Elgin Woodcox Letter
(Letter
from Elgin Woodcox to his parents Martha Ann & George Washington Woodcox, who
lived in St. Joe, DeKalb Co., Indiana. Elgin was 29 years old and had been
married for 6 years to Macie Belle Hays)
Lewellen, Nebr.
1-17-1917
My dear Parents:
We received your most welcome letter last week. And Macie has been after me most of the time to get one to answer. But you know its pretty hard for her to get me to do any thing. Except eat and sleep these cold winter days and nights. Been pretty cold lately. About the "0" mark every day, But not stormy. Just cold bright days that makes a fellow step lively when he gets out of doors.
Every thing is on the jump out hear. Hogs and cattle high also corn and hay. I had enough corn to fatten one car of hogs which I sold about two weeks ago. Have got 17 head left to fatten and 25 Brood sows that will pig in March. Have 73 head of cows and (last spring) calves that we are keeping over to turn our next summer. Just feeding them alfalfa hay.
I wish you could see them, they look good. Have a team of good mules a gray mare and saddle horse. Macie has about 100 chickens getting about 6 eggs a day.
Helen has a one eyed pup and a cat. Helen isn't going to school yet but can read and count. (Helen was 5 1/2)
Have done awfull well this year. A little better than $2000.00 since the 15th of March 1916. But am still in debt on my cattle. But if nothing happens I am going to be the best Woodcox yet. Tomorrow I am going to look at 80 head of hogs that weigh about 125 lbs and try and buy them if I can. The fellow wants .10 a lb for them. But I'll try and lump them if I can.
Macie says to ask you and Mother to come out and stay with us the rest of the winter and next summer if you will. I'll try and keep you busy and out of mischief. And Mother can sit around the fire and use her needle. Maybe by next summer I'll have a car and can take you around in it. Macie can hardly wait till I get one. But I tell her we have got to pay for those cattle first.
Got a dandy fellow in our Bank hear and I have all the credit I want. But haven't had the nerve to buy a car yet. But I'll buy most any thing that has four feet and looks like there was a dollar in it.
Well must close as I don't know of anything else to write.
Was over to a friend of ours last night and I stayed all night. Took us over and brought us back in his car. They have 5 children and his father and brother with them.
So good night
E.L.W.