1900-9-2: JOE TO MARY

… I must tell you that Will Burns and I are keeping batchlers hall now. Mrs. Burns went away the next day after I came home. She will be gone for 2 weeks yet we will trye to get along.

1900-9-5: JOE TO MARY

… Have you seen my Dear old Brother Lewis & Sister Marthia Lately. You said you would send me your picture. I hope you will not forget it. I spoke to a young man to come and take some picturs of my house & bildings. He has bin ill all summer and wen he gets able to doo it and I get them and tha are fit to send to enney one I will send some of them to you so as to give you some idea of whare I live

1900-9-10: MARY TO JOE

… We had our picnic at "Zion" Saturday and had a good time. Old Mr. Jack Easton died and was buried last Thursday. I suppose you knew him. Your good brother Lewis & wife were there at the burial. And Mrs. Ditman came and asked me how I liked the friend she brought me that night. I said all right,"I wish you could bring him again." She said you said you would not take her along the next time, but she was coming anyway. I did not tell her I heard from you, for it is too good for me to tell, I'll shall keep it a while yet. And you can do so too. I commenced school this morning, got along nice today, just eat supper and thought I would write to you now, and send it in the morning. I am boarding at Mrs. John Holmse's, I suppose you know them well. I wish you could be boarding here too, instead of keeping bachelor's hall. You said you were sorry we did not meet at the German picnic. What is past can't be recalled but I do hope and trust we will meet sometime again.

1900-9-13: JOE TO MARY

… Well now I can see better you know the oil was so low in my lamp that I had to go and fill it.

1900-9-14: JOE TO MARY

I have just received very sad news that my nefue is killed. I will just send you this little slip so you can read it for yourself. I was going to ask you to show it to brother Lew but you can doo as you like about that you will be giving yourself away. You dont have to tell them whare you got it if you dont want to. And I will ask you to return it to me some time. It is too bad to think of. He is Brother Wills boy. I have not learnd wether he will be sent home or not. Will fiend out later.

1900-9-18: MARY TO JOE

I was sorry to hear that your nephew was killed out at Manilla, I will tell Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Ditman, will let them see the little slip of paper. … You will just have to come and live in here, you have good friends here, and me in the bargain, and I am just your best friend; and I do think you could be right happy, in the land of your boyhood days.

1900-9-20: JOE TO MARY

You wish that I lived in thare. I dont wish that but I do wish that you lived out hear and I hope that you will never ask me to live thare. But I will not promes you what I wont ask you to doo if I could bring my farm with me I mite talke diferently. I know that I have lots of friends over thare and I think that I have one more now then I youst to have. I tell you I think it is aufel nice to visit my old home and dear ones but as to stay on those poor old hills I would not know how to make a living. I would haft to get a girl that could teach chool to make a living for us.

1900-10-3: JOE TO MARY

I forgot to tell you that ower minister has bin taken away from us and we have a new one. Now I dont know wether I will like this one as well or not. My old friend was here 4 years. I have received a letter from him not long ago and I ow him a letter. I can give you his address and let you write to him for me. I wish you would and have him write to you. I would just like to know what he would tell you of me. His address is Bethany, Butler County O, Rev John H Lease. If you do write to him tell him that I told you to and you wish to know somthing about Joe Ditman.

October 23, 1900: Mary Eva must have contacted Rev. Lease, as the Ditman archives include the letter at the right, from Rev. Lease.

1900-10-5: MARY TO JOE

My Dear Friend Joe, you said you did not like the name of Mary, well E stands for Eva you will have to call me this or a nick name. I don't care what you call me, so you like me a little bit. … You said I might write to your minister in regard to you, Now I don't want you to think I do not believe you a perfect good noble man. I feel you are this. But for your curiosity to know what he would say of you I might write, not for my own, for I feel safe to trust you. … “Eva”

1900-10-10: JOE TO EVA

… Now Eva I want to tell you somthing that I had not spoke of before. I think you know that Billie Burns and his wife have bin keeping house for me and I have bin renting a part of my land to Billie giving him one 1/3 of what he raised and I furnished him everry thing. So wen I came home I concluded that I would not rent enney more and doo the seeding all myself as I had a hand beside Billie and could doo verry well. So Billie sys that if I did not let him have enney ground that he would not stay. So I told him all right. His wife was in Ill at the time so he wrote to hur about it and I think as near as I can tha are fixing to move to Illinois in the spring. So you can see that wen tha are gone I will be alone. That is ontill you ar redy to come. I dont want to get a strange family in hear and try to stay with them. I would rather be alone ontill I get one who will take an interest in what I have. Will you tell me what you think of it.

Joe informs Eva that he "will be alone" - until she is ready to come to Ohio and be with him.

1900-10-16: EVA TO JOE

… You asked me if Harry Hook ever said anything to me in regard to how you live. No: and no one else has said much but I took it for granted that you had a home of your own, when you said in one of your letters, that you hoped I would never ask you to come East; yet if you could bring your farm along, you might talk differently. If you would have no home of your own,  I do think I would try to persuade you to come East. But as it is I will ask you nothing that will be against your comfort and welfare, and would be willing to submit to that which would be best for us both.

Mr. & Mrs. Schneider were talking some time back, and among it Frank said Joe will have to sell off and come East, we are never going to let him take Mary away from here. Mrs. Kate too, said I reckon not, if she would have to see me go away, she would not have made your acquainted with me. I did not say anything to cause them to say this, they just said it in with the talk when they were teasing me, because he said he wanted to write to you, and wanted to find out what to tell you. This was before you first wrote him. So from his conversation I took it for granted that you had a home. Now, my dear friend, I am not writing this to convey the idea that I want to know your circumstances in life. I would not care whether you have much or little. Only, if you had no settled home: and nothing to give up but friends, I would then ask you to come East. But as I presume it is, I would not ask you to give up your home, and come here, where you might not be able to be fixed in life, as you are now. You would have more than friends to give up, where I would only have friends.

So, if there should be a sacrifice made, I guess it would fall to my lot, for the good interest of us both. You are well aware that I can make a fair living for myself, when there is no preventing Providence, and that there would be no other motive for my caring for you, than pure admiration and ---- well, I guess I will have to say love, which I trust would never grow less on either side, through better acquaintance and presence

This October 16 letter seems significant, as Eva responds to the idea of making a life together. First, hoping that Joe might come East to be with her and then offering to join Joe in Ohio "for the good interest of us both." And, she introduces the "L" word ... "love."

1900-10-17: JOE TO EVA

My Dearest Friend, Your letter was gratefuly received this afternoon and was truly happy to read all you had to say. Now I would say in regard to what I sed in my last letter to you I truly thought it my duty to let you know my intentions and have you consiter the mater before going so fare with it. I will tell you now that I would rather not come but one time and that will be wen you can be redy to come home with me and I would not want to stay over thare more then 4 or 5 days or such a mater.

Now my Dear Friend if you shuld conclude not to come to live with me you know I know that we had better quit writing. But I hope that you will consitter this and deside faverbly. You know that it would be mean in me to keep writing to you for a year or more and then tell you that I did not care for you. It would be the same with you so I think it best to have an understanding at this urley day. I know It will be better for both of us to know each uthers wishes. I dont want to crowd you but I want you to take your on [own] time and have your own mind truly made up and then go ahed. As I told you befor I have not seen a woman that I have thought of as I have of you and I know that I can love you to deth. I have the kiendest feeling for you. And if you should conclude not to marrie me I shal never forget you or forgive you. Think over it and pleas dont be offended. I hope you will be abel to give to give me a defnet ansor soon. And I will remain your true and best and kiendest friend. Joe

1900-10-19: JOE TO EVA

… Thare is one thing that I want to say is that I dont want you to think that I would want to bring you out hear and never be abel to go back to Maryland to pay ower loved ones a visit. I have all ways bin able to do that wen I felt like going and I hope you will not be enney poorer by having you with me nor I will not say that we would never go back thare to live ower last days. But we would eather have to sell ower farm or rent it out.

This October 19 letter also seems significant, as Joe offers a comittment that he would be willing to return to Maryland to "live our last days."

1900-10-29: EVA TO JOE

… I have something good to tell you. You remember you asked me to write to your former pastor. So last week, I thought it being your wish and no harm, I would write to him and see what he would say about you, and also thought I won't

tell you until I get an answer. Now my dearest I did not write because I thought it was necessary. I was perfectly satisfied that you are all right. I just wrote because you asked me to do so, and because you said you would like to know what he

would say. And I am surely pleased to tell you, that he wrote me a grand letter about you. I received it this morning, and have been so happy all day, to think someone else knows, you are as good, as I believed you to be. He recommended you to be just a perfect good man in every way. And said if I were your friend I was his friend too. As he surely likes you, and spoke so well of you, I feel so indebted to him for his kind letter. I know you would be pleased if you would see the letter he sent me. I will save it for you to see.

1900-10-31: EVA TO JOE

…You spoke in your letter in regard of the time you were coming for me. Now my dear it can be done sometime in February or March, we can arrange this later. Yet God willing, I am setting my heart that you will come, when it will be most convenient. I would like to be with you before planting time, because we want to plants things to eat you know. So, we will set the time for your coming in a little later on. I want it to be so it will suit you and also so it will be proper and convenient for me to quit my school.

1900-11-6: EVA TO JOE

… The school term, or rather the winter term will be out the 6th of February, that would suit best for me to give up then. Although, I must tell my school commissioner, 30 days before: so that someone else can be employed in my place. I do not want to stop teaching though before you are ready to come in.  Should it suit you anywhere near that time mentioned. We would likely get back to your place about 2 weeks or so before those people moved out: but that would give us time to think about what we would want to get in the house. You can think over this, and let me know what you think of it. It won't matter about the people in the house, they wouldn't object to me being there that short time: and I would rather be with you any way before we would get our house keeping affairs. The above are only suggestions, and will be as it suits you. And then there might be snow blockades too. But if nothing happens, and we are well, the time mentioned or thereabout, would suit me.

1900-11-9: JOE TO EVA

… I am all so glad to hear you say that you have made up your mind to be satisfied to stay with me. Now my dear I  promes you that I will doo all I can to make you and my self happy. But I know it is natcherl for a person going into a  strange place to get a little home sick. But I surly will try to keep you from geting verry much so. I am satisfied that you kmow just what you ar dooing and will do just what you say as near as you can. And I know we will be happy and I surly do appreciate your kindness that you show toward me all redy.

1900-11-10: JOE TO EVA

… Now about those chesnuits I surly will be thankful to you for them but my dear I hate to put you to so much trubel as that. My express office the best place would be Collinsville Ohio (Butler Co) Adams express I think.

The nearest railroad station was located in Collinsville, Ohio - about three and a half miles east of Joe's farm.

1900-11-11: JOE TO EVA

Now in regard to what you said about the 6 of Feburary. I think it is safe to say that you may quit your school at that time and I will make it suit me just as well about that time as enney outher and it will bee so much better for us to get back home to attend to ower work hear. I will not say enney thing to the folks about it yet but I am sure that tha will not mis use you and I think tha will treet me right in the matter. Now I will tell you what tha want to sell me or about what tha have in the house and what tha have is new and good. A cook stove, parlor stove, carpets for three rooms, a good sewing mashine, washing mashine, and a lot of outher things that I cant mension. Tha ofer to let me have them for $130. I thought wile tha wer all redy in the house I had better tell them that I would take them. I thought I would tell you of it and you can tell me what you think about it. You know that tha would be worth more to us for them being allredy hear.

1900-11-14: JOE TO EVA

… Dear Eva I dont remember wether I told you that Will Burns is going to Ill [Illinois]. That is the reason that tha want me to bye what tha have will save shiping.

1900-11-24: JOE TO EVA

I will tell you that thare was an old man about 70 years old came to my door too night about dark. He just beged me to keep him all night. He has been out in the rain all day. I felt so sorrie for him I told him to go on to Darrtown to the hotel and would pay his bill. But he did not want to do that so I told him that he mite stay. I fixed him a bed and he seamed so pleased.

We deduce from this Nov. 24 letter, that there was a hotel in Darrtown in November of 1900. It was likely the Popst Hotel.

1900-11-26: JOE TO EVA

I will talk a little more about that det [debt] I told you of in my last letter to you. Now thare some peaple that dont care to be in det but that is not the way with me. I  never was in det before this year. I always had monnie to loan. I will try and tell you how I came to be in det. I had a small farm of 60 acers and $3500 in cash so I thought that I couldend do much on a little place like that so I had a chance to trade for this place of 175 acers so I gave the little farm and what monnie I had and of corse still leaves me a little in det and I know that if we have luck that we will soon get out.  This is said to be as good and as nice a place as thare are in  this section of the cuntry.

From this disclosure by Joe about his "det" (debt), we may develop a chronology of Joe's ownership of land in Section 20 of Milford Township. See more at the Ditman Farms.

1900-11-28: JOE TO EVA

I was going to tell you that thare has been talk of ower mail line being changed. I herd to day that it would start the first day in December that will be Saterday. It will be better fir it will be brought direct from the railroad. I will get my mail sooner in the day and I can put your letters on my box and it will go right to the train for Westminster the same day. You know the way it is now thay stay in Darrtown all night. I have been taking them to the office on Sunday or Sunday night for monday morning.

FROM THIS POINT FORWARD, JOE ADDRESSES MARY EVA AS "EVA"

Click the following link to see info about the Darrtown Post Office

1900-12-01: JOE TO EVA

Thare was a turkey supper given by the Luthern church. I would have been glad if I had taken you with me to showed the folks what a nice girl I had. I came home early for there was no one thare that I cared for. Not like I care for you. You know I was thinking that I would come home and write a few lines to you. It is nearly 9 oclock and it is the best time pas time that I have to write to my dear friend Eva. I saw Harrie Hook thare but did not get to talk with him. He was not with enney girl. I dont think that he goes with enney one. He ate his supper with some outher boys.

Click the following link to see info about the Darrtown Lutheran church.

According to the 1900 Census for Milford Twp., Harry Hook worked as a farmhand for Robert Scott.

The Robert Scott farms were only a mile or so from the Kramer farm, where Joe lived and worked.

1900-12-03: JOE TO EVA

My dear friend that is one reason why I am anksus for you to know all about me and the place you ar coming to and as much of my busness as you want to know and as I told you in the start that I did not want you to be disapointed in enney thing after it would be too late. Dear Eva I surly will doo my best to keep you from geting verry bad home sick. If you shuld we wont let everry body know it will we. I will do my part by you Eva as far as I know how trusting that will all be.

Spoiler Alert: The issue of Eva becoming homesick will become a factor in how long the Ditman family stays in Milford Township.

1900-12-07: EVA TO JOE

I walked home near all the way this evening. I stopped in at Mrs. Ditman's a short while. She said she thought I had forgotten her, she had not seen me for so long. They had butchered this week and she was finishing up her work. She said she had written to you, but did not say that she said anything about me. I left those 3 pictures with her for a while, for she said she wanted to show them to her husband. But I took the last one you sent me with me, for I just treasure this so much. Mr. Ditman just came in as I was about to leave, and Joe, he smiles so much like you, I can hardly look at him any more, for fear he could tell I love you.

Regarding the December 7th excerpt (above), on December 16, 2021, James Ditman, great-grandson of Josephus Ditman, wrote that he thinks Eva is referring to Mrs. Lewis Ditman, wife of Josephus' brother, Lewis.

1900-12-09: JOE TO EVA

Harrie came over and Joe Burns was hear too. Harrie wants to know wether I ever I ever herd from you. I told him no. He thought that I did. He gave me good by. He is going to Dayton Friday and if he gets woork he sys he will stay thare this winter.

It appears that Harry Hook either knows, or knows of, Eva; perhaps from his time in Maryland. This validates Harry's census info that appears with the Dec. 1 letter above.

1900-12-18: JOE TO EVA

Well dear Eva I was down to Darrtown a little bit to night and have just come home and will write you a few lines before I retire tho I havend enney thing new or interesting to write to you to night onley that I am well and I hope this will fiend you the same. ... I was going to tell you that Will Burns told me yesterday that he thought that he mite go away before march. I think I will just let them go wen tha want to. I wont tell them nothing yet.

This part of Joe's December 18th letter confirms that Joe Burns and his wife were still keeping house for Joe. When the Burns family moves to Illinois (as mentioned in Joe's October 10th excerpt above), Joe's house will be available for his new bride.

1900-12-25: JOE TO EVA

I have been thinking of you all day to day. I spent my Xmas at home. We had turkey and oysters and we had some of our neighbers invited and had a verry nice time but you was absend. I gess the folks did not know that my mind was over in Maryland.

1900-12-30: JOE TO EVA

I will go see that man that was hear to rent the outher house to morrow. It is about 18 miles from hear. I want to know what kiend of folks tha ar before I will let them move in.

The "18 miles" refers to the distance Joe must travel to see the man who is interested in renting Joe's tenant house. The location of his tenant house is unknown.

1900-12-30: EVA TO JOE

Joe you said you believed you understood me in regard to what I said about the time we would get married and about my going home. Yes my dear I thought if we could arrange it so, we would get married as soon as I quit school and then go home, of course I shall tell Pap a little before what I intend to do, then it won't matter if he should not want it so, it will be so, and after it is over he will have to make the best of it. I know him Joe, he might say things to us before that would cause ill feelings, which he would not do after we were married, because he would know it would do no good then. And further I want to try to make matters suit, so people will have no chance to talk or say Pap kicked like everything against my getting married. So my dearest don't give any troubled thought to this, for we will make matters suit the best, "God willing". I know every thing will have to be right.

The School Board will soon meet and then I will hear about the closing of this quarter and the time for the teacher's meeting.

From this December 30 letter, we know that Eva is concerned about her father's reaction, when she tells him that she and Joe plan to marry and that she will be moving to Ohio.

1901-01-03: JOE TO EVA

The Ade Sosiety meet at my house to day and brought ther dinner with them and that kept me from the house. So they have all gone now and I will try and write you just a short letter and take it to the office to night for I want you to have this on Monday.  

Presumably, this is a reference to the Lady's Aid Society of the Darrtown Methodist church. This occasion seems curious, as Joe was still a widowed bacholer at this time.

1901-01-04: EVA TO JOE

Now as I told you before I don't want to go home and stay any time before we are married, so if we could arrange it so that you could be here prepared, by the time the term closed, then we would go home afterward, and this way there would be no chance for much talk or any thing very unpleasant. And it would take several days for me to get my affairs collected ready to go with you, and this could all be done best after we are married. Then we might be ready to start for home on the 14 or 16 Feb.

THE NEW YEAR, 1901, BEGINS...

1901-01-06: JOE TO EVA

Joe Burns has been with me all day. His horse has been sick all last week but is geting better now so I had to let him have my rig to night to go to see his girl. He has put of [off] going home till next winter. Did I ever tell you that Harrie is coming back to work

for the man he did work for so he will be hear quite often to see us next summer.  

1901-01-07: JOE TO EVA

Now my dearest friend in regard to all you said is all right with me. Of cours I will do what ever is the best and can doo to suit you just as well as enney outher way. So I dont know what more to say to it onley for you to set the time for me to come. You know it will take me 2 days and a night to see you.

Presumably, Joe will travel by train, on this 60-hour trip from Ohio to Maryland.

1901-01-13: EVA TO JOE

Joe there was nothing in the paper about the schoolboard's meeting they had last Monday so I am certain the term will close when first said to end. Feb 6.

The above note from January 13, seemingly clears the way for Eva to leave her teaching position in Maryland, become Mrs. Josephus Ditman, and move to Ohio with Joe.

1901-01-14: EVA TO JOE

Joe, I counted your letters last night and with the one I have gotten today, you have sent me 25 of the dearest letters I have ever received, and I prize them as the dearest treasure I possess, now. I have been able to read every word you have written to me and seem to understand your character fully through your letters. And fully appreciate your kindness to me. Your letters have given me so much pleasure that I have thought of no one else but you since we have been writing to each other.

...Now about your coming in after me. I will tell you just what I think will suit me best, and if it suits you all right. If you could get here Monday before Wednesday Feb. 6 why you could come up to Holmes' to see me. And if you think proper, we might get married Wednesday Feb.6 down at the parsonage by Bro. Burdette, and then we could go home after the ceremony and stay about a week and visit our friends etc. I am going to tell Pap next Sunday if nothing happens. Joe I don't want to go home after I quit teaching, everybody will know it then. Therefore I have said I did not want to quit teaching until we are ready, but now my time will be up Feb 6.

1901-01-20: EVA TO JOE

Joe I told Pap this morning what I intended to do. He was right much shocked, but after wards, he said he would try to get along. He said of course you are a nice man and knew that you and I would get along very agreeably together and we would have his best wishes. I am glad he seemed to take the news as well as he did.

With this note, we learn that Eva told her father of her plan to marry Joe and move to Ohio.

Eva's father, John Polster would have been 74 years old at this time.

1901-01-20: JOE TO EVA

My dear I will say I will leave home in the morning of the second 2 of febuary and will aim to see you on Sunday night 3 and I tell you my dear I will haft to get along fast if I make it in that time. And if not that soon it will not be any later then the 4.

1901-01-29: JOE TO EVA

I have concluded to just write you a few lines for Friday to tell you that I have made all arrangements to leave home for your place on Saterday next second of Febuary. I was at the depot yesterday. My train is due hear 1034 and will arrive in Baltimore Sunday morning 745.

JOSEPHUS DITMAN AND MARY EVA POLSTER WERE MARRIED FEBRUARY 6, 1901 IN CARROLL, MARYLAND