Clark Letter--1858 Bexar County, Texas Contributed by: Angela Feenerty {feenerty@ovnet.com} ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Miss Elizabeth Clark, Dear Sister, I received your kind letter dated Feb 21st and was truley happy to hear from you, and that you wor all well. I myself am in good health at the preasant time and hope those fiew lines may reach you finding in the same state of health. I am now working under the employ of Mr Cle~. I am in the armerry at smithin, as back tailor used to say, making locks and things. Aney how there is one thing about it that I am certon on and that is that I am getting two dollars per day work or play. When I work i get 2 dollars and when I don’t I get two dollors, also this is the third week I have ben at work for them and am well pleased with the situation and shopmates which there are about 30 hands at work. There all agreeable men to work with although ther wor one of the hands that got into a little difficulty that caused him to loose his life in front of the ~lassy house. The names o the two wor Wilcox and ~ Hacket. Wilcox stabed Hacket in the abdomen about two inches left of the navel. The knife went through the stommoc cutting the stommac vain then into the ~. Hacket lived about 30 hours after the stab then died and was burried with all the honners of the Odd Fellows and mutch lamented for through the city, as he was mutch liked by all that knew him and the other is not liked scarely by aney, but that says nothing. Wilcox has made his escape to parts unknown. You say in your letter that you had a party. I am glad that you all enjoy yourselves. I would liked to have ben there myself to have shared some of your enjoyment, but you know the best of friends have to be seperated once in a while but I hope that that will not always be the case. Tell Burlow I thank him for sending his compline to me and tell him that I will still be more in his det if he will just rite me a fiew lines and let me know how he is getting and how the galls and times in North Wheeling are making it now an average. Give my compliments to John Ford’s family and tell them I am still on hands like an old pare of shoes. Tell the rest of the Wheeling folks that I am under obligations to them for small favors larger ones in proportion. Give my compliments to them all. Give my respects to Lee Smith in return and tell him to rite and tell us the fassions, that is if he ain’t to bussy to scribe a little and also ask him when he is going down to old Eaneses warehouse to get his pockets full of appels again. Give my compliments to Workman’s family, Wilkin’s family, Nan and all the *island folks included of aquaintances. The next time you see Marry Jane give my respects to her and also give my cincere respects to Marry Ann Jephers and mothers folks tell them that if they wor out here they could make a fortune making carpets to cover hackell floors as they have no floors but bare ground or cowhides to sleep, eat and sit on, them that have no benches in there houses. Tell Marry Miller that I have none I can’t, what she asked for can’t make out but aney how tell her that I have none since. Well I believe I have rote all that I can think of at the presant. James Dunn and family sends ther best respects to you all. Give my love to father, mother, sisters and brother Nothing more at presant but remaining yours cincere son and brother WA Clark Bexar County Canantonio Texas Mar 14 1858 direct your letter to be left at the ordinance ~ to WA Clark ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Is this your family? Contact me if so. They're not my line, but I have more data on them, and am interested in swapping info. *The Island referred to here is Wheeling Island, which is an island in the Ohio River directly across from Wheeling WV. Angela Feenerty ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent.