Appendix 2. Selected Letters of A.H.-Pepall

• Author: C. Ian Kyer
• Pages: 202-208

202

appendix 2

Selected Letters of

A.H.Pepall

T   were prepared from cop-

ies of letters written by A.H. Pepall to his wife Bertha.

The originals are in the possession of Laura Thomae, his

great-granddaughter.

The letters are presented here to of‌fer a glimpse into Pepall’s

mind, his way of thinking, and his priorities and concerns.

Letter 1 is admittedly a love letter from a businessman away on a

long trip who was very concerned about his wife and daughter Jean,

both of whom were very sick when he left. It only brief‌ly references

Aemilius Jarvis and the bond repurchases, but it is nevertheless of

value in telling the story of those repurchases. There is no hint of any

conspiracy, of any guilt or fear of being found out for some wrong-

doing. The letter evidences his joy (and, to some extent, surprise) at

how well the deal is going. It also evidences his deep love for his wife

and af‌fection for his children. In another letter (25 March 1920), he

tells his wife that Jarvis had laughed at him, saying, “without being

mushy I am the best 19 year married lover he ever came across.” Pepall

took it as a compliment, adding, “[h]e and I get along f‌ine & dandy.”