Herradura, Cuba February 9, 1903

Dear Boulderites:

Your letters came a week ago last Friday and I am positive that an answer would have been sent long before this but time flies very quickly in Cuba. I want to thank you so much for our Xmas presents but it really was almost too much. I think, for you have had so much sickness and expense this last year. But anyway, it was awfully good of you and I certainly appreciate it. How I wish you were all down here for a while. Those ladies would get so strong and well and Irma you wouldn't know them. The children certainly thrive in this country. Better ship them down for a while and we will have a sand pile out back of the barn next to the garden. That usually proves attractive to children. We have some peach trees, sixteen, four different kinds, and one kind has peaches as large as ordinary sized hen's eggs. When I was out there today, I noticed they are beginning to turn pink. This tree was some papa set last May and they way above his head before October, when we had the cyclone that nearly blew them to smithereens. Picked about a quart of strawberries yesterday, the largest amount this season so far. One thing the season here lasts from the first of December almost to June. Our plants were put in rather late and then it was so very dry so that we have only just begun to have fruit but next season we mean to have a good deal earlier. We received the pictures of Will Spalding and family the other day. What a nice looking man he is. Wish I could see him and sort of get acquainted. With all of the New Englanders, in fact. Wait until we all make our everlasting fortunes, you in oil and me in vegetables. How I wish you could make a good little pile out of your concern there. Wouldn't it be jolly tho'? I wish also that we were dead sure of making quite a little here too. You would see me in Colo. sometime there. And I will get there, don't you fret and it will not be more than a coon's age either. You see I don't always intend to live here and amount to almost nothing. we came to make something and we will do it, too.

Mrs. Tripp has been in Heradura for about a month now. We all fell in love with her at first sight. We think she is just lovely. How awfully sorry you did not get the chance to see more of her while she was there. She was very sorry too. But she will no doubt be back there next summer and then you must really get to know her better.

We are all pretty well here now. I am disgracefully so. Can't work up an excuse to ask for sympathy at all. Have a thrasher's appetite all the time. Fortunately we have plenty of good fresh vegetables to fill up on.

Well I could write pages and pages, but must not tonight for it is getting very late and plenty of work for tomorrow. Also, Will has written his letter and put it in. There are fourteen or fifteen letters to be posted tomorrow. We always have a load Monday for Sunday is scribbler's day here.

I am not going to let you go so long again without writing. Had a Kodak given to me Xmas and will try and take some pictures and send you so you can see what heathens we are.

Well good night for this time with lots of love from all. Alura

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Monday morning April 20, 1903

W. P. Collins 1112 Pearl St. Boulder, Colo.

My Dear Uncle and Aunt:

No doubt you have a dreadful opinion of me by this time for not writing and thanking you for Angela's picture. Well, I do thank you so much for it. Wanted awfully to take one of those pictures that gramma had when I left last fall but I thought it would be a sort of a shame to take them and I hoped to have one all my own some day. One reason I had not written to you was because I have been sick so much that once in a while I have missed my regular letter. Finally, the folks have decided that I must come home for the rest of the year and I rather expect to go tomorrow morning. Had wished you could come back this summer. In going home I wanted to get a stop over at Madison for twenty-four hours but I couldn't get it, uncle, tried hard Saturday afternoon but the railroad companies have made a rule not to give stopovers any more. I wanted to stay all night with Minnie Graves at Madison. You remember her don't you, Uncle? She is attending UW and I wanted to stop and see her. She was dreadfully disappointed because I didn't stop when I went home Christmas but you see I had a pass then and I couldn't do it very well. Wish I could get a pass for any where and then perhaps you folks would see me.

Well I guess I must stop now and finish packing my trunk. So goodbye with lots of love from Your Niece, Alura E. C. 1402 Nicollet Ave.

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January 11, 1904

To: W. P. Collins

Dear Uncle & Aunt:

It has taken me some time to write to you and I am heartily ashamed of that fact but I will not fill the page with excuses. I want to thank you so much for that ??-ribbon Old rose is my favorite color and that is such a beautiful shade. So many people have admired it and told me it was the prettiest shade they have ever seen. I have a little package for Angela which I got ready to send the day before Xmas and mama said I had better wait until the Xmas rush was over. You see I have waited until I am almost ashamed to send it, but I am going to send it just the same.

You have never written us what the Baby's name is yet. Perhaps you haven't named her. We have named her among ourselves a good many times. But we can't agree perfectly.

I suppose Santa treated you very nicely. I really got more than I deserved this year because I was not able to give as much as I should have liked. But never mind, after Cuba has been our home for two or three years, we will send everybody a large box of fresh fruit for Xmas, that would do as well as anything to make people think of summer in mid-winter. Several of papa's friends have gotten very much excited over Cuba. If papa talks to them much more, I don't think there will be any doubt but what we will have a Milwaukee Colony there. Wouldn't that be jolly? I am as anxious to get there as papa is. I think you had better pack up and come too. You could make honey the year round, the babies would grow fat living on bananas and no one would grow thin throwing coal into the furnace.

When are you coming back to make a visit? I want very much to see you before I go to Cuba and there is not telling when I will pick up my traps and skip.

Well, I must write to the "little Hollister" growing big, so will close with love to each one from your niece, Alura E. Collins

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