A Hard Road to Travel: The Letters of Two Sisters -- Part 2

A Hard Road to Travel: The Letters of Two Sisters -- Part 2

February 1

Indianapolis, Indiana

Dear Marianne,

Got your last letter and we are excited about the prospect of you all moving here.   I will send you some information about the area.   You may be in luck -- we have an vacant apartment in our building.   I can send you an application.   I think you have good chances with Bert's engineering background.  Some places are completely unsafe for the time being.   I do know over the last two months they executed 5 people for murders, looting, and theft.   The laws here are very strict now.   Most of the downtown is pretty safe now.   We were able to get a pretty good place since Tom is very good at farming and I have my nursing background.   We have the neighborhood farm plot.   We get a lot of fresh produce.    There's a lot of farm land to the west, but you can only go so far. 

Well, have to go.  Off to the library to attend a class on canning and preserving.   I never thought I would have to learn how to do that.

Love ya, Sally

****

February 10

Keene, New Hampshire

Dear Sally,

Got your letter and the information sheets with the applications.  I see you had to pay $22 to send it.  Remind me to pay you back.   Too bad we don't have a regulated postal service anymore.  I hear they are trying to get it back up and running.   Bert says the country got what they wanted -- smaller government.   So small the only thing left is what is in Washington and it is pretty much like getting into Fort Knox anymore.   We talked about taking the kids to the museums there, but the application fees are about $100 each now.  They are talking here about property tax again.    Remember that!  I can't remember the last time we paid taxes -- but of course the roads are impassible, private postal service, the hospital is closed most of the week.  Judy from up the road went there to get a broken wrist set.  The doctors there wouldn't do it -- she didn't have the money.   They wanted to charge her $500 to do it.  She finally bartered it down to $20 and now she has to go and clean the doctor's house every Saturday for the next 2 years.  If you're rich, you're set.   We've saved money, but nothing like that.

Well, must go.  Expect a letter from Mama soon.

Love, Marianne