Richard Dana Morse to Georgiana Bowditch, 15 January 1922

[From Richard Dana Morse in New York, New York, to Georgiana Bowditch. He thanks her for the letter and Christmas wishes; says he closed his Florham house for the winter six weeks ago; says his horse has developed some lameness; talks about his farm, noting that potatoes did not do well the past year, and he plans to grow just hay and outs nest year; mentions some relatives; and notes that he renewed Georgiana's Sunday Tribune subscription.

Richard Dana Morse was Georgiana's second cousin; his father and Georgiana's father were first cousins.

This is one of three letters from Richard Dana Morse that were found in a single envelope addressed to "Miss Georgiana A. Bowditch, Morganton, North Carolina," and postmarked "Jan 16, 1922, New York, N. Y." They were dated "Sunday January fourth," "January second 1921," and "Sunday evening." Based on their content, the fact that 4 January was a Sunday in 1920, and 16 January was a Monday in 1922, it's likely that they were written on 4 January 1920, 2 January 1921, and 15 January 1922. All three were written on stationery with the printed letterhead "The Association of the Bar of the City of New York, 42 West 44th Street."]

Sunday evening [15 January 1922]

My dear Cousin,

Thank you for your letter which came promptly and for the season's greetings which came with it.

My experience last year in Florham during December was such as to discourage me from trying to be comfortable on my new farm so late in the year. I therefore closed my house six weeks ago and while the earlier part of last month was very pleasant many of the days were extremely cold and wet. I haven't been at all sorry that I was comfortably housed in this town, meanwhile.

My horse has been going well this past summer, but occasionally he would be "favoring" himself, as they say. And now my neighbor, who has taken him to board for the winter, writes that he notices some lameness when he is running about the paddock. At first it seemed to me that he was suffering from rheumatism or neuritis and now I am confirmed in my judgment that the trouble comes from one or the other of those ailments. Whatever it is I hope he will come out all right in the spring.

My principal farm crop last year was potatoes which did not grow well in our section. While I did considerably better than some of my neighbors I had about a quarter of a crop only. I should have had a hundred bushels but dug only twenty five which included also the small ones. This year I don't expect to grow anything but hay and oats. These crops are not apt to be a total failure and don't involve a heavy expenditure in labor etc.

I haven't heard about any of the Berg family for a long time. I had supposed that Lilly1 and her brother Louis deCoppet2 were alive but this is a mere guess. I presume Mrs. Frost3 would know but I never hear from her these days. I believe they are still living in their Brookline house on Thorndike Street.

You should have received the Sunday Tribune regularly as I made it a point this year not to rely upon any notification from them and stopped in at their offices and renewed the subscription from Decr 28th which they said was the expiration date.

I am glad you continue to enjoy reading the paper and keep informed as to what is going on in the world. I believe that Mr. Hardings4 measure has not yet been taken but that when it has been he will be classed with best and wisest presidents whom we have had.

Very sincerely,

Richard D. Morse5

  1. Elizabeth Payne Berg (1854-1941), Richard and Georgiana's 2nd cousin
  2. Louis DeCoppet Berg (1856-1913), Richard and Georgiana's 2nd cousin
  3. Amelia Miriam Hutchins (1858-), Richard's cousin, Georgiana's 1st cousin once removed
  4. Warren Gamaliel Harding (1865-1923), 29th President of the United States. See Warren G. Harding.
  5. Richard Dana Morse (1864-1933), Georgiana's 2nd cousin