Gold Coins and Small Waisted Girls, January 1908

We greatly enjoyed this letter from Jimmie to his dad J.W. Moran.  J.W. and George Boyd taught him a good lesson, when you want something the price usually rises and in this the price on the gold coin he wanted increased by $15!  This letter also shows the competitive streak between Jim and his brother Brud for the ladies.  Or at least the competition existed in Jim's mind.  :)

Just an FYI for you all.  Instead of posting the images of each scanned letter, I think the above format is more interesting to read and to look it.  Since search engines can't read the embedded text on an image, I will still include the text of each letter in html format so that the information can be retrieved by a search.

"The Mechanics-American National Bank of St. Louis

1/14-08

Dear Papa-

Your letter received today and as I will not have another opportunity to write for several days will answer at once.  

I don't know whether you ever told me or I just found it out from observation but a man when he wants to trade with you must not appear at all anxious that he wants to trade.  Now when I was down home and didn't want that gold piece I could have got it for sixty dollars but when I get back here and do want it then the price rises.  I don't see my way clear to give seventy-five dollars or even seventy but rather than have you and Mr. Boyd bluff me out I will give you seventy dollars if delivered at once express paid.  I don't think you can get this much from a broker, in fact I know you can't but the party that wants this one is collecting coins for his own personal pleasure and is able to pay for luxuries.  

If you will trade at the above price send to me care of the Mechanics-American Bk not Am. Germ. as your letter this morning was addressed.

I hope Brud is not trying to take advantage of my absence by visiting Jackson for the purpose of taking possession of my belonging down there.  The pretty girl with the little waist is not there now so I can't imagine what is prolonging his visit.

Give my love to Aunt Aggie, Hope you are both well.

Devotedly,

Jimmie

Fred Mayo Dies in Memphis, 1940

I came across an obituary for Fred Mayo among the papers of Virginia S. Moran.   There are Mayo's in the Moran family tree, I haven't figured how or if Fred Mayo is one of them or not.

His full name was Fred Henderson Mayo born Nov. 18 1899, per the death certificate.  His headstone in Sunset Cemetery say 1898.  He was the son of William B. Mayo and Lucy Brooks of Palmersville, TN. 

Fred was living with his Uncle Thomas A. McElwrath and Aunt Mollie Brooks in Mayfield Kentucky in 1920.  He worked as a salesman in a dry goods store.  His uncle Thomas owned a dry good store, betcha he was working there.  Fred married Grace Beasley, also of Mayfield.  Her parents were Robert Lee Beasley and Minnie Wyman.

Dresden Merchant Dies in Automobile in Front of Clinic

Fred H. Mayo, Dresden, Tenn., merchant, and member of the State Democratic Executive Committee for the Eighth Congressional District, died of a heart attack while seated in his automobile in front of a Madison Avenue clinic at 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon.  Mr. mayo, who was 41, apparently had been in good health and had brought his wife, Mrs. Grace Beasley Mayo, to Memphis yesterday for treatment.

Mr. Mayo had visited the Federal Building to call on friends and had lunch with Dist. Atty. William McClanahan, a longtime friend, and Richard Holliday of Dresden, who is here with the FHA.

Mr. Mayo was a native of Dresden and had operated a ladies ready-to-wear store there for several years.  He was chairman of the Dresden School Board and a former president of the Dresden Chamber of Commerce.  He was a World War veteran and belonged to the American Legion and the Baptist Church.

Besides his wife, he leaves his mother, Mrs. W.D. Mayo; a brother, George Mayo, both of Dresden, and a sister, Mrs. Cornelius Wakefield of Union City, Tenn.

The body was sent to Dresden last night by Thompson Brothers Mortuary for services and burial.  The Burns Funeral of Mayfield, Ky., is in charge of arrangements.

I haven't come across a picture of any Mayo's but we do have this picture of Brud (wearing the bow tie) with Thomas Allen McWlwrath (Fred Mayo's uncle in Mayfield), Mollie Brooks McElwrath (Thomas's second wife standing at the back) and their daughter Linda with the blonde curls.  The woman next to brud is Nell McKruger.

Brud's Musical Picks in 1912

Being the swinging fella that he was Brud purchased a Victrola around 1912.  He had quite a collection of waltz's and foxtrot's to keep the Moran's and their friends singing and dancing.  I came across an old envelope dated October 1912 that he used to jot down a few new musical titles, perhaps he was hoping to add them to his record collection.

The only title that was familiar to me was "Oh You Beautiful Doll" which was published in 1911.  It's actually a very unique piece of music in that it's one of the first songs that uses a 12 bar opening.  Words by Seymour Brown and music by Nat D. Ayer.   

"Over the Waves" is a waltz written by Juventino Rosas and published in 1888.  I was not familiar with the title but once I began listening to the melody it became clear I'd heard it many times before, particularly in connection with trapeze artists!  The name Irving Berlin usually makes me think of "White Christmas" and "Easter Parade", just to name a few of his works.  I'm not familiar at all with his "Everybody's Doing It" but it must have been a popular song since it's on Brud's list.   I even found a version of it from the White Star Line which you may remember was responsible for the R.M.S. Titanic! I couldn't find a song called "That Limber Rag" but I did find "That Peculiar Rag" from 1912 written by Mike Bernard.   And that's todays musical picks by C.H. "Brud" Moran!

Seed Packets, ca 1915

More proof of Uncle Brud's love of the land.  He was always looking for new things to plant.

Rebecca Leonore Carpenter

I think that Rebecca might have been a possible sweetheart for either Brud or Jim Moran and I'm sure they had friends and some relatives in the area which would've given them the opportunity to meet her.  But that's all speculation.  All I know for sure is that the picture was in with some of their papers and that it was taken while she was still living in Columbia TN.

Here's what I do know about Rebecca Leonore Carpenter.  She was born April 18, 1881 in Maury County Tennessee and she died there on May 2, 1957.  Rebecca was just one of nine children born to J.E.R. Carpenter and Jane Wilson.  She, her brother Richard and sister Mary moved to Los Angeles California sometime after 1910 but before 1920 as the three appear in the 1920 Census living together.  Richard was a mining engineer and Mary was a teacher.  Rebecca would've been almost 40 in 1920 and her occupation is listed as "none" which is the same as it was in previous census records.

Rebecca married Myron McClellan Milice sometime after the 1920 census but before 1923 because she appears with Myron as husband and wife in the Riverside CA. City Directory for 1923.

Myron McClellan Milice was born August 15, 1868 in Indiana and died December 14, 1940 in Riverside California.  He was the son of Captain Andrew Staley Milice and Mary A. McClellan.  There is a great New York Times write up about Andy Milice and his service in the Union Army entitled "Andy Milice's Second Chance" if you're interested.

Myron owned property and was an assistant cashier at a bank in Riverside.  The city of Riverside purchased some of his property in 1909.  Myron was a member of the Elks Lodge no. 643 and served as Exalted Ruler from 1908-1909.  He and Rebecca had no children.  In the 1930 Census Rebecca's sister Mary is living with them.  After the death of Myron in 1940, Rebecca and Mary returned Columbia Tennessee.  Both are buried along with their parents and other siblings in Rose Hill Cemetery.

Out West with C.H. Moran ca. 1900

Brud took a lot of trips for pleasure and because of his health.  This particular trip was with a group of friends who went out west.


I don't know who is who but here's the list of names written on the back:. Some of the names I wasn't sure of the spelling, hence the ?
Miss HARRISON, Miss YOUNG, Miss LAMONDS(?), Mrs. LONG, Mary C. ALLEN, Dr. MOORE, Mr. HILL, Mr. JORDON, Mr. O'BROWN, Mr. WILSON(?), Miss Julia YOUNG

Here's the backside of the photograph.  Perhaps someone else will be able to decipher Brud's handwriting.

I love this photo of an unknown couple.  I don't know if they are looking at geysers or hot springs but the smoke or steam in the area leads me to believe it's one or the other.  Whatever it is they are gazing intently.

Here's Brud, on the left side, with some of his friends.  Does this picture look like an early color photo to anyone else?

Closeup of 

Charles Harrell Moran

standing by the horsedrawn carriage

Lookout Mountain August 1907

C.H. Moran (Brud) at Lookout Mountain 1907
I think this is one of the most poignant of the Moran photographs.

Written by Charles Harrell Moran (Brud) to his father John Williamson Moran August 18, 1907 from Lookout Mountain Inn.  The Inn was a majestic building and sat atop Lookout Mountain Tennessee.  It was a stop on the rail line as you can see in this picture.  The inn was destroyed November 17, 1908 by a fire.

You can see from Brud's comments that the Civil War was still a sore spot.  He, like so many Southerners even today, are very passionate about the War of the Rebellion.  In addition, one must remember that his father was injured during the War and many many of his relatives died including his father's brother James Henderson Moran Jr and his grandmother's brother Thomas Larkin HARRIS who died at Shiloh and is buried in a mass grave there.

Lookout Mountain Letter page 1

Mr. J.W. Moran
     Dresden Tenn.

Dear Papa:

I feel sure you are lonesome today.  I saw Marion, Sophia, Charlie, and the baby get off the train that I got on at Newsom.  (Marion was his sister and she was married to Charlie (Charles H. COBB of Union City TN).  The baby was their daughter Caroline Cobb who was a few months old.  Sophia was the daughter of Brud's sister Fannie Moran Ezzell and James B. EZZELL.  Sophia was about 10 at the time.  Newsom Station was where the Ezzell's lived.)

I bought my ticket via Savannah Ga, will take ship there Monday at 3 o'clock for New York- will be at Hotel Latham while there.  I believe this is the place where John BRASFIELD stops.

Lookout Mountain Letter page 2

Have just walked over the battle grounds of LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, think it such a pity that the FEDERALS have all the monuments to tell of their gallant deeds, but I hope the SOUTH will yet outdo them in the monument building as she did on the field of battle.  I am stopping at this hotel long enough to write you this note which I do in hast in order to catch the next car.

I hope this will find you well.

Yours in the clouds,
C.H. Moran