1905, WA: German-American social invitation
Nahh! Our Chinook invitation files are bulging.
The following post-frontier item is in loquacious, distinctly Settler-style, Northern Chinook Jargon.
Image credit: Jones Stevedoring
I say that because it involves Settlerisms (hy-u hee hee for ‘lots of fun; a real good time’) and mistakes that only Settlers tended to make (nika for mika; spose being overused).
The inviter was Henry Rothschild (probably in the above photo), son of Bavarian immigrant of 1858 to Washington Territory, David Charles Henry “Baron” Rothschild (1824-1886).
See if you would have understood this in your daily paper:
NAHH! [‘Hey!’]
Spose mesika ticky hy-u hee hee, Charco [‘If you folks want a lot of fun, come’]
Kapa Nesika Kopa Sec-Quim Sunday, [‘with us to Sequim (WA) on Sunday,’]
August 20th, 1905. — Ict hyas [p]ire Canim [‘August 20th, 1905. A big steamboat’]
klat-a-wa Yah-wa tenas sun spose 7:30 [‘will be going there in the morning at 7:30’]
tin tin; pee lo-lo kon-a-way til-li-cums, [‘o’clock, and take everyone (there),’]
spose nika pot-latch ict dollar, tenas [‘if you pay a dollar; kids’]
tillicums sitkum dollar. [’50 cents.’]
BARRON HENRY ROTHSCHILD,
Hyas Tyee Tenas Tillicums. [‘Chief (of the) Children.’]
L[ouis?]. J. KORTER,
Tzum Tyee. [‘Secretary.’]
— from the Port Townsend (WA) Daily Leader of August 16, 1905, page 2, column 2
I don’t know yet why Henry Rothschild signed himself as ‘Chief of the Children’, but here’s what’s thought to be a photo of him:
