BEULAH'S JOURNAL

1930-31
785 NE 64th Avenue, Portland, Oregon: The "cottage" furnished as below.

Journal of Beulah Strachan
(Born in 1875, at this time she would have been 55 years old. Sam was five years older.)

Arrived in Portland afer visiting Brandon, Man. about Aug. 26. accompanied by May & Doc.

Aug. 28: Bot at M.W. & Co [Montgomery Ward] Gas Stove $14.95, also Wardway Vacuum Cleaner for $24.00. Later to complete the furnishing of our cottage at 745 E. 64th N. we or I did from private funds and monthly allowance bot wicker rocker $6.25, a cabinet of drawers for men’s papers etc. (Sam bot a mate to it later), a few pictures (inexpensive framed ones: Rheims Cathedral, English street thatched roofs, and a Dutch windmill) around 50¢ and $1. Order a bookcase made at a cabinet shop on 3rd Street, a few kitchen utensils and some glassware, crockery, including Pyrex casserole to fit small frame brot from Brandon, few pieces green glassware, a chopping bowl and knife ($1), a dripping pan (10¢) and five stainless steel fruit knives, small percolater (49¢ @). Still later bot small pair grey blankets (1.98) for my own use, cheap quilt (e.98) for May Christmas. On Bruce’s birthday gave him shirt and tie ($2.00) at Christmas time gave Bruce and Seth each a suit of pajamas @ $1.98), Doc a flannel shirt ($1) and Sam a jersey coat ($2.98) and May a scrapbook. Sent Elsie & Glenn [They had remained in Brandon to maintain the Kovar franchise.] each a box of handkerchieves. Also sent Mrs. Sims, Mrs. Boyle, Mrs. Henderson, Mrs. Morris and Mrs. Collie-Brown fancy handrf’s. I rec’d from Seth his photo, from May a hand painting, from Bruce a scarf and a pickle dish, from Sam a game board. [Crocanole on one side, Chinese checkers on the other: I remember this from much later.] Later in the spring I bot May and I each a print housedress and a voile afternoon dress (total 3.75), a navy straw hat for myself, 3 pairs of rayon bloomers (.75 & .50), a corselette (1.98), two pairs of hose $1.25 and two pairs for $1. Jan. 23 for Seth’s birthday bot him 2 shirts $2, 2 comb suits underwear 1.30, 2 prs sox .90 and a suit of pajamas $1.

Still later (May 5) loaned Seth $10 to renew his transport license and to buy some summer trousers and $3 to advertise for flying job in Aviation. Late in March paid for permanent wave $3.

Our last monthly allowance of $35 each (Sam, Bruce and I) ceased with the April Draft and from then on we’ve been trying to finance our own expense here in Portland as far as possible, so in April Sam cashed his insurance coupons for $500 and gave me $60 with which to pay our share of the grocery bill until July 1st. Glenn and Elsie had contributed $200 of their private funds towards the Kozy Kamp business and Bruce and Doc each contributed $25. The balance of the capital coming from the Kovar Business, Sam’s insurance and Kozy Kamp sales, which have run as follows:

In May sold detachable to Deberville’s in Vancouver, WA. (They furnished all material except $10 worth hardware $50.

July 4 sold new detachable to Mpls man. Cash $120.
July 4 sold used Deluxe model to Werschkuls for $120
Late in Aug or early Sept sold Brandon mdoel to salesman with S.R. & Co., $10 down and $10 per month till paid. $40
Same date Sears Roebuck sold detachable on their floor for $162 (time), our share in cash. $105
TOTAL SALES TO DATE OCT 9: $385.


About the first week in August sold kitchen incinerator to Wilson Auction Co. for $10.
About the middle of July we were surprised by a telephone call from Beth Ramsey, who with her mother, Aunt Mary Ramsey, called on us a few minutes later as they left the city on their way to California to visit friends. (Mary Ramsey is the great-grandmother of Kathleen Rouzie who lives in Portland, and is the sister of Archibald’s wife. At this time Mary Ramsey lived in Victoria, B.C.) When they returned in August they visited us one Sunday with their friends, the McKenzies, who were returning with them to Victoria, B.C.

During Septemer, 1931, the three boys (Bruce, Doc and Seth) with May to cook, took a Kozy Kamp and went over to Washington and got permission of a Mr. Arnold on the Evergreen Highway to cut our winter’s wood on shares. Doc & Seth went back and cut enough more to be able to sell 2 cords of ash to Mr. Able @ 7.50 = $15. Bruce having rec’d a call from the Oregonian and was offered a position i their Advertising Dept, he began work with his car which he bot from Seth on terms, on Fri. Sept. 25, 1931 @ $20 a week and 5¢ mileage.


1931

Sept. 29. In forenoon Sam and I went in search of a wood and coal range to take the place of our little gas range. After looking over the stock at The Trading Post and several places on Williams, Hawthorne, and Union, found one at Belmont “Trading Post” $20. In the evening the Barr family visited us. Spent evening laying charades, guessing games, swinging Indian clubs, etc. Men spent large part of day setting up the new kitchen range and connecting up coils with hot water tank. Put little gas range in basement.

With proceeds of kitchen heater and incinerator, bot arm-chair at Sears Roebuck and a few things for the kitchen. Also bot May birthday gift and one for Sam. Former consisted of two prs. sil hose and pr of rayon bloomers.

Sept. 18 to 24: During the month of Sept. heard Aimee S. M. Hutton preach several times in auditorium. (Beulah was a WCTU member and strongly anti-alcohol.] Also a lecture on materialism in Russia at lirary, Sam Burnes.

On Thurs. Oct 1 Seth, May and Doc took gray car and Kozy Kamp and drove to Hood River to pick apples for J.D. Smullin, father of one of Bruce’s college acquaintances. They receive 3 cts. per box and a bonus of 1/2 cent if they remain to the finish.

Sun. Oct. 4 Rained most of the day off and on. Bruce, Sam and I at home.

Sun Oct 11 Bruce busy during week ad cooking school (Held at auditorium. Toothpaste, Vapex for colds, etc.) Wed. Eve the 7th he took Virginia, Sam and I in the car to the “Hollywood” to see and hear Marie Dressler & Polly Moran in “Politics.” Not much of importance or of an outstanding nature transpired. Heard from May Tues. and Sat mornngs, asked for a few things to be sent out by Bruce and Virginia who went out there today. When they returned in eve, brot 2 bags of apples.

Mon Oct 12 Foggy & cloudy. Washed but didn’t hang out clothes except hose etc. in porch. Was cloudy and wet. Had small wash as I washed several times last week and ironed everything. Sam and I did our shopping St. eve at Pay’nTakeit.

Tues. Oct 13 Bruce’s pay day. Rec’d for his past week’s board $5. He called at the house twice yesterday: once at lunch time when he shared the meal with us and later to get his raincoat and rubbers, as it rained during PM. This evening when Bruce reached home, I left supper ready to ut on the table and he took me to Pay’n Takeit to get groceries. Last evening Bruce and Sam went to “Circle” to see Chaplin’s “City Lights.” I didn’t care to go, so Sam gave me the price of ticket, 25¢. Today Bruce and the prop of Granada Theatre had a little collision downtown with their cars and as Bruce considered himself mostly at fault, paid over $3 for damage, whereupon the man gav him a “pass” for two to his theatre, good at any time.