Saturday, February 14, 1920

Very beautiful mild winters day. To college 9-12:30 M. Studied. Played etc. Down town in PM. Bowled with Finch & H.H. Chored around. To Van Curler at night with Dorothea Reynolds. D.G. and H.H., J.R.C. & M.J.F. also. Good play. Home. Fooled around. Dot Gallup & Dorothea Reynolds stayed with Ruth. Merlin Finch stayed with us. To bed 1 A.M.

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By saying that the two girls "stayed with Ruth," I wonder if Stanford means that Ruth now had her own apartment? Or does he just mean Ruth's room, and that he and Hanford shared a room?

Van Curler is of course the Van Curler Opera House, where both plays and movies were shown.

Friday, February 13, 1920

"γνωθι σαντο'ν."

Beautiful bright mild day. Arose 7:15 A.M. To College 8-9, 11-12:30 and 1:30-2 P.M. Home between classes in A.M. Fooled around. Studied, helped father etc. To Chamberlayne's room. To dentists. Watched church league bowl. To B.B. game Union 12 Syracuse 22. To Albany St. Church to ΚΣΠ, ΦΒΠ social. Took D.S.R. to Hardins. ><. To bed 1 A.M.

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The entry is headed with the Greek words as shown above. The translation from Google is "Know yourself Sands." I get the first word, but Sands? Maybe his Greek isn't as good as he thinks. Or my transcription is off. At any rate, it doesn't make sense.

I wonder if O.S. Chamberlayne was teaching at Union at that time? Or perhaps he was merely visiting? Not clear.

More kisses from Dorothea! Hmmm.

Thursday, February 12, 1920

Bright cool winters day. Arose 8 A.M. To College 10-12:15 M. Studied etc. To meeting of Student Volunteer delegates. To Public library. Fooled around. Down town. Bowled at Y and [drawing of star] with Wilbur Hayes. Home in evening. Studied etc. To bed 10 P.M.

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The Student Volunteers were a group of student missionaries. Here is a short description taken from a Wikipedia article on the subject:

The Student Volunteer Movement for Foreign Missions was an organization founded in 1886 that sought to recruit college and university students in the United States for missionary service abroad. It also sought to publicize and encourage the missionary enterprise in general. Arthur Tappan Pierson was the primary early leader.

The article goes into great detail regarding the history of the organization. Apparently, around the time of Stanford's connection with them, the organization was undergoing some major changes. See the article for more information: Student Volunteer Movement.

 

Wednesday, February 11, 1920

Nice bright mild day. Colder at nite. To College 8-12:15 M. Home in P.M. Studied. Played, Read etc. Down street to have picture taken for garnet etc. Home. In evening to Scotia M.E. Church to evangelistic meeting. Miss Corps spoke. Walked both ways. Bowled in Scotia. 165-178-197. To bed 11 P.M.

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The Garnet is the Yearbook for Union College. I wonder if we will ever see Stanford's picture in the yearbook for 1920. Maybe they have them all on file at Union College. Sometime we'll have to look for it.

In the meantime, someone has the 1921 edition for sale on Ebay. Here is a picture of it:

Tuesday, February 10, 1920

Overcast mild damp day. Up 7:30 A.M. To College 9-12:15 M. Played piano. Read etc. Helped father. Took nap in P.M. Wrote in diary etc. Read etc in early evening. Took walk. Watched Church league bowl etc. Home. Took bath. To bed 11 BELLS.

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Back to college at last! I guess break is over.

Monday, February 9, 1920

Beautiful bright mild day. Arose 8:15 A.M. Father out on business with horse. Chored around. Did odd jobs. Played talked etc. Down town in P.M. Took Dorothea Reynolds to Palace Theatre. Good picture. Fine time. >< Walked home. To bed 12 BELLS.

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Well, I guess old Doris Smith is out of the picture now what with his kissing (><) Dorothea and all! I wonder what picture he and Dot saw?

Sunday, February 8, 1920

Bright cool windy day. Arose 8 A.M. To Hayes room. To church & S.S. Dr. Taylor spoke on Mexico. Took walk in P.M. with Misses Gallup, Anthony, Closson, Messrs Hayes, Finch. Larkin and me; to Thomas's corners etc. Returned. To Epworth League. Bunch at our house after league. Out to Dot Reynolds home on 9:06 P.M. car. Chewed rag etc. Walked home. Fine time. To bed 12:40 P.M.

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I guess the snow made driving impractical so other means of transportation were used. I was curious about the existence of a streetcar in Schenectady, so I looked it up and found this information on Wikipedia:

Schenectady had a local streetcar system and electric interurban passenger service. The Schenectady Railway Co. had local lines and interurban lines serving Albany, Ballston Spa, Saratoga Springs and Troy. There was also a line from Gloversville, Johnstown, Amsterdam, and Scotia into Downtown Schenectady operated by the Fonda, Johnstown, and Gloversville Railroad. The nearly 200 leather and glove companies (178) in the Gloversville region generated considerable traffic for the line. Sales representatives carrying product sample cases would begin their sales campaigns throughout the rest of the country by taking the interurban to reach Schenectady's New York Central Railroad station, where they connected to trains to New York City, Chicago and points between.

The bright orange FJ & G interurbans were scheduled to meet every daylight New York Central train that stopped at Schenectady. Through the 1900s and into the early 1930s, the line was quite prosperous. In 1932 the FJ&G purchased five lightweight Bullet cars (#125 through 129) from the J. G. Brill Company. These interurbans represented state of the art design: the "bullet" description referred to the unusual front roof that was designed to slope down to the windshield in an aerodynamically sleek way. FJ&G bought the cars believing that there would be continuing strong passenger business from a prosperous glove and leather industry, as well as legacy tourism traffic to Lake Sacandaga north of Gloversville. Instead, roads were improved, automobiles became cheaper and were purchased more widely, tourists traveled more widely, and the Great Depression decreased business.

FJ&G ridership continued to decline, and in 1938 New York state condemned the line's bridge over the Mohawk River at Schenectady. This bridge had once carried cars, pedestrians, plus the interurban, but ice flow damage in 1928 prompted the state to restrict its use to the interurban. When in 1938 the state condemned the bridge for interurban use, the line abandoned passenger service. The desirable Bullet cars were sold. Freight business had also been important to the FJ&G, and it continued over the risky bridge into Schenectady a few more years.

Saturday, February 7, 1920

Mild overcast day. Lots of snow on ground. Poor automobiling. Chored around in A.M. Helped father etc. Mother's Birthday. Delivered eggs by handsleigh. Repaired auto. Got some bobs [?] out etc. To Proctor's with Ruth 5:30 P.M. Did some shopping. Home. Supper 9 o'clock. To bed 10 P.M.

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I wasn't sure what a handsleigh was, so I looked for a picture. Here's one I found on a website called Safari Museum. The photo, titled "Arthur Conan Doyle's Handsleigh," by Elizabeth Main LeBlond, is a photo of the photographer's friend, Arthur Conan Doyle, author of Sherlock Holmes novels, probably taken in the 1890s.

Friday, February 6, 1920

Overcast mild winters day. Arose 8 A.M. Chored around. Shovelled walk. Few inches more of snow. Took nap in P.M. To Dentists. Kappa Sigma Pi pancake supper at night. Good supper & fine bunch out. Bowled with church league. Took 8 games from Albany St. 155-145-119. Took Dot Gallup Home. Walked back. To bed 11:30 P.M.

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Stanford's playing the field, it seems. Stanford's writing is getting smaller; he's trying to fit more into his accounts. Interesting how he's developing into quite the chronicler.

Thursday, February 5, 1920

Blustery, snowy, windy, winter's day. Arose 10 A.M. Fooled around etc. About 9 inches of snow during day. Chored around. Out with father in P.M. Shovelled [sic] walk. Played piano. Talked with O.S. Chamberlayne. To Public library. To church to make arrangements for Pancake Supper. To College to B.B. game. Union 28-Rochester 20. Bowled at [drawing of star] 169-186. To bed 12 P.M.

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O.S. Chamberlayne was a high official in the Methodist Church at that time from what I can glean from his position in church business. He wrote a book entitled The Eagle's Nest and Other Sermons, published in 1907. I have not been able to uncover anything more about him or his book. I wonder how Stanford happened to have occasion to talk to him. Was he visiting their home?

Wednesday, February 4, 1920

Cool overcast day. Arose 8 A.M. Helped father off. Chored around. Candled eggs. Uncle John here to dinner. Read. Wrote in diary etc. Down to Hayes' room. Up to Willett St school to watch Finch play B.B. To armory to watch drill. Bowled at [drawing of star]. To bed 11:45 P.M.

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The Willett Street School was built around 1910, had 8 rooms, and was later renamed William McKinley School. Perhaps it was also expanded to include a basketball court. I wonder what team Finch played for? Could it have been a company team? 

Tuesday, February 3, 1920

Overcast mild day. Arose 8 A.M. Helped father. Chored around. Candled eggs etc. Read. Played piano etc. To E.L. social at nite. Watched bowling contest. Good social, fine time. Took Dot Reynolds to her aunts. To bed 12:15 P.M.

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Well I guess it's over with Doris Smith! Previously, according to a number of diary entries, Stanford went out with Dorothea Reynolds only as a part of a group (see Date Book 1919), but now it looks as if they're dating. As I stated in the October 12, 1919 post, Dot Reynolds was the daughter of a chemist and a teacher. She married Kirkwood Personius in 1924.

I ran across a picture of Dorothea and the man she married on ancestry.com.  Here they are:

Dorothea Reynolds 1902-1989

Kirk Personius 1902-1968

Monday, February 2, 1920

Mild overcast day. Up 8 A.M. Fooled and chored around. Played piano, talked etc. Took nap in P.M. Took bath etc. Bowled at Y in evening with Dorothea Reynolds, H.H., Dot Gallup and Wilbur Hayes. 164-172. Out to Hardin's Crossing. Rode down hill. Had lunch etc. Fine time. To bed 11 P.M.

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Busy day! Is college on vacaction? He didn't go to class today so it could be they are on break. Maybe Stanford will explain later.

Sunday, Februrary 1, 1920

Beautiful bright extremely cold day. 18 degrees below zero in A.M. Arose 9 A.M. Shaved etc. Down after Wilbur Hayes. To Church & S.S. To Dinner at Sirkers with Merris & Hayes. W.J.H., Ruth, Merlin, & I out to Dorothea Reynolds. Rode down hill etc. To E. L. To Gertrude Anthony's house. Walked home with Frances Ham. To bed 12 P.M.

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I guess Stanford is playing the field now! No more Doris Smith. Ah well.

Sirkers is Sirker's Restaurant, which existed in Schenectady at the time. Here is a little description of it from the Hotel and Restaurant Employees International Alliance Journal of 1922:

Saturday, January 31, 1920

Beautiful bright cold day. 16 below zero. Arose 8 A.M. Fooled around in A.M. Played etc. Skating with Merlin Finch in P.M. To Palace Theatre with Merlin. To colleg 8:30 P.M. with Finch & H. H. Tradition night. Free eats. Lemonade and sinkers. Fine time. To bed 11 P.M.

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A "sinker" is a doughnut, according to the slang-of-the-20s internet sites, although I think I already knew it; I just needed it confirmed.