Duplin County, NC - William Grimes Papers ¤¤¤¤¤¤ Jacksonville, Texas Dec. 15th 1905 Dear Wm, I suppose that by this time you know that I have left h^me for a little trip among the children. I left Marshall about nine o'clock on 22nd Nov. I decided to come by Terrell which is 117 miles from Marshall. I was in time to get the Midland train for Paris but it would have put me in Paris after dard, I had some headache and decided to stay and take the morning train, which would put me in Paris about eleven A. M. I stayed where I and Maggie stayed July 3rd.on acct. of crippled engine the train was nearly two hours late, which put me in Paris at one P. M. They were not looking for me before about the 30th. I took Thanksgiving dinner with Sallie. It is 84 miles from Terrel] to Paris and 86 miles from Paris to Bokhoma, I. T., to which place I went on Sunday afternoon arriving there at Henry L's about dusk. Monday 4th was Tom's birthday. I left there Tuesday A. M. back to Paris. Stayed in Paris until Friday 8th at 9 A. M. I left on the Santa Fe for Dallas, 100 miles. Arrived there at one P. M. and left at 2 P. M. on trolley for Ft. Worth and arrived there at 3:30 P. M., distance 32 miles. I expected this to be my most delightful ride but not so. The frequent stops and starts soon had me ap sick as & dog and arrived there in that condition. Was assisted in getting off and to a hotel near. By the time I got to the sidewalk I felt my dinner coming up and I tried to put it in the gutter but it fell on the sidewalk. Biscuit, chicken, crackers, apples, bananas, pecans, etc. on the sidewalk was let. There was a man came up in a one horse express wagon, I was able by that time to ask some questions and asked for a car to Stella Street and N. Y. Avenue 1100. I also asked for a phone to that place. He examined a phone book and found none. He then looked at 1101 and found that was Mrs. White and he said this is Tom White's widow. That was what I wanted, being on the opposite corner from Turner, so for .25 he took me to Turner's. They were all gone but I took a seat on the gallery. After a while I saw a girl at Mrs. White's. I called her. She knew me before she got there. It was Zeila. She gave me a bed. I went to sleep. When Emma came I was asleep. Will Weathington called to see me, I was still asleep. Drury called, I was then awake. Emma came in and Turner soon came and Hollis and we were all glad together but I was not able to go to supper but was able to be at breakfast. Turner went to his job, got excused for the day without loss of pay. He has a good horse and buggy and took me out on a ride which was grand. we went to the packing house which beat anything I ever saw. Ask Tom W. about it, he saw it when he was here in Nov. We went back to dinner and rode again in the afternoon to see the most important places of the town. As I had seen and felt enough of trolley cars, I got a ticket that evening to return on T. P. to Nimeola, then on I. G. N. to Troupe, there change cars for Jacksonville on another branch of I.G.N, which was due here before dark, but the train was forty page 2 Minutes late and dark caught me at Troupe 18 miles but the moon was full, electric head light and coach lights electric, the road good, the run smooth, I was not sick. I dispatched from Ft. Worth, I was coming on I.G.N. by Mineola & Troupe. They all were there except Florence to meet me also one other young lady. Have been others here to see me since I came, Wm. Weathington and wife & Drury, Mrs. Mag & Miss White came to see me at Ft. Worth. When I left Marshall I ordered the Dallas News here which I found here on my arrival. My first letters to Paris, later ones to Jacksonville, I found here a letter from Lillie containing one from Alice Handley which contained the death of her husband Wm. Handley. When she went to Mansfield, La., she left him with his folks at Livingston, a prohibition town, he was a drinker. He went back to Lufkin, in three days he was found one morning in town dead, his neck broken, supposed by a fall. All (4) were present at his funeral. A letter from Lillie Informed me that Helen (Russess) Hope, who ran away in Sep. and married at Mag. M's in Ft. Worth has a baby and Hope is not the father of it. He has been back to Marshall to find the father and whip him. Martha told me it was to be before I left. I rec'd a letter from Sam at Hot Springs, Ark. for rheumatism, not improved and home sick but is there for three weeks. I rec'd one from Arthur yesterday, no news of importance. I expect to remain here until after Christmas. I took Thanksgiving turkey with Sallie and Florence has one for Christmas. I am faring sumptuously every day, weigh 164 Ibs I have seen some of the finest country a crow ever flew over, all prairie from Wills Point to beyond Hugo and back to Ft. Worth. I am behind several letters and have too much talking to do to write much. If you see Fannie, show her this, it will answer her's. Ed is gone to Bullard today, 22 mi. The weather has been fine but now cold wet. I have some cold, otherwise tollerably well and all well where I have been. I am well fed and housed and better still with Maggie and Floy. They treat me fine and every- body does likewise. Bro. Divis did not want to come back to Arleston so they sent Arleston circuit a better one, Williams. It is now 12:7 P.M., I forgot to say it is 150 miles from here to Ft. Worth, the route I came. Perhaps not so far by T.N.O. but it stops at Dallas. I write this to reach your P. 0. by Friday, your mail day. A letter from you would be appreciated. Direct to Jacksonville, Box 7 (be sure of the Box 7) Yrs. J. W. G. page 3 Since I got through writing this, I have tried to read It but I find It so mixed up It Is almost Impossible to put It together. I have been trying to write and talk and made a mess. Do the best you can with It as I can't write It over again. The children have come from school, I must close. Yesterday 12th was Daisy's birthday, 28th. Dec. l4th It rained so much yesterday, I never got this letter off. It rained last night and still cloudy and drizzly. The children and myself went to hear a graphophone talk and make music yesterday evening. I thought it was. very nice. It was operated by a pretty young lady, two more In the family. They live where Arthur lived I will try to get this off today. Note: The above letter was written by Joseph W. Grimes to his brother William S. Grimes at Arleston. Texas. ___________________________________________________________________ Copyright. 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