Wednesday, January 30, 1924

Fair and cool. The morning routine. Devotions. Breakfast. Read. Communion Service in Chapel at 10 A.M. Studied a bit. Dinner. Worked 12 M-2 P.M. Service in P.M. with Matriculation Day address by Dr. Elliott, Editor of Methodist Review. Registered for second semester with Prof. Cell. Down to supper. Met Mary Leah and Marie. Went to supper again with them. We walked to Morgan Memorial with her. Went to see Gloria Swanson in "Zaza." Home. To bed 11:30 P.M. Thankful.

**********
Dr. Elliott is Rev. George Elliot, who took over as editor of the Methodist Review in 1919. Below is an excerpt from The Methodist Year Book for 1919 which tells a little bit about both the publication and Dr. Elliott.

Zaza was a silent film that premiered in 1923. Below is a poster from the film and a plot summary from a reviewer.

Taken from IMDB

"Gloria Swanson plays Zaza, a spirited French music hall star who battles her rival (Mary Thurman) and chases after a rich man (H.B. Warner) only to get her comeuppance. 

"In a stretch for Swanson, Zaza requires her to portray a French woman in a silent film. Through gestures and facial expressions she succeeds admirably in playing a character unlike any other in her long career. The brazen Zaza is always adorned with the letter Z on her clothing, jewelry, hats, etc. 

"The film is marked by a terrific music hall sequence in which Swanson swings way out over the audience and tosses flowers down on various men. Thurman cuts the rope and sends Swanson smashing onto the floor. Later they have a great catfight scene in the country cottage Warner houses Zaza."

Tuesday, January 29, 1924

Beautiful--bright--mild. Thawing & wet under foot. Arose 7 A.M. Studied. Dinner. Worked 12 M-2 P.M. M.L. met me. A bunch of S.T. & R.E. men and women to home of Miss Alice Reynolds in Newton Highlands. Out for hike to Echo bridge etc. Back home. Wonderful supper. Played games & sang songs. Back to Boston 10 P.M. To bed 10:30 P.M. Thankful for opportunities of Xn fellowship.

**********
Alice Reynolds is probably Alice Gertrude Reynolds, a woman who in 1920 was working as a nurse-companion for a private family. She was born in 1890 so she was about 34 at the time of this get-together. She must have been one of Mary Leah's classmates, as by 1930 she was working as a director of religious education. She died at the age of 90 in 1980 in Newton, Massachusetts, where she had lived most of her life. She never married. Below is a picture of her as an adult of unknown age (on the left), and one of her when she was likely a teenager with her siblings. Both photos came from someone's online family tree.

Alice G Reynolds

Alice with Siblings

Monday, January 28, 1924

Fair and cool. Arose 7 A.M. Wrote letter and studied. Dinner. Worked 12 M-2 P.M. Studied and read. Supper. Mary Leah and I to Tremont Temple to Community Testimony Meeting for Jesus Christ. The first of a series of fundamentalist meetings. Packed--2800 present. A real inspiration. Talked. To bed 12:30 P.M. Thankful for heritage of long list of saints of past.

**********

Sunday, January 27, 1924

Bright and cold. Arose 8 A.M. Out to breakfast. Devotions. Read paper. Very cold and windy. Mitchell, DeWolf and I to Old South Church. Dr. Gordon gave a good sermon. "Standing in front of the mirror"--life as a sieve to which process of sifting all are subjected. Stayed to S.S. A very good class. I appointed chairman of Publicity Committee. To Walton's for dinner. To "72." Took nap. Played piano and read. M.L. & I to Chelsea. I spoke to E.L. [Epworth League] at Mt. Bellingham M.E. Church for Brother Wallschlaeger. Lunch. Chatted with H.H. a few moments. A heart to heart chat with M.L. To bed 12:30 P.M. THANKFUL.

**********
Mt. Bellingham is apparently a high point in the Chelsea neighborhood of Boston. The Methodist Church (now United Methodist) is still there, although from the photo taken in 2011, it looks like it now has a Spanish-speaking congregation (numbering 160) and was at that time, unfortunately, in need of a roof repair. The pastor is Patricia Pena, who is also the pastor for the Jamaica Plains, MA congregation, on the other side of Boston. It has a membership of only 50.

I think these "heart to heart" discussions with Mary Leah and Hanford are leading to the big revelation in one week. Stay tuned!

Saturday, January 26, 1924

Cold, raw, bleak, windy. Bright. Arose 7:30 A.M. Breakfast & devotions. Studied. Dinner. Worked 12 M-2 P.M. Pressed clothes. Talked. Brother left for Lancaster. Took shower. Studied. To supper with George Mitchell, or vice versa. Called up M.L. Played ping-pong with Paul White for about 10 Minutes. To see "Whispering Wires" with Alice Webster. A pleasant evening. Home 11 P.M. Talked with George Mitchell and Ernest Steinkraus. To bed 12 P.M. Thankful for Christ.

**********
Hmmm . . . I wonder who this Alice Webster is? Just a friend? Maybe Mary Leah couldn't go and Stanford didn't want to waste the tickets? Perhaps enlightenment will come later.

Steinkraus is a friend at BUST. You can read a little bit about him at this post: December 8, 1922.

Friday, January 25, 1924

Wet, mild, cloudy, humid. Snow--rain--slush. Arose 8:30 A.M. Not out to breakfast. H.H. brot me a sandwich. Devotions. Wrote in diary. Read letters from Nellie and Russell. Studied. Dinner. Worked 12 M-2 P.M. Read, studied & wrote. Supper. Studied. Played ping-pong with H.H. Hanford called up Marion. To bed 1 P.M. [A.M.] Thankful for God's blessings.

**********
I'm guessing a phone call was still somewhat expensive. I wonder if Hanford used a hallway phone?

I guess ping-pong hasn't changed in many years. Do you suppose they had a table in their dorm or their recreation center? Below is a YouTube video of a film produced in 1924 that shows people playing table tennis.

Thursday, January 24, 1924

Fair and cool. Arose 7:30. Alex. Stewart surprised us, walking in as nonchalantly as a fish in water. We three out to breakfast at my joint. Talked with Alex. and read a bit. Dinner. Worked 12 M-2 P.M. Procured tickets for "Whispering Wires." Short nap. Studied. Supper. To auction for a while. Home. Studied. Alex. back about 10:15 P.M. Over to Timmermans awhile. Nice lunch. All down to see Alex off at midnight. H.H. & Miss Webster met us at station. Walked home. Talked with "M.L." To bed 1:15 P.M. [A.M.] Thankful for all blessings.

**********
Whispering Wires was a play that was adapted from a novel by the same name. The play was written by Kate McLaurin. It opened on Broadway in 1922 and ran very successfully until 1923. It had a complicated plot that could be best described as a murder-thriller.

Reminder: Alexander Stewart is a friend from Union College, Stanford's undergraduate school. You can read more about him in this post from my 1922 blog: Tuesday, February 21, 1922.

Timmerman is Donald Timmerman (also spelled Timerman), one of Stanford's B.U. friends. He was born on 20 December 1894 in Minneapolis, MN. He became a Methodist minister (after graduating from BUST) and settled in Columbus, OH with his wife, Lois Evelyn Hoffman (also Mary Leah's friend). They were married August 25, 1923. They had one daughter, Lois Ann Timmerman, born November 27, 1924. That means that around the end of February, Lois becomes pregnant. Watch and see--I'm guessing no one will report it in the diaries or the letters. They also had a son, Donald Jr., who died in 1931 at one year old.

According to his Sons of the American Revolution application, Donald served in the Army during WWI and beyond, staying until 1929 in the Army Reserves as a Chaplain. He died in December 1968 in Marietta, OH. Lois had died in February of that year. Their daughter, Lois Ann, died in 2002. She never married.

Lest we forget, it was Donald and Alex who were responsible for Stanford and Mary Leah's having met. See this blog post for 1922 in which Stanford reports the event: November 2.

Wednesday, January 23, 1924

Beautiful, bright & cool. Arose 7:30 A.M. Breakfast. Devotions. Synoptics quiz 9-11 A.M. Dinner. Worked 12 M-2 P.M. Read a bit. Met Mary Leah at R.E. to see "6-Cylinder love" at Beacon. Supper. To "108." Talked & lunch with the Timmermans. To Christian Science Church to testimony meeting. Soda from M.L. in payment of a long standing bet. Talked. Wrote in diary. To bed 11:15 P.M. Thankful for Xn parents and training.

**********
Six-Cylinder Love was a silent movie that premiered in 1923, based on a stage play by the same name. Wikipedia has some information about it: 6-Cylinder Love. At left is a poster for the film.

I wonder what the bet was that Stanford won??

Synoptics refers to the Synoptic Gospels. Wikipedia describes them here.

Tuesday, January 22, 1924

Fair and cold. Arose 6 A.M. Washed and shaved. Studied. Down to breakfast. Term quiz in Systematic Theology 9-11 A.M. Studied. Dinner. Worked 12 M-2 P.M. Studied. Quiz in Social Pathology. Read. Supper. Studied. To bed 9:20 P.M. Thankful for all blessings.

**********
If you're wondering why Stanford is having exams in January, I'll remind you that in those days, the semester did not end with Christmas break; it merely paused and then resumed in January, ending some time in late January. It was still the pattern up until the late 1960s, when I went to college. In fact, I believe it changed at some time before I graduated. The fall semester had to start earlier, of course, to accommodate the change. That meant that the spring semester also started earlier and went to May instead of June, as it does in Stanford's time.

Monday, January 21, 1924

Bright, cold, breezy. A little squall in A.M. Arose 7:30 A.M. Washed. Breakfast. Devotions. Studied. Dinner. Worked 12 M.-2 P.M. Class in John 2--3:30 P.M. Exam in Inter-Testamental 3:35-5:05 P.M. Read a bit. Mitchell, Jay, H.H. and I to Old South Men's Club Supper. Fine food and fellowship. Home 8:30 P.M. Letter Home. Studied. To bed 11:30 P.M. Thankful for protection from the elements.

**********
The Old South Men's Club was a social and educational society of Boston's Old South Church, which was founded in 1669. You can read about the church online through Google Books: The Two Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary of the Founding of the Old South Church in Boston, published in 1919.

Sunday, January 20, 1924

Beautiful, bright & cool. Arose 8:30 A.M. Shave shower etc. Breakfast. Played piano, read Sunday Herald. To Old South Church. Dr. Gordon preached. Stayed to Prof. Shipherd's class. Dinner at Arlington with Mitchell. To Symphony Hall with "Bill" Eddy to hear "Samson & Delilah" by the Handel and Hayden Society. WONDERFUL and inspiring. To supper with "M.L." To Richards Hall, 30 Huntington Ave--May Barnard Wilt[s]e on "Riddle of the Sphynx." Stayed a while. Left. To bed 12:30 P.M. THANKFUL.

**********
May Barnard Wiltse was an author who wrote on spiritualist topics. I wonder if that's why Stanford left before the talk was finished. I was not able to find any other information about her.

Saturday, January 19, 1924

Fair and cool. Arose 7:30 A.M. Down to breakfast. Devotions. Read & studied. Over to get some class notes from M.L. To dinner with George Mitchell (vice-versa). Worked 12 M.-2 P.M. Studied. H.H. left for Lancaster 4:42. Read. Mitchell and I to supper. Talked & studied. Wrote in diary for 4 days. To bed 12 P.M. Thankful for the Invisible Partner in the absence of brother. I miss brother a great deal though. May God bless Him as his undertakings are in accordance with the divine will.

**********
So, Stanford has to catch up with his diary now and then! That may explain some of the entries being rather brief.

This is one of the few times that Stanford has expressed some emotion in his diary--missing his brother. Still unsure who George Mitchell is, but maybe I'll get some clues later.

The Invisible Partner is of course God.

Friday, January 18, 1924

Beautiful, bright & mild. Arose 8 A.M. Alarm clock fooled me half an hour. No breakfast. Classes, chapel & note home 8:20 A.M.-11:35 A.M. Dinner. Worked 12 M-2 P.M. Met Dr. Vaughan's Social Pathology class at Park Street. To Waverly to the home for the feeble-minded. Very interesting trip but pitiful sights. Mr. Raymond showed me around. Back to Boston 6:40 P.M. Worked at Law School 6:45-9:30 P.M. Paul Eberly & I together. H.H. met me. Lunch together. To bed 11 P.M. Thankful for health both mental & physical.

**********
The Massachusetts Home for Idiotic and Feeble-Minded Youth, later named the Fernald State School, had a long and at times scandalous history. Below is a short paragraph about the institution.

Social reformer Samuel Gridley Howe founded the school in 1848 with a $2,500 appropriation from the Legislature. Records of Dr. Howe and the beginnings of mental retardation services in the United States reside in Fernald’s Howe Library. Under its first resident superintendent, Walter E. Fernald (1887-1924), the school became a model educational facility in the field of mental retardation. In 1925, the Legislature passed a bill officially naming the school the Walter E. Fernald State School. In its later years it became involved with various experiments that came to light in the 1990's where doctors at the hospital were conducting radiation experiments on the patients living there. It is slowly closing due to an ever decreasing patient population. (Taken from Asylum Projects.)

A different view of  Walter Fernald, who was the administrator at the time of Stanford's visit, is given in this article, titled "Abandoned Psychiatric Hospitals," appearing in the website, Morbidology.

Fernald was a staunch advocate for eugenics, a misapplication of Darwinian principles and genetics, and was on the board of the Eugenics Society. He genuinely and strongly believed that the best way to improve society was to isolate those whom he considered unwanted or inferior, mainly due to physical or mental disability. As a matter of fact, he advocated for the forced sterilization of people with developmental disabilities. 8

Unfortunately, as this article elsewhere notes, as much as half of the inmates of the Fernald school were not developmentally disabled, but just unwanted or given up by parents who could not afford to support them.

Below is a picture of the Dormitory, taken probably around the turn of the century.

Thursday, January 17, 1924

Beautiful, bright and warm. Unseasonable weather. Not a jot or tittle of snow or ice visible. Arose 7:30 A.M. Devotions etc. Breakfast. Classes and chapel 8:30-11:35 A.M. Dinner. Worked. Studied. Played volley ball. Shower. Supper. To Tremont Temple with M.L. to Revival Meeting. Dr. Massee spoke--"Tie in with God." Talked. On roof a bit to see moon and lights over the city. To bed 11:45 P.M. Thankful for all blessings.

**********
Tremont Temple is a Baptist Church in Boston. Below is a photo of the church as it looked around 1904.

Dr. Massee was a Baptist minister from Boston. Here is a little bit of information about him that appeared in a Wikipedia article.

Jasper Cortenus Massee (November 1871 – March 27, 1965^[1]) was a leading fundamentalist Baptist in the early 20th century. As a leader of the more moderate fundamentalist Baptists in the Northern Baptist Convention (NBC), his efforts towards reconciliation contributed to compromises that ensured its continued existence as a cohesive Christian denomination.

Wednesday, January 16, 1924

DAY OF PRAYER -- B.-U.-S.-T. Arose 7 A.M. Devotions. Down to breakfast. Fair and breezy. Class 8:30 to 9:30 A.M. 3 sessions in the Chapel 10 A.M.-2:30 P.M. & 7:15 P.M. at all of which Dr. Goodell spoke. Very helpful and inspiring. Group prayer meeting on 3rd floor at 4:30 P.M. Dr. Work with us. Worked at noon 12 M-2 P.M. Over to see "M.L." To bed 12:15 P.M. Rain at nite accompanied by a strong gale made it impossible for us to open our windows. Suffocation preferable to drowning. Thankful for prayer and communion with GOD.

**********

The National Day of Prayer is a proclamation traditionally made by the President of the United States (going back to Washington), but not every president declared one. It's not clear whether the president in 1924 proclaimed the day, but we can assume he did. There is a Wikipedia article that explains the tradition: National Day of Prayer.

Tuesday, January 15, 1924

Beautiful bright and cool. Arose 7:35 A.M. Devotions. Breakfast. Classes and chapel 8:30-11:35 A.M. Dinner. Worked 12 M-2 P.M. Studied. Supper. Read. To Prayer meeting. Report of delegates who attended National Student Volunteer Conference. Very interesting. Indianapolis [conference site]. Studied. For walk with H.H. Read a bit. To bed 11:30 P.M. Thankful for life.

**********
The National Student Volunteer Conference was an event of the Student Volunteer Movement for Foreign Missions. Below is some information about the movement and their conferences. These excerpts are taken from a book owned by Yale University Divinity School Library.

The quadrennial conventions of the Student Volunteer Movement were the high points of its corporate existence. It was during these gatherings that the meaning and value of the Movement seemed most clear. The stated objectives of the first convention held in Cleveland in 1891 were 1) to allow for discussion of any problems facing the Movement; 2) to provide opportunities for student volunteers to meet with missions board secretaries and returned missionaries; 3) to enlighten missions board secretaries and others regarding the work of the Movement, and 4) to give new impetus to the missionary cause.(SVM Archives, Series VIII, Cleveland 1891, Convention report, p. 3.) The sixteen quadrennial conventions which followed Cleveland varied in their points of emphasis but essentially held to these four objectives. 

The Indianapolis convention of 1923/1924 is the first for which extensive files are available in the Student Volunteer Movement archives. Three major issues were addressed by the convention: industrial conditions overseas, race relations, and hopes for lasting international peace. After the presentation of these issues on the first day of the convention, forty-nine discussion groups under student leadership were formed.

Monday, January 14, 1924

Beautiful, bright and cold. Arose 7:30 A.M. Breakfast and devotions. Letter home. Read & studied. Dinner. Worked 11:45-1:45. Classes 2-5:05 P.M. Supper. Worked at Law School. Studied. To bed 12 P.M. Thankful for health and all of God's mercies.

**********

Sunday, January 13, 1924

Beautiful, bright, cool & clear. Arose 9 A.M. Toilet etc. To Old South Church with Mitchell and Marple and Tenines [?]. Dr. Gordon gave a good sermon on "God's Controversies & His Peoples." Dinner at Childs. To Old South with Mary Leah to hear lecture on Customs & religious superstitions of Malay peninsula by Mr. Carveth Welles F.R.G.S. Very interesting. Took her home. To New Brunswick Hotel. Spent evening with Mr. Charles Vickery. Talked, lunch etc. Stopped in to see M.L. for awhile. To bed 12:30 P.M. Thankful. Revelation dẽ [about] ἃδελΦὀς [brother] M.L.

**********
Wow! Stanford had quite a busy Sunday! I'm not sure what he meant to say with his Latin/Greek statement, but it's possible he told Hanford about his feelings for Mary Leah (M.L.).

The lecturer he went to see with Mary Leah, Mr. Carveth Wells, was quite a famous fellow back in Stanford's day. He was primarily an explorer, but he was also a writer, and later in life, a TV show star. His obituary was published in the New York Times on February 17, 1957. He was 70 when he died of a heart attack. Below are some excerpts from that article.

Saturday, January 12, 1924

Beautiful, bright and cool. Arose 8 A.M. Washed and devotions. Breakfast. Studied. Dinner. Worked 12 M-2 P.M. Haircut. To School. Talked with Townsend. Hanford left for Lancaster. Studied. To supper with George Mitchell. Studied. To bed 11:30 P.M. Thankful for health.

**********
Hanford is doing an internship with a church in Lancaster, Massachusetts. He works there weekends, mostly, it seems.

Friday, January 11, 1924

Mild with a strong gale. Quite a bit of rain. Arose 6:30 A.M. Studied. Devotions. Down to breakfast. Classes 8:30 to 11:35 A.M. Letter home at Chapel time. Dinner. Worked 12 M-2 P.M. Played volley ball. Shave and shower. Read. Supper. Worked at Law School 6-9 P.M. Studied. To bed 10:30 P.M. Thankful for all blessings.

**********
Hmmm . . . was Stanford writing a letter during Chapel time? Is that allowed, do you think?

The weather was mild and rainy in Schenectady on this day, too, according to the January 11, 1924 newspaper.

Thursday, January 10, 1924

Beautiful, bright & mild. Arose 7:30 A.M. Down to breakfast. Classes 8:30-11:35 A.M. Dinner. Worked 12 M-2 P.M. Bishop McConnell spoke in chapel. Played volley ball. Shower. Supper. Over to see M.L.Y. To School. Studied. To bed 10:30 P.M. Thankful for all blessings.

**********
Stanford doesn't say where he goes "down to breakfast," but I'm guessing he goes to a dining hall.

"M.L.Y." is bold in Stanford's diary; apparently he thought Mary Leah's name was worth special emphasis.

We don't have a first name for Bishop McConnell, but he is probably Francis J. McConnell, the bishop of Pittsburgh, who was elected to that post in 1912 and still serving in 1924 on the Methodist Episcopal Board of Bishops. I wonder what he spoke about? Below is more information about him, taken from the website of the General Commission on Archives and History of the United Methodist Church. Drew University has a collection of Bishop McConnell's papers that are detailed at the
GCAH site. Interestingly, Bishop McConnell has a connection to both Mary Leah and Stanford as an alumnus of both Ohio Wesleyan and Boston University. In fact, Mary Leah's father may have been acquainted with him. McConnell's a pretty interesting guy, I think. See if you agree.

BIOGRAPHICAL

Francis John McConnell (1871-1953), American bishop, was born in Ohio August 18, 1871, the son of I. H. and Nancy J. Chalfant McConnell. His father was a Methodist preacher.

McConnell was educated at Ohio Wesleyan College and Boston University School of Theology. On March 11, 1887, he married Eva Thomas. They had two sons and a daughter.

McConnell became a member of the New England Conference in 1894, and served several churches in Massachusetts before joining the New York Conference.

From 1909 to 1912 he was president of DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. McConnell was elected to the episcopacy in 1912. As bishop he served, Denver, Pittsburgh, and New York. He retired in 1944.

McConnell's service in the larger church included the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America and the Methodist Federation of Social Action. He served as a visiting professor at Columbia University, Yale University, Drew Theological Seminary and Garrett Seminary. McConnell died on his 82nd birthday, August 18, 1955 in Lucasville, Ohio.

SCOPE NOTE

The Francis John McConnell collection brings together significant material documenting the church leadership of one of the foremost persons in the Methodist Episcopal Church of the 20th century. McConnell wrote extensively about church history, theology, the Bible, higher education, and social and political issues. He was an early defender of Hinkley G. Mitchell in the heresy controversy which led to the action of the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church adopting a resolution giving the Conference the role of approving each professor of theology teaching in a Methodist institution. (Hinkley had lost his teaching position at Boston School of Theology because he doubted the traditional interpretation of Genesis.)

When McConnell was bishop of the Denver area, he was also responsible for the Methodist Episcopal Church in Mexico during the Mexican revolution and civil war. Bishop McConnell was a vocal supporter of the revolution.

When McConnell was a pastor in Pittsburgh, he became deeply involved in the steel strike of 1919 and was a strong advocate in the cause for labor rights. This was a harbinger of the strong social role he took throughout his ministry in every social issue from peace and justice to racism. A large correspondence is a source for reviewing the varied concerns of McConnell's ministry including his deep family relationships.

Wednesday, January 9, 1924

Fair and mild. Arose 7 A.M. Toilet and devotions. Down to breakfast. Classes 8:30 to 11:35 A.M. Dinner. Worked 12 M-2 P.M. To School. Read and studied. Supper. Studied. Worked at Law School 6:30-9:30 P.M. Prayer Meeting of 3rd floor men in preparation for day of Prayer. Studied. To bed 11:45 P.M. Thankful for Christ.

**********
So, Stanford has a new job--in addition to working at Ginters for the lunch (dinner) hour, he now has an evening job at the Law School! I wonder what sort of work he's doing? I guess we'll have to wait to see if he describes it.

No new letters now until February. He and Mary Leah are in the same town, so no apparent need for letters, and any other letters he wrote in January have not been saved (at least by this family).

Tuesday, January 8, 1924

Fair and cool. BOSTON. Arose 6:45 A.M. Washed, shaved etc. Gave an account of myself to Hanford. Letter home. Down to Ginter Company for breakfast. Classes and chapel 8:30-11:35 A.M. Dinner. Worked 12-2. To School. Nap. Unpacked and cleaned up. Supper. Prayer Meeting. Boynton Merrill of Old South spoke. Studied. Frank Williams, H.H. & I bowled 68-92-112. Studied. To bed 11:45 P.M. Thankful for all blessings.

**********
Ginter Company is where Stanford worked part time during his time in Boston; it was also a favorite place to eat.

Boynton Merrill is actually Elmer Boynton Merrill (and sometimes Boynton Elmer Merrill); he was in 1924 the Associate Pastor at Old South Church in Boston, and a Navy veteran of WWI. Below are some particulars in a brief biography. He was an accomplished man.

By 1930 he was married with three children: two daughters and a son, Boynton Jr. He died in 1984.

Unless Stanford was reporting everyone's bowling scores, it would seem Stanford's gotten a little rusty in his time away from the game. Maybe he'll get back into it now and his scores will rebound. We'll see.

Monday, January 7, 1924

SCHENECTADY: -- Fair & cool. Windy with a little snow. Arose 7:30 A.M. Breakfast etc. Trains all off schedule. We after girls. To Sterling Art Shop. Talked and looked around. Home. Talked, played & lunch. Finally took 11:45 trolley to Albany. Spent some time in State Education Building. Took 2:42 train for B. which left at 3:45 P.M. Pleasant trip (M.L. & I). Arrived 9:25 P.M. To "108" for a few minutes. To "72." H.H. in bed. Talked etc. To bed 11:30 P.M. Thankful for a safe return.

**********
So, it's back to Boston to start the spring semester at Boston University! This will be Mary Leah's last semester at school. Both she and Hanford graduate this year from college. Perhaps it is that knowledge of Mary Leah's departure in four months that prompts Stanford to get things rolling between them this month. I think they are already sweethearts, but they haven't admitted it yet.😍

Sunday, January 6, 1924

SCHENECTADY: -- Bright and cold. Arose 8 A.M. Marion expected M.L. on 8:35 A.M. train but she missed it. Blizzard west put all trains behind 6 or 7 hours. She came about 5:30 P.M. To Church and Sunday School Plymouth Rock dinner. Marion at our house. Talked, played & sang. Met Mary Leah. Lunch. To E.L. & Church. Gertrude Anthony led E.L. [Epworth League] Frick preached on "Growth--How big will you be"? Home for while. To Benedicts for lunch. Took H.H. to 11:25 train, then M.M. & M.L. to 6:30 Hamilton St. Home. To bed 12:15 P.M. Thankful.

**********
I think that the "6:30 Hamilton St" must be a trolley or some other type of local transportation. I'm picturing the blizzard that delayed the trains from Ohio carrying Mary Leah. So I guess Mary Leah is visiting for a little while before they both go east, back to college. And apparently she is staying with Marion at her house. Just a reminder: "lunch" in Stanford's day meant a small meal, so it could occur at any time of day. It's interesting to me that in our day lunch means a specific mid-day meal, replacing the word dinner, which then migrated to the evening meal, replacing supper. I wonder how and when that transition occurred?

Saturday, January 5, 1924

SCHENECTADY: -- Bright and cold. Some snow and blustery. Arose 8 A.M. Odd jobs. Dinner. Downstreet. To "Y" for shower etc. Supper. Packed trunk & got dressed. To Scotia after Ruth Pettit, then after Marion and Hanford. We 4 to College to basket-ball game Union 13 - Queensland (Canadian) 28. Good game. Watched dancing for awhile. Milk-floats at FINKS. Talked. Home. To bed 12 P.M. Thankful for health and life.

**********
I was unable to locate a current Queensland College in Canada, and could not find a reference to milk-floats, although I have to guess that a milk-float is like a Coke float, but with milk instead of soda. Ice cream, of course, would be essential, especially to Stanford who loved ice cream! Finks must have been a restaurant in 1924, but I can find no record of it.

So, we'll just have to take Stanford's word for all this!

I think it's interesting that he's still dating Ruth Pettit, though perhaps they're just going out as friends.

Friday, January 4, 1924

Beautiful, bright & cool. Arose 10 A.M. Breakfast. Odd jobs, dinner. Read. H.H. & I on hike, out Rosa Road and thence to Aqueduct; home on trolley. Studied. Out on errands, to station after battery, to Sterling Art Shop after Marion etc. Home. Supper. Talked. Father, Marion, H.H. & I played ROOK. To bed 12 P.M.  Father's and Mother's 42nd Wedding Anniversary. Thankful for God's protection and guidance over them for that long period of years.

**********
According to Google maps of present-day Schenectady, the hike Hanford and Stanford took was about 3.8 miles. Below is a possible route, starting home at 110 Park Place.

It's not clear why Marion was at Sterling Art Shop; perhaps she worked there? Was she picking up a gift for Stillman and Fanny? Anyway, here's an ad for the shop in a January 1930 local newspaper.

Thursday, January 3, 1924

Overcast & wet with much rain. Arose 8 A.M. Breakfast and worship. Cleaned walk. Robt Geiselman & wife here to call. Former of Asbury Park fame. Dinner. We 3 men played ROOK. Wrote several letters. Downstreet. Supper. Shaved etc. Father, mother and I called on the Reynolds. Very pleasant evening. Home. To bed 11:30 P.M. Thankful for all blessings.

**********
The Reynolds are friends of the family, Charles and Lena Reynolds, who in 1920 lived in Glenville, NY, where the Clossons still owned a farm at this point. Stanford dated their daughter Dorothea for a while back a few years ago. See information about her at this post (Feb 3) in my 1920 blog.

Wednesday, January 2, 1924

Bright & cold. Just ZERO. Arose 8:30 A.M. Breakfast. Father & George to Amsterdam. Wrote letter to M.L. Dinner. Helped unload 152 cases eggs. Downstreet, to dentist, (Dr. Kimsur[?]) etc. Home. Talked. Supper. Played ROOK with father and H.H. Read & talked. To P.O. To bed 11:45 P.M.

Thankful for a good home.

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That's a lot of eggs! See the January 2nd letter from Stanford to Mary Leah (continuation of January 1st) in the first Letters page in this blog for more information about Stanford's day.

Rook is a card game still in existence. Below is a photo of what the game looked like in 1924. The E-Bay seller wants $60 for this set. I wonder what it cost in 1924?

From E-Bay