Pine Mountain Settlement School
Series 09: BIOGRAPHY – Staff
Marguerite Butler Letters 1914

MARGUERITE BUTLER Letters 1914

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TAGS: Marguerite Butler letters 1914, PMSS workers, Old Log, students, the tent, bean stringing, set running, muleback trips, Ethel McCullough, Miss Eve Newman, Ethel de Long, Aunt Sal & Uncle William Creech, preaching, Farmers’ Institute, Big Laurel

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MARGUERITE BUTLER LETTERS 1914 provide a list of contents, images, and transcription of Butler’s handwritten letters to her family describing her PMSS experiences as a worker at Pine Mountain Settlement School. The letters were annotated by Butler at a later date.

Note: Letters are often undated and an estimated date has been assigned according to the content of the letter. The following order of the MARGUERITE BUTLER LETTERS 1914 is approximate.

Click here to read Marguerite Butler’s biography.

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CONTENTS: Marguerite Butler Letters 1914

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MBB Note: “As to the primitive living conditions…” [images 001 & 002]

1.    1914 LETTER 1 – Sunday night, August 14 “Dear Mother & All — Well, here I am at Pine Mountain…” [images 004-021]

arrival at PMSS ; campus description ; cleanliness ; staff ; travel to PMSS ;

2.    1914 LETTER 2 – Friday night, September 4 “Dear Jeanette — Oh, I just wish you could be here right now! …” [images 022-024]

Old Log with boys ; in charge of third and fourth grades ;

MBB Note: “The third and fourth grade were the highest needed… ” [images 025 & 026]

3.    1914 LETTER 3 – Friday night, September “Dear Mother — You have been dear about writing … ” [images 027-030]

the tent ; daily activities ; Bean stringing and set running ; muleback trip ;

4.    1914 LETTER 4 – Fall 1914 [no salutation, pages 5-7] “Ethel [McCullough], Miss Newman and I went down ‘Greasy’…” [images 031-033]

Ethel McCullough, Miss Newman and MB walked down “Greasy” for a meeting ; dinner at Aunt Judy’s ; Monday night at Miss de Long’s spent around log fire ; de Long to speak at Vassar College in December ; Miss de Long’s birthday party ; apple paring at Aunt Sal’s ; Uncle William needs eye exam ;

5.   1914 LETTER 5 – very early in the fall of 1914 – Wednesday night “Dear Mother & All — It is now rather late for us and Peggy and I are going…” [images 035-038]

MBB Note: “The meeting to which I refer was preaching…” [image 039]

6.   1914 LETTER 6 – Wednesday afternoon, October 21 – “Dear Jeannette — I hope you all weren’t worried sick over not hearing from me…” [images 041-045]

Finding chestnuts with Uncle William Creech ; Farmers’ Institute meeting at Big Laurel ;

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GALLERY: Marguerite Butler Letters 1914

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TRANSCRIPTION: Marguerite Butler Letters 1914

[Brackets indicate notations by HW.]

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MBB Note: As to the primitive living conditions at this pioneer school. I evidently wanted to reassure her all was fine. I was surprised and impressed by Old Log, then the stone tool house, and lastly Big Log where I was to live.” [images 001 & 002]

LETTER 1 – Sunday night, August 14, 1914 – [images 004-021]

Dear Mother and all –

Well, here I am at Pine Mountain, and it is simply perfect! I never was so surprised in my life for the school is wonderfully run and the buildings (only two permanent ones so far) lovely. I hardly know where to begin for there is so much to tell you about.

First of all, Miss Watts and I are roommates and she is perfectly dear! She is just nineteen and green at teaching too. Our room is too nice for words. All the furniture is made by the boys here, the curtains hand-woven, rugs hand-done and all the baskets, too. We have the nicest waste-paper basket, one very old, one full of flowers and then another very pretty one on our bookshelves. All the windows open out — regular French ones! Miss Pettit said that she hated like everything to make any new teachers room together, but until other buildings were finished we would have to. I only dress here but have a screened in sleeping porch all to myself. I have just been out there looking at the moon and stars over the mountain. I know I shall stay awake half the night, it is so lovely. The living room is one of the most attractive I have ever seen. Every piece of furniture is made by the boys except the Victrola. Yes, you see, we do put on style even if we are in the mountains. There is an immense stone fireplace with crane and kettle, an old-fashioned mahogany clock on the top with two pairs of homemade candle-sticks. Then there is an immense round table (I helped rub it an hour after I came yesterday for they had just stained it) on which stands a reading lamp and all the latest magazines. Hindman School sent over a handmade loom so we all declare that we are going to learn to weave. Bookcases are built right in on either side of the fireplace. Really you couldn’t imagine a more attractive room. Don’t think that the school’s wealthy tho’ for all these things have been gifts to the school and just today the secretary said that the school was simply desperate for money.

Mother, probably this will surprise you, but the house is the cleanest one I have ever seen. Yes, it is cleaner than ours for every morning the girls sweep and dust it from top to top, everything is spotless and every item in its place. I have to laugh when I think of our impression of it. It is really as strict as any boarding school I ever hope to be in. Miss Pettit is a wonderfully capable woman and the way she manages these children is remarkable. In this house are Miss Pettit, a Miss Cochran, [Miss Cochran does not appear on lists of workers at PMSS] a charming woman who plans the meals and teaches cooking to the girls, Miss Watts [Margaret Watts] and I, and then three mountain girls about eighteen years old and two little ones. Miss De Long and Miss Newman (the secretary) live in another log house equally as attractive as this one, with five little boys. Then the trained nurse, and the general superintendent of the laundry, and helper in general, live at the hospital a half mile up the road. Two little boys are there now with the hookworm. Everything is as sanitary as can be – a really modern school in the wilderness. I can truthfully say that I never was so surprised at anything.

Everyone is so cordial and nice although I hate “Miss Butler”. The secretary, who is just a little older than I am, is simply dear! Then there is a scientific farmer who is a young graduate from Berea.

I have sort of jumped about in this letter so now I shall go back and tell you about my trip. Well, I took the trip to Pineville by night and it wasn’t half bad. I didn’t mention it in my last card but thought you would only worry if you knew it then. As you know, I reached Corbin at 1:20 with a two hour wait. I returned to the station a half hour

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before the train was to leave to await my train. I don’t know what happened but I didn’t hear the train called, nor did I ever see one. After it had pulled out I was informed that my train had left and I had to wait until 2:55 a.m. Experiences in Kentucky, that is all ! Well, I went back to the hotel where I had supper, and then went to bed at 7 o’clock sleeping until 2 a.m. The night porter put me safely on the train for Pineville and it was just dawn when I reached there. The town is ideally situated right down between mountains. After several more hours of rest here, a breakfast and a change of habit, I boarded my train for Dillon. I had hardly been seated when the old lady in the seat with me said: “Whear yer goin?” These people are too nice for words down here. Everyone is so friendly and hospitable. Before this old lady left she gave me an apple from her big basket of groceries and wished me luck in my school. The ride over to Dillon was rare. We would go about ten miles down the creek, then back to the main road, only to find in a half hour or so we were making another sojourn down another creek. Mr. Lewis [John Lewis] met me with the mules and the first part of our ride over the mountains was in the rain. They have to use mules entirely over the mountain for it is too steep for horses. Parts of the trail are worse than the “Devil’s Corkscrew” in the Grand Canyon. We had to walk down part of it and at that it was a case of almost sliding for it was so steep. As we passed the hospital and first cottage everyone rushed out to greet me. As soon as I got here (about 2:30) I took a bath. Then Miss Cochran had some limeade, bread, butter and jelly sent up to my room on a little white tray. That afternoon I rubbed and rubbed on our new sitting room table, sewed curtains for Miss Pettit’s room, and washed one of the little girl’s hair. Don’t be afraid of the children and their diseases, for they are as clean as clean can be. It is wonderful how they are being trained. Each child has to put all her things exactly in their places, mend her clothes, and attend to part of the house. Our rooms are swept and dusted every morning, beds made, water pitchers filled, etc. for us.

Last night a young Y.M.C.A. man and his wife were here, so we had a chicken and dumplin’ dinner in the evening. I spent the evening with the secretary up at her cottage. We have breakfast at 6 a.m. Can’t you see me a changed woman when I come home? It is terrible to be late for meals for Miss Pettit dislikes it very much. If any of the children are late they get only bread and water. I don’t think they treat the faculty that way but still it is best to be on time.

This morning the Y.M.C.A. man led the “meetin”. They never call it church. It was held in the schoolhouse which is an out-of-door rustic pavilion right in the woods [House-in-the-Woods]. There is merely the floor and ceiling and you can’t imagine a more attractive place for such a school. In the winter it will be indoors of course.

The dinner was very good today: –fried chicken, gravy, bread, cornbread, beets, cottage cheese, cucumber and tomato salad and baked apples. Miss Watts, Miss Newman [Eve Newman, Secretary] and I spent the whole afternoon up at Miss Newman’s. You see, we three are about the same age which makes it very, very nice. Tonight the whole family with about four or five outside guests had a picnic supper up on Pine Knoll from where we had a glorious view of all the mountains around. Afterward was the evening service right out there in the open. Miss De Long arranged several different sets of services which consist of several hymns, psalms, a prayer read by all and benediction. It was so nice to have it out on the knoll. Miss Watts and I have been up in our room talking and writing ever since we came down.

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The son of the president of Berea College [Frost] has been here all day. He and his mother have been on a two months horseback trip through the mountains of Kentucky, Virginia and North Carolina. He is such a splendid young fellow.

Tomorrow is my first day of teaching and I am not one bit scared now that I am down here. No mail leaves here until Sunday and so I shall stop now and add a little note tomorrow night.

Monday night – This has been a great day. We two teachers get along beautifully together and we are having the best time organizing and planning out the school. This morning we had opening exercises for we want the children to march, sing, etc. before the regular work. I played the organ!! After the march we have the Lord’s Prayer followed by some song which will be “America” until they know by heart. It is almost pitiful to see how eager these children are for knowledge. One little boy about twelve was simply crazy when he knew that we had a map of Europe and that we were going to teach them history and geography. He said he wanted to draw maps and just read every book we could give him. This morning we had the first five grades from 8 until 11:30. Right after dinner we each have a boy about eighteen years old to teach privately. They are ashamed to go in with the younger children who are more advanced in “larnin”. Then right after this hour lesson Miss Watts and I have the three older girls in this house whom we tutor privately too.

About three o’clock Mr. Frost (the son of Berea president who is going to Yale this year), Miss Watts and I took a six or seven mile [hike] _______ up to Jack’s Gap where we had one of the loveliest views I have ever had. There were simply miles and miles of wooded mountains, one seeming to rise higher than the rest. It was a hard climb up the trail but we rested about six times on the way. We watched the sunset from there and then made our way back to the road reaching it just as the moon came up over the mountains. The first house we passed the folks called us in and cut two big watermelons. I don’t think anything tasted better. It was a typical mountaineer’s house. We sat on the little front porch and watched the moon rise and just enjoyed that melon. A mile’s tramp along the road brought us home where they had saved the best supper for us – sweet potatoes, cottage cheese, hot biscuit, slice tomato and cucumber, apple sauce and cider which was just made today.

Miss Watts and I have decided to have this room as our living room and both sleep on the sleeping porch. I hope Mother that you won’t worry about me down here for I am as safe as I would be at Vassar College.

Now about the mattress covers. I can’t imagine anything that Miss Pettit would rather have. She is so very particular about everything and when the little girls make the beds they have to carefully tuck the bottom sheet around the mattress to keep it clean. It would be too much of a job for you to undertake alone but if you and Mrs. Rannells from Cleveland could furnish the material I am sure the sewing society would be willing to make them. I think that twenty or twenty-five would be plenty. In one day the society could do them all. I shall not mention it to Miss Pettit at all. Here are the dimensions – length 2 yards, width 33 inches, height 5 1/2 inches.

It is getting late so that I must turn in. Do tell Bee to write me about the trip home and you tell the Wilsons all you know about Pine Mountain for I am too busy to write much.

Good night and love to all, Marguerite. [Attached explanatory note from Marguerite Butler Bidstrup — “Mother had been fearful

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LETTER 2 Friday night, September 4, 1914 [images 022-024]

Dear Jeanette – Oh, I just wish you could be here right now! “Peggy” – Miss Watts name has been changed – and I are in the Old Log cabin taking care of Miss Newman’s boys for she has gone off in the mountains to spend the night. The boys are the most adorable youngsters you ever saw in your life. Their spirit is perfectly beautiful. Right after supper we two and about eight of the boys had a game of baseball. They think it is wonderful fun when we play with them. As soon as it got dark we all played “Up Jenkins” in the living room. It is just like one big family. Then it was time for the boys to run and get ready for bed. Every other night is bath night when they heat the water in a big black kettle out in the open but tonight the boys just had to scrub their hands, neck, faces and feet. Soon they all came down in their little white nighties just clean as clean as could. We heard them with their prayers, kissed them good-night and off they went. I never saw such children in my life. They are very, very polite, obedient as can be, and simply in love with the school, [head?] ones and each other. You never hear a cross word!!

These last few days we have been working like everything on our room. It is so attractive. When I come back I intend to bring chafing dish, couch cover, pictures and everything. As yet I have taken no pictures but I shall soon as I want you to have a better idea of the whole place.

Did I tell you that I have the third and fourth grades, also arithmetic in the first. Now school is only in the mornings for we both give private tutor lessons for three hours each afternoon to the older ones. When Miss DeLong comes we hope to change for we need more regular school. The children simply love to come. You ought to see how eager they all are. There is hardly a child that knows what state or country he lives in. Not even the older ones knew there was such a thing as a war. And yet they are bright and will take in everything you tell them.

This is the loveliest night ever. Here we are, a quarter of a mile from the main house, all alone for the boys are sound asleep. Outside it is as bright as day for the moon has just come up over the mountains. The old log cabin is right on the banks of “Greasy Creek”!! It is getting late and as we must arise at dawn I shall say good-night.

Love to you all. Muggins. Be sure to send “Literary Digest” and “Leslie’s” as soon as you are thru with them. I want the war news.

MBB Note -“The third and fourth grades were the highest needed — it took several years to have an eighth grade and graduating class. As I remember in first class there was a grand­daughter of Uncle William and I think a grandson of Uncle Solomon of Hindman [This would have been A. Ritchie, and a student who was killed in the School House fire? HW]. I am sure Pine Mountain notes recorded it.” [images 025 & 026]

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LETTER 3 Friday night, September 1914 [images 027-030s

Dear Mother – You have been dear about writing to me so much. So far I have been lucky enough to have mail every time it comes in which is just three times a week, but then each time you are mighty, mighty anxious for it. Did I tell you that we get Friday’s news the following Tuesday night?

Why did you worry about me crossing the mountain for I was perfectly all right. I never felt better. Yes, I have plenty of medicine so don’t by any means send any more.

You asked about the number of children. The family, all told, that is all that live right here is about twenty-eight, soon to be increased to about thirty-eight. Then there are fifteen children who come to school besides, but who live at their homes nearby. Another young girl from Wellesley, Mass, is coming to help us with the school next

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week.

I have been interrupted in my letter by the children’s good night stories which I read to them every night. They simply love to be read to, and after each story they all exclaim “the best one I ever heerd!” The children surely are dears, – you couldn’t be lonely with them around you.

I wonder if you received my laundry. Ours is done free for us here but I didn’t like to trust those things. Send it back parcel post for there is no way of getting express. Will you put in it one good beef steak for five! I can’t think of anything nicer. The three of us are planning to go up to the tent Thursday night to spend the night and then have a beef steak breakfast the next morning to which we shall invite Miss Pettit and Miss De Long. The children don’t like meat for they have never had it so it would be no treat to them. Can you send laundry off Wednesday a.m. so I shall surely get it Thursday evening. Also, will you put in just a couple spoons and those two battered up bread and butter spreaders which I used at college. We have been staying over at the tent with Miss Rockwell all week. This morning we made omelet – yes with real eggs!!! She is so nice and we have been having the nicest evenings together. Last night Miss Newman [Eve Newman, Secretary] stayed with us too, so she and I spent the night in one single bed which was on the very edge of the tent floor over quite a little precipice. Once she nearly went out of bed and you ought to have heard the scream.

We have been trying to fix victrola records the past two afternoons. They were in quite a mess after moving into this house so we have attempted to straighten them out.

I hope you have sent films off.
Good-night with love to all, Marguerite. Vassar opens tonight – you can imagine where my thoughts have been!!

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LETTER 4 – Fall 1914 – [no salutation, pages 5-7, images 031-033]

Ethel [McCullough], Miss Newman and I went down “Greasy” five miles to a meeting. Ethel simply had to go to one for you can’t possibly imagine it! The walk down was perfectly beautiful, the road being about twenty or thirty feet above the creek, and the whole mountainside one mass of color. On account of a week’s rain the creeks were terribly high, so we had many exciting experiences trying to cross.

After meeting, about ten people asked us home to dinner but we finally went down to Aunt Judy’s, just a mile and a half farther down the creek. She is a great, great favorite, and a truly wonderful old lady. On the way we collected no less than six other people so it was a big family which sat down to stewed chicken, gravy, corn, beans, hot biscuit, bacon, sliced to­matoes, coffee, jelly and raspberries. We picked the chickens while one of the girls made biscuits and another fixed the corn, etc. In no time it was ready. It was pitch black when we got home, but it was a nice, nice day! Ethel and I talked college for hours that night and it seemed like old V. C. [Vasser College] days.

Monday night was great, too! We spent the evening at Miss De Long’s around a big log fire. First there were stories, singing, and the playing of all kinds of tricks and games. After the little boys went to bed Miss [Ethel] De Long, Miss [Eve] Newman, Peg, Ethel [McCullough] the two new workers and I sat around talking and feasting on cider, just made that day, nuts, raisins and cakes. We talked about plans for the school, what we would do next

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year and all until it got very exciting. I am going to try to be at V. C. [Vassar College] this December when Miss De Long speaks. Won’t that be great fun?

Last night we had a birthday supper party for Miss De Long. The dining room looked dear with all its flowers, candles which furnished the only light, and many autumn leaves. When the birthday cake was brought in all the children sang “Happy Birthday to You” which I taught them in the afternoon. Everyone wished on the candles and some of their wishes were dear. It was a lovely, lovely party. Everyone’s birthday is to be celebrated from the youngest child up.

Last night we all went up to Aunt Sal’s for an apple paring. She and Uncle g are wonderful people. If Uncle William will come I am going to bring him home with me for a day or two to have his eyes examined by Dr. Satler. Miss Pettit and Miss De Long are very anxious for him to come. You will all love him and it will be a grand treat I assure you.

Did I ask Mother to press that one piece blue serge which I got last year. I thought if she did the work gradually it would not be such a rush at the end.

Will stop now as I have to give a lesson.
Lots of love, Marguerite
[P. S. Do tell Father that I enjoyed his letter and appreciated it greatly.]

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LETTER 5 – Wednesday night, very early in the fall of 1914 – [images 035-038]

Dear Mother and all — It is now rather late for us and Peggy and I are going over to the tent to sleep so this will be only a note. Two guests from Harlan came in tonight so we gave up our sleeping porch to them.

I wish you could be here tonight to see this new moon over the mountains. It is a perfect picture. The whole country is lovely always but on moonlight nights it is more than lovely!

I wrote to you last Friday, didn’t I? Saturday was a busy, busy day for us. As you know, we lived up at the tent all last week with Miss Rockwell [Mary Rockwell Hook]. This morning Miss Pettit, Miss de Long and another Miss Butler [Harriet Butler] (a nurse from Hindman) came up for breakfast. We made omelet, fixed fried potatoes, bacon and coffee. It was nine by the time the dishes were washed – altho’ very few, for it was a regular campfire breakfast, and it took time for our dishpan was a creek.

All that day we were busy running errands, a mile up the creek in one direction and a mile and a quarter in another, and doing many odd jobs. That night was a bean stringing, an event much talked of for days before!! Sixteen of us went from here; going down Greasy nearly two miles to the little log cabin. In one room men, women and children were stringing them, while in the other room everyone strung the beans on a long thread, for they have to be hung up and dried [“shucky beans” or sometimes called “leather britches”]. It was a regular moving picture show for us. Soon the youngest boy in the family climbed up on one of the beds (there was a bed in every corner) and went to sleep, only to be lifted over nearer the wall in a short time, for father wanted to go to bed, too. Their only preparation for this is the removal of their shoes! Of course the children never wear them but the men and women do. Before we had gone the little girl was snoozing on the other side of her father.

One of the boys played his Jew’s Harp while some of the boys and girls “ran a set” [Kentucky Running Set] in front of the cabin porch. It is the only dancing they know, very similar to our old fashioned quadrille. I should love to have had a picture of it, for it was a novelty for me.

Sunday morning “Aunt Sal” came to have breakfast with us. She is the wife of

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Uncle William, the founder of the school and the “Monroe Wilson” of Pine Mountain. She is the dearest old lady, rather mountaineer woman, as we cooked breakfast she sat in front of the tent smoking her pipe.

About ten o’clock Sunday morning Miss Newman, Peggy and I started out on a muleback trip over the mountains. It was a glorious [?] and a glorious country through which we went. Honestly, our trail beat the Grand Canyon one in places in roughness. Three times the trail simply ended, but spying it again in the distance we took courage to go on. In the whole day we met about five people and only passed about four houses. You never saw such a wilderness. Our route was up Isaac’s Creek, and then over to Little Laurel through Steel Trap, crossing over Low Gap to Big Laurel which we followed to its mouth, coming home along Greasy Creek. I never felt the slightest effects from it so now I feel equal to almost anything.

We got back in time for a cozy Sunday night supper and vespers.

I wonder if my laundry will come. Also, why did you not send the films. Thank father for the stamps and his letter.

Lots of love to all,
Marguerite

[MBB Note: The meeting to which I refer was preaching in the Big Laurel School. We had supper with a Turner family near mouth of Big Laurel. I can see it all very clearly today. [image 039]

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LETTER 6 Wednesday afternoon, October 21, 1914 [images 041-045]

Dear Jeanette — I hope you all weren’t worried sick over not hearing from me, but it really was not my fault. I answered your letter immediately and it was an overlook both times that they weren’t mailed. I expect a letter from you by tomorrow night and hope to hear then that you have forgiven me. It is so nice having Ethel [? McCullough] here! She is simply in love with it all and I know would give anything in the world to stay here and work. This morning she, Miss Pettit and Miss Newman started on a twenty mile walking trip down “Greasy” expecting to be gone until the end of the week. They were pictures in their khaki skirts and middies, with their clothes slung over their back in some fetching pack.

We have enjoyed the food more than words could tell! Nearly every night Ethel, Peg and I sit around our fire, feast and talk. Of course we have shared with all the others too. Father spoke about sending a beefsteak, but don’t have him send it now as I shall soon be home. I am still waiting to hear when Hall Play is. If by any chance it is November 7th, I shall probably come out with Ethel next week. Will drop a card as soon as I hear. I have written for Lee to come on for a little visit and then both go on together. She is the only one who knows about my going back.

Now I must tell you about some of our good times. Sunday was another nice, nice day. A crowd of us went over Pine Mountain chestnutting with Uncle William. It was a glorious day and lovely tramp. After six hours in the woods we returned with huge bushel sacks full to the brim. We got back to Aunt Sal’s just in time for dinner – three o’clock one though! I helped her get it and then washed dishes. By the time we reached home they were all starting off to Pine Knoll for supper, but as we had just finished dinner Peg and I took baths, got in our kimonos, and read. About seven o’clock we roasted corn in our fire for supper. One of the school children brought it to us. Then I read to all the little girls in here around the fire.

Four splendid instructors from the Kentucky State University have been here for four days holding Farmers’ Institute. It is a splendid thing for this part of the country and you never saw such interest as the farmers showed. Last night one of the men said it was by far the best meeting he had ever had in Kentucky. Of course mothers, fathers and children came for miles around. Yesterday the school cooked dinner for all out in

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big black kettles in the open . The men killed a sheep Saturday for the great affair. The talks were splendid on the soil and care of it, proper kind of food and why, how to raise fruit trees and poultry, which are both easily but poorly done in the mountains. I enjoyed every single speech. Just about four yesterday afternoon we learned that there was a “meetin” down Greasy five miles. Of course we wanted to go, so in ten minutes one of the men and lady instructors, Peg, one of the older boys here and I started off. I bare back behind Miss Sweeny on her horse. We had wonderful fun and the ride at that time of evening was glorious. I stuck on, even when we galloped beautifully. One of the men invited us there for supper so he rode on ahead to prepare supper. They had made biscuit, stewed dumplin’s and chickens, sweet potatoes and all sorts of good things. These professors said it was one of the experiences of their life. We all walked down to meetin’ afterwards in the Little Log School. I succeeded in falling in the creek, so did Miss Sweeney, as we only had to cross one four times. You couldn’t possibly believe what a meetin’ is like unless you hear it with your own ears. I shall have much to tell you. After an exciting ride home over a black, rough road we got here at 10:15, no worse for the wear.

Tell Mrs. Codman that the school is under no board. It is kept up entirely by donations and incorporated under state laws of Kentucky. [This is not entirely accurate, as an Advisory Board was formed quickly by Pettit and de Long and from 1914 the advisory board became central to the administration of the School.]

Please thank Father for me many times about the trip and tell I didn’t write for was undecided.

Hope you enjoyed your trip to Danville.
Lots of love, Marguerite.

[P.S. Towels came. They are fine!

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See Also:
MARGUERITE BUTLER Biography

Return To:
MARGUERITE BUTLER LETTERS 1914-1970 Guide

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