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Arrival of the Twentieth Century

previous: 1898 Recalled from Retirement

3219 Clifford Street 
Phila Pa
Monday, December 31st, 1900 4 PM

My Dear Son,

I hope you and yours will be able to enjoy the arrival of the 20th Century tonight. Philadelphia is going to outdo herself in celebrating the event by the display of electricity and fire works and I have no doubt Middletown will do her best to keep up the show.

This has been another damp day and may rain to-night and spoil the celebration – but – I hope not for the sake of those who have been planning to enjoy the pleasure of seeing the first new year of the new century. I would see it from the 3rd story window if I could climb, but I am still in the 2nd story and cannot go up or down – if I attempted to climb up there is no doubt that I would soon get down, but the result might not be pleasant.

Well, dear children, I hope the New Years will be bright and prosperous to you all and that you have a very happy New Years for yourself and all relatives and friends. God bless you all – dear children Albert, Neppie and Edward. Love and Kisses to you all from your loving Mother

Philadelphia Inquirer Jan. 1, 1901

Twentieth Century! Farewell the Old and A Happy New Year to One and All

Bibliography
Stephen Jay Gould Questioning the Millennium, Harmony Books 1997  Note that the arrival was marked not on Dec 31 1899 but Dec 31 1900. https://www.amazon.com/Questioning-Millennium-Rationalists-Precisely-Arbitrary/dp/0609605410  I was fortunate to hear Stephen Jay Gould talk about this book at Brookline Booksmith.

next: Death of Mrs. EJ Phillips Aug 1904

Last updated Oct. 11, 2003

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