Andrew
Calvin Walker
went to medical school at the Nashville Medical College
of the University of Tennessee in Nashville apparently
just after the death of his own father. From Nashville,
he wrote his uncle, Isaac
Walker,
and tells him, among other things, of his first autopsy.
Isaac was his oldest living blood uncle on the Walker
side and essentially the patriarch of the clan at Straight
Creek. Letter courtesy Bill Walker, Issac's great grandson.
Transcription by Roma A. Walker. Click any image for
a larger version.
At left, apparently Andrew's graduation photo,
courtesy Tim Walker; below, his matriculation
ticket for the school courtesy Marjorie Rose (Walker)
Hall.
No. 156
Medical Department
University of Tennessee
Nashville Medical College
Dear Uncle. I will write you & Billie [Isaac's
son] a few lines this morning as the Boys are
cutting us so badly that the Professors can't
Lecture. tomorrow at 12 oclock we close out one
week for Christmas and the boys are very full
of fun.
Well I am well satisfied in school am getting
along fine I think.
I like the Dissecting splendidly the first thing
I had to do was to cut out the Hear and Lungs
of a woman. I just rolled up my sleeve & went
in to it
like I had done nothing else all my life but
cut up people. I guess you have read some of my
letters I wrote back about my afairs [sic] here
& there is no need of writing this. I am staying
with a man by the name of Walden, whose Great
Grandfather lived on Walden Ridge till he was
over 100 yr old & the ridge was named after
him. I pay $14 per mo. have very good fare. all
the objection I have is we get no milk only to
go in our Coffee, but I make that bounce 3 times
a day. I am mending up on Hotel fare. Capps [unknown]
says I am fat
Capps has conclu[d]ed to go from here to Mo.
where Dr. Lay is. Lay says he will give him his
stand when he comes out &c.
Well as to the weather here it has been very
dusty most of the time, had two little rains in
the night rained none in the daytime since I came,
been some cool frosty weather, ground froze a
little &c.
Have had some fires in Nashville since I came
burned up one woman & her hour. One stable
burned & 18 head of mules, fire every few
nights some where in town.
So I will turn over & ask a
How is Till [Corilda Catherine (Owen) Walker,
Andrew's wife] & the Babies getting along.
have they got the chimney run out yet & wood
hawled [sic] & cut &c&c tell all about
them when you write me. Is Billie [Issac's son]
working on the R.R. yet &c. How is aunt Sallie
Wolf [Isaac's sister, Sarah] getting along now.
Tell Edd Muncey [uncertain as to who he was] he
can get book here discounted at 20 per cent. in
$40, he could save $8.
So I will close. Write soon & tell me all
the Neighborhood news for I have not got one letter
from there yet.
A.C. Walker
Address --- 514 Broad Street
Nashville, Tenn
)
