Well Charley we wont be able to do no high flying for the next couple yrs. because we got to keep on puting a way $30 per wk. & if we can do that we should ought to have the hole thing payed for archateck & all in less then 1 yr. & ½ int. incluseive & I figure the hole thing includeing the lot will amt. to a bout $3,700 & thats a lot of money but look what wear geting a nice home of our own where decent people lives & a big yd. where we can let the kids run a raund & may be raise chickens & have a garden. I guess thats better than paying $25 per mo. rent & being cooped up in a 4 room flat eh Charley.
Kindest to Mary.
Chicago, Nov. 15—
Dear Charley. Charley wear going to have some house. The plans is drawed & the contrack let & there going to begin building tommorrow that is brakeing ground for the foundashun if I can get things fixed up down to the bank this p.m. Ive gave the archateck $25 as 1st payment for his work & I dont half to give him the other $75 till 30 days after the house is done next march.
I will tell you a bout the house Charley & you can see how swell wear going to be fixed up. The house is going to have 7 rms. 3 down stares & 4 up stares. Down stares they will be the parler & the dining rm. & kichen & up stares a rm. for I & Grace & a rm. for the kids & a rm. where you & Mary can sleep when you come to vissit us & a rm. for the hired girl if we ever have 1. Then of corse they will be a bath rm. The house is 2 storys besides the cellar & the house is going to be wood painted green & a frt. & back porch. It will be het with hot water from the boiler down cellar & besides we will have a fire place in the parlor. They will be gas & electrick lts. & all moderate conveenyenses. Its going to be set bk. 50 ft. off the st. & that will give us a big lawn beside a big bk. yd. where we can have chickens & a garden.
Its all in the contrack & the contracker cant get a way from it because if he does he wont get no money & the $2,000 includs evry thing & hes got to be all done with the house by the 1 of march & the archateck over looks evry thing & sees that all the work is OK so I dont half to do no worring but all I half to do is to pay so much per wk. down to the bank. If Id knew how easy it was Id of build a house long a go but I thot a man should ought to know some thing a bout building him self before he tackeld it but a man dont half to know nothing because the archateck takes it all off of his hands & does all the worring for $100. Well Charley I got to shave & go down to the bank. You better get busy & get in to the game Charley & dont stay cooped up in a flat all your life.
Best rgds. to Mary.
Chicago, Nov. 16—
Brother Charley. Well Charley I dont see how it is that these banks ever gos broke & blows up & they take a bout as many chances as the phone Co. that makes you put in your nickle before you get a hold of central. & here the papers keeps after us for not halling in all the stick up men they is on the sts. & dont never say nothing a bout halling in these here banks that is the worst stick ups they is. I went down to the bank yest. p.m. & seen the man in the lone dept. & showed him the lot was all payed for & I had the plans all fixed up for the house & he says how much is the house going to cost & I told him $2,000 & then he stalled a round for ½ a hour & come back & asked me how much did I want to borry & I says $2,000 & he says well we will lone you $2,000 but not no more then that & I says who asked you to lone more then that & then he says let me see your contrack with the contrackter & I showed it to him & he says the only way we do busness is to have enough money to pay for evry thing includeing the extras & the archateck & all that & we do the paying down here to the bank & you dont have nothing to do with it but we keep the money and pay it out on the orders of the archateck. I says all right that’s all right with me & I wont half to worry a bout it. He says you will half to indors the archatecks orders & I says all right.
Then he got a pensil & a peace of paper & says how much do you
