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250 LETTERS: Correspondence Love SOCIETY College STUDENTS Rutgers & HARVARD 1925
$ 343.2
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Description
250 Personal Letters in a SUITCASEMostly Romance/ Correspondence Letters between 2 College Students from Rutger's, Harvard Universities and New Brunswick, New Jersey Women's College.
Dates ranger from 1924 - 1934.
Most appear to be from 1925 - 1932.
Includes Stamps (on just about all envelopes), numerous ephemera: Holiday cards, Birthday, Valentine's Day, Western Union Telegram, (Airline Receipts from 1951), Rutgers Admissions Test results, Postcard photos from France,
1923 LARGE 1$ Bill
, Commercial letter head papers, letters from close friends, Family, Suitors and
letters from RUSSELL BETTES
whom she would eventually marry.
I purchased this suitcase at the Green Lane Auction (West of Philadelphia) in the late 80's. I have read about 15-20 letters. I was only looking for old currency at the time but found the writings very interesting, such as the one where
RUSSELL
spent most of the night in a mechanic's garage in June of 1925 having his automobile fixed.
The 1st repair cost him . The 2nd repair, a rewiring of some sort of part cost him .
There is also an interesting letter regarding a trip to BERMUDA.
At least 2 letters from a fellow named BARR HATFIELD (from New York) who apparently had a big interest in getting to know EVELYN WALL. I don't think
RUSSELL would have liked these letters sent to EVELYN.
RUSSELL sounds very much in love with EVELYN and EVELYN seems to feel the same way about him.
The main people are
EVELYN M. WALL
of New Brunswick, N.J. attending the New Brunswick Women's College (That's what it was called at that time).
Her Family owned a "Men's Tailoring and Furnishings business in New Brunswick, N.J., Established in 1904. They appeared to be well off despite the stock crash beginning on October 24th, 1929.
Her boyfriend, Fiancee and eventual husband
RUSSELL M. BETTES
of Montclair, N.J.,
attended both Rutger's and Harvard Universities at some point.
His name can be found on a RUTGER'S website with a possible graduation date of 1929.
There was one letter not in an envelope addressing
RUSSEL
as her husband. That's how I know that they were eventually married.
Many of the letters are from
RUSSEL
.
Others are from EVELYN'S friends discussing typical GIRL TALK and
from other MALE friends or suitors looking to hook up with EVELYN.
I thought there might be enough information here for a story or something
for the NOVELEST looking to write something period and unique.
I learned a lot in just the few letters that I did read.
I have put blue stick ems' on the letters I read and a brief description
of what is in those letters.
One letter is very small and references the death of Politician / Orater William Jennings Bryan in 1926.
Again, these young students came from well to do families and led some interesting lives. I would call them Society families.
Again, I only Read roughly 15-20 letters.
The letters are in very good shape for the age. The ones I read were neatly
handwritten and easy to read. Some envelopes have tears as when someone is in a hurry to open it up.
RUSSEL
apparently made weekly trips to see
EVELYN
.
So there's talk of what they did and what they could do.
Like go to the Army - Harvard Football games or hanging out in a
nice warm smelling Cigar Store.
RUSSELL
mentions having Football tickets to
EVELYN
and
so does another fellow from New York named
BARR HATFIELD
.
She eventually chooses RUSSELL as her husband.
I looked up RUSSEL'S house at 168 Christopher St. in Montclair, N.J.
Pretty nice home I thought. Zillow had an estimate of it at 1.3 Mil.
So with that said, I hope there is a Writer or Novelist who can dig
into all of this and make something interesting out of it.
There is also a good condition
1923 LARGE GREENBACK BILL
included.
The back of the suitcase has come apart over the years. Please see photos.
Weight is 12+ pounds. A few envelopes are empty.
There are a few letters that do not have
envelopes.