Victor in America: Summer 1908

Letters from Victor Margutti, uncle and namesake of Victor M. Margutti, mentioned here as "Baby," to his mother in France in the summer of 1908, when he came to California to live with his brother Louis. He died in a train accident in Fresno, California, on September 17, 1908. In my translations, I have followed the style and punctuation of the originals as much as possible.

----------------------------------

Postcard 1: postmarked New York, New York, 5:30 p.m. 1908

To: Madame Chartrey
20 rue de Cliniancourt [sic]
près du Place du Delta
Paris, France

Monday

Mama Darling,

I've gotten off the ship well, in New York, in a torrid tropical [heat] and see it [is] at 6:00. I'm taking the train for Chicago and I will leave tomorrow evening at 9:00.

The crossing was good, and I count on being in San Francisco Saturday. I will send a dispatch to Louis from Chicago. I give you a hug and kiss, as well as Lizzie, and a good handshake to Lily and to the friends.

Your Victor

----------------------------------

Postcard 2: postmark illegible

To: Me. Chartrey
20 rue de Clignancourt
Paris, France

My dear Mama,

I am stopped at Buffalo for three hours, and I send you a thousand kisses, from your son who loves you.

Victor

----------------------------------

Postcard 3: postmarked San Francisco

To: Me. Chartrey
20 rue de Clignancourt
Paris, France

My dear Mama,

Excuse me for my long silence. I am writing you at the same time a long letter, which will leave tomorrow. While waiting, I remain your son who loves you.

Victor

----------------------------------

Letter 1

San Francisco, 18 July 1908

My Dear Mama,

I arrived only yesterday at San Francisco, around 3:30 in the afternoon, after having made a good journey by railroad.

At New York, I did not find a Cook's agent (you may tell them when you go by there). I found a commissioner who registered my trunks, he led me to the station at 11:00 in the morning and I had to pay him one dollar.

The train left New York only at 5:00 in the evening. I ate lunch near the station and I took a little walk. I did not stop at all at Chicago, where I arrived at 9:00 in the evening, a carriage took me to the station, and I left by the 10:00 train.

I made a beautiful journey from Chicago to San Francisco, it was only a little warm in the afternoon, but that was all. I saw some Indians on the plain, which is wild and desert, it is sand as far as can be seen, and in spots one sees a few wild horses or cows.

I am finally arrived at San Francisco, where I saw Louis at the station, from there we took the boat and the train to go to Berkeley.

Daisy received me very well, I spoke to her in English and I also saw Baby, then we dined around 6:30 and in the evening after dinner I met Daisy's mother and brother.

Then I went to bed around 9:30. I am currently sleeping in the living room, waiting until my bedroom is finished. This morning I went into the City with Louis, and I am currently writing to you from his office.

page II

He is currently an agent for a Life Insurance company. He earns a good living, but he also works a lot.

When Louis arrived at the train station, I recognized him immediately, he had not changed at all, and one would never give him [an age of] 23 years.

It is above all morally that he has changed. He is no longer the flirt he was before leaving. Nothing disturbs him. He works all morning and in the evening until 5:00, and afterwards he goes directly home, around 6:00. For between Berkeley and San Francisco there is an hour of railroad and boat altogether.

Daisy is a woman of medium height, she is blonde, and not bad in her figure, but I wonder how Louis managed to fall in love with a person like her, for she is not pretty. Perhaps she has many qualities that I do not know yet.

San Francisco is not a beautiful city, there is one house of 20 floors next to another of 2 or 3, and so forth.

There are still a lot of vacant lots.

This morning I went with Louis to see about a job for me, and at the same time we went to pay a visit to Dr. Zeeth, who was not at home, but I saw your brother, who was very charming.

This afternoon I am going to go to the station to get my trunks and have them sent to Berkeley.

Your son who loves you and who embraces you,

Victor

Hello to the friends and to Estelle

----------------------------------

Letter 2

San Francisco, 20 July 1908

[at Mr. Paris]
[447 Walnut Street]

1340 Milvia Street
Cal. Berkeley

My dear Mama,

I have received all the newspapers which you have sent me, and I thank you very much for them.

Sunday, yesterday, we went to lunch at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Paris, who are very nice. It really gives one pleasure, when one finds oneself completely alone in a strange city, to be able to find some good friends.

My only distraction here is my work. My brother placed me with a shellfish shop owner who speaks French. I work in his store, and at the same time, I do the English accounting that he has taught me.

San Francisco is much reconstructed since the earthquake, but there are still many vacant lots, full of all sorts of debris.

Life here is not very agreable here, but in the end I will do it.

I am going to go live in San Francisco, it is better for me, for Berkeley is situated too far from my work.

Louis has not made a very good marriage with his wife, she is not very happy, but after all they are living together, and that is the main thing.

He is very self-centered and egotistical, nothing worries him except himself, all the rest is the same to him. It is very much the American way.

page II

But I have changed my idea. I plan to stay at Louis' home a few months, because life in San Francisco is very expensive.

On Saturday I went with Daisy to the home of her sister, who is married to a doctor in Alameda. We spent a nice evening and we came back to the house at half-past midnight.

The work I do is rather interesting. I think that I am going to start at $35 or $40 per month, and at the end of six months he will give me $60, if he is happy with me.

I do not go out much, this evening after dinner I am reading a little, then I am going to bed around 10:00, for in the morning I am getting up at 6:00 to be at my work at 8:00.

If you are coming to San Francisco, do not come yet at this time, for it is the worst season, the best weather is in winter, when the climate is temperate.

Whatever you may do and whatever may become of you, write me a long letter in which you will tell me what you are doing and what is becoming of my friends. Have you gone back to Chartrettes. Have you rented, or sold?

I await your news with impatience and remain your son who loves you and who embraces you.

Victor

Send me the Poirot-Delaunay stenography method, please.

----------------------------------

Letter 3: written on the letterhead of the Pacific Coast Oyster Co.

San Francisco, August 18 1908

1340 Milvia Street
Berkeley

page I

My dear Mama,

I have just received your letter of Friday and I am hurrying to reply to it. I have also in hand your letters of the 17th and the 29th of July.

I think that you are in good health and that you are not too worried. In your last letter you tell me that Lizzi has come back from the Pyrenées, has she had a good journey, and is she feeling a little better.

How nice Chartrettes must be at this time and I really regret being so far away and not being able to go there to spend 1 or 2 months. But it is better that you sell Les Troènes because it makes too many big expenses for you and it is too much capital which brings in nothing.

Last week I went to see Uncle Chartrey, he scolded me because I had not yet gone to see him. But he received me well, and held me until dinnertime. He talked of nothing but you, and said that it would give him pleasure to finally be able to make your acquaintance, and that you should come here in a short time.

I still work in the same place, the work is not interesting, but since I have to do it, I do it, but I think of finding something better very soon.

I am going to send very soon some cards to Andreé as well as to Yvonne, but for the moment I have sent none to anyone, for the good reason that I do not have the money to waste.

page II

I have received a letter from Jules Chartrey and I am going to answer him. I have in hand a few cards that Lizzi has sent me from Baréges. I am going to write her shortly.

Nothing new here, only that life is always just as annoying.

I remain your son who loves you and embraces you.

Victor

My best wishes to the friends and a good handshake to Estelle.

----------------------------------

Letter 4: written on the letterhead of the Pacific Coast Oyster Co.

San Francisco, August 23, 1908

page I

My dear Mama,

Although not having a letter from you this week, I write to you. I think that you are in good health and that perhaps you are still at this moment in Chartrettes, where it must be very good weather, for in Paris, the heat must be torrid.

Here, nothing new, only that it is splendid weather. I still work in the same place and I am beginning to get along with Louis well, he is very nice to me right now.

Last Sunday, I went to spend the day with Uncle Raoul, I had lunch with them and some friends, then we went to walk on the beach, which is beautiful, and in the evening I also dined with them. I came back to the house at midnight.

We have taken a few photographs, I will send you a group, for I am in the group with them.

Alice leaves this week to spend a few days at the home of some friends. I have loaned her a few books in French.

I will ask you to send me the family tree of the Chartreys, the copy only. I will copy it too, and I will give one version to Uncle and he will give me the date of his marriage and of the birth of his two daughters.

page II

Could you not send me a nice diablo in aluminum for Alice, who asked me for one, that would please her, and here they are horribly expensive.

You need only send it to me by parcel post, I think that it is the most economical way.

I have received a card from Lizzi in which she tells me that she has come back to Paris, and perhaps she is at this moment in Chartrettes with you. I am going to write her in a little bit.

Nothing more to tell you, I remain your son who loves you and who embraces you.

Victor

A handshake to Estelle and a hello to the friends.

Embrace Lizzi for me, and a handshake to Jules.

The Chartrey family sends you its best wishes.

----------------------------------

Letter 5

San Francisco [no date]

My dear Mama,

Although not having a letter from you this week, I write to you to tell you that I am in good health.

I am getting used to the American life little by little, it is a great life change, and it is very hard to live here when one has lived in Europe. But in spite of everything I want to live here at least four years, so that I can learn English thoroughly, and then I will return to Europe, to Paris probably, and think of entering the Suez Canal [Company].

Here I live a rather brutalizing life, for I leave for San Francisco at 7 o'clock and I come back from there at the same hour in the evening.

Today I am telephoning Uncle Chartrey to ask him when I can go to see him, not yet having had the time to do it.

The Paris friends are well, I have seen Mr. Paris this week.

And you, dear Mama, what is happening to you? What are you doing? Tell me this in a long letter, it would give me great pleasure, for often I am sad and thinking of you, and of the friends that I have left to come here.

I have received a long letter from Jules and I am going to answer him one of these days. Excuse me to him, if I have not yet written to him [when you see him], but I am very busy here, and I do not have much time to myself.

I regularly receive the Echo de Paris, for which I thank you.

I have received a card from Aumont. One came from the Simonnets.

I am still working at the shellfish shop, while waiting to find better, and while waiting I remain your son who loves you and who embraces you.

Victor

My best wishes to the friends and a handshake to Estelle and a hello from me to her.

One [a card] came from Gladys.