20 December 1885 Letter from Lee Emmitt Thomas to Florence Smith Submitted for the Union Parish Louisiana USGenWeb Archives by Robert S. Hendrick, 10/2006 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ Materials from the Personal Collection of Dr. Robert S. Hendrick, Jr. Transcribed and submitted by Robert S. Hendrick, Jr. ================================================================================= ================================================================================== 20 December 1885 Letter from Lee Emmitt Thomas to Florence Smith Explanation: Florence Eleanor Smith (9 Nov 1870 – 11 Apr 1957) was the daughter of long-time Union Parish Recorder William Callaway Smith (6 Nov 1828 – 23 Dec 1880) and Elizabeth Amy Manning (4 Nov 1837 – 15 Nov 1879). William C. Smith had moved with his father John Smith from Dallas County Alabama to Linville about 1840. Smith was elected as the Union Parish Recorder in the early 1850s and served until his health declined in the latter 1870s. Florence's brother James M. Smith served as the Clerk of Court for Union Parish from 1879 through 1900, and later held statewide office himself. Lee Emitt Thomas was a prominent politician with Union Parish roots. He was born in Marion to Benson B. Thomas & Susan S. George, both of whom were born in Perry County Alabama near the Town of Marion. B. B. Thomas owned a store in Marion (Union Parish) and seemed to have done well. L. E. Thomas (or Mimi as my family called him) received his law degree from Washington & Lee and returned to Farmerville to practice. Before 1900 he moved to Shreveport where he quickly became active in politics. His offices included: Louisiana St Representative from Caddo Parish Speaker of the House State Bank Examiner Mayor of Shreveport L. E. Thomas also ran for the United States Senate as an anti-Long candidate, but was defeated. Mimi is mentioned more than once in T. Harry Williams' book. Huey Long referred to him as "Old Wet Jug". Family lore says that Huey visited his house one night before he ran for his third term as Mayor and told him he would defeat him if he didn't support his programs. Mimi refused and lost all his savings running an unsuccessful campaign. Florence Smith, known as "Yayee" by the family, had a domineering personality. It can be summed up by my grandfather. When she was widowed he told my grandmother (her niece) "If Yayee moves in. I'm moving out!". Also, she insisted that my Aunt be named after her. From the tone of the letters, you can tell that she played very hard to get with Mr. Thomas. ================================================================================== ================================================================================== Transcription of Letter ================================================================================== ================================================================================== University of Virginia December 20, 1885 Miss Florence Smith Mt. Lebanon, LA Miss Florence, A merry, merry Christmas to you. I am heartily ashamed of myself for not having responded to your letter sooner, fully intended doing so once, but somehow I neglected it. Will you please pardon my negligence. Please don’t let your angry passions rise, of course I understand why you did not write. Excuse me, but I am compelled to say that your evasion is somewhat clever, for you must certainly know as I wrote you, that the photo was given me only on condition that you interposed no objection, and from reading between the lines of your letter I can clearly see that you would never have given your consent since you use these words “I don’t see how I can object as it was her gift con-sequently I have no objections to offer”, signifying that it would be your desire to do so. I fear I should have returned it had I not desired ever so to keep it. It stands upon the table now as I write and also when I study it seems as if my thoughts gather themselves together & flow on all the more smoothly. Of course I understand your position and appreciate the same, but you may rest assured that he shall never know that I have the picture. By the way, there is another idea I hope to be able to disabuse your mind of and that is that during last Summer I did not know of the tacit understanding existing between you & a certain young gentleman for had I had known. I assure you that I should never have attempted to discommode him of you by my presence, far from it, I thought you free, but I know now how insufferable my position must have been. I ask a thousand pardons, not however for anything I said or did, which was & must forever remain in all truth & sincerity, but for the inconvenience I caused you. I thank you very much indeed for you very much indeed for the compliment in that my “photo” will be any addition to your album, but fear that you are mistaken, however I send it & trust or rather hope that it will not receive as cruel a fate as the original. I also send you a Christmas greeting in the form of a card & also the works of Shakespeare, which I hope you will receive as a token of pure, unalloyed friendship. I went to New Orleans, but not finding Tulane any comparison to this University I left there & came here about the 24th and hope to make my degree, though I am eight weeks late, but “Jordan will be a hard road to travel.” In passing through Shreveport I noticed where you registered at the City Hotel on Thursday night during the fair. The Ladies Chapel Aid Society gave a magnificent entertainment in the Public hall last week netting them $700.00 for the completion of the Chapel. It was called the “Congress of Nations” & each young lady was dressed in the native costume of the nation. She represented. They almost had any thing that one desired. One young lady’s costume was imported direct from Switzerland for the occasion, I tell you it was a recherché affair. But I must desist for I fear I have already drawn this out too long& also fear displeasure not hearing permission to write. If I have said too much or if I have said anything in this to wound you in any way I do most sincerely ask that you will forgive the offense for you must surely know that it was impossible for me to have intended such & especially toward you. Wishing you all the happiness possible in the successful completion of your studies at Mt. Lebanon & hoping you may receive the “photo” & without any delay, I bid you goodbye. Your True Friend, L. E. Thomas ####################################################################