WILLIAM HIRAM RADCLIFFE - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED 10/31/1894 - HFSID 35370

WILLIAM HIRAM RADCLIFFE
The young electrical engineer writes from Harvard, where he is a student, discussing the upcoming election of Vice President Levi P. Morton as Governor of New York, signs name in black ink
Autograph letter signed: "Will" in black ink. 6 pages, 4½x7 folded, 7x9 flat. Perkins Hall, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. October 31, 1894. In full: "My dear Deta:- Yours of the 16th inst. (this month) received - I would have answered it before but have been unusually busy lately - there being hour examinations held in most of the courses the last part of this week - Then, again, foot-ball takes up a great deal of one's spare time - especially when it is as exciting as it is now; as daily for the last two weeks, some player has either his face or collar-bone broken during the game - but unfortunately it is always one of our best players and as we have only a limited number of stars, the text preached to the team last Sunday morning was very appropriate "To them that hath not shall be taken away even that which they hath". I must say Deta, you have disappointed me very much in regard to that picture of yours - I expected to have it within a couple of weeks, at most, after I reached here and here it is a whole month and no sign of one yet. I have chalked off a space on the mantle especially for that, and it looks dreadful without a picture there, so if you keep that part of the room looking like that much longer I surely can't forgive you. I think you misunderstood me in regard to "uniform" perhaps "in costume" would be more clear. Now Deta, you know I never said that picture in the album, home, did not suit me. On the contrary, I think I told you I had seen you have that same expression at times but very, very seldom - only when you were cross at something. You wanted to know if we had had our "at homes" taken yet. No in fact, we have not been "at home" very much yet. That is, just when the light was night etc. etc. etc. you know, dontcher [sic]? Enjoyed reading the clippings you sent very much. Hope your flower show will be a success. Did you initiate any new members at the first meeting of your Club? We had an all night's meeting last evening to celebrate "Halloween", so forgive me if you find anything wrong in this letter - I am taking a holiday to-day to "brace up" again and thought I might improve my time by writing to you. In regard to the heading I enclosed in my last, would say I entended [sic] to send the whole column but the printer made such a terrible blunder in writing the article, that rather than have you misinformed I would send as little of it as I could and still give you an idea of his substance - so I did - I hesitated a long time on whether I should go home to vote for our Ex Vice President, our Future Governor - but find by decided not to, as I think the Democrats will be trouble enough without me. Indeed, it reminds meof the remark Old John, the Harvard Apple peddler mad, when one of the fewllows asked him to read the latin inscription on the Harvard seal. He said, "I do'os be thinkin' it means, "To hell wid Yale" and I do'os be think it means, To hell wid the Democrats next Tuesday. Again asking you to forgive anything amiss in here I will close, hoping to hear from you soon again, and to receive that photo at your earliest convenience. I am, Sincerely yours". William H. Radcliffe (b. 1873) graduated from Harvard University in May 1896, and worked as an electrical engineer and professor. Radcliffe wrote Telephone Instruments, Their Operation, Arrangement and Management in 1913 and Home Study Course in Practical Electricity in 1916. Normal mailing folds. Toned. Light surface creases. Slightly soiled. Otherwise, fine condition.