An eight page letter written in pencil to Belle Tisdale Booksh from her son Wilton is in places hard to read so I will post just the first and last pages along with the transcription of the full letter. Wilton is at Belair Sugar Mill working in the lab during grinding season. He may have been in an apprenticeship position as he refers to his teacher.
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| 11 Nov 1906 letter WTB to AMB Page 1 |
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| 11 Nov 1906 letter WTB to AMB Page 8 TRRANSCRIPTION [Page 1] Belair 11/17/1906 [Imprint LIBERTY] Dear home: – Well I have a little time to write a little note so here goes: - I dont see why that pastel should be hidden away among a lot of your antiques, I didn't send it for that, If I'd known that was the way you would treat it, Isbelle would have received it. Samie I had a nice long letter from the “queen” a couple of days ago, the first letter I've had from her since before I went to Chatt. Tell her that I'm not going to wait as long to write to her as she took to write to me. Well Papa how are you, I guess its pretty near time for you and Old Man Poor [drawing of bird's head] to take that hunt, When are you [Page 2] going and how long are you to stay. Tell all the folk up there “howdy” for me, and kiss as many of them as will let you (do that for me too) here is a little poem for Georgie, in this letter. We used to tease her with those lines last year. Now write to me. Rooney: I know you're worked to death Poor Dear Sister, but I'd be delighted to have a few lines from you (tho I have no time for fishing) I was sorry not to see your name among the winners, but it could not be helped, now study hard, and from the present way things are going I may be able to eat turkey with you this year. Mama: the wind is blowing so hard that the river is almost running up stream, it has waves in it at least [Page 3] 3 feet high. This wind has been coming from the south since yesterday morning, it fairly roars, and hisses and the river sounds like when you stir the water around in a big tub, Just now there is not a cloud around, tho the 1st part of the day was cloudy. I have taken some pictures with the teacher's Kodak, and am going to take some more. The girl who sent me that rose sent another, tho it has not been delivered. Dont worry about how hard I work for I dont work so hard considering that I am holding 2 Jobs. Ive invented a system by which I can always go to bed before ten at night, with all my work right up to date. That is as follows: up at 5:30, make daily Report, and find what sugar has been made during [Page 4] the night, and what molasses, then go to Breakfast (about 8 am oclock, or a little before; back to work at about 9 am and analyse all the syrup and molasses made since my departure at 9 ½ or 10 pm night before, figure up all these, take hold of the Book keeping, part of my job, and bring it up to date. By then it is 11 or 12 oclock. If the later, I go to dinner and come back about 1 PM, analyse every thing up to that time and Book keep some more, fool around some, eat some cane go down and talk to Chas. Then come back and do whatever analysing I can before supper then after supper I very seldom have any thing but a few figures and some work on my Books, then Im off for Bed, this wont get to you till Monday so Ill rest a while now and start on some cane, [Page 5] for I have some time. I have some responsibility too. I manage the Juice tanks and their men, and the sugar and its dryers so, Im kept going just about enough. Monday Nov 19, 1906. Well, the mill stopped yesterday evening at 4 ½ P.M, I finished my register work today at 12 PM, and started on my Inventory and finished it in 4 hours, that's going some. Now I'm at liberty to write these few last lines to this letter. That girl sent me some more flowers, and the teacher got J a [heap?], and wanted me to throw them a way but I didnt. (She Loves me) The wind has eased up just a little, It has been blowing hard since Friday Morning, by the time you answer this, Page 6] we will have a freeze on. I see by the paper that the Club is to send Samie along with others to Shreveport. Well that will be a trip wont it? Charles and I are both well tho Charles has a sort of hard Boil on his under Jaw. Did I tell you about the Band? Well Mr. Gros leads the Belair Band in the house. You ought to have heard the noise, there are nine pieces to it, all brass except the two drums. Well every n-----r in that Band tried to Blow his horn to pieces. I wont get the salary I was expecting, (d-m it) nor any thing else near it. Ill get $65 (I wont write what I think about it) You ask if we are comfortable? Well aside from that d-m little salary, we're alright. Plenty of clothes [Page 7] and I gave Charles back his Rubber Coat, and my rubber Boots, for when it rains he'll be out in it. I took his overcoat and ordered a pair of Boots thru the co. You ought to see them cost $12.00 Retail. The co. got them for $8.00 cost price, so that's what I got 'em for. They are fine, reach right up to my knees and keep we warm. They are worth every cent at $12, so I'm $4 ahead on the deal. Ill stop a while now as I have a strike of sugar coming down and I want to give the dryers a good start before supper. Well I guess I'd better close this, for here it is Tuesday and I have not sent it “yet,” I enclose one of the pictures, the others were no good, I send you the film, this [Page 8] is me weighing a sample, and that dim figure on the other side of the scale is William, my negro boy, that little bottle by me is filled with sulphuric other [drawing of a bottle] next to it is the Lead [drawing of a bar – page torn - also?] a little way from that is water 2 [drawing of bottle] two tubes in it, #1 to blow thru and #2 for the water to come out. Back of the whole thing is my desk. That white co[rd] [page torn] on my leg is my watch fob. And the thing I'm sitting on is a chair with a piece of white cloth on the seat of it. Well By Bye Have the picture printed, it will cost about 3 cents or a nickle Kid P.S. Two of the dogs are still here, the other alas! is in Mobile (dead)
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