ANNE RUTH MEDCALF Correspondence II 1923-1924

Pine Mountain Settlement School
Series 09: BIOGRAPHY – Staff
Series 14: MEDICAL
Anne Ruth Medcalf
Nurse, Line Fork Settlement, 1921-1924
Correspondence II, 1923-1924

Lutrella Baker Album. Line Fork Settlement, 1937-41. Family in the Line Fork area. line_fork_007d

TAGS: Anne Ruth Medcalf, nurse, nursing, Line Fork Settlement, public health, rural health work, Katherine Pettit, Ethel de Long Zande, PMSS staff, donations, epidemics, horses

ANNE RUTH MEDCALF Correspondence II 1923-1924

Nurse, Line Fork Settlement 1921-1924

[Note: Letters from PMSS staff in the PMSS Collections are carbon copies, typewritten, unsigned, and meant for the Office files. The original signed documents were sent to the correspondents. The initials at the bottom left of most PMSS letters indicate the writer (along with initials of the secretary). For example, “KP” refers to Katherine Pettit, “EZ” to Ethel de Long Zande and “EKW” to Evelyn K. Wells. Letters from Anne Ruth Medcalf are handwritten originals unless specified otherwise. The following list of contents is in chronological order.]

1923

027 February 2, 1923. To Ruth Anne Medcalf, care of Mrs. Harry L. Erbe, Baltimore, MD, from EZ [Ethel de Long Zande, Co-Director], who encloses her check and is sorry that her family is sick.

028 April 6, 1923. To Medcalf at Line Fork Settlement from EKW [Evelyn K. Wells, Secretary]. [Dorothy] and Miss Cunningham’s dancing class schedule was changed in order that they can visit Line Fork on Saturdays. “I know all Line Fork will enjoy them.”

029 April 18, 1923. To Medcalf from KP [Pettit]. Boone [Callahan] cannot come to Line Fork until school is out. Suggests that Medcalf accompany Mr. [Wiliam] Browning on a visit with Miss Stone at Hindman about the “country life movement and all that Knott County has done.” Encloses part of Rannells’ letter who will send part of “your linen closet equipment.” Asks that Medcalf keep a record of all gifts to Line Fork and report them to the PMSS office regularly. Mentions Miss [Edith] Canterbury.

030 May 17, 1923. To Medcalf from [unsigned], enclosing a check for the linen closet from donor, Mrs. Allen of Cleveland. Asks for one of Mr. Hall’s short-handled broom to exhibit at the convention of the Association of University Women.

031 June 6, 1923. To Medcalf from [unsigned, apparently Miss [Bessie] Gaunt], enclosing a check for $10.50 for entertaining Line Fork visitors. Has a question about a mattress order and a check for “Callie.” Mentions Miss Whittaker.

032-032a June 11, 1923. Two-page letter to Miss Gaunt, answering the question about the mattress order. Callie Cornet does not get any check this month, but Orpha Cornet does, as she replaced Callie. Encloses a bill for Mrs. Wheat’s board. Asks if Dr. Roberts is coming this week.

033 June 14, 1923, To Medcalf from [unsigned], enclosing two checks. Mr. Lewis will be asked to haul the mattress to PMSS. She is sending Medcalf a donation of cotton cloth.

034-034b June 15, 1923. Three-page letter to Medcalf from [unsigned], [034] who is leaving at the last of June. Mentions preparations for the Fourth of July and the fair. Dr. Day is donating a radio; asks about what to order for “under the stoves before we have fires next Fall,” Cots, mattresses; barbed wire to keep out the hogs; [034a] donated material; linen closet supplies from Mrs. Rannels; $5 donation rom Miss Anna M. Johnston of Michigan for Line Fork bathroom; mentions Miss [Louise] Will, Corda, Miss Williamson, Miss Hopkins; asks if she received the equipment for the school cooking classes; Miss [Rita Rebecca] Roeder in Oberlin, OH, may visit; loaning “divided skirts…to ride across in.” [034b] Hopes Miss Smith will visit.

035 June 19, 1923. To Medcalf from [unsigned, possibly Zande], enclosing $5 for Line Fork bathroom from Miss Anna Johnston,Michigan; asks that Medcalf handle the donations.

036 July 17, 1923. To Medcalf from EZ [Zande], enclosing a $5 check for Clara Callahan’s board; asks if Martha can stay at Line Fork to avoid exposure to whooping cough, as did Clara.

037 August 3, 1923. To Medcalf from EZ [Zande]. Mrs. Jacob S. Piper of Canton, OH, may be interested in adopting the “little boy.”

038 August 7, 1923. To Medcalf from EZ [Zande]. Miss [Maya] Sudo is considering two offers; asks Medcalf if she knows anyone that could be her successor.

039 August 7, 1923. To Medcalf from [unsigned; truncated], enclosing a check for Medcalf, Bennet Hall, and Frank Hall. Mentions Lawrence, Martha, Elbert Holcomb, Silas Smith, Ruby Cornet.

040 August 16, 1923. To Medcalf from KP [Pettit]. Explains Miss Sudo’s delay in returning. A nurse is needed at the beginning of School to examine each student, particularly during the current epidemic of measles and whooping cough. She asks Medcalf if she will come to PMSS for several days.

041 August 28, 1923. To Medcalf from KP [Pettit], who is “glad to know you have the scholarship. I hope it will mean much for us and for our mountain folk.” Asks which month in 1924 Medcalf will leave for Columbia; asks for suggestions for her replacement during that time.

042 September 3, 1923. To Medcalf from KP [Pettit], who has read her article to be published. Has a supply of Line Fork leaflets for the workers to use “to get a scholarship fund for Line Fork.” Mentions the Redwines, Miss Peters, Miss Smith.

043 September 4, 1923. To Medcalf from KP [Pettit]. Encloses a letter from Mrs. Breckenridge and asks Medcalf and others at Line Fork to meet Breckenridge when she visits PMSS.

044 October 11, 1923. To Medcalf from KP [Pettit], who sends a list of five donors of a horse for Medcalf and asks for a photo of herself on the horse for either Pettit or Medcalf to send to each donor.

045 October 15, 1923. To Medcalf from [unsigned], enclosing a $30 check and a freight notice from the Poor Fork agent. Describes plans for a trip with Miss Whittaker.

046 October 25, 1923. To Medcalf from KP [Pettit], asking her to “collect the $15.00 that Mr. Morris owes for the two calves.” Asks about her decisions concerning two boys and “the two objectionable citizens.”

047-047c December 14, 1923. Four-page letter to Pettit from Medcalf on “Line Fork Settlement” stationary. [047] Explains why she hasn’t visited PMSS. Writes news about Bear Branch (now having hot lunches) & Coil Branch. [047a] Has concerns about the horse’s health; mentions Dr. Estabrook. [047b] The wire fence is finished. Mentions Mr. Browning [047c] who is taking children to Lynch for eye exams; assures that “all is well, or at least, things are going on as usual over here.” Mentions flag-raising at Bear Branch.

1924

048 May 19, 1924. To Medcalf from KP [Pettit], who regrets not being able to “give work to your girls.” Miss [Ruth B.] Gaines has all the help she needs and “the rest of the houses get their work done by the few children who are staying to pay off their debt.” Thanks her for Mr. Baker’s letter. Suggests that she visits Mossie Miniard Baker, “one of our old girls who is married and living [at the mouth of Trace].”

049 June 13, 1924. To Medcalf from KP [Pettit], suggesting how household expenses should be handled. Mentions Miss Gaines, Callie, Colter. She will follow through on Medcalf’s suggestion to tell future teachers that, because “Letcher County does not pay promptly,” the teachers will need to borrow money to pay their board bill each month.

050 June 18, 1924. To Medcalf from KP [Pettit]. New Line Fork literature needs to be printed; asks Medcalf and Miss Smith for their input.

051 July 8, 1924. To Medcalf from EZ [Zande], who invites Myrtle Fields to join the girls recreation camp for the weekend.

1924 ANNE RUTH MEDCALF: After Pine Mountain

052 September 16, 1924. To Medcalf, care of Miss Elizabeth Smith Bennett, Bennettsville, SC, from EKW [Wells]. Asks for the address of Dr. Day, dentist. “I can’t bear to think you are really gone from Line Fork.” There is a new nurse for Big Laurel; eye doctors from Louisville will be at the School for a weekend clinic.

053 September 16, 1924. To Dr. Black, Dental College of University of Pittsburgh (PA), from EKW [Wells] via Medcalf, asking him to contact Wells or Mrs. D.B. Creech about her teeth.

054 October 27, 1924. To Mr. Geddes Smith, Managing Editor, The Survey, NYC. from KP [Pettit], who is forwarding his letter to Medcalf at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC. “Miss Medcalf was our head worker at Line Fork for three years….” Medcalf may be able to answer his questions about the “incident.”
055 October 27, 1924. To Medcalf from KP [Pettit], who is forwarding Mr. Smith’s letter to her.
056 DUPLICATE OF 055

057 November 18, 1924. To Mr, Geddes Smith from KP [Pettit], hoping he has received Medcalf’s response; requests a copy if it is published in The Survey. PMSS cannot afford to subscribe to the magazine.