CARTER COUNTY, TN - MISC - Student Letters - Milligan College ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Cindy McCachern McCachern@worldnet.att.net ==================================================================== Cave Spring Carter County, Tenn. Jan. 1st 1883 My Dear son Robert: We are as well as common and it seems a long time since we heard from you. Please write soon. We are in the midst of plenty of everything. By the blessing of God. We have had a cold snap or two. The mercury went down to 60 twice in December but does not stay there more than 10 or 12 hours then up again. We had a snow the 29th some 4 or 5 inces deep but mostly gone now. The school is going on very well. Full of students every where. The people are waking up from their lethergy since thie N.G.R.R. has been started. There is a decided change for the better since we were here 2 years ago and there is a talk of another starting from another point on the E.T.VA. and G.R.R. and running a S.E. direction opening up another section of E. Tenn that is said to be rich in mineral wealth and timber of almost all kinds. Mother joins in love to you all. Remember us kindly to all our friends. As ever lovingly. Your father, J. V. LaRue Milligan, Tenn. July [1896] Dear Auntie and all: I was real glad you took a notion to write again. I never took the Sunday school class. I am in George Lyon's class. He makes a very good teacher. Studies well. They have been having such dreadful singing in Sunday school. I concluded I would take the children and see what I could do for them. I began yesterday. I think I can make a great change if I can get them together. I helped to send out the catalogues or rather I sent most of them. We have the papers on hand now. Guess I will have to sent out most of them. Mr. McConnell left as soon as the normal was over. Willie Shelburn has just come in. I do not know whether I told you or not. I played one night for them during the normal. There was quite a crowd all seemed to enjoy it very much. Played three pieces. Mrs. Showalter went to his fathers and stayed two weeks and was then going on to her home. I do not think Mr. Showalter will engage in the earning business. I think he intends to go to Baltimore, go to school and sit around the streets and trade to make his way. That is what I gather from Mrs. Ewing. Guess she got her information from Mr. Willie. He seemed to make a confident of him. The rooms Mrs. C. and your mother occupied are vacant--only their boxes are packed sitting in there. They are having the cisterns cleaned out today. They have new paper for all the rooms. Mine is nicer than the rest. Willie S. sent for a man this morning to come and paper my room. He thinks I will be better satisfied if I have my room fixed. Trying to console me. I had a long letter from Mrs. Redford wanting me to go to Europe with their party. I showed it to Mr. McConnell and told him I never wanted to go any place as bad in my life. He looked like he did not know what to say. Just twisted and screwed and lauged silly. Said he never felt so mortified in his life for he would like for me to go so much. Said of course I could do as I pleased but he would not say once for me to go, so I wrote and told Mrs. Redford just how it was. But I could not go without their consent so she sat down and wrote by return mail insisting that I go and telling the many advantages of going with this crowd. Mr. McConnell had gone so I made up my mind I would go. Was fixing to write to Mr. Bickly to see if I could get the money when Willie Shelburne came home. He liked to had a spell. Thought it would be just terrible for me to leave them now. Said he knew I would find other chances. Thought I had better wait and go in nineteen hundred, but I do not intend waiting that long if I get a good chance. It certainly was a great disappointment to me but guess I will get over it. I'm afraid I never will have such another opportunity. Will hope for next year. Will try to think it was the best for me not to go. It has been the dream of my life to take just such a trip and think I will yet get to go. I certainly did want to go, but would not think of going without their consent. I do not think it would be treating them right. Sinclair Burleson is home. He and his wife started together. He to come here and she to go to her mothers after there seperated, she was taken sick on the train and was taken to a hospital in Richmond, Va. Her child was born dead. She sent him a telegram not to come that she was doing real well. He started out when he got to Johnson he got another telegram not to come so he came back. Jim cat is getting fat and so am I. Mrs. Ewing thinks I am real plump now. I know you will stop to laugh all of you. Willie S. says he certainly will go on Roan Mt. with me. If he does not go before school opens he will go then. They have so much to do now. We think we will go to link field Thursday night to hear the phonograph. What come down. I can't get him to talk about Europe. He wants to take me home with him. I think he is afraid he will not find me here when he comes back. Mrs. McConnell has not come back yet. Mrs. Williams took supper with us a few evenings ago. I believe she thinks more of you than any one here. Bob is home again. He went home with Ollie and stayed q uite a time. We have had lots of nice apples and plums. Love to every one and little for you know I love you every one of you. Write often. Sallie [Wade] I am so glad Lettie will get to take a trip this summer. Think it will do her a great deal of good. I guess I will have to go and send out papers. We got all the subscription list this morning. It has been raining very hard. Has quit now. Guess I will not get a letter from our new work man today. Mrs. R. wrote to him to write to me and Mr. McConnell. December 29, 189[6] Milligan, Tenn. Dear Auntie and All: You need not be fussing about any writing. You had been owing me a letter for a long time. I was getting uneasy. Did not know but you had been off to some unknown land. I was ever so glad to get your letter but this is the first time I have felt like I had time to write and it is now nine o'clock at night. I got up another cantata and it kept me so busy. I hardlyhad time to breathe, but it was a success so of course so folks say. For my work they had a Xmas tree. I had to run it up to the ceiling on . It was very pretty. Had a social in the hall that night. Everyone seemed to have a good time. I let the girls have company Xmas day. I went to Johnson to see Franklin. She is fixed up real nice. I had a nice visit with her but had to come home the next day in the storm for I had promised the girls a candy pulling and I know they would be so disappointed. I did not get back for I had not told them about the sugar if I did not get back. It took two boys, Frank and Jim Owings to hld me up when I got off the cars but I got here safe and they certainly were glad to see me. I gave them the candy pulling for my Xmas gift to all of them. I made the candy myself. It was just as nice as it could be. They had a great deal of fun pulling it. We took up school Friday morning. I let the girls have company Friday night. They went to the negro Xmas tree. The said they had a splendid time. They had company in the parlor this afternoon. I think I will let them have a social at the hall Tuesday night and that must be the end. I guess we will have an entertainment the twenty-sixth of this month for the benefit of the library so I will have to go right to work again. Mr. Mock has the measles. He and Frank C. went to Atlanta and I guess he caught them down there. Frank's brother and father went with him. Frank is such a nice boy this year. He does not study as much as he might but maybe he will after while. Mr. McCartney, George Taylor, Isaac, and Tom Briggs, Vippie Ewing and Mr. Bunts all went to Atlanta last week. Willie Shelburn went to see Ina. George Shelburn came to spend Xmas with . Believe they will marry. I do not believe Willie Shelburn will stay here another year but do not say any thing about it until some one else tells you. I think Mr. Garrett will hire him out. Mr. Willie wants to preach. Mattie and Jim O. are about to break up. There are other nice boys here who would love to go with her and I am trying to get her to go with them and be independant. I believe she will this time. Jennie Shelburn and Mr. Reynolds have been corresponding all the time. Frank has been with her lately. The girls do not have cases like they did last year. They change around. It is much nicer for them. I have enough candy and good things to last me a month given me by different ones. Got some nice flowers and Misses Owings and Smith gave me a cushion for my rocker. It was just what I wanted. Willie S. gave me a nice box of candy. I had a good time seeing all the girls and boys enjoying themselves. Mr. Thomas seems to be very much pleased with Miss Owings but I do not know what Lizzie will say about it. She sent him a nice book. He didn't send her anything but put a silk handkerchief in the tree for Miss Owings. Roberta does not have any particular beau, but she always manages to get in some way but does not keep them very long. As soon as a new one come, she trys for him. Mr. Mock went with Alice Ewing one night. Her mother had to make her go. She and Manda are very backward but they will come out after while. Mr. McConnell's brother, Bob, the Doctor is here with his bride. He married a girl who went to school here I think her name was Annie Slairn or something like that. Her sister is here also. The retiring bell has just rung. I guess I will have to stop. I am very tired anyway and guess I have about told all the new. Mr. Felts had to go home. He could not afford to stay after he married. George Sells keeps the library now. Love to all. Tell Mrs. LaRue I would love to come in her room and see her. I think it about time Mr. C. was writing. Do not wait. so long this thime. Good night. Sallie