The "Hoops" Letter from Elise to Brud Moran, January 1898

It's very surprising that Brud Moran never married. He seemed to be quite the ladies man if the letters to him from women are an indicator.  And he was very dapper looking!

We have quite a few letters from a woman who signs herself as "Elise D.A."  Elise is mentioned in a letter I transcribed in October of 2013, from Shepherd Milner Fowlkes to Brud.  Shepherd says "No doubt you have forgotten such a human exists, and I can only think of you as "Bob Taylor's barefooted boy" for I visited at your home seven years ago this past Summer, and I can't remember how you look, only that you were barefooted, but Elise Tells me that you are a "thing of beauty and a joy forever" now, and that you were not barefooted while she was at Dresden.  She spent one day and night with me last week, and we planned many schemes to get you down here." 

That letter was written a month after the "hoops" letter from Elise which makes me think Brud and Elise had known each other for a while for him to be sending her hoops!  As for the "Ide" who went to Boston, that may have been Brud's sister, Ida.  She may have been visiting some of the Gunn relatives since that's where her grandfather Lyman Taft Gunn was from.

Dear "Brud;"

Did you send the nice hoops that came from Nashville last week?  Farne (sp?) was there at the time & I thought he had sent them until I heard from him, then I could not think of another soul in that part of the country who would be at all likely to send them but you.  It would certainly be a delightful surprise to find that you did for I thought of course you had forgotten all about me long ago.  Hoops are the nicest presents any way and these are the ones I most wanted.

Just for fun we went to see a clairvoyant the other day and she said I had recently received something nice from a tall fair haired man and described you to a dot.  Wasn't that strange?  She told me many other things too that were exactly true and made many fine predictions for the future.

I am so sorry Ide has gone to Boston.  I wanted her to go and help me keep house next month while my mother is away on a visit.  I know you will all miss her so much.

Give my love to "Dennis" and don't either of you forget me before I come again next summer.

Yours Etc

Elise D.A.

Saturday

January 8, 1898

I hope someday we discover who Elise was.

Football, Baseball, Chi Phi Fraternity 1899

Dear Brud:

Your letter received this morning and if you have no very serious objections to having your letter answered so soon will write you a few lines now.  I consider myself quite fortunate to receive letters from both you and Ide on the same day.  I don't understand what that good luck can mean, only hope you will keep it up.

That trip of yours to New York in the Governors private car certainly sound like a fairy tale, but of course I will pretend to believe it.  No I didn't get banged up very seriously when taken in the Chi Phi Fraternity but I can assure you that it took no little amount of nerve to live through the program.  My Fraternity is not one of the largest in college, but it is very select.  I consider myself very fortunate in being invited into it.

Yes I was green enough to try for the foot-ball team and had a good show for substitute quarter back, but thought it would be better for me  stop and try for the base-ball team next Spring as my chances are good for making it.

We are to play the Baltimore Medical College today.  I think the score will be very close and the chances are that we may be beaten-will sen you an account of the game when it comes out.

I think there is very little danger of Miss Delana and I ever getting up a case.  Sometimes I may fall in love with a girl six months or a year older than I but I draw the line when it is three or four years.  We are only good friends and I don't think Harriet will ever have any ground for complaint.  I have just returned from the foot-ball game which turned out to be a very exciting score was 0 to 0.

I will have to bring this letter to a close write soon.

With love to all,
Your brother Jim

Don't forget to send me the Enterprise and Sunday's American.

The Kudzu Experiment of 1916

"Two new growths: namely the Kudzu vine and Himalaya vine, were taken up experimentally last spring.  From what information this office has secured about the kudzu vine it is hoped that good results may be obtained from it.  It is a legume with a very deep root system which builds up its own soil to fertility.  Its very heavy growth of vines is said to produce a most abundant and valuable hay for stock.  The vines when running along the ground take root at the knuckles like the sweet potato vine, and from these knuckle-roots new runners grow out in the spring.  Thirty land owners are experimenting with a few roots sent them and in a year or two some definite information can be secured concerning their value in reclaiming waste lands.. The object is to try them out to prove their worth."  (Source: The Resources of Tennessee vol. 5, Jan 1915.)

"During the years 1915 and 1916, the efforts of the Forester, Mr. R.S. Maddox, were exerted along the lines of practical forestry and educational work.....Roots of the kudzu plant, a little known perennial legume, were sent to 30 farmers to try experimentally on waste land.....A forestry exhibit was made a the State fair, and at the Knoxville and Dresden Fairs." (Source: The Resources of Tennessee vols. 7 and 8,  January 1917.)

Kudzu, under ideal conditions, can grow up to 60 ft each year and apparently the southeastern United States provides those ideal conditions.  Herbicides do very little to hold it back and some even make it grow better!!  I don't know if the MORAN's participated in the great Kudzu Experiment (I get the impression they didn't) but here's proof Mr. MADDOX encouraged them to take part!  It appears that C.H. MORAN had questions about Kudzu and the ability to get rid of it if he didn't like it on his farm as well as other concerns.  Mr. MADDOX said he would get more information and get back with him.

Letter number 1

State of Tennessee
State Geological Survey
Forestry Division
Nashville

A.H. Purdue
State Geologist

R.S. Maddox
Forester

April seventh, nineteen sixteen

Mr. Harold Moran,
Dresden, Tenn.

My dear Mr. Moran:

I am desirous of trying a new experiment on reclaiming waste lands, and hope you are willing to take part in it.  The kudzu vine is a legume, and grows rapidly where I have seen it.  It is said to furnish excellent feed for stock.  I secured my information from a nurseryman, Mr. J.H.H. Boyd at McMinnville from whom I secured the roots, and also from a circular which he gave me relative to it.

I am sending you, under separate cover a bundle of six roots, which I wish you would set out on some of your waste land, first preparing the place well before you set them out about 15 feet apart and put a shovel full of manure with the dirt well mixed in each hill.

I am much interested in this project, and am sending these roots out to those whom I trust will plant them in the interest of their gullied lands.  I shall endeavor to visit you as early this year as possible to see the experiment.

Very truly yours,
R.S. Maddox
Forester.
RSM/EC.

Letter number 2
State of Tennessee
State Geological Survey
Forestry Division
Nashville

A.H. Purdue
State Geologist

R.S. Maddox
Forester

April tenth, nineteen sixteen

Mr. Harold Moran

Dresden, Tenn.

My dear Mr. Moran:

The kudzu vine so far as I can learn is a new introduction into this country from Japan, and a legume, having nodules on its roots.  I found this at the nursery of Mr. J.H.H. Boyd, McMinnville, Tennessee.  It occurred to me that this vine would be a good thing to experiment with, in reclaiming waste lands.  Mr. Boyd said he knew one vine to grow 70 feet in one year.  The vine runs along the ground and takes root at the knuckles, somewhat similar to the sweet potato vine.  I asked Mr. Boyd if he thought this plant would be hard to get rid of if the farmer wished, and he then showed me two or three rows of nursery stock growing where he had the kudzu vine the year before, and there was no sign of any vine.  

I have sent these roots out as experimental and hope those receiving them will give them careful attention, as they may prove of great value.

Mr. Boyd also says that stock are very fond of the vines, although they contain a good deal of woody substance.  If possible I shall collect more information from the growers of this vine, and mail it to you.

Very truly yours,

R.S. Maddox

Forester.

RSM/EC.