(no subject)
Continuing the transcription of the 1933 diary of my Great-Grandfather Spitzer, which ends in this month of April. Again, all punctuation marks, paragraph breaks, etc. are copied exactly. Any comments in brackets are my own.
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April 1, 1933
Things sure are tough. John Hotz, Cincinnati Enquirer carrier, notified me that he couldn't deliver the paper any more until I paid $1.76 I owe. Which conveys a pretty fair idea of my present financial standing and the condition of the times in general.
Gas Co notified us that our gas will be turned off unless the bill is paid.
[But what about this thing that passed 3 weeks earlier, saying they couldn't do that?!]
April 2 & 3 - [no entry]
April 4
Made small loan from Rayne and Doerr
Gives me a short breathing space. Keeps the gas and electricity on another month
April 5 & 6 - [no entry]
April 7
Warmer today. Nice day.
[For once it seemed he could find no solace in pleasant weather.]
Finance company advises that I must pay by Monday or they will foreclose.
Beer is legal today. [And I certainly hope he got a drink somehow.] Hurth Hotel charging 25¢ a bottle.
April 8
Things certainly look black.
April 9
Mr. Jos. Distel, Sr. had a brain hemmorhage this morning whle Laura and the boys were at Mass. He died at 9:45 P.M.
April 10 - [no entry]
April 11
Joe and I took off the hot water heater and took it down and had it welded. Works fine. Terribly raining day
April 12
Mr. Distel was buried this morning at 8:30 from Holy Redeemer Church. I was a pallbearer along with George Sommer, Dan Flannigan, Dan Collins, Adolph Glockner, and Frank Dall. Nice day.
April 13 and 14 - [no entry]
April 15
Have terrific cold in my head and stayed in bed all day
April 16 and 17 - [no entry]
April 18
Gas man came up with instructions to turn our gas off and Madge wouldn't let him in the cellar. [Probably she was too busy playing bridge.]
Borrowed the money from Earnie to pay him
April 19 - [no entry]
April 20
President Roosevelt took the U.S. off the gold standard and prices of stocks, bonds, and commodities took a sharp rise
April 21
Was granted a $150 loan by Security-central bank enabling me to pay Finance Co enough to keep them from foreclosing
Must repay in 30 days and I dont see from here how that can be done.
Stocks rose again today. Harbison Walker Common closed at 10 a gain of 3 points in 2 days
April 22
1st Nat'l called me in and said the interest must be paid at once or they will sell out the stock. A miracle has simply got to happen or I'll never make it
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This 1933 diary ends here. (That April 8th entry was the most heartbreaking of all.) My dad said that Grandpa Spitzer got a job with the government in Detroit (the miracle he hoped for?), and he had to move up there and leave his family behind... but they were all reunited later. I had the impression it might have been a few years later, though. But they never lost the house, which is still in the family after 120 years all told, though perhaps not for much longer.
My great-grandpa Spitzer lived to be relatively prosperous and happy according to my dad, and I think he died as a very old man in the early or mid 1970s; I may have met him as a very little girl, I have a vague memory befitting that possibility.
I hope I get to see the other diaries sometime.
________________________________
April 1, 1933
Things sure are tough. John Hotz, Cincinnati Enquirer carrier, notified me that he couldn't deliver the paper any more until I paid $1.76 I owe. Which conveys a pretty fair idea of my present financial standing and the condition of the times in general.
Gas Co notified us that our gas will be turned off unless the bill is paid.
[But what about this thing that passed 3 weeks earlier, saying they couldn't do that?!]
April 2 & 3 - [no entry]
April 4
Made small loan from Rayne and Doerr
Gives me a short breathing space. Keeps the gas and electricity on another month
April 5 & 6 - [no entry]
April 7
Warmer today. Nice day.
[For once it seemed he could find no solace in pleasant weather.]
Finance company advises that I must pay by Monday or they will foreclose.
Beer is legal today. [And I certainly hope he got a drink somehow.] Hurth Hotel charging 25¢ a bottle.
April 8
Things certainly look black.
April 9
Mr. Jos. Distel, Sr. had a brain hemmorhage this morning whle Laura and the boys were at Mass. He died at 9:45 P.M.
April 10 - [no entry]
April 11
Joe and I took off the hot water heater and took it down and had it welded. Works fine. Terribly raining day
April 12
Mr. Distel was buried this morning at 8:30 from Holy Redeemer Church. I was a pallbearer along with George Sommer, Dan Flannigan, Dan Collins, Adolph Glockner, and Frank Dall. Nice day.
April 13 and 14 - [no entry]
April 15
Have terrific cold in my head and stayed in bed all day
April 16 and 17 - [no entry]
April 18
Gas man came up with instructions to turn our gas off and Madge wouldn't let him in the cellar. [Probably she was too busy playing bridge.]
Borrowed the money from Earnie to pay him
April 19 - [no entry]
April 20
President Roosevelt took the U.S. off the gold standard and prices of stocks, bonds, and commodities took a sharp rise
April 21
Was granted a $150 loan by Security-central bank enabling me to pay Finance Co enough to keep them from foreclosing
Must repay in 30 days and I dont see from here how that can be done.
Stocks rose again today. Harbison Walker Common closed at 10 a gain of 3 points in 2 days
April 22
1st Nat'l called me in and said the interest must be paid at once or they will sell out the stock. A miracle has simply got to happen or I'll never make it
____________________________
This 1933 diary ends here. (That April 8th entry was the most heartbreaking of all.) My dad said that Grandpa Spitzer got a job with the government in Detroit (the miracle he hoped for?), and he had to move up there and leave his family behind... but they were all reunited later. I had the impression it might have been a few years later, though. But they never lost the house, which is still in the family after 120 years all told, though perhaps not for much longer.
My great-grandpa Spitzer lived to be relatively prosperous and happy according to my dad, and I think he died as a very old man in the early or mid 1970s; I may have met him as a very little girl, I have a vague memory befitting that possibility.
I hope I get to see the other diaries sometime.