The Letters - December 21, 1919 - To Anna Hay from Clara R. Austin - This is simply a beautiful letter between two loving Grandmothers!

Mrs. Anna Hay with grandson George Austin Hay.

Below is Mrs. Clara R. Austin the letter writer and also the proud grandmother of Austin and Mariana Hay which are mentioned in this letter.

Johnstown, Pa., Dec. 21. 1919 - (Clara is currently living in Johnstown with her daughter Mary - wife of George Hay - son of Mrs. Anna Hay). 

My dear Mrs. Hay,

I think I promised to write to you occasionally without waiting for a reply: so here. I am again acting as the family (unreadable). We have had solid wintry weather continuously for over a week with everything covered with snow. The thermometer has not been very far above zero. The most unfortunate thing about it was the weak flow of (natural ) gas which gave out entirely several times and you know what that means.

We have had colds, but nothing serious, so we think we are very fortunate as there has been and still is quite an epidemic of measles. "Uncle Charlie" Austin stopped off to see us a couple of weeks ago on his way east from visiting his son in Ohio. He enquired for you and left his regards. He baptized the children while he was here: he seemed to be the most suitable one to do it (he was a minister). He talks of going to California this winter in instead of Florida. 

Mrs. Suppes—next door—left for California last Monday, with her sisters I believe. I met her downtown the week before & she said she had been sick with grippe (flu). I have been having trouble with my teeth necessitating frequent trips to the dentist and now have comparative relief. 

We learned by cable of the arrival of a little son in Madrid on the 29^th of November, but no letter has come to give us details. We received a letter yesterday written on the 25th. You will probably see in the paper the sad news of the death of Frank Rosensteel . George (Anna's son and Clara's son) has learned no particulars except that he was seen on the street about eleven o'clock and at four was found dead in his apartment. 

The most engrossing entertainment to us is the life of the children. Baby sister (Mariana Hay Caldwell 1918-2018 - died at 99 years old) weighted 19 ½ lbs a week ago, probably is 20 lbs now. She has four teeth with more coming, by the way she bites her fingers. She does not walk but stands pretty steadily. It is not safe to leave her alone anywhere but in the cariole (I looked it up and it says it is some kind of small cart). She sleeps at night in the little bed, but Mary (daughter of Mrs. Calara R. Austin) has found her in the morning reaching for things on the bureau so she can not be trusted there in the daytime. She stands up in her coach and the nursery chair and can only be in them by using the safety strap. 

She can "pat-a-cake", "so big" and wave her hand—when so disposed and laughs uproariously sometimes to see her brother play. When asked his name he says George Austin Hay (Modern note - 1915 - 2018 - he lived to be 102 years old and adding to that - their dad Dr. George Hay 1880-1970 lived to be 90 years old and their mother Mary lived to be 94 years old) very plainly but in speaking about himself he always says "boy". He says "grandmother" very plainly; in fact has no trouble with any letter but "S" which he still lisps. Mary took him downtown the other day and he enjoyed seeing all the toys. He did not ask for them but wanted "just to touch them". He does not want to go near any "Santas".  

All "funny faces" seem to terrify him, although he likes to see the pictures of Santa in the papers. He still carries around the basket of tracks & trains though he does not play with them quite as he used to do. As the cariole is a safe place for the baby, he plays in that room more than any other. His games of birds and animals (with separate heads) are still favorites & he insists on including them in his evening prayer!

I was at the Bazar & Bake Sale held on Thursday in the Franklin Cafeteria.  Mrs. Entwisle (Hay relation)  & others enquired for you. Mrs. Kuhn (Hay relation) was there for her luncheon. We are still suffering a shortage of sugar. Penn Traffic, Thomas' & Cupp's seldom have any. Mary has been going to the A & P Tea Store in Moxham & they told her the days they were likely to have it. Then later she signed a card by which they promised to save one or two pounds of sugar everytime they get a supply & they save it for her till she goes for it. 

I can not think of any special news. I keep my membership in all the things I was interested in in Oak Lane and hear occasionally from my friends there. Mrs. Roberts is still a shut-in, so I try write to her pretty regularly. Give my love and hearty Christmas greetings to each member of the family and accept this as a Xmas letter from your loving friend 

Clara R. Austin

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The Letters - October 27, 1919 - To Mrs. Anna Hays (staying with her son John in Chester) from Sister Elizabeth Unger

                                                                                                              Southmont --Johnstown, Pa.

                                                              Oct. 27—1919

My dear Anna,--

I want to tell you with much pleasure that I am suffering with neuritis in my right-arm and shoulder. I can't express the pleasure I have during the long nights rolling from one side to the other trying to get in a position that will rest my poor old right-wing, but that is not possible so I just fall asleep to brake this monotony for a short time. 

I also had two front teeth extracted which adds very much to my personal appearance. Then my hair has fallen out so much that I have the most beautiful wide parts all over my poor old nut. I am writing you this so when you get home you will not eat your heart out wishing you were like me.  Enough of this nonsense.

We are still at the hotel and expect to be there until Spring as our house will not be completed before April and I doubt very much if it will be finished then for they have just finished digging the cellar. Billie (her son) has been working very hard as the strike (1919 Steel Strike) has necessitated each man doing extra work. 

There are six young men have a house and are living in comfort. Each one has furnished his own room and as for the rest they pay equal shares of the expense. They live about a block from where Nancy lives which makes it nice. By the way, Nancy expects a little new comer in February. Her baby is a darling. My Alice (her daughter) is visiting a room mate in Cairo, Ill.,,,and the latter of next month she may go to a prom at Annapolis and from there go to visit Freida. She may as well have a good time for when we get our house and the help problems as it is she will have to do a lot for me.

I am with sister Alice for a couple of weeks. I think this house is the most complete I have ever seen. The view from every side is beautiful. The labor situation is looking very bad although as far as the steel strike is concerned that is done but the miners can put things to the bad. 

Everybody is well as far as I know. We all feel very much disappointed at the Corey's (Midvale Steel manager) going away. I thought it would so nice all around. Everybody liked Freida (?) and the few that met Mrs. Corey liked her. Old Theodore (her brother) says he will not stay since Mrs. & Mrs. Corey have gone away, so he wants to go back to the Waters (relatives). 

Excuse me, I am taking liver pills.—I do hope my arm gets well for I certainly would not enjoy a new home and not be able to do anything. I hope all are well and prosperous and would love to see them. Don't John (son of Mrs. Hay) ever go to Homestead (Mill)? John Unger (her husband ) has been cheated out of his hunting trip on account of the strike so now he has missed two years hunt. I tell him he will not be able to hit the side of a barn if he don't soon have an opportunity to practice. 

I must close now. With love to John and his family. I remain with love.

Sister Elizabeth

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Pictures of some of the names in this letter. After the pictures I have included a brief history of the steel strike from the workers point of view.

Mrs. Anna M. Hays

Elizabeth Unger

Alice Unger - daughter of Elizabeth and niece of Anna Hay.

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The 1919 Midvale Steel Strike (formerly Cambria Steel) in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was a major local conflict where thousands of local workers walked off the job demanding union recognition, an eight-hour workday, and higher pay following a massive national strike of steelworkers across the nation led by the AFL. A total of four million American workers went out on strike - one-fifth of the nation's industrial workforce - in one of the largest waves of labor actions in American history. 

During WWI to keep war material flowing with no work stoppages, the federal government's newly created National War Labor Board affirmed "the right of workers to organize in trade unions" without interference or hindrance "by the employers in any manner whatsoever." For the first time in American history, the federal government required owners to bargain collectively with shop committees. The Board arbitrated 1,250 disputes between workers and employers. In the war's last months, employers even offered workers a basic eight-hour day with time-and-a-half for overtime. But that all changed after the war- by 1919 the steel mills reverted back to what they called their "normalcy" - 12 hours work days - seven days a week. And refused to bargain or recognize any union efforts. 

Add to that fact that company officials had many local politicians, newspaper and even most church organizations on their side - creating deep tensions in the immigrant neighborhoods and community. On September 22, 1919, local plants closed "indefinitely" as thousands of workers struck. More than 2,000 local coal miners also joined the protest in support. The Midvale Steel (Cambria Steel) organized relentless telephone calls, letters, and home visits to coax, pressure, and frighten individual workers into returning to the mills. 

Once the general public and government officials were convinced that the strikers were dangerous radicals, the steel companies held all the winning cards. Bickering among the twenty-four cooperating unions did not help either. For fourteen long weeks, the strikers held on. As late as mid-December the national committee estimated that 109,000 strikers were still out, but by January 8, 1920, it called off the strike at last: "All steelworkers are now at liberty to return to work pending preparations for the next big organization movement." That movement would not occur until the mid-1930s, when the CIO led another great wave of strikes in the bleak days of the Great Depression.

The Letters - April 29, 1919 - To Mrs. Anna Hay from her son John in Chester

                                                                        Chester, Pa., April 29, 1919

Dear Mother,--

It was a terrible shock to us to hear of Dr. Wagoner's death (his uncle by marriage). Even more because of his recent visit here as we had a chance to see him in apparently excellent health and vigor. I remarked after returning from the trolley that he had made us all stretch our legs to keep up. We were so pleased with his visit and hoped for many more. The children were wonderfully taken with him, George particularly, can not get over it and the mystery of death, to him, is greater than before. 

Give our love and sympathy to Gertrude (Wagoner's wife and sister to Mrs. Hay) and tell her although I could not come out for the funeral my regard and admiration for Dr. Wagoner has always been of the highest. So rare is it to find such admirable qualities so combined and so bountifully to one man makes his loss tremendous. 

Will write you at greater length soon.

With love from us all

John (son of Mrs. Hay)

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Some background on Dr. Wagoner.

Dr. George Wagoner broke his leg in the 1889 Johnstown Flood, but that did not stop him from caring for the citizens of Johnstown. He and two doctors ran a clinic on the corner of South and Napoleon Streets. Along with the clinic, Dr. Wagoner was also in charge of sanitation in the Fifth and Sixth wards after the flood. These wards are the area of Kernville. After the flood, thanks to his diligent work as a doctor, Dr. George Wagoner became the first Secretary of Memorial Hospital.

 

Cambria Theatre - October 1919

I believe that this shot of the interior of the old Cambria Theatre on Main Street was taken in October 1919. The movie posters lining the lobby are all promoting a silent film called "Checkers" which was released in the late summer of 1919. It's one of those lost films - so only stills remain. The film looks like it came here on a delayed run - because every film shown in Pennsylvania had to go thru our own set of state censors - sometimes even further to county censors - which meant it took a few extra weeks for a first run film to be shown anywhere in Pennsylvania.