James Russell Estes Family Letter

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.