, and I can't find an exact match on that web page either. 

G.048.01 - Manufacturing District, Jamestown N.Y. (1910)

 

Manufacturing District, Jamestown, N.Y.

To: Mr Gust Ekman, Galeton, Box 342, Potter Co, Penna [Pennsylvania]
From: Manda Henrickson, Jamestown, N.Y. (1910?)

Tack för kortet som du sände mig då du var vid Niagara Falls. Du hade väl flickan med dig vid fallet. De bästa hälsningar till dig från Manda Henrickson, 27 Broadhead Ave, Jamestown, N.Y.

Thanks for the card you sent me from Niagara Falls. I assume you had the girl with you by the fall. Best wishes to you from Manda Henrickson, 27 Broadhead Ave, Jamestown N.Y.

***

There is no postmark to confirm when this card was sent, but in the postcard album it sits in between others from 1910. The address Manda gives here is the same one that John Beckman gives on a card from October 1909: G.044.01 "French Dressing". I thought from that card that maybe he and Manda had split up; but as we now learn that they both moved to the same new address, that seems not to be the case. (Cf. G.041.03, from Manda in June 1909, where she says that she and Beckman are living together; but then at a different address.) 

G.042.02 - Celeron, Chautauqua Lake, N.Y. (1909)

G.042.02

Shore view of Celeron on Chautauqua Lake, N.Y.

 

Made expressly for S.H. Knox & Co. Printed in Germany

To: Gust Ekman, Galeton, Pa
From: John Beckman (Jamestown, N.Y., July 5, 1909)

Hello Gust.Thank you for the postal, glad to hear from you. I have been to the Picnic theday [today] and I had good times and to morning [tomorrow] I and Manda will go done [down] to Celaron and se[e] the big fireworks. I wich [wish] you had been here this fourth of July and wi [we] should have good times together. Best regards to you from your friend J.B. - What is Axel doing in Galeton, is he working there?

Hej Gust. Tack för kortet, roligt att höra av dig. Jag har varit på picknicken idag och hade roligt, och imorgon ska jag och Manda gå ner till Celaron och titta på de stora fyrverkeriet. Jag önskar att du hade varit här denna fjärde jul så att vi kunnat ha roligt tillsammans. Bästa hälsningar till dig från din vän J.B. - Vad gör Axel i Galeton, jobbar han där?

***

Evidently, Gustaf did not go to Jamestown for the 4th July celebrations in 1909.
Tydligen åkte Gustaf inte till Jamestown för 4-juli-firandet 1909.