Memories of Ann Elizabeth Powell Hibbard - Episode 11

We needed a chauffeur because of course we only had one car. He had to take us where we needed to go when my father was at work altho’ he drove my father too. For a while Sleepy’s husband was our chauffeur but he proved unreliable so my father had to discharge him. Before we had a car and a chauffeur we traveled about by horse drawn cart. There were three classes of them, the caratella, the carametta and the calaea. The caratella you hailed on the street whether it was occupied or not and were dropped off near your destination. This was an open cart that the driver filled with as many people as he could crowd in and that the poor little pony could pull. It was used by the poorer people.

Then the Carretla was also pulled by a pony, but it only carried one fare of one or two people and just went to your destination. You also hailed the Carametta from the street like a taxi. It was enclosed around the sides and back and had an oil cloth curtain to go across the front in case of rain. the Calaesa was a much larger two wheel cart also enclosed and pulled by a horse. When you were going to a party you called the livery stable and ordered it to arrive at a certain time and the driver wore a uniform! Then there was the ultimate, a Victoria!, a four wheeled carriage with room for four with the driver on a box in front. It could be covered or have the top down. This could be ordered from the livery stable but the wealthier families had their own!

Well I have strayed a long way from my mother’s life as a bride in Manila in 1908.  My mother and father were married on Dec. 7, 1907. Before my father left Manila for his visit home he had lived in a boarding house for bachelors so I am sure many of my mother’s first friends in Manila were men friends of my father’s. In fact some of them even boarded with them when I was a little girl. Their first home was a cottage in the suburbs, a place called Santa Mesa. There’s a picture of it in my baby book. One of their friends was a photographer. That’s why there are so many baby pictures of me because that was before every family had a snap shot camera.

January 4, 1994

I discovered this in Ann’s desk a day or two ago. My eyesight has become too poor to peruse it completely, but I assume it is Ann’s effort to flesh out what her father was unable to complete. I assume her father’a account is with the family historical papers in the teakwood chest and I will place this tablet in that chest. In August Ann will have been deceased three years.

George L Hibbard, husband of Ann Elizabeth Powell Hibbard.

I have lots of letters that my Dad, George L. Hibbard, wrote to his parents from Eugene. My grandmother never threw anything away. Since the next installment of Mom's diary begins in 1931, I thought I'd publish these few letters that I have from 1930. These would have been from Dad's freshman year in college. He makes no mention of Mom so I don't think they had met yet, although they were in school together.

December 2, 1930

Dear Folks,

I certainly had a pleasant trip with the “Dean”. He is easy to talk to, and that is the kind of person I like.

Thank you so much for the pajamas and scarf. The scarf should have waited until Christmas though, and you should have bought something for yourself mother.

Jimmy Bravis thinks we are out of luck for a mail job this year, because his father tried to get Jim a job. He had an application in as early as I did too. Mr. Bravis has a lot of influence; so I don’t know what to think.

I went to the dispensary this afternoon to see about my wart. Doctor Phy cut the top off and then burned it with an electric needle; the sparks from the needle burned clear down in and wasn’t the most pleasant sensation imaginable. I have to go back in  about a week for another treatment.

I helped Bill get out the house bills today and mine is only thirty-nine fifty; so I should be able to save some money this week or rather month. If my mail job doesn’t come through, I am going to come down here for a couple of days during the holidays and help Jean and Bill close the books for the term. I may be able to work into this job yet by my junior year.

The slippers I left at home are in sad need, but I can manage until they get here.

I am fine; so you two be that way too. Mrs. Grady asked me to invite you over to their home anytime to play cards or something.

George