Envelope:
 

Jon. K. Powell County Line Ark.	County Line Ark. Jun 6 1912 A. M.
Mrs. S. E. Brown RFD No 2 Rolla, MO.

County Line Ark.
Mrs. Sallie E. Brown
Rolla Mo. Route #2

Dear Sister-
     Yours of some time since was rec'd on time and will now make an attempt to answer- no excuses for not answering sooner but my old complaint!
     Have been having some very dry weather but got a good rain last Tuesday (may 27) the first in four weeks. Wheat will be short also oat and meadows are sorry and weedy. Corn is small for the time of year. Old corn is as scarce as frog hair in this community. When I feed my hogs 3 ears apiece I get a club and keep the neighbors out of the way and when they only get 2 ears I have to use my shotgun. I have been sick for over a week but am better now. Had a bilious attack of the "can't walks". Now you may never have had this disease but the reason I call it can't walks is I had to trot.
     All the rest are well at this time; you said you were coming if the boys' (Arth and Otto) would allow you: Well! I guess you mean to come but I fear you people all have been away from me so long I am a sort of sore thumb proposition. Better to be endured than cut off. But I'll say this Sagr. If you do come, I'll feed you on the best I've got and make you to a few surprises in the way of people stock etc., and you don't know how proud I'd be for you to come and see my kids and poverty.
     You must not expect a very good long letter from me for I am bilious and I have noticed that Bilious folks are always cranky.
     If you should happen to see a stray Capital letter anywhere out of place just imagine how it came there for really I don't know.
     I have not been done corn plowing but a few days and have cane Kaffer and late potatoes to plant yet.
     We have a good SS at Co Line and I have not missed a Sunday since I came from up there last summer!
     Did Anna get Bro. C- in real money? as you see I never hear anything about it since I left and while it is none of my business I would like to know.
     Well Sago write when you can and come and eat sheep and tater this year sure.
     Give my Love to all the Kids big and little! and keep ples for Sago
Your Bro. John.

Spring 1912
(Margaret Mae Powell to Sallie Brown)

Well Sallie as I wanted to write a little and am in a hurry to send Ruth to the office I won't take time to head my letter. You have talked about coming to see us about long enough I think, and think you ought to be doing some of it. The children talk about coming and John says some time he is going to load us all in the wagon and go to Mo. but I don't think that time will ever come but when the new RR comes we can come a few at a time. It is almost impossible for us to all leave at once. My garden looks very well but it was not planted early. I think I will have plenty of late garden if we have any rain this summer.
John is going to kill a sheep and have mutton and sweet potatoes when you come but if you don't like that I will have cabbage and beans and I know you like cake. If you will come to stay long enough we will go down on White river fishing. John has promised to take us every summer since we came down here but we have never got off. I have the sweetest baby on earth and I would let you play with it, if it would be any inducement to get you to come. We call her Pansy Murrel. John was going to write to mother and E. Sun. eve. but when he got your letter wrote he was so sleepy he had to stir around. He is awful busy and not at all well. I will send a letter Anna tried to write some time ago. She said "if you folks don't write to Aunt Sally I will." Write soon and tell all the news since Dec.
Your sister M. M. P.

County Line Ark May 1912

Dear ------ how are you getting ---- we planted cotton yesterday and father isent well today ------ mamma is ----- her summer ----- been in a year are in here is grandma and grandpa my  -- ---sister is alive as a top she just a-- and plays. ---all time mamma  -----  hardly ever write to you and tell Mamma  every day you ought to write to Aunt Sallie.
 

Letter:

Bakersfield Mo.- Jan 1 1917
Mrs. S. E. Brown
Rolla MO.
Dear Sagri-

Yours of Recent date rec'd yesterday ( you see I don't get my mail only when I go to town) and was glad to hear from you again also to know you were all well I don't write much to anyone anymore but I don't get many letters either. I wrote home a couple of times last year and mother wrote to Maggie once. Now Sagri I'm not complaining but I am one of the family and if I do live in Ark. its my own business.
     You know there are people who don't want me up there and that's one reason I don't come oftener and also why I don't write any more. I am not angry at anyone but my skin is no thicker than a Rhino and I never have lived off anyone and know how I came by what I have.
     Your nephew is a poor little fellow, seven months old and only weighs 28 lbs, also his name is John Kelso Powell Jr. but I did not name him.
     Yes the girls are going to school, four of them Anna is in the 8th grade in Ark and Ruth is in 7th and 8th but our grades are different from yours about 1/2 grade higher than Bakersfield H. School.
     We have not had a crop here for six years and of course I have no money nor clothes but rags. I have not bought a pair of overalls for more than a year but we are trying to live within our income.
     And so Arth went to Okla. visiting well he promised me to come to see me some years ago. But we'll let 'er go.
     Maggie is not well this winter, has something the matter with her hands. She can't do a great deal of work.
     I can't work much either. Am broke down nearly but I work a little every day when it isn't too bad. We had a pretty dull Christmas at our place but this is the first time Xmas came and we didn't have any money to spend. But we don't owe a great deal, and if God prospers us, we will come out yet, I trust. Our SS had a Christmas tree and some Candy for the kids. We have the best Baptist SS in Fulton Co. and the largest County SS in Fulton or Baxter Counties. Average attendance last yr. 62.
     If I could sell my place here I would go to Louisiana or Miss. as I think there is a better opening there for sheep and cattle farming. This country is nearly all fenced up and I have not sufficient land to keep much stock I have about all the sheep and cattle I can pasture now and cannot buy more land without more money and money here is scarce. Not anything raised to sell for so long. Corn is now $1.24 cotton 18 cents hay $16. Dressed pork 12 cents. Live round steers 53 cents sheep from 8 to 9 dollars a head and flour $5.00 cwt. Well Sagr this is more than I've written at one time for six months and my mind is becoming paralyzed. No, I've quit spinning yarns as my spinner is wobbly on the axle I can't talk much any more got too many kids. But there is one thing I am proud of and that is the young people in this community think I am "It" Capital I, for I do keep up a Bi-weekly spelling bee at Co Line and we have a jolly time. Now, Sagr this is Bragging and Egoism but its gospel So.
Well Sagr I'm a gonter but for this time write when you can and I'll ans sometime if I'm alive there.
Love to all, Your Bro. Jack.
 

Envelope;

M. M. Powell	West Plains Mo. Mar 6 1940 12M
Mrs. S. E. Brown RFD no 1 Rolla MO.

 

West Plains Mo.
Mar 6 1940

Dear Sister Sally and Family;----

Been some time since I rec. your good, kind thoughtful letter but I am the poorest excuse to write. I often think of you Sally, and I know now how you must have felt when your companion left you years ago. I remember you saying even the singing of the birds were sad. You must have felt a great responsibility with 7 children to provide for and another not yet born ........ But God is good............raise this..............lis p............. tio see after ....... myself but I miss John so much I can't see God's blessings all about me. Pray for me that I might be more submissive to his Holy will. I don't.........financial affairs ....... we are almost paupers but Alta worries until she can hardly sleep at night. Don't know why I don't worry more my self unless because I am so numbed and shocked by John's passing away I can think of nothing else.
My children who live near enough are awful good and kind. Maybe I lean on them too much. I tried some time ago to get on the "sewing room" here (Government work) But I am going to see about it again So.........ick I car.............but I al........
Got letter from Nide and Alvin Had pictures of the flowers and coffin taken will send you one when we have some more.
We have been having th........ I ............so far have been able to stay up. So much depends on me I can't go to bed unless I get to where I can't stay up any longer.
May is at Cape and Jackson seeing about her divorce case. It will be in May at Gainsville but her lawyer was afraid they would try to have it there without letting her know. Her husband has the crookedest lawyer in Sar east ...... se the boy Xmas. May ..........lout. ha.......... the re.........oked law to .......
I too have had to build my own fire this winter and it has been awful disagreeable stove don't hold fire good.
............all your C..........ardly knew she was here she left so soon but am glad she was able to come and she must come again some time. I don't think I ever appreciated my children as I should until now. Guess I was too wrapped up in their father.
Poor Cora Jonis (and Jim's Pour girl) lives in W. P. only had one child, a boy, and lives away off some place. So raised a niece but says she don't love her like a daughter. She is so lonely and dissatisfied here but her boy thinks she should stay here. You.........iams Ga..........along time.............people Cora.....died of cancer of the stomach.
Ruth has decided to stay here but Ray and the boys are going north to work this summer.
Sally I..........Like a little keep...... putting in a hankie. A... and E. can give it to you .....well the children keep leaving they will soon all be gone but maybe it is all for the best. Write to us often and let us know how you all are.
With Love and best wishes, Your sister M. M. Powell.