The cow got her chain around it (water for the garden)

Mama Atwood had only a third grade education.  Her mother took her out of school to help with the chores at her boarding house.  Hence the colorful spelling and grammar in her letters.

August 6, 1932

About the trees that Son set out. One of the pecan trees is just fine and the other one I can’t tell if it has grown any at all since spring. One peach tree looks like it will die in spite of me. Though I forgot to water it at one time when I watered the other ones. Also one in the garden where the cow got her chain around it & peeled all the bark off is still living. ...Twice a week I have to carry 15 buckets of water out of the house around on the east side to the three that are around there. All the others I can reach with the hose, thank goodness.

I have already let a part of my garden die and about the water bill ....last month was a dollar and sixty-five cents over the minimum. And the month before it was fifty cents over, and it will go over again this month because I don't mean to let any more of my garden die. But I don't mean to pay any over a dollar and 75 cents either…... As long as I know others who has no meter. ....

Mother's Day at the Atwoods 1928

May 14, 1928

I tried to get my seeds in the dirt all day Saturday, but I never did. I have so much to do I did not have time to fill the box with good new dirt....my dear little daughters both was cooking as hard as they could cook ...a big Mother;s Day dinner to bring down to my house…..

I hever in all my life saw so many good things to eat....we just had the table loaded down. We had fresh black eyed peas, snap beans, English peas, squash , beets, tomatoes, new potatoes, potato salad, lettuce, boiled ham, fruit salad, pies and cake. I though I never would quit eating.

It rained yesterday and last night and the ground is wet and I will have to wait for it to dry before I finish filling up the (flower) box and plant my seeds. Those black=eyed susans is not what I had reference to. But they look like they will be awfully pretty....perhaps the other package, of Lobelia, is really what I wanted. I had them in Bowie County, and I remember now ....they will bloom pretty quick after they start growing. I think the ones I had bloomed in three or four weeks but they did not last long.

Mama Atwood's gardening

Mama Atwood was a serious gardener; it helped to cope with poverty.  And she used organic pesticides like boiled tobacco juice.

April 15, 1928

Doesn’t it beat all...yesterday I told you how hot....and this morning it has sleeted and snowed all morning. The house tops and part of the ground is covered. it looks a little like it will stop though. And just think about it too. I have green cabbage out of my garden for dinner.

April 28, 1928

Yesterday I had peas and green cabbage and radishes out of my garden ....and Mrs. Spence the lady just behind me hollered at me and said, “You don't mean to tell me you have peas large enough to eat!” and I told her I most assuredly did and her and Mrs. Nabors came to the fence and Mrs. Nabors said, “My you are not lazy; you got up and worked and have a garden before any one else had.”

...my beans I replanted are coming up now and I also have squashes and canatalopes and cucumbers now ....I declare it is rather discouraging with the cold and the cut worms and grub worms and english sparrows and now the little green sucking lice has attacked my greens and if I can’t find something to kill or run them...in ten days time they will be sucked to death…..

I boiied some tobacco and took the juice and sprayed them just now. I don’t know if it will do any good or not. I am so mad because ...I intended to put out some tomato plants this afternoon but I am so sore I am afraid to do it. .....And my flowers are not all planted either....

Letter from Thurston to his mother 1934

Thurston had a job with Texas Power & Light Company selling washing machines.  His brother Watt was already working for them and managed to get Thurston hired.

From Hillsboro on a Tuesday he wrote"

Mother Dear….

Well, I broke the ice--and sold a machine--now I have good chance of selling a few more.

Here is five (dollars) …I bought me a hat.

Now I've written about 4 or 5 letters and haven't heard from you at all.  These Bohemians are hard people to trade with.  They act so darn bashful.

If I could surprise this outfit and sell a lot of washers---I believe I could get transferred into a district job.

I love you Lots…'N... Lots….Son

Oath for Confederate Soldiers upon surrender

This is a transcription of the oath signed by my ancestor. Champion Easter Smith in 1865

I, C. E. Smith, Citizen of the State of Texas, do solemnly swear in the presence of Almighty God, that I will henceforth faithfully support, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Union of the States thereunder, and that I will, in like manner, abide by a faithfully support all Acts of Congress, passed during this existing rebellion with reference to slaves, as so long and so far as not repealed, modified, and held void by Congress or by decision of the Supreme Court and that I will in like manner, abide by and faithfully support all Proclamations of the President made during this existing rebellion, having reference to slaves so long and so far as not modified or declared void by a decision of the Supreme Court so help me God.

Sworn and Subscribed before me, this 15th day of June, 1865

signed     C. E. Smith

The above named has dark complexion, dark hair, grey eyes, aged 32 years, and is 5 feet 5 inches tall.

John Phipps
Capt. 34 Division, Provost Marsal.

A letter to Manning from Mama Atwood in California

August 8, 1927

Dear Dady,

We got back from Yosemite last night at 11:45 and found your letter.

…I have seen some wonderfully pretty things in the last two weeks.  And rode most to the top of several of the High Sierra mountains.  and got lots of thrills. And my ticket home calls for a ride on the Ocean from here to San Francisco. And on the S. P. R. R.over the High Sierra mountains past part of the country I was over last week.  Then down through Nevada and part of Kansas to Denver, Colorado to Oklahoma, and on to Fort Worth.

I will have to go miles and miles under a snow shed in the High Sierra Mountains.  I saw the train passing through sheds where I will go.  They were then higher than I was.  And I was looking down on the tree tops many, many feet below me….

Fishing in Aransas Pass, Tx. with Mother, Daddy and my kids

Those little blue crabs were really good to eat.  But one time while Mother was getting them ready to cook one got away and ran all over the camper.

Bill, Anne and Margaret enjoyed swimming in the Gulf.  We had a campsite on the beach at the Goose Island State Park.  It is near the sanctuary where the whooping cranes go for nesting. One of the biggest oak trees in the country is in that park.