Oakland, California 615 East 18th Street My dear Uncle and Auntie ; To- day we received auntie's letter. We saw in Yesterdays Examiner all about Santa Rosa. It also gave the list of the dead and wounded. How is Miss Smith and where is she staying Is Miss Davidson staying down in Dunbar or does she go back and forward the same as ever? She has a place to go to in Berkeley I do no think that it was hurt very badly. Mama & I were all around yesterday. Out by the Santa Fe station there is a stand [where] they give food away to the people. They got eggs (one to a dozen), sandwiched, coffee, and fruit
Oakland, California 615 East 18th Street My dear Uncle and Auntie ; To- day we received auntie's letter. We saw in Yesterdays Examiner all about Santa Rosa. It also gave the list of the dead and wounded. How is Miss Smith and where is she staying Is Miss Davidson staying down in Dunbar or does she go back and forward the same as ever? She has a place to go to in Berkeley I do no think that it was hurt very badly. Mama & I were all around yesterday. Out by the Santa Fe station there is a stand [where] they give food away to the people. They got eggs (one to a dozen), sandwiched, coffee, and fruit [pg.] 2 The S.F. people can go to any church and get clothes and food which is, meat, cake, fruit, coffee, tea, bread, beans, and butter and they will also give them some to take home. The Santa Fe or Southern P. will take the sufferers to any part of the state for nothing, and before they go the Relief Committee will give them all that they want to eat along. It is a sad sight to see the poor things. Yesterday we saw a man with his face and hands all burned and a poor fellow half dead. But the soldiers think them selves big. We saw [in] the paper where Mayor Overington [sic] wanted [Martial] Law and Governor P. told him that it was no child's play. [pg.] 3 What were you people doing when the earthquake first came? Write and tell us all about your doings. Why don't you folks come down? We are going over to San Francisco as soon as they will let us. All the large stores are opening up here in Oakland. They all think now that Oakland is going to be the city. They have opened up a wholesale grocery house on 12th St. School is going to [open] up next [M]onday, I suppose there will not be much adoing. Tell Miss Davidson that I am very much surprised at her for running to be embraced by my Uncle, but that was a very common [pg.] 4 sight down here. The man next door ran out in his shirt tail and into the front yard the morning of the quake. Tell uncle Leo if he is coming down to take care not to go over in the city, because they will put him to work and you have to get a pass from the governor before you can go over. One of us would go up to see you folks, but we have not got any money. We have ten dollars left but that has to go for taxes. Auntie your bank is still standing, but they have it well braced up. Mama's bank is burned to the ground. All San Francisco papers are printed over here. Don't you [pg.] 5 get the [Examiner] any more? Will Mr. Pappy have to pull down his place and rebuild? Our chimney is knocked out of joint and your is knocked to the ground. Don't have a chimney with a heavy top any more, all the chimneys with a light top stayed on the top of the roof where they belong and the heavy top chimneys came down and tried to kill us all. Auntie I guess you do not have Palace Hotel any more, because it is gone, out of sight, too. Our poor [watches] all most came going up in the fire. Both of them were out of order so mama gave them to the watchmaker to be fixed and when the fire broke out
[pg.] 6 Mr. Sinze went over to his shop and brought them home. Auntie you can have the laugh on Mama, because she hates the banks like fire and she is never going to put her money in the bank any more. They say the banks are all right if the people do not make a run on them. I better close with much love to both. Your Loving Niece George Merlinjones. How is Mrs. Harding? Did Mrs. A.C. Clark go to the city yet? Give Miss Davidson our love and tell her that we are glad that she is not killed. Please write [Envelope: postmark:] Oakland CAL Apr 24 1906
10 a.m. L. and H. Justi Glen Ellen Sonoma Co. California [verso: postmark:] Glen [Ellen] CAL. Apr 25 1906 3 p.m.
Oakland, California 615 East 18th Street My dear Uncle and Auntie ; To- day we received auntie's letter. We saw in Yesterdays Examiner all about Santa Rosa. It also gave the list of the dead and wounded. How is Miss Smith and where is she staying Is Miss Davidson staying down in Dunbar or does she go back and forward the same as ever? She has a place to go to in Berkeley I do no think that it was hurt very badly. Mama & I were all around yesterday. Out by the Santa Fe station there is a stand [where] they give food away to the people. They got eggs (one to a dozen), sandwiched, coffee, and fruit