Letters From The Past
Letter from John Mann Williams to his brother, Edd D. Williams
of Milltown, Ga. [now Lakeland]
shared by James P. Miller, Pavo, Georgia
J. M. Williams and his uncle, Joseph Browning Williams, came to Texas; the latter is enumerated in the 1880 census of Ellis County.
Italy, Texas
November 26, 1885
Mr. Edd D. Williams
My dear brother,
I will once more write to you to let you know I am still living. I am making pictures yet and doing very well, I guess.
Edd, I want to hear from home the worst kind. I do wish you would write to me and let me know all the news--how you are all getting along. How is mother. How many children have you got. In fact tell me everything about all the folks. I was at Joe Brown Williams. He and Jess Pope are doing very well. I guess they are worth about 3,000 dollars and out of debt. Joe is not married yet. Aunt Sissie Gray and John are doing very well.
Edd, we are all going out west next summer to look for us a future home. None of us have as much land as we wantand can't buy it in this country for land is worth from 25 to 30 per acre here and wewill sell out and go west and grow up with the country for it is only a matter of time about the land in the west making us rich. We can buy land out there now for 2 dollars per acre and in 10 or 15 years it will be worth 25 yesy for that is just the way this country done 10 years ago. You could buy all the land here you wanted for 3 dollars. Now it is worth 25 to 50. Come and go with us and I will show you the prettiest country you ever saw and the richest land and as healthy as that piney wood. I would love for you to see this country next summer. Just come. But it will not cost you much to come and your expences shant be a cent while you are here and I will show you all the country. There was a tolerable good crop here this year - corn about 40 bushels per acre, wheat about 30, oats 75 to 100, cotton about 1/2 bale. Cotton was the surest crop of any. Joe Williams and Jess Pope made 35 bales and lots of corn and oats and did not here any, only to pick cotton. Ann Edd, you know it would of taken them 35 years to make that much in GA.
Let me hear from you just as soon as you get this far I have not hard from home in a year. Direct your letters to Bristol, Ellis Co. Tex. and I will get them.
Your brother, John
My baby, Dellinus, sends a bushel or love to the children and says tell Uncle Edd I would like to see him.
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