April 23, 1909 letter to Oscar & Mary Ann Keith from Glenn Keith

April 23, 1909

To: Oscar & Mary Ann Keith

From: Glenn Keith, Greenville, MS

Bought a typewriter and was writing this letter on it. He has opened up a furniture store last Tuesday and describes the layout.

Scan of 1909-04-23 Glenn Keith to Oscar & Mary Ann Keith

Greenville, Miss

April 23/09

Dear Parents[1] at home

We[2] received your ever welcome letter yesterdy and was very glad to hear from you. We never received the sugar Jay & Inez[3] sent us. It must of went to the wrong Greenville. You will see I have at last got up to date and bought me a type wrighter (Oliver No 5). How do you like my work on it. None of the trees lived. One may but I doubt it. Well I opened up my furniture Store last tues the 20^th of April. I have not had much trade yet but live in hopes to do a (as Mother says) land office business. I have rugs and chairs in the front part of the store and the suits on both sides and the kitchen safes & wardrobes in the middle, also the davenports and — couchs and loungers. The springs and mattress are toward the rear. My office is about ½ the way back or the center of the building.

Now dont let this long letter scare you for if you do I will have to make them shorter next time.

I am looking for Willie here most any minute so I had better close. O’ yes I like to forgot, am very sorry to hear that Mr Ross is so bad off and hope they will not be obliged to send him to the asylum. Well I just sold a little bill of $10.45 so you see I am on the winning side today.

Hope this finds you well as it leaves us.

Write soon.

Your Son, G. N. Keith

——-

[1] James “Oscar” & Mary Ann (Batey) Keith

[2] He and his wife, Willie (Shores) Keith

[3] His niece and her husband, Jay & Inez (Randall) Eaton

This letter is among several which were loaned to Jim & Ruth (Stankey) Keith, probably back in the 1980s, by Ella Nola (Curtis) Eaton, whose husband, Clifford Eaton, was the great-great-grandson of James “Oscar” & Mary Ann (Batey) Keith. This is a photocopy of Ruth’s handwritten copy of the letter. Note: Jim Keith is the great-grandson of Charles Luke Keith Jr., who was James “Oscar” Keith’s uncle.