This letter submitted by
Michael Estes
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I recently had
a Maury County related letter handed down to me that you might be interested
in; provides a good look at life in 1910, and offers a few names that may be
familiar to some of your readers/genealogists. I'll be happy to provide a
digital copy of the letter in question to any interested.
To all who might be interested,
particularly those who are related to James Russell Estes. (Where James
Russell fits into the family can be found on David Powell's excellent website,
found here: http://www.triode.net.au/~dragon/ft/estes-ab.txt).
My parents gave me a letter to James (possibly from his mother). I'm
providing a transcribed copy, below, and will be happy to provide any and all
interested with a scanned copy of the letter. Providing the transcript
with mis-spellings and
awkward grammer as written; because of formatting challenges, I'll write
underlined words immediately preceded and followed by an underline (such
as _this_). Where I cannot make out the word, I will put (1W) or my best guess
in parentheses in its stead. Enjoy this look back at Tennessee life in 1910.
James Russell went on to fight in WWI.
Regards,
Michael
Estes
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Lieut James Russell Estes
Mt Pleasant Tenn, Apr. 27, 1910.
My Dear _Boy_
How are you, We are all well enjoying
our selves. to night just hear all of us. We have had a lot of
company for the last week, and to night we feel like the mill _shut_
down. Last week cousin Mollie was here for a day or so, and Monday, Nolie
had Lucille (T.) (Margaritee), Belle W. and Annie Hall Acuff to spend the day,
and Lucille stayed until this afternoon: but tomorrow we are to have an other
crowd to (morrow: [crossed out]) just to spend the day. They are Miss
Bessie & Johnnie Mrs Leanna Mathess Mrs (1W: looks like 'Mand') Sheegog and
Sister Callie and Leessie, Clyde's _wife_.
We try to have some good things to eat, when we have company. I
had one of _your_ _old_ __hens__ one day and she was so tough she was rite dry,
so she was not vy good, so to day I got a young henin the yard & she was
just fine, we had hash for supper & it was good. So to morrow we are
going to have some other good things, and I know we will starve the next
week. May and Nolie is going to Franklin next week. I told Wilburn
we would have (1W) and bread we had such nice beans and other thing in the
garden and had the biggest frost one or two nights and killed evy thing.
I had some beans covered up, but we had ice and it did not do vy good, every
boddy's corn was
killed and potatos too just evy thing
evry where it snowed Sunday & Monday, but did not stay in the ground, and the wind blew so cold, we did
not have much coal, and we was so cold and had to have fires day & night
& had company to a lot of boyes came to see the girls while Lucille was
hear a lot came out last night and stayed after twelve so May and Nolie have
gone to bed.