Marriage Proposal
New Ipswich Historical Society
Marion Davis Audio-Tape Transcriptions
Sometime before her death in 1986, Marion Davis recorded her memories at the encouragement of her brother, Walter Buck. The recordings were transcribed by a secretary.
The Friends of Wapack have made these available to the Historical Society. Marion was born on February 8, 1894 in Fitchburg, MA.
E. C. Daniels shows Marion the sheep barn
They had a monstrous great sideboard and in from one of the drawers in that he pulled out quite a bit of paper material. he had a lot of money in stock, one thing and another, and he seems wanted me to know all about it. I said, "I'm a stranger, why do you tell me this?" "Well, I want you to know about it, I want you to know. My brother is the president of the N.Y. TIMES and a big owner of that business." The next morning he wanted me to go down to the barn to see the sheep. Incidentally, he asked me to help get some hay down off the scaffold, which we did, and we fed the sheep. Then he said he had another barn up on the side hill. "Would you like to go up there?" "Sure, that's what I'm here for-- to see all your sheep". We went up on this side hill and on the way up he started to take my arm (he always carried a cane) and I said, "I guess it would look better if I took your arm". He wasn't any too steady on his feet anyways, so that's the way we went up on the hill. He had the sheep in the barn cellar, and you could go in on the upper side, walk right in and feed the sheep down thru that floor into cribs that were down below. There was also a trough in that basement where spring water was running in and out continuously.
The Sleigh Ride
... That afternoon he had his boy hitch up his horse to a sleigh; said he was going to take me to see one of his very best friends. Oh, it was nice sleighing. We had quite a sleighride--about 5 miles cross country over to a Mr. and Mrs. Woods. He had called them up and told them we were coming and they had a wonderful dinner on the table. After that when I got home I got a letter from Kim them saying they hoped I would be the one who would accept him because they thought I was honest. You see it was quite a game to get someone to marry him and take charge of his financial affairs. But the next morning I went home. This young fellow took me back down to the depot and I went back to the farm. Several years later I heard that he had been taken sick and the nurse that had come to take care of him married him for the money. But he was one step smarter than she was; he left his money to the hospital where he was ill.
Photo Archives
Julia Ann Chickering
James Roger diary entry & pullet count (7)
22nd December 1912
Frosty, fine day, wind changeable south at night. Mr. Lord preached. I was not at Church, so do not know subject of sermon. S.S. after 19 present; collection 2 d. A good turn out in the evening I am told, singing of Chorals, etc. (pullets 7) Dr. Jones called unprofessionally after Church. Principal Lewis called in the evening as he went to service where Mrs. Lewis is to sing.
Ellen Somero, a dear woman, was Marion’s mild-mannered foil and colleague in the cafeteria. Ellen’s husband was the janitor, I believe.
Now about that word I order describing the 7 pullets. It sounds as if they showed up at church and clucked along with the choir or something.
That was a brilliant story from Marion about her “courtship”. She was definitely no fool, and a great storyteller. I think she could do anything. I also remember her as the cook at Central School along with another woman, a Somero I think, cooking up all that government surplus for us. Probably better quality than what you get today, though.