Final Installment of Aunt Nonie's Wedding

At last... the final chapter of the wedding letter.  First two parts are in previous posts.  Read them first if you are just starting!

.... I had given her a centre piece of my needle work, and with this mass of silver, beautiful linen, cut glass, and embroidery, a set of Havaland china decorated in delicate pink flowers and gold, and a dozen American Beauty roses in the centre, I leave you to imagine what the table was like.  We had gone over the afternoon before and set it ourselves.  About five oclock all the guests but my son Charlie and myself left.  Then Nonie and Mr. Harper fussed around the house like two old married people.  Packed their girps for the Park trip which they are taking, I counted all the silver and linen and put the latter away, the former was spread out on the polished dining table to show in the evening, and then we sat around the cozy grate fire in the dining room and talked until the gentlemen from the Assay office, seven in number, two with their wives, arrived.  It was such a jolly party.  Mr. Harper showed them over the house, and then we all gathered around the dining room fire again and Mr. Harper and I passed champagne and cake.  It was all so bright and informal you might have thought it was just one of Nonie's regular evenings only we did not let her serve. Mr. Harper has been in the U.S. Assay office twelve years, under three administrations and his associates one and all look up to him with the highest esteem and liking.  It is said about town that seldom has there been a marriage here which has called out the expression of good will that they have heard for Mr. Harper. The guests all left by ten oclock and Nonie went up and changed her dress.  They wanted Charlie and me to go to the train with them, but we found it was so belated that they could not get off until half past twelve, so at eleven we drove home and I suppose they are at one of the park hotels today.  One of the gentlemen from the office took the silver down and put it into the vault until their return, which will be at three oclock Thursday morning.  I will go over on Wednesday, see that the house is in order, there is a man staying in it while they are away, make their bed and take them something for breakfast.  I hope you are not weary with this long letter, but I felt that it was hard that you could not be with your eldest daughter yesterday, and that it was hard for her not to have you, so I did my best to supply your place and relieve her of all care and .  I was dubbbed the mother-in-law pro tem.  Nonie is looking forward to so much comfort in seeing Bertha Peaper and perhaps Lou this fall.  With love to you all, I am
Yours cordially
Imogene S. Lotz

713 Spruce Street
Helena, Mont.
July 1st 1898

Some information on United States Assay offices...

The Assay Offices of the United States are part of the United States Treasury Department. They are responsible for the testing, melting, and refining of gold and silver bullion and foreign coins and recasting them into bars, ingots, or discs. Assaying is done at all the federal mints, but special plants were established at New York in 1853, at Boise, Idaho, in 1869, at Helena, Montana, in 1874, at Deadwood, South Dakota, at St. Louis, Missouri, in 1881, at Seattle, Washington, in 1898, and at Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1909. Other than the federal mints, there is now only one assay office. It is located in San Francisco.

Continuation of Aunt Nonie's Wedding...

This is the second installment of the chaperone's letter concerning Aunt Nonie's wedding. The first part of the letter is two posts down. Here the chaperone describes Nonie's new husband, her wedding, her new home and the dinner afterward.

At half past eleven Mr. Harper arrived.  Here I must digress and tell you something of Nonie's husband, from a strangers point of view.  If I had a daughter I should be happy to give her into Mr. Harper's keeping.  He is of course a self educated and self made man.  He has seen little of the world from the social side, but he is a perfect gentleman in every sense and has the best of all good breeding, an exquisitely refined nature.  Mother nature makes these gentlemen and often excells the efforts of college and society. The extent of his means I do not know, but he is well to do, and I never saw a man more thoroughly worship a woman than he does Nonie.  She may do with him as she will - have all that he has and to his eyes, all that she does is right.  My sons and I left for the Church.  Here I found about fifity people in spite of the weather and no invitations.  The full Chapter of Daughters were there to see their sister married.  Just as the Court House clock was striking twelve, we heard the carriage dash up to the door and Nonnie and Mr. Harper walked up the isle to the Chancel.  Rev. Mr. Love was waiting for them and they were married with the complete good old Episcopal service.  As it was all so free from ceremony and only good friends present, they all came right forward and crowded around them to wish them well, as there was to be no other opportunity given then.  As soon as they could free themselves, they with Mr. Love, Dr. & Mrs. Carmichael, Mr. and Mrs. Ford, myself and two sons, passed into the vestry to sign the register and certificate.  It was from here that I sent you the telegram.  This immediate party then drove right out to Nonnie's new home to eat a wedding dinner with them.  My house is so small that I could not offer it for any entertainment so we all decided that the new home was the place.  This home it is impossible for me to describe.  The house is very unusual because of so much beautiful hardwood finish inside, but I am sure Bertha Peaper has told you all about that.  When the furnishing first began, Nonie and Mr. Harper asked me if I would not give up my time to them and assist them.  I have been a house keeper for twenty four years, most of that time in one of the best residence portionsof Chicago, so they felt that I would be of service besides acting as chapperone.  I can only tell you that in going through A. P. Custin's furniture Mr. Harper chose the best and highest priced article to be had in each line, from the parlor to the kitchen.  I do not know exactly but his bills must come close to three thousand dollars.  While Mr. Harper never bought a carpet or a chair before, his ideas are so refined that his taste is perfect.  Everything is most solid, substancial but plain - no imitation woods, and the colors to be in keeping with all of that rich cherry and oak run rather to the orientals, while all designs were dignified instead of light and frivolous. The lace curtains and portiers are all the very best to be had in the city.  They had given the management of the dinner entirely to me, and I had an excellent cook and waitress in the kitchen and at two oclock we sat down, nine at table, to as complete and perfect a dinner as you could wish.  Here we met with a slight dissapointment.  We had intended to have a young friend come in with his camera and photograph the dining table and wedding party to send to you, but the day was so dark and rainy he could not come.  The table was beautiful with the linen which you had sent, and the knives and silver from her home people, then the gentlemen of the Assay Office borrowed one of the Saint Louis spoons and matched the pattern, buying one dozen largest sized dinner forks, one dozen medium sized spoons or desert spoons and a carving set of silver mounted horn handles.  It must have taken a hundred dollars to do it.  Then the "Daughters" gave her a gem of a cut crystal bowl.  Mrs. Wickes sent six gold bowl small handle after dinner coffee spoons.  Mr. Kelly an old friend of Mr. H. sent a pair of most exquisitly cut caraffs, Mrs. Switzer an imported Teapot, cream and sugar.  Mr. and Mrs. Ford, the latter is my niece, a chaffing dish.  Mr. and Mrs. Schmitt a beautiful Rookwood vase, Mr. Custin sent a mahogny pedistal which Nonie had admired very much.

to be continued....

The letter itself...

 

This is the first page (front and back) of the letter to Aunt Nonie's mother about her wedding.There are five pages front and back!

Aunt Nonie's chaperone writes her mother about her wedding...

This very long letter is addressed to Emma's mother, Magdalena Igel, from the chaperone of her sister, Lenora (Nonie). it is dated July 1, 1898 from Helena, Montana. This letter describes in very great detail the wedding of Nonie to Mr. Harper and the subsequent wedding dinner and gifts. It included a pencil sketch of the dress itself.

Dear Mrs. Igel,
I am going to write you a long letter, and although you do not know me I feel sure that both you and the girls will be glad to read it. We woke up yesterday morning to find that it was simply pouring. The first rain we have had here for weeks but Nonie was not in the least depressed. We talked of you all and wished you here but decided there was no use crying for what could not be, so I assumed the reins and began the driving. I was determined there should be no hurry and that Nonie should have nothing to worry about, and at ten o'clock sent her upstairs to dress. By half past ten I was entirely ready myself so that, I could give her any assistance possible. The consequence was that at quarter after eleven, she walked down to the parlor entirely ready and sat quietly down to put on her gloves, and then read until Mr. Harper arrived. I do not trust her to have told you much about her costume so I will give you the best idea I can of how she looked. Her dress goods of course you know. She had it made by the best dressmaker here, one who understood the figure as well as style and it was a great success.  The collar and reveres which outline the full vest was of a soft grayish apple green satin outlined with quilling of narrow black satin ribbon. There were bands of black lace insertion going around the body of the waist, pointing up in both front and back, passing under the reveres in the front. The whole finished with a crush girdle of the green satin. The satin for the collar and reveres was tucked in tiny welts and the skirt had three rows of the black satin ribbon quilling. The whole effect was very artistic and finished. I have made a little rough pencil sketch whose faults I am sure you will overlook if it but gives you some idea of how dear Nonie looked on her wedding day. Her hat was made by the best milliner in the State and was extremely becoming. The frame was of the softest black braid, the fine rich brim faced with pleated pale pink Chiffon. The crown was wound with thick ropes of the pink chiffon and falling over it from the centre to the rim was pretty cream lace which subdued the pink. The trimming was from the centre of the front. Four spangled black quills curving back, thru each way from the centre and flowing back from the centre and between the quills was a long black aigrette. (the tufted crest of an egret) The rim was prettily dented to one side of the back and underneath the dent a bunch of black satin chrysanthemums. Fresh white gloves compliment the costume and I must call to your memory the rich beautiful coloring of her face which made this color scheme possible. I realize, dear Mrs. Igel that I have spun this out to a terrible length but I know you are hungry for every crumb of news. At half past eleveen Mr. Harper arrived.
[remainder of letter coming next!!]