M. Cohn and Son

79

description

This is a story composed of two lives. Morris Cohn was a patient at the Jewish Consumptive Relief Society (JCRS), a free of charge turburculosis sanitarium outside Denver Colorado operation in the early 1900’s. This book began with a day of ravaging through the patient archives. 10394 written on the left tab of a manilla folder accompanied by JCRS was all Morris Cohn was to me at first. As I read through the documents contained in the folder I realized what I‘d stumbled upon. Morris Young was my great grandfather. Much like Morris Cohn, He immigrated to the United States from Russia. With the help of my grandfather Leonard Savitt, we were able to fill in the details that the archive could not. This story is about what lies behind the red, white and blue. It's about a dream.

Transcript of M. Cohn and Son

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Special thanks to:

Dr. Jeanne Abrams, DirectorJCRS Collection, Beck Archives,Special Collections, Penrose Library andCenter for Judaic Studies, University of Denver

Ancestory.com. Oct. 2008 <http://www.ancestory.com>. Rich, Tracey R. "Mourner's Kaddish." Judiasm101. 2005. 2008 <http://judiasm101.com>. Unknown. "Unknown." New York Times Apr. 1919: 1.Elsner, Bj, Editor. Rock Island: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow. Rock Island History Book Committee: 1988. 247 pgs.Tweet, Roald. The Quad Cities: An American Mosaic. East Hall Press: 1996. 106 pgs.

Baskerville Old Face 1757 John Baskerville, Shalom Old Style copyright ©1990-1992 Jonathan Brecher

Designer: © 2008 Sean SavittAuthor: Leonard Savitt

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M. COHN & SONNinth Street Shoe Store

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Blessed are you,

Lord, our God,

sovereign of the universe

who has kept us alive,

sustained us,

and enable us

to reach this season: (Amen)

Molih Klm vnyhla H hta Kvrb [Nma] :hzh Nmzl vniyghv vnmyqv vnythw

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Molih Klm vnyhla H hta Kvrb [Nma] :hzh Nmzl vniyghv vnmyqv vnythw

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prefaceMorris Cohn was a patient at the Jewish Consumptive

Relief Society (JCRS), a free of charge turburculosis

sanitarium outside Denver Colorado operation in the

early 1900’s. This book began with a day of ravaging

through the patient archives. 10394 written on the left tab

of a manilla folder accompanied by JCRS was all Morris

Cohn was to me at first. As I read through the documents

contained in the folder I realized what I‘d stumbled upon.

Morris Young was my great grandfather. Much like

Morris Cohn, He immigrated to the United States from

Russia. With the help of my grandfather Leonard Savitt,

we were able to fill in the details that the archive could

not. This story is about what lies behind the red white

and blue. It's about a dream.

This is a story composed of two lives.

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the lawMorris Cohn was born

in a small town about

40 miles from Kiev, a

middle size city in Russia.

Whenever we asked him

where he came from,

he always would reply,

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the lawBut anyone who knew suspected Morris, or

Moisha, as he was commonly called, never

lived in Kiev. The law during the early 1900

was that a Jew was never allowed to live in a

metropolis like that. But rather all Jewish com-

munities existed in small towns around the city.

“I am ofen RUSSIA .”KI-EV,

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v

During this era there were serious anti-semitic movements all over Russia and Poland. The great “Pogroms” of the era were weekly occurrence.

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v

Bands of anti-semitic

gangs roamed the small

towns, and harassed

the Jewish communities.

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aa

&THUGS

would cause chaos

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in what might have been a quiet Jewish community.

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Generally life became unbearable, in that a Jew could never get a job in a public or city government, large companies would openly refuse

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to hire a Jew and there

was little option for Jewish

people to make a living.

Even schools prohibited

attendance by Jewish kids.

The Jewish community was

forced to fend for itself.

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Jewish children were educated but strictly in religious Jewish schools called “cheders” and most Jewish breadwinners provided a living by starting small business enterprises to eke out a living on their own.

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It was not uncommon to find a small clothing

store, a shoemaker, a bicycle repair store, a bakery all owned by the local Jews in town.

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Main Entry: en·tre·pre·neur Pronunciation: \,än-trə-p(r)ə-'n ə r, -'n(y)u̇r\ Function: noun Etymology: French, from Old French: one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise

Main Entry: en·tre·pre·neur Pronunciation: \,än-trə-p(r)ə-'n ə r, -'n(y)u̇r\ Function: noun Etymology: French, from Old French: one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise

Main Entry: en·tre·pre·neur Pronunciation: \,än-trə-p(r)ə-'n ə r, -'n(y)u̇r\ Function: noun Etymology: French, from Old French: one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise

Main Entry: en·tre·pre·neur Pronunciation: \,än-trə-p(r)ə-'n ə r, -'n(y)u̇r\ Function: noun Etymology: French, from Old French: one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise

Main Entry: en·tre·pre·neur Pronunciation: \,än-trə-p(r)ə-'n ə r, -'n(y)u̇r\ Function: noun Etymology: French, from Old French: one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise

Main Entry: en·tre·pre·neur Pronunciation: \,än-trə-p(r)ə-'n ə r, -'n(y)u̇r\ Function: noun Etymology: French, from Old French: one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise

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Main Entry: en·tre·pre·neur Pronunciation: \,än-trə-p(r)ə-'n ə r, -'n(y)u̇r\ Function: noun Etymology: French, from Old French: one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise

Main Entry: en·tre·pre·neur Pronunciation: \,än-trə-p(r)ə-'n ə r, -'n(y)u̇r\ Function: noun Etymology: French, from Old French: one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise

Main Entry: en·tre·pre·neur Pronunciation: \,än-trə-p(r)ə-'n ə r, -'n(y)u̇r\ Function: noun Etymology: French, from Old French: one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise

Main Entry: en·tre·pre·neur Pronunciation: \,än-trə-p(r)ə-'n ə r, -'n(y)u̇r\ Function: noun Etymology: French, from Old French: one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise

Main Entry: en·tre·pre·neur Pronunciation: \,än-trə-p(r)ə-'n ə r, -'n(y)u̇r\ Function: noun Etymology: French, from Old French: one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise

Main Entry: en·tre·pre·neur Pronunciation: \,än-trə-p(r)ə-'n ə r, -'n(y)u̇r\ Function: noun Etymology: French, from Old French: one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise

Learning to enterprise was a special ability for

the Jewish population, knowing that they could

never get a job. The future was pretty dismal.

The only hope for most Jewish families was that

if they could get someone to sponsor them in the

United States, they would save their money, and

the husband would buy one ticket in steerage,

(the cheapest level in a boat) and leave to the US,

with a specific plan that when he saved enough

money, he would send for his wife so they could

start to live a better life.

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And so it was wıth Moisha Cohn, the son of a local rabbı ın the town. Hıs wıfe Ida, whıle very sad on learnıng that Moısha’s uncle Max, ın Chıcago, agreed to send hım some money and accept responsıbılıty for hım, they belıeved and prayed that theır dream would be fulfılled...

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And so, at the age of 27, Moısha Cohn left hıs small town and took a traın from

Russıa. He kıssed Ida and hıs two ınfant daughters, Ceıl

and Rose goodbye, traveled, thru Poland and south to a port cıty ın Yugoslavıa and

set saıl to Amerıcan.

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Morris arrived in NewYorkwith only $35 in his pocket, a small black satchel,

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a change of clothes, a ticket to Chicago,

and a dream.He arrived in Chicago where Max was waiting at the station. It was a godsend that a friendly face was there to greet him, although he had never seen him before. Max was Morris’s uncle’s oldest son.

They had come here in 1897 also in an attempt to escape the miserable life they lived. Max lead Morris to a local street corner, caught a streetcar, paid the four cents for each of them, and went home.

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Morris had never seen such a maze of humanity, apartment buildings, stores, traffic with horses, and bicycles filling the streets. “Finally,” Morris thought as they got off the streetcar. Max led him three blocks to Morgan Street and up three flights of stairs to a small apartment. Max, his wife Pearl, and their two small daughters lived in this two-bedroom apartment. Max showed Morris to his bed, which was in the living room. They had a small pullout bed, or studio couch as it was known, that opened up at night to a bed.

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Although this was nothıng lıke Morrıs

had dreamt he would arrıve to, he offıcıally

lived hıs fırst day of the Amerıcan lıfestyle.

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Max said, “ I will take

you to work with me

and try to arrange for

a regular job for you.”

So it was, Morris’

first job was in a

sweatshop. He would

be taught to cut fabric

for dresses, he would

work every day from

8 in the morning until

7:30 at night, with only a

half hour off for lunch.

Even Saturday for a half

day. He would receive a

salary of $14. 00 a week.

Morris set aside $2.50 of

it for Pearl,

“Tomorrow”“Tomorrow”“Tomorrow”

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“Tomorrow”Max’s wife, who provided dinner for him every night. He also set aside $2.50 a week for Ida, so some day she and her daughters could join him in America. The rest was for transportation and expenses during the week.Although Morris knew, it was not the road to wealth, at least he was independent, making his own way. With a promise of a future.

“Tomorrow”

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And so it was that Morris started his new life. That is except that every moment of the day that he could dream, he wished for the day that Ida could join him, and that maybe, maybe he could have a business of his own.

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After two and a half years. Morris had

accumulated enough to buy the cheapest

ticket for Ida and the two girls and went about

arranging for them to come here. At the same

time he heard about a little town, Rock Island,

about two hours south of Chicago that he

could rent a small store, pay only $65 a month

rent, and open up his own business. Morris

spent every moment of every day, waiting

for Ida to arrive, and for them to go to Rock

Island to see the small vacant store.

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Praised be You,

Eternal our God,

Ruler of the universe,

who has kept us alive,

sustained us

and permitted us

to reach this day.

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Molih Klm vnyhla H hta Kvrb [Nma] :hzh Nmzl vniyghv vnmyqv vnychw

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“Fınally I have reached fulfıllment of my dreams. Only four years ın thıs wonderful Amerıca and I am a busıness owner. No more a prısoner of a despotıc polıtıc system or the slave to a mıserable, heartless boss. Now I can realıze my own dreams, be my own person, and provıde the lıfe I have always dreamt of for my famıly.

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With a $1500 loan from Uncle Max, a

$1000 loan from the local bank in Rock

Island and only a signature to seal a three

year lease for 613 9th street, Rock Island,

Morris opened up his small shoe store

and upstairs he rented the two bedroom

apartment so he could live and work at the

same place: avoid any unnecessary expense.

Two or three manufacturers and a couple of

small jobbers were willing to extend limited

credit to the newly established Cohn Shoes.

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As Morris unpacked the first few cartons of shoes and stacked the shelves, he enjoyed moments of absolute delirium at the prospects of his new life. “ Who would believe that this day would finally come? “ My wife Ida was behind the counter, with $25.00 of small change for making sales and I, with my apron to look like the ‘successful entrepreneur’.

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When the first customer came in, looked around and picked a pair of shoes for $2.59 I felt like jumping into the sky, and after that a lady with a small child, then another and a man for a pair of sturdy work shoes. When the day was over, I walked over to Ida and asked, “So how did we do?” Ida, with a smile across her face, “Well, we started with $25.00 in cash and now I count $61.80. A net gain of $36.80. Not bad, huh, Morris.”

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And so it was that Morris reached the

beginning of his dream. The following year

they were blessed with their third child,

Howard. Rock Island was good for Morris

and Ida. Not only did they work hard and

develop a loyal trade, but also little by little

they made friends in town. Germans, Irish,

Jews and African-Americans, all settled in

distinct neighborhoods. Morris met a few

more Jewish families who lived near by and

they decided to start a small synagogue

in a vacant storefront. It was not long

before Morris knew that “he belonged.”

His friends came to him for advice. He

walked into the bank and said Hello to the

president, and marched up and down 9th

street looking straightforward like a man of

“importance” Within a few years, Morris

even had a small savings account. “A man

needs to save for the future, doesn’t he?”

He remarked to his Ida one day. “I have

been blessed,” said Morris, each and every

day that he got up to work, every day he

would stop by the local synagogue when

at least ten men would meet and say their

daily prayers. “In the back of my mind,

I knew, that without Hashem’s help,

I would never reach this day” After a

short service Morris would have his daily

libation, say L’Chaim (to life) and start his

regular routine. “My business is growing

by leaps and bounds,” he boasted. Only

one other shoe shop in town, and he is a

far-shloffener (asleep at the wheel) so

I can run promotions, give a coupon

once in a while, make a donation to

local organizations including the local

churches, and continue to grow my

business.” It wasn’t long before Morris

was able to reach $50,000 of sales volume

in one year. “For that I am proud, but

not half as proud as I am of my family.

After Ceil and Rose, then Howard, my

first American born child, and finally my

Abie. A growing business, a beautiful wife

and family, what else could I ask for?”

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In 1919, America was struck with a

world war.” Morris was terrified what

the future would bring, “ I hope I don’t

have to go to the army. After all I am

already 41 years old. I have a business, a

growing family, a mortgage on my house,

and a bundle on my plate. Thank God,

I was not called but Rock Island was not

the same after that. Many of our young

boys were called to fight, many of the

factories that were producing consumer

goods were required to retool and make

items for the war. A shoe factory stopped

manufacturing shoes, and made marching

boots for the army. The local clothing

factory was making uniforms. A tool and

die shop in town was making parts for

weapons. Much of the merchandise I

need was just not available. My customers

were coming into the store, asking for

simple items, but I had to tell them they

were not available. Who would have

believed that I had the customers, but did

not have the merchandise!“

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For Morris, it was heartbreaking, not only for his business, but for his love of the country; that they should be so overwhelmed with a world war. “I thought I escaped from these problems. But I guess they follow you wherever you go. But, of course, why should I complain, look where I was and look where I am now.”

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The war came to an end in four years.

Life in Rock Island started to come back.

In fact with the return of the soldiers,

and the return of the factories to normal

production, business was experiencing

a post-war boom. “The town was

burgeoning with new business, the

factories were over loaded with orders,

and money was available to spend” A

pair of boots that were $1.59 were now

up 40% to $2.19. And Morris’ sales

volume was growing, as was his savings.

Morris was now able to treat his family

to their own car, a 1921 4 door Packard,

green with matching seats inside.

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is yours,” Morris proudly shouted,

“pick whatever you want and don't

look at the price.” It was a moment I

shall never forget. The sheer happiness

of my whole family, and the pride

that I felt." The next few years were

the greatest prosperity this country

has every seen. From the end of

the war, 1923, to 1929, everything

went right. The price of homes and

property were skyrocketing. People

knew a new investment, the New York

Stock Exchange. I remember buying

General electric stock. I paid $9.70 in

1924 and two years later it was over

$14.00, an increase of over 30%.”

I remember when I drove that new

car home the first time, I pulled up

in front of the house, honked the

horn, Ida looked out the window,

and shrieked. She came running

out followed by Ceil, Rose, Howard,

and even Little Abie. Everyone

wanted to get in the car and go

for a ride. I got back behind the

wheel. Put on my driving glasses,

my over coat, and started up the

car. Everyone screamed with joy. I

drove them from my house, right

through town, down 9th street, past

my store, and right over to Freilich’s

Ice Cream Emporium. The choice

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Morris watched his business, but in every spare moment, Morris watched the stock market.” He never stopped talking about the companies he’d be watching.

I learned the American Way, invest your money, and let your money make money.

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Their share cost, and their prospects. “We have to be aware of what is going on around us, “ Morris said, “because America has gold on the streets for the taking, and I want to be a part of that prosperity”

because America has gold on the streets for the taking, and I want to be a part of that prosperity”

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That was until that prosperity was totally overblown, abused, and came

to a screaming halt. In 1929, the market experienced Black Monday.

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A catastrophic crash in the New York Stock Market.

Overnight stocks lost 40% to 60% of

their value. People who had bought

real estate at over valued prices, with

hardly no money down, and stocks

on margin, were wiped out overnight.

The lost of stock market value and the

owner’s inability to come up with the

margin requirement lost all, and with

the turn in the economy, everyone

across the country was affected.

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“I never saw anything like it,” Morris

muttered, “Union men out of work, long

lines every morning hoping for just a days

wages, people’s homes foreclosed on. Even

debtors unable to pay, it was like a curse

hit the American economy.

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In order to keep my business, I had to give

shoes to my customers on credit. A dollar

down, and 25 cents a week. My cash flow

went down to nothing, my debts were rising,

and my stock market holdings vanished. Who

would have believed that it could happen?

And as a result of this chaos and sanitary

conditions, my health was no longer perfect.”

business, but the customers didn’t have the money.Of course, now I had the merchandise, I had the“

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Nishtu gedachtFirst my doctor told me that I had a high sugar

count, with signs of Diabetes. Then the worry and

fears started to affect my sleeping; I was obsessed with

the future. Worst thing of all, I started to get pains

in my chest. Nishtu gedacht, God forbid. It

wasn’t long until I rose every morning with a dozen

pills to remediate the health problems.

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Nishtu gedacht

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Chap nitChap nit, you have to let up a little, “ Ida hollered. “Money is

not everything in life.” Morris knew that she was right but it was not

easy to let all that he had built go by the wayside. Ida came to the

store in the afternoon so Morris could go home a little earlier and

take a rest. All of the kids came in after school so that they could

help. It is not my business,” Morris would say, “it is our business. It is

what makes our life comfortable. And after I am gone, you kids can

take over the business, with Hashem’s will, it will provide for you and

your family, like it provides for mine, it is our [Golden Cow].”

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President Roosevelt was elected in 1932 after three years of the worst economic problems in recent history. Everyone looked to him with a dream for a better life, and a change from what had happened. He promised change, people believed in him, and when election time came he was elected.

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As Morris hoped, the economy

did start to pick up as a result of

many of Roosevelt’s programs, but

Morris’s health did not improve. His

symptoms become more common

and were appropriately diagnosed as

the White Death. In fact, in the next

few months, Morris was required to

let go of many of his responsibilities.

Doctors told him emphatically that he

must relocate to a sanitarium at once.

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It was as though someone pulled the rug

out from under me. Ida and I often stayed up late into the night discussing how we would afford such treatment.

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A good friend of mine

from the Jewish National

Worker’s Alliance, Mr.

Louis Segal, mentioned

that there was a free of

charge sanitarium in

Colorado, and that his

father had planed on

going there. His father

had passed the night

before last, merely a

statistic of the times.

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He told me his father was to go to a

Sanıtarıum ın Lıberty, New York, through the

Workmen’s Allıance called Workmen’s

Cırcle Sanıtarıum. It was paıd for already

and they wouldn’t know the dıfference.

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HE WAS OFFERING ME HIS FATHER’S PLACE.

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A flash back of the humanity I had experienced my first day in America rushed back to me. I spoke with Ida that night and we decided it was best.

I WAS ASTONISHED.

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I arrived at the sanitarium on March 25th 1935 with a short-term lease. Working with the Workmen’s Alliance Branch 66 of Rock Island Morris was able to migrate with a few fellow patients to Colorado to the Jewish Consumptive Relief Society. They checked out on June 35, 1936 and set out on their journey.

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Morris and his companions checked into the JCRS on July 8th, but the travels were hard on his frail body. Morris was now losing the will to fight as he once had, and often found himself grasping onto his faith as tightly as the dye to his fingers from the shoes he not so long ago fashioned. The summer was dry with most harsh weather seeming to split south of the property. Time crept ever so slowly, no hustle and bustle of a rich commerce and city but rather cattle lazily grazing the fields, the chewing and re-chewing of its cud, and the occasional vehicle heading west along Colfax Ave.

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“Summer came and went as the afternoon rains would. I remember being warned of the winter. People telling me, “I better get a coat and boots,” they said, “When it snowed the west becomes a wall of ice reaching to the heavens.”

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When winter came it became very apparent they hadn’t been to Chicago. Though it snowed quite a bit that winter and the next, days were still, and clear.

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“The sun would burn my skin when I stayed out too long but they said that was the medicine. The sun, believe that, even the air. If you ask me, it lacked substance but I’m grateful for my friends, and the secretary who delivers my correspondences. I don’t regret coming here, but I often wonder what will become of Rock Island, my home, my family, and my dream.

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May the great name of God be exalted and sanctified, throughout the world, which he has created according to his will. May his Kingship be established in your lifetime and in your days, and in the lifetime of the entire household of Israel, swiftly and in the near future; and say, Amen.

May his great name be blessed, forever and ever.

Blessed, praised, glorified, exalted, extolled, honored elevated and lauded be the Name of the holy one, Blessed is he above and beyond any blessings and hymns, Praises and consolations which are uttered in the world; and say Amen. May there be abundant peace from Heaven, and life, upon us and upon all Israel; and say, Amen.

He who makes peace in his high holy places, may he bring peace upon us, and upon all Israel; and say Amen.

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byrq Nmzbv algib larwy tyb lkd yycbv:Nma vrmav

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:Nma vrmav .larwy

vnyli Mvlw hwiy avh vymvrmb Mvlw hwi:Nma vrmav .larwy lk liv

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