Irene Johnston Takes the Train to Hanover - 1922

Irene Johnston lived with her parents and her sister on Biddle Street in Baltimore, Maryland.

In March of 1922, Irene set out to visit other family members and friends in Hanover, Pennsylvania - about 40 miles from home.

Alert readers may recall an article posted early this about a young man who moved from Baltimore to Hanover, Edward Franklin Redding.

Edward Franklin Redding

Irene took the train, because the nation then boasted an excellent system of mass transportation.

Irene's Uncle Aust (Austin?) met her at the station in Hanover; Irene promptly mailed a postcard to her folks to let them know that she had arrived safely.

Irene selected an idealized illustration of an Indian Maiden.

The card was printed in America about 1920.

This is what Irene wrote:

"Dear Dad, Mother, and Sister;

Uncle Aust met me at the station in Hanover.

I'm having a fine time; much love to you all.

Irene"

Comments: 18

CC Miranda the artrat (or am i?) Oct 17, 2009, 7:35am EDT

kinda weird that she said sister instead of calling her by her name.

Peter Wimsey Oct 17, 2009, 10:48am EDT

It sounds odd, CC, but I am not sure if it was unusual.

I recall literary characters, especially in the south, that use the title, "
Bother", "sister", etc. instead of the proper name.

Dannielle S. Oct 17, 2009, 11:27am EDT

That plugs into the retort, "That's my name -- don't wear it out."

Perhaps, back then, people only used proper names for special occasions.

My sister-in-law raised her younger daughter to call the older daughter "Sissy" rather than her given name, and this was in the 1990s -- recent history.

CC Miranda the artrat (or am i?) Oct 17, 2009, 11:42am EDT

i think the retort was born of children who in an attempt to get attention keep saying your name a gazillion times.

peter, now that you mention it, i just read a book where they called each other "good sister/brother" a lot but it was set in the 1700s and most people were newly emigrated.

Dave Sandborg Oct 19, 2009, 8:59am EDT

It seems to me we've seen this pattern of people not using personal names for their relatives on some of Peter's cards before.

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DIANE D. Oct 17, 2009, 7:35am EDT

How interesting, Peter.

Peter Wimsey Oct 17, 2009, 10:48am EDT

Glad you enjoyed the story, Diane.

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Cena W. Oct 17, 2009, 9:54am EDT

Interesting, these peeks into the past.

Peter Wimsey Oct 17, 2009, 10:48am EDT

Nice to see you here, Cena.

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Peter Joseph Swanson Oct 17, 2009, 10:04am EDT

neat

Peter Wimsey Oct 17, 2009, 10:49am EDT

Thanks, Peter J.

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Dannielle S. Oct 17, 2009, 11:28am EDT

Obviously an Indian Maiden from the tribes of, perhaps, Manchester, England?

Peter Wimsey Oct 18, 2009, 8:37am EDT

The tribal identification is very diffiuult.

Because the postcard was printed in the US for local consumption (none of the world languages that appear on the German-made cards), I suspect that the tribe exists inthe imagination of the illustrator.

Perhaps Irene ditched Uncle Aust and ran off with a Wild West Show.

Dannielle S. Oct 18, 2009, 11:28am EDT

I was suggesting that she looks far more British than anything else.

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Leo Lemmer Oct 17, 2009, 3:45pm EDT

Fortunately, she did not make everyone listen to her cell phone conversation simply to tell her family "I arrived."

Fine post!

Peter Wimsey Oct 18, 2009, 8:43am EDT

Fortunately, she did not make everyone listen to her cell phone conversation simply to tell her family "I arrived."

Indeed, Leo.

I flew home from Chicago on Saturday morning (meetings ran late on Friday) and endured another endless sequence of seperate calls - "we are boarding", "I'm sitting on the plane", "guess where I am?", "I can't wait to see you", "nothing has changed", "we are still sitting on the plane", "is the temperrature really 50 in New York?", "they are going to close the door", "the attendant was really mean and told me to finish this call".

I have developed recurring urges to throw things at strangers sitting near me.