Virginia Park, 1908 
Virginia Park, 1908 The Diary of Virginia Park
411 North Third Street
Atchison, Kansas
age: (13 1/2)
Flyleaf
Lovingly dedicated to my true friends Lucy Challis and Millie Earhart, who aided and abetted me in this epistle.
This being an account of my visit in the summer of 1912, started August fourth, ended the 27th, where I spent a most enjoyable time with Ms. Earhart, I open with this entry.
August fourth, on board train.
Started at 11:45 and had a great commotion about our trunks, found them at last, and off we went. When we got to Rushville, we were switched, went back the way we came, and arrived in Kansas City at two. We then took a trally ride and after we got to the station, got something to eat or drink. I got grape juice, it was not overly good. Then met "Peachie" who was not able to join us on the trip there, but intends to do so later.
We carry with us, besides our own party of eight, a chef - he's a dandy, though we haven't seen him yet, as he keeps himself shut up in the kitchen, and a waiter. They serve fine dinners. This evening at dinner, the flowers, in a lemonade shaker, upset twice. First on Tootie, later on Anne and Moonie. I was hungry as a bear and ate everything in sight. Anne's skirt came off and we almost died laughing. Almost ready for bed. Good Night!
August fifth.
Had a dandy night. Slept in an upper berth over Anne and Moonie - Mill over Katch and Tootie. It's so cold we have coats on. Katch isn't well, she's train sick, and lying on the other end of the sofa in, or on, which I am writing. It's raining so I'm going to stop now and write a letter. Besides it is only half-past eight, so nothing much has happened yet. Oh yes, Mr. Earhart got a message at about two last night and instead of going to Keokuk now, we will proceed at once to Des Moines and see the dam at a later date. I'm learning the Presidents off my blotter. I've just passed Van Buren. We are playing Casino now. Almost in Des Moines.
Got there at ten fifteen. A half hours ride to our house. Part of porch screened. Like it lots. Anne and I sleep in south west room. Tootie is northeast, or Millie's room. Muriel (Muriel Earhart, Amelia's younger sister "Pidge") and Katch in the former's room facing south and Mill in the girls northwest room. We had chocolate at a drug store before going home. Ate a "can" dinner and laid around till bedtime. Unpacked before breakfast and laid around almost all day. Saw Louise in the morning.
Thursday we had first experience in Dusen's swing. Awfully scared! Miles and miles up! Wizzz!
After this we went downtown early today. Climbed the Capitol, visited the principal stores, and bought a 35 cent hat, a present for my mother and one for both Mother and Uncle Walter. Also bought some Pomplian (Pompeian?), some postal cards, which I lost, silk gloves and 10 cents worth of gum camphor, 5 cents worth of shellac, and a sprayer which cost 50 cents. All this was for our palm prints. We put the camphor at first in the glass bottle but it exploded so we used a tin can. Mill insisted on picking this up, so she burned her arm and with Tootie the top was scraped off and it's hurt her so we're going to have a doctor.
There were between 300 and 320 steps to the Capitol. We also visited the Natural History Museum and would have stayed there till midnight, had not the doors been closed at five.
Sunday we went to the church where we used to go when I was here last. The Minister was too funny. Fortunately we sat in the back, for Tootie snikered (snickered) (sic) audibly several times and we all giggled shamefully.
Monday we went to Ringling Bros. Circus and is was lovely! The cars were awfully crowded and it was terribly hot, but the circus was good.
Tuesday we leave for Worthington at twelve. The train was rather late. We had lunch at the cafeteria.
On train now. Staid (sic) on train till about 7 o'clock. Hungry! Tired! Hot! Dirty! At last we reach Sibley. The expressman took us and all our baggage for nothing. Had dinner at a little restaurant which possessed very tough steak, and that's all we had. Went to picture show next. Awfully good. "The Post Telegraph Boy and the Women's Temperance League", Dandy playing a harp and a violin. Then rented a room in a little hotel with 2 beds in it.
Train doesn't leave till 12:45. Tried to go to sleep. Louse and Ann and Moonie and I slept in one bed, Mill and Tootie, and Katch and Peachie in the other. Mill & Tootie cut up terrible!
"Oh, gee, what became of ze lady?"
"She put gavy (gravy?) (sic) on her bean"
"Are you suah?"
"Yes, I'm suah."
"Ain't it awful, Mabel?"
"Oh, gee, what became of the gents?"
"They turned into little wriszed up Norruno imps".
This was a sample of their talk punctuated with Katch's laugh and snores from the others. Grr--r-r-puh-pu-pu snort pu-pu.
"Say you kids, be still," from Moonie. At last the long suffering Ginger broke out with "Kut it out." I sure felt l like hitting someone. It was about the eighth time I had been waked up.
Finally we got to the train. While waiting we tried some match tricks with toothpicks. Mill hasn't done the
| | | | | | | | | | trick yet. I know how..
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 9 + 5
X X X X
Cross the first and third on one side and second on the other.
Train full of immigrants. Stood up all the way. Mr. Mann met us at the station at 1:45. In bed at three! Good Night! as Mr. Earhart would say.
Wednesday morning I slept till nine. Had no breakfast as the other girls didn't get up. Peachie and I walked to the boat house and hired a boat, brought it back and looked around for the girls who were just getting up. Moonie joined us then and we rowed up to Cherry Point. When we got home it was time for dinner. Had chicken. Put on bathing suits soon after dinner and went in swimming. Made a dandy dive the first time. (Played tennis first with Mill and Jennie and Louise.)
Peachie and Jennie stay in longer. Peachie is trying to get burned. She succeeded. We only stay in 15 minutes. Great excitement undressing. Very trying to our modesty. Lie around for over an hour reading "The Depot Master" with Mill. Then had dinner and played proverbs afterwards with Peachie. Went to bed at ten.
Thursday.
Some of the girls went out boat riding, but I staid (sic) home and read "Marion and Dorothy", one of Anne's books. Mrs. Mann saw me and took me downtown. Didn't get home till about time for lunch. Had chicken. After lunch Moon and I put on bathing suits and pulled the raft up where we bathe. Played around in the water until Mrs. Earhart come. Then went in. A trifle cooler. Staid (sic) in twenty minutes. Swam about six times. Louise did better than I. She's learning dog fashion.
After we got out, had bread and cheese and plumbs. Yum, yum, but I was hungry. Then I wrote a little bit to Uncle Walter on the "Donna Isabel", and turned to that for inspiration. Dressed and had dinner then Mill, Jennie, Tootie, Louise and myself went across the lake in the boat and stole some apples! They were awfully good. We brought loads home. There were some sheep in the orchard and Tootie pulled one of their tails. She said "Why, he kicked". I know we heard a noise like an enraged sheep. We got home at eight-thirty. Mrs. Earhart rather worried. Went to bed at once. Louise slept with me as Anne went in the other room with Moon and Katch. We talked till after ten. Good Night!!
Friday.
Rainy! We were going to take a ride in the afternoon, but not now, so we read instead. Read "Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch". Then Mill and I made copies of an Harrison Fisher girl on the Cosmopolitan. At least we tried to. Mill's was pretty good, but I couldn't get the nose right for mine, so I drew another. She was worst than the first, which was pretty even if it was much like the original. I stopped. Chicken for dinner.
Then it started to dry up and we played ball a little, almost the whole afternoon, for it was too windy and cool to go in bathing, or even out in the boat. We played ball after dinner, too, until it was too dark to see. We went to bed early and we were going on a picnic the next day in honour of Jennie's birthday. Mill slept with me and sprung the question, after we had talked an hour or so, "Why can't we sleep, say three?" I'm not up to her yet. Slept like a log.
Good Morning.
8:10 "Get dressed in a hurry, it's too wet to go to the Grand Forks (Lakes?)", so we have to be content with eating our dinner in the park and seeing the lakes another day. We got up in a hurry and pounded Jennie who in turn blew out thanks to us, like a cannon for our gifts. Mill gave her a brown pin with silver. Moon, a stenciling outfit. Mrs. Earhart, a gold piece, Mrs. Mann a hvdak (headache?) case, Peachie, a German silver purse with a draw string, a silver spoon from her mother, a box of candy from "the family", and the vase Anne and I gave her, a towel, a dollar, a book from Grace, two crochet pins and that's all. We then got in the boat, Duskie, Mill Tootie and I. We started to tow the raft with the girls on it down to the wharf where they could fish. Just as we were almost at the wharf, some men in a steam launch came up and towed us, too. This was an awful strain on me for I was holding the raft and they hardly slowed up as bit when they hitched us on. I almost fell out and Mill had to hold my leg to keep me in. The chain took a piece out of my thumb and the boat (took) several from my knuckles. We dropped the rafts and the men took us all the way up to the other side of the lake. We didn't get home till after twelve. Ate a huge dinner and then six of us piled into a boat and rowed over to Ludlow's to steal apples. Three of us went to get them while the others sat outside the fence and waited for the feed. We got as many green knobs as we could and carried them back to the famished ones, who ate them greedily regardless of after effects.
(drawing of apple)
We returned home after chasing several objects we saw floating upon the smooth surface of the placid waters, the most valuable of which proved to be a clam shell with the carcass of some animal inside. Owing to the differences in strength of the 4 rowers, we described numerous unintentional curves on the way home. When we got home we dressed for a picnic but did not go to Cherry Point as planned till after supper, which meal we at the park.
At six-thirty we went man auto to the above mentioned picnic ground and toasted marshmallows. It rained a little but we did not mind as all our hearts were light and gay and our spirits couldn't be dampened by a few drops of rain. Mill had nearly all her clothes burned off when a burn in hand caught her skirt on fire. She saved herself by jumping into the lake. We went home then and made fudge. Afterwards bed. Tootie and I each took a bath. Afterwards, Mill did too. She's the cleanest person I ever saw!! Good Night.
(writing changes here - we think, by "Tootie")
Millie slept with me last night and oh, gee! Never again. Mill, Mule & I went to an early service, it was lovely. After breakfast we all went to church except Mule & Katch who stayed home to write a letter to Peachie. When we started for church, Tootie looked too dear for words. She sure is the prettiest one here. Everyone just fell in love with her on the spot. I wish I was so pretty.
This is the minister preaching.
(drawing)
Tootie has a lovely dandy voice. Wished I could sing so well good.
Then had dinner. Had chicken. I ate just loads of trash. Laid around till afternoon on our backs and held our stomachs. Slept with Tootie. She's just darling. So pretty. Good Night.
(Writing changes here - to the original hand)
It rained hard Sunday, Tootie forgot to mention that.
Monday
Jennie and Louise and I rowed to the Bath House and from there to Stoney Point at the other end of the lake. Louise and I rowed home in a 1/2 hour. Had chicken for dinner went in swimming and didn't do as well as before. I guess Sunday interrupted me and I know the water was cold! That night we went to the picture show "The Girl from the East", "The Foothills of Savoy", "The Wife's Awakening".
To begin with, the Girl from the East; she was destined to marry an Englishman she ran away to her Uncle Bill's, fell in love with a cowboy and married him in this way. -- The cowboy met one of his old friends, an artist actor. They learned at this time that the girl's father and fiance were coming to the house and that they must have the minister there. Robertson, the actor meets the carriage and by some pretence or other gets the men to come with him to his lame companion, the cowboy. Once there, they are covered with revolvers, marched to a shed, made to put on convict's suits and then made drunk. When they are so tipsy, they can hardly move, the men lead them, in their clothes and with false wigs and whiskers, and are driven to town. The girl marries the cowboy and the convicts are taken to the house with the joke on them. The end!
A great lot of fine scenery first then "Little Jack's Letter"
-- this is Mill's dictation:
"There was a little boy and his Mother was very sick, his kind little tender juicy heart made him take care of her. He tells a man to write a letter asking, Dear little Jesus to please send help, mentioning that he is very little too. There he bounces to the church and there sees a vision which grabs his letter and then fades away. He flops home, sits down in a chair, pulls off his shoes and pants, lets down his night shirt and is dressed for bed. In the mean time the old gouty literary gentleman has come, touched by his pathetic letter, and deposited all his money in a tobacco bag on the table. As our hero bounces to the table after completing his toilet, he discovers the money and throws his hands in the air. Then follows a horrible picture of the crucifixion, after that a ballet girl dancing! Also is shown -- giant Lincoln and Washington, the flag, and then a colored woman. Laugh, the pictures were so funny we died!"
The Wife's Awakening was not any different. It was an Imp. Baby dies, husband becomes blind, she likes another man, starts to run away, when the sight of her baby's clothes recalls her to herself, she asks her husband's pardon, reaching the room just in time to prevent him from shooting himself. For he (had) overheard the conversation between her and the other man. They live happily ever after. Then it is over. Oh, by the way, the show was run by the Same Man that took us all around the lake with his launch. We all signed our Names at a ledger to see if we would get the lucky number and be the proud possessor of a set of dinnerware. Then we went to bed after listening to the band concert across the street. They have one every Monday Night.
Tuesday the 20th
We went to Graham Lakes at one o'clock, or near to two. We had three autos and the water was awfully slimy. We didn't enjoy the swimming much, but the dinner was good. The three drivers stayed with us and after dinner cut us sticks to roast marshmallows with. Tootie, Louise, Millie, Jennie and I went home in the same auto. Say, didn't we cut up some on the way home? We sang all the songs and yells we could think of including these.
"There was a farmer had 2 sons and these 2 sons were brothers," etc., etc. "A rebo, and a rebo, and ribo, ribo run, boom, get a rat trap, boom, get a cat trap! Hannibal, hannibal sis boom bah, Worthington High School. Ra, ra, ra!! One hundred bottles hanging on the wall, etc.
When we got home, we met (Carl? Carel?) Beckley, a cousin of Jennie's. We played games for a while "Spin the Platter for one". Then before we went to bed we had some eats that were left over from dinner. Then we went to bed.
Wednesday the 21st
Our last day, and instead of celebrating we staid (sic) quiet at home. That afternoon marks my rising. Just before we came out of the water I swam thirteen strokes and went about five feet! Also I cut my toe. In the morning we had gathered all our belongings and given them to Mrs. Earhart to pack. We went to bed early that night. Anne slept with me so we could pack our suit case! I packed it the next morning at 6:40. Hurry! I left the tooth powder and the talc open, and they distributed their contents pretty evenly through our clothes. Mrs. Twitchel put us up a lunch of fried chicken, buns, a little cake, pickles, and Mrs. Earhart bought a big basket of fruit and some Hershey's chocolate. We caught the train, said good-bye to all the Manns, who gave us a big box with instructions to open it when we got tired of the train.
We changed cars at Lake Park. While there (we had to wait an hour), we inspected the sporting page of the Tuesday paper. Train came at last. Very full. No room for little girls. We walked to the end of the car, and some of the girls, Louise, Katch and Mill took two empty seats. An old gentleman sat near them, and he proved very nice. I sat on Millie's lap. He gave us some candy. It was good. We changed cars at Sibley but we didn't see our nice expressman.
Virginia Park.
The "Great Train Ride" ends here.
And now, a description of an earlier time...
William Osborne Park - Louise Cassard Bartholow
June 4th Tues 1895 Atchison, Kansas
Witnesses: John Henry Hopkins, Theo Bartholow, Virginia B. Drury
Bride's Father and Mother: Theodore Bartholow, Edmonia Jane Roper Bartholow
Groom's Father and Mother: Richard Avery Park, Anna Osborne Park
Theodore Bartholow: Atchison's first wholesale merchant, then went to St. Louis, (1895) President of 1st Nat'l Bank of Jewell City, KS.
William Osborne Park: Eldest son of Richard Avery Park, President , Atchison Savings Bank
Wedding "Tour": Five weeks in East including Cornell
June 4th Tues 1895 (diary says 1896!) Tuesday
After the reception we left the house at 10:30 pm. Took train at Winthrop for St. Louis, eluding pursuit. Stopped at Pacific House.
June 5th Wed.
Alpha. The beginning. Pleasant ride on electric cars to "Krieg Park".
Took Eli for Chicago but nearly missed it. Mr. Goddard spent the evening with us and departing left behind him a ribbon on our stateroom door. Naughty You! Conscious bride and groom!
June 6th Thurs. - Chicago
Lordly Mr. Whitehouse et family, et dog amused the bystanders. We stopped and lunched at Marshall Field's and I found it difficult to pronounce Mrs. Osborne Park. Left on the "North Shore Limited" for Niagra. Horrible fright at Niles when I thought my bonnie laddie was lost. Ferried across the Detroit river at midnight - standing on the platform clad in Osborne's big ulster I must have looked the "coming woman". We were put in the night category by the loquacious porter.
June 6th Friday
Magnificent Niagara where we stopped at the "Cataract House" and saw everything worth seeing -- many brides and grooms included. Perhaps the funniest was an Esqui Maux couple!
Sat. June 8th
Left on N.Y. Central Limited for Utica. Dined at the "Baggs House". Rode out to New Hartford. Took D.L.& W. for Waterville.
June 9th -- Sunday
Met all the relatives at church. Drove in the afternoon and had many callers in the evening.
June 11th Tues.
Grandfather showed me the crematorium -- Osborne me to Clinton in the afternoon where we saw the lovely grounds of Hamilton College, and some very swagger men!
June 12th Wed.
Drove to Madison, Sakville, and (Chrispany? Onispany? Drispany?) Falls. How lovely is N.Y. with it's tiny trout brooks, clear as crystal and pebbly bottomed, the banks covered with for-get-me-nots. Mr. Mayer gave us a Whist part in the evening and Osborne captured first prize.
June 15th Sat.
Mrs. Candu gave a supper for us.
June 17th Mon.
Left for Ithaca on "D.L.& W.". Osborne bought a straw hat at Binghamton and such a hat! The Glee Club concert at night was splendid.
June 18, Tuesday
Breakfasted at 10:30 at the handsome Sig House. Walked all over the campus. The beautiful "Senior Ball" came off this evening and oh how gorgeous it was -- a sight never to be forgotten.
June 19th Wednesday
Lovely Cayuga Lake where we rowed for hours! Then came the masque performance followed by the Sig Reception and dance -- also Sig reunion until 4 a.m.
June 20th Thursday
Left on "Lehigh Valley" for N.Y. Thermometer 104o Plaza Hotel our destination.
June 21st Friday
Took in Central Park and Museum in the a.m. Then came the disastrous trip to Highland where we missed what we went for: the great triangular boat race -- Columbia, U. of P. & Cornell. Hungry, tired and cross, we got back at midnight.
June 22nd Sat.
Rode through the "Bowery" on Elevated. Visited Nat'l Park Bank and shopped. Went to Manhattan Beach in the evening when there was an enticing Vaudeville.
June 23rd -- Sun.
At Upper Montclair we spent a happy day with Mr. & Mrs. Charles Pease, James and Waldo Kellogg. Charles and Jane Osborne were also of the party.
June 24th Mon.
New York again. Enjoyed Tiffany's and Brentano's and Eden Music. Lunched at Delmonico's most royally on all sorts of dainties and champagne. Crossed Brooklyn Bridge in the afternoon and left on "Congressional Limited" for Washington.
June 25th Tuesday.
We stopped at the amazingly big "Arlington" Hotel and despite weather (106o in shade) trudged about to Nat'l Museum and Smithsonian Institute, the beautiful Monument. Stumbled into the White House im (?) amoria (?) and then went through the art gallery and Capitol. Space prevents adjectives! Saw "Forbidden Fruit" at the National Theater. Poor Os' illness dates from the claret punch we had after the theater.
June 26th Wed.
Left on "Penn. R.R." for Richmond where we had time for an hour's drive. Took the NY (antique?) and saw a good deal of the James River with it's picturesque plantations and the banks. Two darkies sang on the upper deck which added to the southerness of it.
June 27th Thurs.
Reached Newport News at daylight train to Old Point where it was too hot for much comfort, but we saw Fortress Monroe and the beach, and the bathers and then took boat for Portsmouth. Had time for lunch of deviled crabs, and a visit to the Navy yards where we boarded the Minneapolis and were most continuously treated by the officers. Had a glimpse of the battleship Texas. Cross ferry for Norfolk -- watched the darkies load till dusk.
June 28th Friday
The bounding main proved too much for Os who succumbed to a piteous attack of seasickness. He recovered sufficiently on reaching N.Y. to attend "A Daughter of the Regiment", (Camille D'Auville) at the Broadway Theater. We enjoyed the 5th Avenue Hotel also the Welsh Rarebit we had there.
June 29th Sat.
Took "Fast Mail" for Waterville -- reaching there at 5 p.m. minus trunks.
June 30th Sunday
Peace and quiet once again.
July 1st -- Mon.
Early start for Richfield Springs where we took breakfast, then staged it to Cooperstown. Going by steam launch on Lake Oswego. Sam Cooper's house and many quaint buildings. After a row on the lake we returned to the Springs for supper and back to Waterville long past bedtime.
July 2 -- Tues.
Started for home at noon on the S.W. Limited. Had time for shopping at Utica.
July 3 -- Wed.
Reached St. Louis at 6:30 and left on No. Pacific for Atchison.
July 4th Thurs.
Atchison -- home -- "It's all over now" but a beautiful memory will linger always and these pages remind us of many details in our Our Honeymoon!!
Louise Bartholow Park.