New Car!

My family is very excited about our very first car. It is a black Ford Model T, and it works beautifully! It is a very high maintenence car though. You have to check and make sure that there is enough oil in it, and also enough kerosene in the lights to make sure that you can light the lamps. To start the car, you have to use the hand crank in the front which is too hard for me to do. I love riding in the car, though it does make me a little nervous when we are taking sharp turns. My husband loves to use the horn as he pulls up to the house to let me know that he is home. This will help my family out a lot because now my husband will not have to take the train to work everyday.

Guess Who Is Working For Ford!

I am very happy to say that my younger brother just got a job working in Ford's car manufacturing plant! He was chosen among the thousands of workers who tried to apply for the job. Not only did the owners of Ford think that he is a good strong, healthy worker; but they said that his style of living met the requirements of those who can work for Ford. He told me that he was put in production as part of the assembly line. I guess this is part of the whole scientific management process that the company is trying out. This job will really help him get enough money to start a family, as soon he may be earning $5 a day! I am so proud of you little brother, and I am sure Mom and Dad are too!

-Ruth

New Andrew Carnegie Steel Plant!

I cannot believe that a new steel plant is going to be built close by to us! The new business that the steel plant will bring will really help the economy in our area of New York. Already a site has been picked out and construction is being started. My husband went to see about employment for the project, and had to wait in a long line of young men (mostly immigrants) to see if he could get a job. Business has been slow along the Erie Canal lately, so it would be best if he could get a job in the fast growing steel industry. Hopefully the job will work out for him. My guess will be that because we will have a steel plant close by us, steel will not cost as much around here which will be a help; we need to save all the money we can. This plant should be a good thing for this family.

The First Telegraph!

I was very excited to read this morning that the first telegraph was successfully sent and recieved. It was used to send a message, "What hath God wrought?" from our capital D.C. to Baltimore, Maryland. What I am most excited for is when this invention can be used by the public people. I know that may still be a long ways off, but I have family that live Massachusetts that I would love to send a telegraph too. Sending letters in the mail is a hastle and takes a while. Telegraphs would be much faster and more efficient. This here is the future of communication.

-Ruth

My Reaction to the Erie Canal

There have been some definite changes since the completion of the Erie Canal. My husband and I moved to the outskirts of New York City so that he could find a job, and he is currently working as a boat repairman. The city has become much more crowded since the canal; more immigrants are coming in and looking for jobs, so the workplace has become overcrowded. I am constantly worried about losing my current job as a worker in a factory to someone who will offer to do the same work as me for less money. On the bright side, the canal is making a lot of money for the city of New York itself. I am hoping this will bring my husband a pay raise.

Introduction

Hi! My name is Ruth Turner. I am a 25 year-old female, with a minority ethnicity. I am part of the lower-middle class, making enough money to survive. I live on the outskirts of the city, moving wherever my new husband can find work. When we stay in one place for a while, I find a job as a factory worker, sometimes in the textile mills. As for education, I attended about four years of schooling as a young child, but had to quit once my family needed me to go to work to bring in income. I am currently expecting a baby boy, which I am really excited about but I know it will be hard on my small family.