The following letter was written to Aunt Annie when she was 29 by Mary L. Currie who was 12. Mary's father, Howard, and sisters, Lorah and Helen, had died within the previous 3 years and her mother, Lucy Lynch Currie, died a year or so later.
(The original page size of this letter is 7 1/2 inches by 10 inches)
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(page 1)
Goldman Ark
Nov 1st 1890
My Dear Little Auntie
I must not slight
you in writing and hope this will
find you well. Mr. Barham came
last night but will not leave here
till tomorrow. Aunt Annie I went
to my first "fair" the other day and
had such a nice time saw the horses
run wish you could have seen them
there was one horse there he came from
France cost 13 hundred $ his neck at
his shoulders was at least 3 1/2 feet
wide and his feet were as big as one
of Aunt Kates stove eyes he weighed
over 2000 lbs. Then we went to the
picture gallery and had "Bills" picture
taken Mamma wanted him to
stand in the chair and he got mad
(said he didn't come there for that) It looks
page 2)
just like him and while we were
there 2 negros man and wife had their
pictures taken the woman was larger
than old Aunt Minura (?) she just like to
laughed out loud and of course her
mouth was puckered up, the old man
sat down, had his cravat all undone
and didn't know it till he saw his
picture, he turned round to the old
woman and said "you oughter told
me dat" Well that evening the balloon
went up and a man had a stick tied
on with two ropes he was dressed in
tights and as he went up he cut so
many antics everybody like to took a
fit he hung up by one foot and one
hand and every other way.
Well when we got home it was nearly
dark. Bud went the next day
he will write Will and tell him what he saw
Well I will close With love to all
Your Loving niece
Mary L. Currie
Don't know who Mr. Barham is. Aunt Kate was Annie & Howard's sister. Bill was Wm C. Currie, Sr. and was almost 5 years old at this time. Mamma was Lucy Lynch Currie, 35 years old at this time. Bud was either Gardner D. Currie or George Riley. Gardner was Mary's brother and would have been 15 at this time. Will must have been William Gilfoil, Aunt Kate's son.
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