SUSIE'S LETTERS

Susan Emeline Ferguson was married to John Marshall Harris. They had moved from Howell County, Missouri sometime between 1892 and 1894. Seven children had been born in Willow Springs, Missouri, and the last two were born in Pontotoc, Okla. Soon after their baby was born in November 1897, they had apparently returned to Baxter Co, Arkansas, where the two oldest girls were married in a double wedding to two brothers, George and William Payne. Soon after that they headed again for Oklahoma.

Three separate letters were found in one envelope postmarked February 20, 1898, to Mrs. Belle Ferguson, Willow Springs, Mo, from Susie Harris.

First letter headed Hopewell, Arkansas, Feb 20, 1898

Mr. and Mrs D S Ferguson
Dear Brother and Sister,

This is Sunday and we are haveing a blisard. It blows and it snows and cold stormy weather. We are well except bad colds. Hope this may find you well.

Well Dave instead of coming to the Tilly place, we are going to Texas. Will start next Thursday if nothing happens. Laura and Effie and their men are going with us. I think it will take some grit, grease and stanima to under take such a journey but I had much rather start from here than there.

I like these people well enough, but it is not like leaving my own people. I can't hardly keep my eyes clear enough to write and I know if I was there I would cry sure. I want you folks to begin to get ready to come out to Texas for I know you will want to when I get there and get rich. I sold my pigs and will buy me some more if I don't spend the money for something else before I need the pigs.

Belle you must write me great long letters when I get out in Texas and tell me all the news. I would like awful well to live close to you where I could be with you and Lillie but fate has ordered otherwise. Tennie you must be a good girl and think of your ugly Aunt often. Charlie if I stay in Texas you must come and see us. You are young and can do lots of things and let that be one of them. I want all of you to be good to yourselves and write often.

When you get this letter, answer at Fort Smith backed to Marsh Harris as we will call for his mail at that place as we go through. So goodby one and all for this time.

Susie

2nd letter headed: Ola Mines, Choctaw Nation, March the 21st 1898

Mr and Mrs D S Ferguson

Dear Brother and sister,

This leaves us well except the baby, he has a bad cold.

The next thing is to tell you we have traveled a long way since I rote you last. We have seen some very nice country in our travel but not very much in the Nation. I don't like the Choctaw (nation) a little bit. Nearly all the people are white folks or niggers. There is no Indians here.

We have been stoped here since Friday. They are building a new railroad. Marsh and the boys have been at work. Charlie and Elmer has been scrapeing on the dump. The work is too hard on the teams and they quit at noon today. Marsh and George is grubbing and taking out the rocks from the track. I don't guess they will work any longer than today. They get one dollar and a quarter a day. The teams got 2 1/2 a day so you see if they could stand the work they would soon make some money but if we kill our teams we couldn't go to Texas.

We have had lots of mud since we left Fort Smith and some rain. One night it rained and all next day until two oclock. We had to do without our breadfast. Only had one meal that day. You may guess I was glad when it quit raining that day. Well I guess we will leave here in the morning if it is not raining. It looks now like it would rain anytime. If it does we will lay over a few days.

Well we met up with a Preacher and his wife here and they saw we didn't have any stove and they proposed to lend us one while we stay here and of course I taken it. They are second day advents and apear to be nice folks.

This is the 22 and I will write some more. It is raining today and we are shut up in the tent around our borrowed stove. It come very nice too. Well Marsh didn't grub today. When we got up this morning he was about as limber as a broomstick.

Belle we have lots of wild onions and salad to eat now when we have time to pick it.

Well I forgot to tell you about the coalmines. They are in full blast rite close to our tent. They work night and day. It is quite a sight to watch them work. I can't begin to tell you all about it unless I could see you, I am sure. I'm a poor hand to write. There is several very good house here. Most of them are shabby and houery. Good many lives in tents. The miners are awful black and dirty looking men. The trains run by here every day, two passengers and one freight.

Well I guess I will quit for this time. I will write when I get where I can.

Susie

3rd letter has no heading - perhaps first page missing or could be continuation of above letter - i.e. written Mar 21, Mar 22 & now Mar 23

This is the 23.

The peach trees and lots of flowers are in full bloom and the grass is up enough for stock to eat and lots of timber is green with leaves and the weather has been very warm. This morning the ground is covered with round snow and sleet and the wind is very cold but our tent keeps us warm and we have plenty of coal to burn and it makes a hot fire.

The men and boys worked out about 15 dollars and we will lay up here until the weather gets better. This kind of weather is very hard on our teams that has to stand out.

Well Belle, we got a letter from Jim Elsen at Fort Smith. He said Ida was dead. She died 14 of February. I hate to hear of it as we are going there and it will seem so bad to not see her. Jim said he thought he would (leave) that place and go to Matagorda Co where Edom Dixon was.

Well I guess I must quit. I want to send this to the office today. It is two miles off from here. It is at a little town called Wilberton, so goodby for this time. You ought to see how much Lester has growed since we left. He is getting as fat as a pig. The other children are well and harty.

Susie

Next letter is from Dave S. Ferguson to Susie and Marsh Harris - perhaps he did not know where to send the letter, and then forgot he still had it.

Letter headed: Willow Springs, Mo Sunday April 6, 1902

Well, J. M., Susie and All, I will write you a few lines so you can see that we are not all starved to death yet and wont as long as we have plenty of apples to eat with a little bread and sow belly minced in with the apples. I dont know of any body suffren in Howell yet but West and South West I guess some people are suffren.

Well most every body is don sowing oats at least I & Tom F is don & when we get don you know it is time for every body to be don. No corn planted yet that I know of in Howell but just over in Douglas on North fork, some one done planting. Guess you are don by this time & got corn up. Our land is two wet to plow ________ ________ would.

Probly by the next time I write I will be sold out. Mr Willum had a Lady out to see our farm yesterday. She is from New Mexico. She likes the farm all right & ses she will take it but didnt put up any bones only 4 or 5 cartons of Turkey eggs she brought with her from home to have Sat and if she dont take the farm I get the turkies.

If I sell I dont know what I will do yet but think I will go see that new country in Okla & if I do I will call on you while I am out there. I may buy some where in this country.

Tell Dee Dening that his man on his old farm is just about petered out & has moved to town.

Dave

The next two letters are from George S Price - husband of Sarah Elizabeth Harris, who is a sister of John Marshall Harris.

Letter Headed: Butterfield, Mo Sunday, Sept 11, 1892

To Willow Springs , Mo
Mr. Ferguson, Dear Sir,

In ancer to your of the 4 inst at Hand and contents Noted Will say that in regard to your inquire about goats Will say that these are all of what you have heard proby and more as they will keep all off the brush down that is now over 7 ft hy. they wont let a leaf grow on it and the concieqince is the brush dies. it takes two years to kill them entirly. 100 head will keep down 40 achors.

they are hard to hold. it takes 7 wire to hold them. a rail fence wont hold them a tall. I have saw that tried to my sorrow. there is a 12 rail fence betwen the paster and my crop and they go over it the same as if it was not there. they are harder to winter than sheep. it takes as much to kep one goat as it wood 2 sheep.

they will cost $2.00 per head to pick the flock or $1.50 per head and take them as they are. you wood have to take 50 head at them rates. I havent saw but one man a bout the price of goats. if you think that you want to by come out when I get dun sowing wheat and I will take you to some goat ranches and you ken tell more a bout whether you want to bye or not. I will comence seeding a week from tomorrow. Im going to sow from 50 to 60 achors.

Well Dave, Warner is in the bad hear so far as I have heard yet. well I will close at present by ask you to write for I like to hear from my old friends. this leaves us all well. hoping to find you all the same.

G S Price

PS I will send you a sample off the wooll and yarn. they will avridge 1 pound to the head. (Sample still in the folded letter)

Letter Headed: 11-15-98 Wild Cherry Ark
D S Ferguson Willow Springs

Sir
I wood like to rent a bout 35 achors of corn land and 10 or 15 achors to sow in oats and get a man to furnish me a team and I thought that I wood write to you and see if you cold furnish me the team and land.

I have put up 101 bails of cotton and I think that I will have 75 more to put up yet. write to me and let me no what you ken do and if you cant fit me out ask Tom if he ken or any other good man that cold.

this is the porist contry that I ever struck I think so let me here from you at once.

yours, G S Price

this leaves us all well. Havent heard from Marsh for 2 months or more

WESTERN UNION TELEGRAM

K BO CK 12

BLANCHARD OKLA 209PM NOV 9 1929

DAVE FERGUSON
WILLOW SPRINGS MO..

J M HARRIS DIED LAST PM TEN OCLOCK TELL ANN AND JIM...

SUSIE HARRIS....220PM

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This page was last updated January 12, 2001.