STAPLETON REPORT 1936 June - Letter of Appreciation to Miss Lewis - PINE MOUNTAIN SETTLEMENT SCHOOL COLLECTIONS

Pine Mountain Settlement School
Series 09: Biography – Staff/Personnel
Dr. Ida Stapleton and Rev. Robert Stapleton
Line Fork 1927 – 1947

STAPLETON REPORT 1936 June – Letter of Appreciation to Miss Lewis

TAGS: Stapleton Report 1936 June; letter to Miss Lewis; Line Fork Medical Settlement; Katherine Pettit; community activities; medical work;

GALLERY: STAPLETON REPORT 1936 June – Letter of Appreciation to Miss Lewis

TRANSCRIPTION: STAPLETON REPORT 1936 June – Letter of Appreciation to Miss Lewis

The Cabin
Gilley P.O., Kentucky
June 16, 1936

My dear Miss Lewis —

It is indeed kind of you and the other ladies to help us out with our budget here on Line Fork. If we did not believe so ardently that it is a worth while service we would give it up — but with Miss [Katherine] Pettit so eager for us to carry on and friends like you to assist us we shall carry on as long as health permits.

I do think Miss Pettit’s spirit is amazing. I was so glad to see her and sense again her eager interest in life’s problems.

The neighbors you mention are still in this district. I see Callie Cornett rarely but the last time she took her oldest little girl to visit the Cabin for the first time to show her where her mammy lived before she was married. Callie has five little girls and seems to be a good mother to them.

The older Brownings moved away but Ivo, who married Viola Lewis, returned after deserting his family for two years and seems to be faithful now. His oldest child Elsie said the other day that Pap had given up drinking –tho he can’t seem to earn enough to keep them going and Viola is burdened with another baby since his return. She is faithful in sending the four children to the Cabin every Sun. morning for our S.[Sunday] S. [School].

“Doc” Metcalf still attends the isolated cases and does not spare himself altho he has aged a lot. I visit them before and after confinement but he will remain a week or longer when the case is afraid to be caught alone. He seems to have a real desire to be helpful tho his remuneration is often only a promise never fulfilled. Paul’s son Si Smith has found him a wife on Leatherwood and is building her a house place below Doc’s — He has taken time to build it nicely with windows and a porch — he even planed the logs and rafters. Old Doc’s house had many a window when we first came and Si bot [sic] the first one put in where Doc & Polly cut out the logs with a cross cut saw. Poll never did make up a bed or pay any attention to house cleaning but the son’s wife seems to have some pride in appearances. She came to the cabin for some “treatment” not long since for Henderson’s stiff neck, and Poll had sent a request for some of that cod liver oil for her rheumatism.

Mary Cornett and Jas are almost alone now but Ellie, an older daughter, lives in a rude little cabin of one room on the same branch. Two of their sons are working in a restaurant in Boston and Winfield the one who went first, has rescued Wilson his cousin as well as Morgan his brother from their addiction to ‘stilling’ and drinking. Mary told me that he give Wilson a limbing because he dared to indulge once. The youngest son John finished H.S. this year and has ambition to go to Boston University with the help of his brothers, but he and Addie — the sister who studied in Pine Mt. — are helping on the farm this summer. Addie has been helping in a Dr.’s family and saving her money to take a business course some time.

The Fields live in Cumberland — since eight years and we seldom hear of them but I confirmed Sally and her sister when they were married to the Sparkman boys — but had already separated.

The Halls are in their old places. Nancy Jane has seven boys and two girls. One is in Pine Mt. School.

None of Hi’s have cared to go — tobacco is their tyme ..t [?] but they have built a good kitchen with windows. Benny [?] still does carving and made a good house for Lorry [?] (she is terribly hump-backed and no housekeeper.) Martha Lewis down by Coyle Br. school is such a spry little grandmother [?] sixteen times — and still has a son and a daughter at home. His house and yard are always attractive ‘tho she is often ill — but somehow she inspired her children to be devoted to her and the boys even will wash or milk the cows when she can’t do it.

Poor Bert is an untiring worker for daily bread for her family — Jason is often oblivious of their needs. She was complaining about her older children a day or so since — how Miss Pettit — and she herself lived to make something of their daughter Loretta but she would not respond and now she has contracted a dangerous disease thru her willfulness. Poor Bert can’t see at all where she herself failed in training then. She does insist on the four youngest coming regularly to S.S. and we are doing what we can with them — while their undisciplined enheritance [sic] from many ancestors.

Two young women from Clover Fork off from Leatherwood came today to see the Dr. today. One brot [sic] her 9 mo. baby. It is such a long ride in the sun — but they had mules so it was not so bad as when they walk that same distance and pack a baby. These were so untidy when I first knew them perhaps eight yrs. ago before either was married but they manage to be pretty well scrubbed when they come to the Cabin these days.

That attempt at cleanliness and neatness is the biggest encouragement I can actually see as a result of our personal contacts. Tho I feel there is also a different spiritual attitude in the dense ignorance that abounds.

Thanks so much for your kindness in helping us here and for your faith in the worth whileness of our just living here being good neighbors.

Sincerely Yours

Ida S. Stapleton

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