North Ogden March 6th 1906
Deare Ell and family
I left Magies Friday 23th after you wente on Monday got home on Saturday it was real nice when I left thier and I was feeling as well as usual but when the train got about half way down to the Springes it began to Storm when I got to the Springes I wanted to go to sister Woodlandes I went and it snowed and blowed all the up thier I must of taken some cold but I came home on the one oclock train Saturday verey well wente over to Rhodeyes et some diner She came with the keyes and we opened up the house and fired up to get things dry the bed close were spred out and the bed was first to dry but everey thing must of ben so damp that it must of ben a weekes wor to get thinges dry I took more colde from the dampness of the house and I hav ben verey sick ever since this is the first time I hav tried to sit up to write and I thought I would let you know how sick I hav ben I can not tell you what I hav suffered the tereble pain the pain was in my musseles it was like flesh was being torn loose from the bones that effected my nerves I was lik Sallys boy but I had to kepe moving the 3d knight I had not slept I had tried to get the Bishop here and had failed he sente the elders here but did not shoe up his self I had a little sweet oil (consecrated oil) I be thought my self cloraform I had that in the house a little sweet oil and a lot of cloraform I had the room warm I rubed my self will and layed down before that I could not lay down the pain was worse but it numed the pain and I fell into a fitful sleepe that quieted my nerves and I have ben graduly getting better it will be some time before I get well Sally said as soon as she maree got the baby blest she was going down to stay with you if she takes the baby out of that warm room in the colde air and a colde house the chances is she will lose it I hav suffered so much I can realize about howit will be Rhody and Nelly and sister Williams are as good to me as they can be on ther neighbors I have none
As ever Moather. M W Hickman
Questions and Observations from letter:
(a) Who are the people/places mentioned?
Magie = Margaret Rose Hickman Driscoll, Minerva's daughter and Ella's sister.
Springes = Perhaps the Utah Hotsprings right near North Ogden. See it noted here in this 1903 Utah map.
Woodlandes = Minerva's son Warren was married to Barbara Jane Woodland. This was probably a reference to the in-laws, Sarah Wray and Thomas Steepleford Woodland.
Rhodeyes = Not sure, sounds like a last name. Usually Rhody is a first name. No quick searches turned this up. Seems like Minerva Wade Hickman trusted them for them to have held the keys to her home in her absence.
Sally = Sally Francis, her daughter and Ella's sister.
Bishop = Not sure which bishop this would have been.
Sister Nelly = Noted as neighbor, not sure whom.
Sister Williams = Noted as neighbor, not sure whom.
Maree = ? Looks to have been pregnant at the time. Could not have been Marie Elizabeth Bertoch [later Nash], Ella's daughter, as she had already given birth to Elva in January.
(b) Minerva rides the train, would have been the OSL. I am curious what the train cost for such a trip would have been. I'm not sure where the Driscoll's were located at this time, so as to make the practical train stops.
(c) Minerva sounds like she was in much, much pain. I am curious what would have caused all of the dampness in the home to have required a week's worth of fuel to be burnt to dry the place up.
(d) Sweet oil -- perhaps consecrated oil, or just olive oil. I know her granddaughter Minerva thought that olive oil had general medicinal persons.
(e) Chloroform -- a common anesthetic at the time, and also dangerous in causing cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat). She had so much around the home, it makes one wonder if this was used by her as a midwife, or other practical doctoring.
(f) Sally's boy -- I don't know about the reference here, but he clearly had health issues.
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