Written To D. F. Cole, June 28, ‘08

Dear Mr. Cole, I got your letter,

And I am surely feeling better;

Come right along, the day you mention,

And thus relieve my awful tension.

Just let me know the train you’re catching

And I will leave my garden scratching,

And all my other occupation;

And meet you at the Saybrook station.

I’m glad you liked the views of Wheater,

For art they couldn’t be completer.

We still have hundreds left unpainted,

With which we’ll make you well aquainted.

We’ll make a trip to Salmon River

Where pickerel are all a-quiver,

And waiting for a “spoon” or “shiner”,

Fly rod man or plug-fish liner.

So come along, my good friend “Denny”,

Our pleasures will be fast and merry;

“Bill Spooner” adds an invitation,

And all his nigger cat relation.

We’ll make it pleasant as we’re able

In “boat” and “den” and breakfast table.

Please give regards to fellow drafters

Who toil and sweat ‘neath Blake’s old rafters.

                       

                                  Yours,

                                          Joe Cone

– While I’m not positive, I believe Mr. Cone had worked as a draftsman/machinist at the American Net & Twine Company in Cambridge. The reference to ‘Blake’ would appear to be to Blake & Knowles, also in Cambridge (bleow). Presumably, Mr. Cole was a fellow draftsman with whom he had worked or otherwise knew.

– “Bill Spooner” is his black cat. Please see my disclaimer, elsewhere, as to his descriptive adjective.

– He had apparently been quite ill, although I am not sure of the details yet (June 2015). His handwriting is extremely shaky, as you can see from the original, below.