MS 997 - Sarah V. Elder Dicken Papers Transcripts (January - September 1860)

January 27, 1860

Kansas Jan 27 1860

Dear sister I received your letter Jan 27 and was much pleased to hear from you I am well at present and am boarding at Edmond Ashs and going to school we have a good school the scarlet fever is raging out here so that they had to stop it but it begun again last Monday a week but I did not go till last Monday for they had it with in forty rods of the school house where a young lady died and a child. mother and will and haty was up to aunt sallie boors about 8 miles from here and I went up there last Saturday all night and went went to meeting to night mother is to uncle donts but will is up there yet mother and I was up to see out place last Wednesday it is cloce to the plank road mother likes it purty well we will feel mighty grand when we get in alog cabin with no doors in it mother likes this country very well she said she hoped that you would like it as well. I have an idea that she will not like it as well when she gets in our farm to worke it is stumpy which will make old curt swet you must not get to making love to any of the canfield students or bill john you must tewe em not to move north in stead of west for the western sharpers will far equal him I think you will think there is more relations out here than you can shake a stick at we have a good many I think there is some mighty good boys among the western sharpers ithink I can see the cars every day there is good living out in the black swamp plenty of pork beans and crout I will speak a good word for you amond the purty boys out here there is plenty of them you had better think you must speak a good word for me any how some that lives on the plank road but you must not be surprised when you come out here to find me making love to some of the western girls you must tell father the next time you see him that I sent my to him and all the rest of them but I must leave of for my arm is getting tired and it getting late and my eye leds is geting heavy

I am ever your
Afectionate brother

Curtis Elder
Sallie Elder
Curtis Elder
Write soon
Don't forget my letter

February 28, 1860

Kansas feb th 28 AD 1860

Dear Sister i have not heard from you but once Altho i have writen twice and i thought i would write as i have some things for you to get. mother said she did not think she had packed up paps boots. she said you must look up in uncle Johns house for them also to ask Caroline Tout for Charlotte Temple and she wanted to know who was coming out here with you she said you must not attempt to come out here by your selve try and get uncle ang if you can you must put on your best airs when you come out here or the western sharpers will make fun of you. you spoke of em making love to Mr Manchester and he said tat he did not under stand her and i would like to know when you seen mr hunt last you must not be surprised when you come out here to find me making love to some of the western girls. mother was over here about amonth ago and we went to see our farm in frog hollow. i reckon we will have musick in the summer i don't now whether you can get a school or not as there are purty near all taken up you cannot get the school in our district any how our school will be out the 6th of April you must give my love to the girls down there

March 1, 1860

Mar th 1 1860

i have writen 10 leters and only received 2 and if they don't think enough of me to answer them as they promest to, you can tell them that there is not much love lost as the western sharpers says there is lots of purty boys out here you had beter think but i must leave off for my arm is getting tired and i cannot think much more

yours respecfuly Sallie

i have not seen mother for about A month or bill or kate either and i want to see them it seem about an age since i came out here

Write soon

Sylvander Curtis Elder

April 1, 1860

April the 1st [1860?]

Well Sade

I received your kind letter yesterday and was very glad to hear from you. I am well at the present time but I was sorry to hear that Emma got hurt I hope she will get well pretty soon I would like to been at your School to played King with the Girls Gordon but I would made them run. I have hired for Eight Months and if I leave I will not get any thing And I cant leave so I will not be home before the first of December. tell the boyus that they must work like little Heroes and they will get along fine

When I come home I will tell you why I left I want you to leave my things in my trunk as I left them I have not much time to write Just now as the train that I am on will start in ten Minutes and I will have to fire up and get it to Snorten

tell me who all was over to your school from liberty if Josh and Hank was there or not. Leaws help my heart but it did snow a lot last Night.

tell rache to take good care of that infallible Flock of hers and have plenty of Cake to Eat.

Good by
this time
From Curt

May 12, 1860

Milton Ohio May the 12th 1860

Dear Friend Sallie

As I had a few leisure moments I thought I could not spend them any better than writing to you I am well at present I am now teacing about two miles west of our house I walked to school this morning I commenced a week ago today I like teaching midling well I have 18 scholars now I expect there willl more start this week ( it is noon and I cannot hear myself think) I only get $1,50 a week and board [-------]days in a month they give me every other Saturday Our folks were all midling well but my brother Jerrie he is verry poorly this spring we are afraid he never will get well he talks of going up to Lake Superior the Doctor thinks it will help him. I staid in Canfield untill after the Concert the (Contest) was real good the Court House was crowded Brown and Kirk were the debators Brown was on the negative and Kirk on the Affirmative the question was Resolve whether the Classics should be retained in College

Thursday night was the time we enjoyed ourselves first came one of the scenes in the schoolroom it lasted untill about 10 O'clock Miss Bruce introduced the seasons they were all dressed to suit the season Miss Bruce was dressed in white trimmed with Myrtle and flowers the skirt was tricked up with flowers Miss L. Osborn represented Spring She had on a shally trimmed with myrtle and a basket made of moss Maggie Townson was Summer she was dressed in white and trimmed with myrtle and flowers M. March represented Fall and was dressed an Brown Belgerene and trimed with brown leaves and had a basket of fruit and a bunch of ripe heads of wheat and oats and all kinds of grain and Ed. Cronk represented winter the Last was the best Miss Wright was Sorrow Miss Hitchcock was wealth Miss Dounce Beauty M. Edwards a Painter Bell Porter & Ella Mygatt Pleasures Miss Wright was dressed in black velvet low necked and short sleeve she had Black crape fastened in her hair and it hung to her feet she looked so well Miss H. in rich silk Miss Dreson in white and Bell and Ella in white trimmed with leaves and flowers they came in singing, Miss Baker Religion she was dressed in white and white crape fastened in her hair it hung to the flower Collwell fame Kirk honor I think I am not sure I - I did not wait on any one the girls were all well when I came away Oh I forgot the old Maids was very funny they were dressed as real old maids I have no letter paper here so you must excuse this paper and pencil I received your letter and was verry glad to get it I expected you would lose yourself and never find yourself again but you had verry good luck I think for you be carfull and do not sit up too late at night now remember it is not good for you I had time I would give you a severe lecture are you going to teach this summer I must close yours truly next time I will try to write better

Sofa H. Avery
(Write soon)

June 17, 1860

June the 17 1860

Your Friend

I got your letter last week I thought you was never agoing to write O I have thought about you so offten since I saw you last the reason I did not get your letter sooner I have been here in youngstown teaching ever sice school was out in Canfield and you wrote to Lodstown and I was not home to get it but nevertheless I have not spent very many idol minutes since I got it I was so glad to hear from you I wish you was here I could talk to you by the word of mouth like we used to in Canfield I was so sorry I did not see you when you started home I did not think of you a going that day but it is past and gone now we had a big time the last day of school and the last night the old maid performance was god you wanted to know what became of Case he is at home and was well the last time I heard from him and Tanner is well I see him occasionaly I had a leter from him last night he and I are agoing to spend our fourth together I tell you I think he is about x I think more of him than I did fo last winter O he is just right or I think so Melice is teaching and likes it first rate O have you read from Billy Manchester since you went away or any of the old school mates I need not ask you that a question for I expect you hear from Case often I don't know who he paid his addresses to when you went away I am here in youngstown and like it well I have been here 9 weeks and expect to stay 9 more I got agood cirtificate that day you left I am only a mile from town and we go most evry night to something that is going on I never spent 9 weeks so pleasant in my life I tell you we have some nice young men in our district and some nice ones in town to I have got aquainted with some that is especialy one I and him are a going to make tie as soon as my school is out in the last of september I will not tell you his name now not till you get this and I receive annother letter from you and then I will tell you all about it but I don't want you to say anything about it nor write back about it unless it is to Melice now you besure and answer this as soon as you get it and tell me all about what you are doing it you are teaching and how much you get a month O now do write Pleas do

I remain your friend Lor Osborn

When you write to youngstown Mahoning
Co Ohio now don't forget to write

September 8, 1860

Crystal Palace Sep 8 1860

Dear Respected Friend Sadie

This dreary morning Do I improve a fiew moments in addressing a fiew lines to you informing you that I am yet in the land & among The living enjoying myself finely hope you do the same. Sade I would like very much to see you & have a good time once more with you. do you remember the night you & Mary Garns & myself sat on the rails don't you think we had a good time

We had a pairing bee at our house Last Tuesday my (ripped)...had a real good time My desired wish was that you could be here. Cesney & Sam & Jim were here in all their glory. Cesny brought his Annie home from the pairing bee I presume he thinks he is going it on a grand scale Well I think as much is that your fin

Well Sadie how do you & Dryden get along are you on as good terms yet as ever or is it none of my business. I rather think your are for Jim said the duster was at his Aunt Elizas a week last Sabbath night in all his glory. Sadie I havent seen Pope since the night the fleas troubled you so I guess he has quit me for certain. I tried my best to coax Dryden away from you but all my coaxing was in vain. I saw him at camp meeting on Friday night & looked just as pretty at him as I could but it was of no use. I presume he thinks there is no person on earth like his dear little Sadie But I this he is fooling hisself don't you think as much how long does he generly sit when he comes over to see you. you need not tell me if you have not mind to do so.

Sadie this is Saturday and I must bring this letter to a close for I have a good deal of work to do today Tell your Mother I send my best respects to her & to your dear little Sister also & to all my old friends down there

If you deem this Poor little note worthy an answer please answer it soon will you excuse my Poor scribbling & bad spelling no more

good by

direct to Rollersvill
Sandusky Co
Ohio
Miss Lizzie J Stahl

Lizzie