Thursday, January 30, 1919

Mild. Bright. To college 8:30 to 12. In P.M. to Uncle Henry's with Hudson. Took Uncle Charlie and Aunt Mag. Road bare. Not much snow on ground. In Evening to K.S.P. meeting and later to Proctors. To bed 11:30.

**********
Still not sure who Uncle Charles is, but perhaps later I will.

Wednesday, January 29, 1919

N.Y.S. votes bone dry. Mild. To college 8:30-2:30. Down town. Bowled at star. Supper. Studied. Candled eggs. To bed 10:15. Not much snow on ground. Thankful for food.

**********
The ratification of the prohibition amendment continues.

Tuesday, January 28, 1919

Mild. Cloudy. To College 8:30-3. To John Myers with Hudson in P.M. Very springlike. Practically no snow on ground. To Silliman Hall to Bible Class. Down town. To bed 10:30.

**********
I wonder who went with him to John Myers' house?

Monday, January 27, 1919

Cloudy. Mild. Few flakes of snow. To college 8:30 to 2:30. Down town. Bowled at Y. Supper. Studied. Candled eggs. Studied. John Myers here in P.M. Hanford at E.L. Cabinet meeting at Mr. Merris's home. To bed 10:30.

**********
I guess Hanford was an Epworth League Cabinet member! I wonder what that entailed?

Sunday, January 26, 1919

Cloudy. Rather cold. To Church & S.S. Nap in P.M. Read. To Epworth League at 6:15. C.W. Wagner to lead. Did not show up. Walked around town with Floyde Smith and Ellis Auer. To bed 11 P.M.

**********
Shame on Wagner! 

Saturday, January 25, 1919

Bright. Cool. To College 8:30-12. Candled eggs. Studied. To Church. Down town. Bowled at Y. Walked around town. Home. To bed 11:30 P.M. Union N.Y.U. BB at N.Y. UNION LOST. SCORE 31-24.

**********
What were the Union basketball players doing for an hour that they only scored 24 points? I can't imagine what watching basketball was like back then. Games must have been slowwww. But people seemed to enjoy them anyway. Curious.

Friday, January 24, 1919

Extremely windy and rather cold. To College 8:30-2:30. To Church. Annual K.S. P. pancake supper. Fine. To Armory for drill. To bed 11:20. Thank God for all temporal blessings.

**********
Pancake supper - sounds good!

Thursday, January 23, 1919

Very mild. Rained. Nasty. To College 8:30-12. Studied. Eggs from Electric Candled Eggs. Beth. K.S.P. meeting. To Dr. Stearns. Bowled. To Hayes Room. To bed 12:30.

**********
This entry is related to the earlier one about "eggs from Elec. Ex" probably. They sent out their eggs and got them back candled? Possibly. Less work for Stanford that way. I wonder why he was seeing Dr. Stearns? Interesting . . .

Wednesday, January 22, 1919

Very mild. Cloudy. Thawed. Very nasty. April weather. To College 8:30 to 2:30. Downtown. Bowled at Y. 159-84-175. Home. Studied. Candled eggs. Wrote to Ruth. Retired 10:45. Thankful.

**********
I'd like to see those letters he wrote to Ruth. I wonder if they still exist somewhere?

Tuesday, January 21, 1919

Very mild. Cloudy. Thawed. Most of snow gone. Street bare. Seems like Spring. To college 8:30 to 3:30. Eggs from Elec. Ex. To Bible class at College 7-8 P.M. Studied. To bed at 10 P.M. Thankful for National Prohibition.

**********
What a difference in weather between 1919 and 1920!

I'm not sure what Elec. Ex. refers to. Any ideas out there?

Monday, January 20, 1919

Very mild, bright, beautiful. Unusual springlike weather. To college 8:30-2:30. Out with father. Brought Hudson Car home from Burtiss Garage. Overhauled. Bill $106.32. Bowled at [drawing of star]. Studied. To bed 10:15.

**********
The Hudson was taken to the garage on 8 January, which means it took them 12 days to overhaul it. We expect faster service these days (though we don't always get it)! The cost of repair, $106.32, would be $1,479.46 today (obtained from Dollar Times website). I guess that's not too bad for an overhaul, depending on what they did.

A.R. Burtiss, the garage proprietor, and his brother were Civil War veterans. Below is a little piece about them taken from the blog, Don Rittner - Historian at Large. It is part of an essay Mr. Rittner published about Lincoln's connection to the NY capitol region.

On a lighter side, Schenectadians A.R. Burtiss, brother C.W. Burtiss, and Martin Sitts formed part of Battery K, First NY light artillery at Falmouth VA on June 1, 1863. 

One day the troops were being reviewed and the Battery K fired a salute.  Lincoln’s horse was not an army horse and reared and plunged. While Lincoln stayed on his horse, his high hat went flying and his aides had to go running for it.  During 61 and 63 their camp was just east of the Capitol building where the bread for the army was baked in the basement of the Capitol and transported to the soldiers.  They often saw Lincoln among the bread line.

Sunday, January 19, 1919

Very mild and thawing. Much colder towards night. To Church and Sunday School. Walk in P.M. To Epworth League. Walk around town with C.W. Wagner. To bed 10:30.

**********
Normal peaceful Sunday for Stanford.

Saturday, January 18, 1919

Exceedingly mild. Bright. Thawed. To College 8:30-12. Candled eggs. Supper. To Troy 6:30 to R.P.I. B.B. game. Union Won. Score 28 to 19. Fine time. Home 12:10 A.M. To Bed 12:30 A.M. Thank God for a Dry. Nation.

**********
Imagine watching a college basketball game today in which the winning team scored only 28 points! But at least Union won against their rivals.

Here's how the RPI basketball team looked in 1922:

The above picture is taken from the RPI website, RPI History Revealed.

Friday, January 17, 1919

Extremely mild. Bright. Beautiful. Thawed. To College 8:30-2:30. Haircut. Studied. Bath. To Dr. Stearns. To old Court House for military lecture. To bed 10:15 P.M.

**********
Below is a picture of the old Court House, built in 1833. The new courthouse was built in 1913, and is still in use.

Thursday, January 16, 1919

Exceedingly mild. Beautiful. Bright. Thawed fast. To College 8:30 to 12:00. Studied. Bowled at Star [drawing of star]. Supper. To library. Nation goes dry 36th state ratifies. Prohibition goes into effect 1-16-20. Thankful.

**********
So, the nation wasn't dry quite yet. It's interesting that Stanford fails to mention the law going into effect the following year.

Wednesday, January 15, 1919

5 states ratify const. amend making total of 35 out of 36 necessary. Very mild. Thawed. To College from 8:30 - 2:30. Read. Supper. Studied in Evening. John Myers here in afternoon with wagon. Poor sleighing. To bed 10:30 P.M. Thank Good for all Worldly comforts.

**********
Does John Myers and his wagon have something to do with sleighing opportunities? Not clear.

Tuesday, January 14, 1919

Very mild. Thawed. To College from 8:30 to 4:30. To Bible class at Silliman Hall from 7-8. Home. Studied. To bed 10:15. Thankful for parents.

**********
Silliman Hall is still in existence at Union College. Here is some information about it:

Silliman Hall was built in 1900 to house the College’s YMCA and other student organizations, such as the Philomathean Society and the Adelphic Society. It was a gift from Horace Brinsmade Silliman (Union Class of 1846), who believed that “a pronounced Christian character and life is not alien from hearty good fellowship.” Silliman Hall was the first multi-purpose College building to be constructed on campus since Washburn Hall in 1883, and represented the start of President Raymond’s revitalization of the College. It was designed by Albert W. Fuller, the architect of the Alpha Delta Phi House in 1898, and later the College’s General Engineering Building. The hall provided student meeting rooms, a trophy room, and an apartment for the student president of the YMCA. In 1904, Silliman provided another $10,000 dollars for its maintenance. 

And here's a picture of the building from a postcard sent in 1907. It comes from the Schaeffer Library collection at Union College.

Silliman Hall, Union College - 1907

Monday, January 13, 1919

- 3 degrees. To College 9-2:30. Student meeting at noon. Down street. Bowled at Star Alleys. Supper. Studied. Weather moderated greatly. Have cold in head. To bed at 9:30.  [added] 5 states ratify amendment for prohibition. Total 30.

**********
The 18th amendment, otherwise known as Prohibition, is in the process of being ratified at this time.  Here is a copy of the amendment, taken from a Wikipedia article:

Section 1. After one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all the territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited.
Section 2. The Congress and the several States shall have concurrent power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Section 3. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress.

Ratification by 36 states was required for the amendment to be ratified.  Here is a list of the states and when they voted to ratify:

The following states ratified the amendment:

Mississippi (January 7, 1918)
Virginia (January 11, 1918)
Kentucky (January 14, 1918)
North Dakota (January 25, 1918)
South Carolina (January 29, 1918)
Maryland (February 13, 1918)
Montana (February 19, 1918)
Texas (March 4, 1918)
Delaware (March 18, 1918)
South Dakota (March 20, 1918)
Massachusetts (April 2, 1918)
Arizona (May 24, 1918)
Georgia (June 26, 1918)
Louisiana (August 3, 1918)
Florida (November 27, 1918)
Michigan (January 2, 1919)
Ohio (January 7, 1919)
Oklahoma (January 7, 1919)
Idaho (January 8, 1919)
Maine (January 8, 1919)
West Virginia (January 9, 1919)
California (January 13, 1919)
Tennessee (January 13, 1919)
Washington (January 13, 1919)
Arkansas (January 14, 1919)
Illinois (January 14, 1919)
Indiana (January 14, 1919)
Kansas (January 14, 1919)
Alabama (January 15, 1919)
Colorado (January 15, 1919)
Iowa (January 15, 1919)
New Hampshire (January 15, 1919)
Oregon (January 15, 1919)
North Carolina (January 16, 1919)
Utah (January 16, 1919)
Nebraska (January 16, 1919)
Missouri (January 16, 1919)
Wyoming (January 16, 1919)
Minnesota (January 17, 1919)
Wisconsin (January 17, 1919)
New Mexico (January 20, 1919)
Nevada (January 21, 1919)
New York (January 29, 1919)
Vermont (January 29, 1919)
Pennsylvania (February 25, 1919)
New Jersey (March 9, 1922)

The following states rejected the amendment:
Connecticut
Rhode Island

Sunday, January 12, 1919

- 4 degrees. To Church & S.S. Dinner. Read. Nap in P.M. To Epworth League. Marian Benedict leader. To First Baptist Church to hear Bert Williams with Charles Wagner and Wilber Hayes. SUBJECT: What a man saw and felt in Hell. To Hayes' room. To Bed 12 P.M.

**********
Marian Benedict, future wife of Hanford Closson, lived in Schenectady with her parents, Joseph Benedict and Alice Miller. Her father was a machinist with GE. She marries Hanford in 1924. I wonder if they were dating yet at this point?

Saturday, January 11, 1919

Cold. Windy. No classes. Professors ill. Wrote letter to Ruth. Candled eggs. New R.F. fender on Ford. Down St. on errands. Bowled at Y 138-171. Colgate-Union B.B. game. Score 19-18. Won. Very close. To bed 11 P.M.

**********
All his professors were ill? Suspicious. So Union did occasionally win a game. Good for them!

Friday, January 10, 1919

4 below zero. Windy. To College 8:30-2:30. Bowled in Afternoon at X 138-140-172-174. Candled eggs. To Dr. Stearns for treatment. To Armory for drill. To bed 10:30. JOHN MYERS HERE IN P.M.

**********
In those days, people went to college even when the temperature is below zero! More unexplained treatment from Dr. Stearns. Hmmmm . . .

Thursday, January 9, 1919

Very mild. Cloudy. To college from 8:30 to 12. Father and H.H. took nap in P.M. Unload eggs. Studied. Help thaw out gutter. K.S.P. meeting at 7:30. Initiation of Guy Thorpe and Karl Messmer. To bed 7:30.

**********
Well, I wrote about Guy Thorpe in May 15's blog post.  As for Karl Messmer, I did find a Charles K. Messmer, who was a student at Union College in 1920. He lived with his parents at 119 Front Street, and his father was a cabinetmaker for a factory. His parents were both from Switzerland. He is probably the right fellow, since in the 1915 New York census, he is listed as Carl Messmer.

Wednesday, January 8, 1919

Mild. To college until 2:30. Afternoon studied. Evening to Hotel Hough to see O.S. Chamberlain. Got tossing blanket for K.S.P. Bowled at Y (178). Home. 11:15. Thankful. Father took Hudson Car to Burtiss for repair.

***********
Hotel Hough was a hotel in Schenectady. Below is a postcard from circa 1917 showing both Hotel Hough and Hotel Vendome.  Hotel Hough is on the right--you can see its vertical sign.

The garage Stanford calls "Burtiss" was A.R. Burtiss Motor Company, which sold and repaired cars. It was located at 148-152 Jay Street in Schenectady.

Tuesday, January 7, 1919

4 above zero. Bright. To College from 8:30 to 3:30. Played Euchre. To library in Evening. Jessie Cramer called. Thankful for heat.

**********
Euchre is a very old game, dating back to at least the 16th century. Below is a 1919 ad for Bicycle cards--complete with rules for games such as Euchre--that were made in Cincinnati by the U.S. Playing Card Company. Alas! So many things were made here years ago!

Ad from 1919 for sale on Amazon.com

Maybe Stanford used Bicycle cards in his game . . .

Monday, January 6, 1919

Bright. Cold. To College. Down street in afternoon. Bowled at Y. Studied in evening. Uncle John to dinner. Ex President Roosevelt died at 4 A.M. G.E. returns from strike. Thank God for friends.

**********
This was a red-letter day for a couple of reasons!

The New York Times covered the story of the President's death, stating that he died of a pulmonary embolism, brought on in part by an infection he acquired years before in Brazil. The strike at G.E. was one of many over the years at the plant, but this particular one started in December 1918 and was in solidarity with Erie workers. Here is an excerpt from an article in the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America, recently published to inform members of the history of bargaining with General Electric:

EARLY UNION STRUGGLES
Prior to World War I, some GE workers
within plants such as Lynn, MA, Schenectady,
NY, and Erie, PA had been organized into various AFL craft
unions—machinists, electricians, carpenters, molders,
patternmakers, etc. In Schenectady, for example, there existed
some 36 craft unions, each completely separate from
the others, trying to negotiate for their particular craft across
a facility of over 20,000 workers. 

With the end of the war came a working class upsurge in
many industries, including steel, meat packing, and electrical
manufacturing. There were strikes at a number of key GE
plants. In December 1918 workers in Erie began a strike that
lasted nearly a month. Thousands of GE workers in
Schenectady, Ft. Wayne, IN, and Pittsfield, MA struck in solidarity
with Erie. This was partly in response to GE’s attempt
to set up company unions to displace the existing craft unions.
One of the Erie strikers’ demands was “Recognition of all
unions through their regular elected committees in discussing
and settling of all grievances.” In other words, they wanted
real unions chosen by the workers, not phony ones controlled
by GE.

Sunday, January 5, 1919

Beautiful, bright and mild. To church & S.S. Committee meeting at Merris's At Wagner's home 319 Dakota St. To Epworth League and Church. Thankful for food, clothing & shelter.

**********
Charles Wagner was still living with his parents at 319 Dakota Street in 1920. His father, William, was a traveling salesman for an electric company and his mother, Grace, did theatrical work, according to the census. I wonder what kind of theatrical work she did? William's parents were born in Germany. I wonder if he was related to the composer Richard Wagner?

More information about Charles Wagner can be found by searching the blog for his name.

Saturday, January 4, 1919

Bright. To College in Morning. Afternoon. Candled eggs. Evening down street on errand. Bowled at Y with Ellis Auer and Charles Wagner.

**********

Ellis Fred Auer (AKA Fred Ellis) was born 26 October 1895 to Fred and Fannie Auer. In 1919 he lived at 22 Close Street with his parents and worked as a bank teller at the Union National Bank in Schenectady. By 1928 he was a manager at that bank. Apparently he never married and died in January of 1951. His WWI Draft registration card shows him to be tall with a medium build, blue eyes and light hair.

Friday, January 3, 1919

First snow storm of the season. About six inches. Shovel walk. Attended College. Thankful for all things. To Doctor Stearns for treatment. At Armory. Dr. Richmond spoke.

**********
It's not clear what Stanford is being treated for, but maybe that will be elaborated upon later.

After some digging, I was able to track down this Doctor Stearns. He was Maus Wellington Stearns, born 30 Jan 1871 in Randolph, VT to Joseph Wellington Stearns, a minister, and Mary Jane Hull of Schenectady. Dr. Stearns wan an osteopath who practiced in Schenectady all his life.

His son, Maus Jr., also became a physician, specializing in colorectal surgery and oncology. He died in Pacific Grove, CA, in 2009 after a long and success filled life. Here's his obituary if you're interested: Maus Stearns Jr.

Here's a picture of the father, Maus Sr., Stanford's doctor:

Dr. Maus Wellington Stearns Sr (1871-1946)

Thursday, January 2, 1919

Started in second half of work at Union College. Mild. Bright. Many boys back. Thankful for health and all things.

**********
Well, this is a pretty short entry. He'll warm up to the task soon, though. 

Wednesday, January 1, 1919

Home from party held at Kathleen Rae's home end of Crane St line. Rain. Very slippery. At Uncle John's for dinner. Fine time. Bowled. Mild. No snow on ground.

**********
A new name appears here--Kathleen Rae--but I can't find any records on her. Perhaps if I get more information I can track her down.

It's interesting to me that these first entries in Stanford's diary are rather spare compared to his later accounts. And in 1920, he really starts writing a lot!