Title: Epistles from Pap: Letters from the man known as 'The Will
Rogers of Indiana'
Author: Andrew E. Durham. Compiled by J. Frank Durham, Edited by
Douglas Hay. Copyright 1997. Permission granted to Project
Gutenberg to publish as a copyrighted etext April 10, 2000 by
JFD. Guild Press of Indiana, Carmel, Indiana, 1997.
**This is a COPYRIGHTED Project Gutenberg Etext, Details Above**
EPISTLES FROM PAP: LETTERS FROM THE MAN KNOWN AS 'THE WILL ROGERS
OF INDIANA'
by Andrew E. Durham. Compiled by J. Frank Durham, edited by
Douglas Hay
Andrew Durham was a Hoosier attorney and state senator during the
twenties, Often covered in the papers, he was one of Indiana's
leading denmocratic politicians who served as minority leader in
the Indiana Senate in 1927. During 1925 he was instigator of the
famous "Runaway Democrats" episode in the Senate. Later, in the
thirties and forties, he continued his political career as a
lobbyist for the railroad industry. Most of all, he was a
fascinating and sought-after speaker and raconteur--a man both
newspapers and appreciative listeners to his speeches called "The
Will Rogers of Indiana" for his wit and incisive commentaries on
the passing scene. Durham left over five hundred letters which
reflect this interesting wit and commentary. "Pap's" son, Frank,
compiled them and they are presented here as a tribute to the
man--and an era which encouraged the writing of literate,
meaningful letters.
DEDICATION
To "Munny"--Aura May Sawyer--and "Pap"--Andrew Everett Durham--
small-time lawyer, farmer, Hoosier politician and father
extraordinaire of son J. Frank and daughters Mary Joanna, Sarah
Jane, Margaret, Ann Drew and Aura May.
INTRODUCTION
The writer of these letters, Andrew Everett Durham (1882-1954),
was a well-known figure in his day--an Indiana State Legislator,
railroad lobbyist, small town lawyer and banker, part-time farmer
and livestock-raiser, public orator, occasional newspaper
correspondent--and prolific writer of letters.
Andrew's son, J. Frank, still lives in Greencastle, Indiana, the
place where Andrew made his mark. For years Frank had wanted to
"do something with Pap's letters" in the way of publication, but,
as a practicing attorney and busy man in his own right, felt he
needed some help. He tried to enlist his sister, Joanna, once an
Associated Press feature writer, New York Bureau, who now resides
in Milford, Pennsylvania. She was one of my columnists when I was
editor of the weekly Pike County Dispatch, in Milford. However,
Joanna felt she could not take time from her own obligations to
assist on Frank's project, and asked me to help.
Frankly, I wondered at first whether Andrew E. Durham's letters
would arouse much interest in these days of globalization, the
Internet and a pop culture centered around sensational
audio/video special effects, but I agreed to at least look at a
few. Soon an Express Mail packet arrived with the first of
hundreds of pages of yellowed onion-skin copies of typewritten
correspondence, most of it dating from 1913 through 1954.
It wasn't long before I cracked my first smile over a clever turn
of phrase used to describe a domestic scene. The first good laugh
followed not long after that, upon reading how a former governor
colluded with a livestock speculator to run up the price of
breeding bulls. An account of a disastrous summer theater
production was downright hilarious. Then I found myself nodding
soberly in agreement over witty but forceful arguments about the
need to balance the budget and restore fiscal responsibility to
government an argument that could have keen made yesterday,
except that the deficits quoted were only in the millions, not
the billions. Finally, there was a story about an ill-fated love
affair of an old bachelor brother that produced a lump in my
throat.
I quickly discovered that Andrew Durham had a great wit, an
irrepressible sense of humor and untiring interest in his
surroundings--the people, the politics, the commerce of everyday
life--all of it studied thoroughly and recounted energetically
with a homespun irony akin to that of other humorists of his era,
such as George Ade, Mark Twain and Will Rogers.
In his day, Andrew was much in demand as a public speaker. A
brittle newspaper clipping included with the letters revealed
that at a reunion of his college fraternity, in 1929, he shared
the podium with legendary baseball manager Branch Rickey and
prominent Chicago attorney Roy O. West.
As demonstrated by his letters, Andrew was an irrepressible
storyteller who could not resist a jest even when ordering parts
for a stove. When writing in pursuit of a payment on an overdue
note at the bank, he would ease the bite by asking the debtor's
"help" in paying for a daughter's wedding. Andrew wrote
incessantly. I suppose everyone wrote more back then, when
telephone connections were often poor and always expensive, but
stamps cost only 2 cents. Letters were also a form of
entertainment in those pre-TV days.
Much of his correspondence was business-related, and Andrew was
evidently a very busy man. But he could still find time to type
out a five-page, single-spaced letter of advice to the son of an
old friend who had landed in jail. He had never even met the
young miscreant. In that and other instances, Andrew's prose took
on new energy, stressing the therapeutic value of character and
principles, as well as a good laugh.
Long before I stopped reading that first day, I was hooked. This
stuff is priceless. Some of it might appear exotic or dated,
particularly to nonagrarian folks who do not know what it is like
to live off the land or reside in small towns where everybody
knows everybody else--but even satisfied urbanites may be
interested in reading about a different way of life. And they
surely will see similarities to their own situations in the many
stories about eccentric relatives, surly waitresses, guileful
politicians, child-rearing and money woes. Far from being
outdated, I decided, much of Andrew's material has a timeless
quality--it addresses standards and values, family and community
foibles, human dignity and folly--universal themes that still
exist, even in our electronic age.
Editing the letters was the easy part. Frank and I never did
decide how to organize them for publication. His "Pap" had
corresponded with hundreds of people about a multitude of
personal and professional topics; several diverse activities and
interests would often be recounted in the same letter, sometimes
as they occurred but often in retrospect several years later. We
finally decided to present the correspondence in chronological
order, so as to best reflect the flow of Pap's life, including
his memories as well as his latest observations. I found it great
reading, and hope you do also.
Douglas N. Hay
Mill Rift, PA
April 22, 1997
SOME BACKGROUND ON 'PAP'
"Pap"--Andrew Everett Durham--was born May 3, 1882, the youngest
son of James V. Durham and Sarah A. (Black) Durham, of
Russellville, Indiana. His paternal grandfather, Jacob, had
emigrated from Kentucky to become one of the early settlers of
Russell Township--a farmer, store-keeper, state legislator and
mover and shaker in his own right, as described in one of Pap's
papers.
Pap's father was also active in local affairs, and supplemented
his farm income by starting a private bank in Russellville along
with Pap's older brother, Ernest. The Russellville Bank stayed in
family hands for about 70 years. Pap was fond of recounting how,
as a youth, he got his start in business there--as janitor, for
$2 a week. He eventually worked his way up to chairman of the
board. The bank survived the Depression in fine order and
declined to join the FDIC, which Pap publicly denounced as a sham
designed to subsidize poorly-run banks at the expense of well-run
ones, with the public footing the bill.
While maintaining their Russellville interests, Pap's parents
moved to nearby Greencastle in his youth. After graduating from
high school, he was sent to Western Military Academy, Alton,
Illinois, to "straighten out" after his strict Kentucky-bred
mother discovered that he had been hanging around the local pool
parlor. He graduated from the academy in 1899 with high honors,
and continued his education graduating from Indiana University in
1903 and from Indiana School of Law in 1906.
On Thanksgiving Day, 1910, he married Aura May Sawyer, of
Muscatine, Iowa. The wedding took place at the retirement home of
the bride's parents, in Milford, Pennsylvania. The union
eventually produced five daughters and one son.
Pap began his political career with election to the Indiana House
of Representatives in 1913, following in the footsteps of his
grandfather. His politics emphasized conservatism, low taxes and
self-reliance. He was re-elected to the House in 1915, and then
elected to the State Senate in 1917 and 1923. It is noteworthy
that all of his victories came as a Democrat, although most of
his constituents were registered Republican.
Pap was not only good at wooing Republican voters. He was also
generally effective in gaining bipartisan support for his
legislative undertakings. But he was not loath to take resolute
action, if required. When it appeared that a Republican
gerrymandering bill would succeed, Pap, as Minority Leader, had
his Democratic delegation go into "hiding" across the state line,
preventing action on the reapportionment bill by removing a
quorum. It also froze all other legislative activities. The
Republicans finally agreed to withdraw the objectionable bill,
and the "runaway" Democrats returned.
His growing family necessitated a larger income and after a
gubernatorial run failed to materialize, Pap retired from the
Senate, in 1929. He devoted more time to his law practice and
became a lobbyist for the Indiana Railroad Lobby Assn. In such
capacity, he continued to monitor his former peers, and had the
reputation of having attended every Legislative Session from 1913
to 1951.
Throughout his life, Russellville was a continuing source of
gratification to Pap, and also provided a wealth of material for
anecdotes of small-town life, which were incorporated into his
public-speaking and his voluminous correspondence.
The family farm just outside the village was also a valued source
of income, as well as sustenance, and Pap took a personal hand in
its operation, spending more and more time there as he grew
older.
Andrew E. Durham passed away at home in Greencastle, July 23,
1954.
GLOSSARY
Pap was an inveterate inventor of nicknames, applied mostly to
his family. Some of the letters in the collection contain the
following references:
"Annabelle Lee" (Mrs. Ralph Weinrichter of Menlo Park,
California) has a daughter, Kathryn, and a son, Ralph Weinrichter
II, also of Menlo Park.
Deceased daughter Sarah Jane (Mrs. Robert Anderson) had five
children: Heather (deceased) Scott, Roderick, Jennifer (now Mrs.
William Amon of Fairfax, Virginia) and Cathy (Mrs. Richard
Sandler, also of Fairfax.)
Joan's four include William McGaughey, Jr., and Andrew D. of
Minneapolis, Minnesota, David P. of Rochester, New York and
Margaret Durham McGaughey Isaacson of Brunswick, Maine.
In addition to the two sons mentioned by Frank (George and
Andrew) he has two daughters, Stephanie (Mrs. Stephanie D.
Burton, of Winter Haven, Florida) and Madeleine (Mrs. Keith
Thomas of Shelbyville, Indiana.)
Aunt Margaret -- sister, Margaret D. (married name, Bridges)
Franklin Pierce, a.k.a. Frankfurter -- son J. Frank
Francisco -- daughter-in-law Frances (nee Haberkorn)
Ira -- Ira Flauer, hired hand on the family's Russellville farm
Jane -- daughter Sarah Jane (married name, Anderson, now
deceased)
Joan, a.k.a. Jonie Bonie -- daughter Mary Joanna (married name,
McGaughey)
Margaretta -- daughter Margaret (deceased)
Munny, a.k.a. Munny-Bun -- wife Aura May (nee Sawyer)
The Old Brakeman -- Walter J. Behmer, retired Gen. Supt., The
Pennsylvania Railroad
"Red" Purnell -- Fred Purnell, Congressman from Indiana
Sugar Foot, a.k.a. Footser -- daughter Aura May
Uncle Ernest -- brother J. Ernest Durham
ABOUT THE CO-AUTHOR
J. Frank Durham, who compiled this anthology of his father's
letters, was born in Greencastle, Indiana, October 3, 1915. He
went to work early, as a newsboy carrying the Indianapolis News
and local paper, and then began his education at the legendary
Dan Beard's Boy Scout Camp, in Pike County, Pennsylvania. He was
subsequently a member of the Phillips Exeter Academy Class of
1934, obtained an AB degree from hometown DePauw University in
1937 and LLB from Indiana University in 1941.
Frank's budding law practice was interrupted by World War Two. He
enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve, graduating from bomb disposal
school and serving on Guadalcanal, where he received a field
promotion to the rank of ensign. After being released from active
duty, Frank chaired a committee that secured the only captured
German V-1 Rocket ever put on public display in the United
States. A unique war memorial, this "Buzz Bomb" rests atop a
solid limestone V-shaped base at the southwest corner of the
Putnam County Courthouse, in Greencastle.
In 1944, Frank married Frances M. Haberkorn of Detroit, Michigan.
They had four children, Andrew H., George B., Stephanie and
Madeleine. During a 1975 tour of the Pacific, Frances suffered a
fatal aneurysm. In 1979, Frank married Elaine Eide Moe, of
Sacramento, California, who is not only a gourmet cook but an
active jazz band pianist.
Although he never developed his father's intense interest in
politics, there are similarities. Frank was elected Prosecuting
Attorney of the 64th Judicial Circuit for two terms, and then
Greencastle City Judge for two more terms. He still practices
probate law; was a trust officer of the Russellville Bank for 25
years, and a former bank vice president.
For recreation, Frank runs a bulldozer and backhoe on the family
farm near Russellville, continuing to actively participate in its
management, like his "Pap" before him. The farm also has the
hangar and airstrip for Frank's Cessna, which he enjoys flying
when not engaged in his law practice or farming. He first soloed
in 1935. In 1971, he was a guest of the Canadian Government,
helping celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Northwest
Territory by flying with a small group down the Mackenzie River.
He has flown a small plane to Alaska and back seven times, and
was a guest writer in a published book by Loren McDonald, "A Very
Private Pilot." On another occasion, Frank and a friend took his
young sons on a float trip down Alaska's Porcupine River, using
kayaks they built themselves from kits in an Eskimo village.
At age 82, J. Frank Durham is a worthy scion of his very active
lineage.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Acknowledgments and thanks are long overdue to Elaine, my lovely
spouse, who is largely responsible for the success of our
marriage; my sister Aura May Durham, for all the proof-reading
and telephone-answering; my sister Ann (Mrs. Ralph Weinrichter of
Menlo Park, CA), for her research and help; my sister Joan (Mrs.
William McGaughey of Milford, PA), for her editorial assistance
and continued interest in this book; Indiana University
Chancellor Herman B. Wells, who steered me to Nancy Niblack
Baxter, president of Guild Press of Indiana, the book's
publisher; my lifelong friend Maurice Smith, former newspaper,
radio and TV pundit at Fairbanks, Alaska, for his practical and
constructive suggestions; my Delt fraternity brother Loren
Sylvester McDonald, who had a similar undertaking in his recently
published book "A Very Private Pilot"; my neighbors Jack and
Marian Cook, for their continued assistance, suggestions and
interest; and last but most noteworthy, the distinguished
writer-editor, Douglas N. Hay, of Mill Rift, PA, for
appropriately handling the epistles from Pap. Without his sure
and steady hand, they would probably have been permanently
entombed in trunks and boxes in Pennsylvania, Indiana and
California.
J. Frank Durham
CHAPTER I: EARLY YEARS--1899-1911
As a boy of 17, Pap was considered somewhat wayward by his strict
Kentucky-bred mother, after being caught hanging around the local
pool parlor. He was also out of favor with his father for daring
to criticize the latter's rather conservative attire. So to help
him "straighten out" and prepare to become a useful citizen, he
was sent to Western Military Academy, Upper Alton, Illinois, in
1899. He graduated from that institution with high grades, but
the endeavor to reform him was nevertheless only partly
successful. Enrolling at "Old Asbury" (DePauw University,
Greencastle), he promptly got in trouble with the Methodist
administration for organizing a dance at "The Delts," his
fraternity house. About to be suspended, he beat the
administration to the punch by transferring to Indiana
University, where he went on to undergraduate and law degrees.
Pap subsequently met and fell in love with Aura May Sawyer
(better known as "Munny" to the family). The couple eventually
married and Grandfather Sawyer gave them a generous start in life
by financing a house in Greencastle, but not before being
satisfied with Pap's credit-worthiness.
FIRST TASTE OF THE OUTSIDE WORLD
(Pap's earliest surviving letters were written at Western
Military Academy, Upper Alton, Illinois, the first to Mitch
Taylor, a Civil War veteran, the other to his mother.)
Upper Alton, Ill.
March 9, 1899
Dear Uncle Mitch,
I am over here in Illinois going to the Military Academy. This is
the damndest place I ever got into. They are terrible strict.
They make me get up at a certain time in the morning (6:30) and
have the meals at a certain time. They make us go to bed at 9:00
and have the lights out at a quarter after nine. If we do
anything wrong we have to carry guns and walk. For smoking the
penalty is five hours hard walking. If we wear a dirty collar we
have to walk an hour. They make us have our rooms unlocked so
that they can come in at any time. They require us to make our
own beds and if they are not just right they report us and that
means two hours walking. This is a damn sight harder than ground-
hog hunting. How I wish I was back. . .
Don't forget our spree down the creek next summer. While I was
writing just now I heard the whistle of the steamboat on the
Mississippi. We hear several every morning. . . From what I know
now I shall be home about June 7 or 8 and we will get right to
work on the boats.
Yours Truly,
Andrew E. Durham
Upper Alton, Ill.
April 6, 1899
Dear Mother,
After going to so much trouble to get a declamation it is not
going to do me any good. Instead of having a preliminary contest
in which we all could speak and then having some good
elocutionist decide those who were the best speakers, the
teachers here allowed each fellow to vote for anyone he pleased
and the three boys getting the highest number of votes were
elected to speak. . . And I cannot even get to try. . . There was
nothing fair about the thing at all. . . You see, all the
officers here work for each other. . . They just got up and
nominated each other and that was all there was to it. It is very
hard on me coming in at the middle of the year and have just
barely gotten acquainted. Nearly all of the Senior Class are
officers and I am a private, and being as there are so many
officers it is nearly impossible for a private to get anything.
But there is one thing that I didn't get left in and that was
Scholarship. They have here what they call the Upper Ten. That is
the ten students who have the highest grades in the whole school.
These ten get their names put in the school publication. I was
fourth on the list of ten out of 84 scholars, and first in the
senior class . . . My general average was 95 percent.
Are you taking care of my shotgun? Have you had it cleaned out?
Where is it? . . .
HELP THE KIDS START OUT BUT DON'T HURRY THEM
(Andrew and Aura May Sawyer had a prolonged engagement. The
reason becomes clearer upon reading this letter, written
surreptitiously by Pap's future father-in-law, F. P. Sawyer, of
Muscatine, Iowa, to Pap's father, James V. Durham, in
Greencastle. This is not one of Pap's own letters, but is
interesting nevertheless for what it says about family values).
Muscatine, Iowa
February 17, 1909
J.V. Durham
Greencastle, Ind.
Dear Sir:
I suppose as is quite natural, you are giving some thought to the
approaching happiness of Andrew, as we are to that of Aura May;
so you will understand my motive in writing you direct, and
without the knowledge of either Aura May or Andrew. . .
I think you probably know our suggestion as to building a
moderate house to rent to them, but as we have never boiled it
down to exact conditions (only the general idea), you may not
understand just what we contemplate.
You are unquestionably as mindful of what your son does, as we
are as to ours; but the boys are expected to "look out for
themselves" more than the girls; yet had it not been for my
father's help, both as to judgment and moderately financially in
the way of a gift at majority and loans to help me start (which I
later repaid) I would not have been able to succeed or don't
think I would--as I have. And the gift of $500 after the wedding
from my father-in-law was not without big appreciation on my
part. A few years later, when I was building a moderate home on a
lot bought with part of the $500, which my wife had not invested
in special furniture, and some I had saved, he gave us $2,000
more to help build the home. I certainly appreciated it, and put
the home all in her name. Later, after we moved and it was sold,
I returned the money to her and she still has it.
My own experience and observation convinces me that the best time
to help young people who show qualities . . . is when it will do
them the most good, which I think is when they are starting out,
and not after they have slaved along and shown their ability to
take care of themselves (though it does often bring out their
best qualities quicker, but they don't need the help so much
then). I don't mean that one should go so far as to lessen their
realization that they must "support themselves", but the first
three or four years are hard for young people who have to make it
all without some help.
But I don't believe in hurrying such a move. First, they should
wait to see if their love for each other promises to be what
should exist to insure the desired future, and secondly, 'til
they can feel fairly assured that they can be self-supporting or
are willing to live as the husband can reasonably afford.
In this generation, what were luxuries to us in younger days are
to a degree necessities to those who have been brought up with
them, so that the problem is not exactly as it was in the pioneer
days, when good health, no debts, a job at $1.25 per day, three
economically furnished rooms and enough to pay the preacher were
all that were required. . .
I explained to both Aura and Andrew a couple of conditions I
thought advisable before I could approve their setting the day.
First, satisfaction that they had not, or were not apt to change
their minds as to each other, and secondly, that he should have
demonstrated his ability to earn or have in sight an income of
$1,000 per year. I did not think this high, but wanted them to
know they must expect to live economically, and that I expected
them to depend on their own resources. The limitation I named was
more theoretical than arbitrary, though they both think I still
hold to that; but it depends on where they are to live whether
this is above or below what they would need for the first year or
so. They are becoming restless, and I don't blame them, and to
carry out my plans as to a house requires some little time if
they want it ready for their first home--as I would like to
arrange it if advisable.
This has led me to write you, feeling that you and Mrs. Durham
should be consulted, and know just what Mrs. Sawyer and I
contemplated, and to have your approval; also that you think they
are not taking an unwise step, from your point of view, as you
know much better what Greencastle presents as a permanent home
for them, and Andrew's present situation, and what he can
reasonably expect in the near future. Aura May has various pieces
of furniture which have been given her from time to time, and her
first piano, which she thinks will be all she needs for awhile.
. . so that it is not the original outlay that need perplex them.
As to the house, I will try and briefly explain.
I contemplate putting up a seven-room house, with . . . living
room.. . . dining room and kitchen for first floor; three bed
rooms and bathroom for second and one room finished in attic.
They would not furnish the smallest bedroom, but use it for
sewing room. . . I don't want to exceed $6,000, including ground,
as they don't want to carry a load, and I don't feel that I can
tap my estate too heavily when out of business and depending on
income only. . . I propose to rent this to them at the rate of
$200 for first year, payable monthly if they can do so, and 'til
they can from their income increase the rent to bring me equal to
3% per year and taxes and insurance, for a period of five years.
. . At the end of five years I would expect they would be able to
make it more if I or my estate needed it, or that they would buy
it at just what it had actually cost me.
If my estate will permit me to do so at that time, or any earlier
time if they wish to buy it, I would expect to give Aura May at
least $2,000 of the value. . . In case of my death I would so
arrange that the whole investment would go to Aura, as part of
her share in any of my estate. . .
I do not expect any guarantee beyond their own ability to do it.
So I am not referring the matter to you for any part in it; but
so that you may let me know if you feel the plan would be beyond
expectations from what you know of matters there, or probability
that his position is not calculated to develop so as to be able
to keep up his end or remain in Greencastle. I do not know how
much he is making now, or if you expect to aid him in any way,
and feel that such matters are, and should be, just as a father
may be willing, or can afford; and I always feel that parents
must first consider each other and the needs for advancing age,
no matter how kindly they feel toward their children. . .
But it occurred to me that it was certainly due you that if I
calculated on doing anything which might look as if it would
directly or indirectly put a burden on Andrew and overload him,
you should have an opportunity to judge. . .
Also that you should know what was intended before you might
approve such a step and possibly have in mind some plan for them
of your own, with which mine might conflict.
Or that perhaps you would advise something different, in which I
could cooperate with you. . .
There has been a little hope on their part that there could be a
June wedding; but I know they wish to be governed by your and my
approval. At least from Aura May's remarks from time to time, I
feel that they are perplexed as to whether they would be
considered rash or unwise to even set the time at all,
particularly as it appears they have not come up to my second
stipulation as to his income. I used it about 18 months ago, when
he asked for my consent to their engagement, and I have not been
asked to change, so I guess they placed more stress on it than I
intended; but before I modify it, if that is the greatest
barrier, I concluded to write you, as to your approval of my
plans, and your judgment.
As a matter of fact, we all know that what it costs a young
couple to live all depends on their health and their
inclinations. Aura May is exceptionally practical, and with no
heavier expense for rent than my plan contemplates I think if
Andrew has the prospects of moderate living expenses, it is
putting them to rather hard lines if they are waiting to meet my
early stipulations.
But I don't want to do anything to hurry them if you feel with
your knowledge of conditions there that my plan or their marriage
this summer sometime (perhaps as soon as a lot can be secured and
house built and ready for them) is not wise. . .
I have read the above to Mrs. Sawyer and she approves my sending
it and joins me in good wishes . . .
Very Sincerely,
F. P. Sawyer
(The reply made by Pap's father is not known, but the house was
not built that summer, and the wedding did not take place for
almost another two years)