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

Dresden Men in the News, July 1879

If the state debt is compromised and the property taxed to pay the interest who will it fall upon--the owners of taxable property.  We have seen and conversed with quite a number of this class of men--for instance, A.M. BOYD, G.R. BRASFIELD, B.D. IRVINE, G.W. MARTIN, M.P. MARTIN, Alfred GARDNER and J.W. MORAN--worth in the aggregate about $600,000 and owning about 30,000 acres of land.  These men are all warm supporters of the compromise measure, and if such men, who pay largely of the taxes, are willing to vote this tax upon themselves, ought not the poor man who will not pay one dollar of the taxes (for the poll tax goes to the school fund) vote for the compromise?  Can you find ten men in the county worth as much as the seven above named who will vote against the compromise?  We think not.

--Dresden Our Country

Posted in The Milan Exchange July 17 1879, page 1.

J.W. Moran's Wallet 1904

What I know about the wallet, the calling card and the photo:

1.  This wallet belonged to J.W. Moran because his name and the date January 15 1904 are written inside.

2.  It came from Latham, Alexander & Co. Bankers on 10 & 18 Wall St. New York.  It's printed on the inside cover as you can see above.  You can also see where a critter started nibbling on the wallet.

3.  The Calling Card belonged to Mrs. Elmer Clinton Sharp.  It says "Mrs. Elmer Clinton Sharp" and written in pencil is "Mr. &, son & daughter in law of Sam Sharp Corinth Miss".  That same critter took a few bites out of the calling card as well.

4.  On the back of the card is pencilled "Have to leave on 2:30 C & O Train, E.C. Sharp"

5. The only other item included is this picture of a man that was taken in Nashville Tenn.  The photographer's information is on the back of the photo but there is water damage so I don't know who the photographer was, only that it was in Nashville.

In a perfect researcher's world it would be wonderful to say that the man is obviously Elmer Clinton Sharp since his card was found with the photograph in the wallet.  Unfortunately a lot of time has passed and there's no way for us to know if the card and photo go together or if someone down the years just placed them inside the wallet and trundled them to the attic with most of the other items we have.  

It does seem that the Sharp family was special to J.W. Moran because he had a picture of Major Samuel Sharp (Elmer's father) and a picture of  Ida May Sharp (Elmer's daughter).     Major Sam Sharp was also a comrade in arms of the Civil War.  Another interesting item, at least to me, is that one of Sam's grandsons was named Carl Moran Sharp.  Coincidence?  

Florence Drewry letter to J.W. Moran 1911

This letter is to J.W. Moran from Florence Drewry Blakemore.

Dresden Feb 13th 1911

My Dear Friend:

Nannie has just finished writing to you, and if I chance to give Jim a few of her items kindly excuse it.  Mr. Moran of course you remember old Dr. CUTLER.  I was starting to write something of Mrs. GARRETT being compelled to believe that "tis an ill wind that blows nobody any good" in this case she is the beneficiary of a good slice of the goods.  The ill wind having blown her husband to Washington, you to Nashville, and a good one wafted Jim to his, in her unprotected state.  You will wonder when Dr. Cutler comes in.  Our Father was always amused when he made a quotation by his raising his voice and giving the author. many times I heard him and the old Dr give the author with such an air

Oh!  Mr. Moran Dresden has been at a white heat our Martins fight for the Courthouse.  The same old fight, though the tactics were new this time only it would be but the beginning of the end.  I always find myself thinking "Tacky Martin".  Jim EDWARDS was here on a brief visit last week.  He saw his new building and Tom McELWRATHs for the first time and is delighted with the improvements.  While Jim might not to look old, he is the freshest looking man I ever saw.  He and Fannie MORAN look like they did when they were children.  He represented all his Texas friends as well as prospers and the state firmly divided into Bailey and Anti-Bailey.  Ethel Jones will give a Valentine party tomorrow night in the interests of the "WCTU"

Measles has hit the town in different localities and I have been in rather closely , never having had it.  So I simply do not know anything.  Mrs. MOONEY is with Maud in Nashville. Mrs. MCCUAN has been quite sick for several weeks.  Mr. BARRS place looks lonesome and so does yours.  I am very much interested in  you getting back to see to your garden and "things" visions of "Cantaloups" are beginning to scamper though my mind.

Everything looks all right at your home so far as the care of it is concerned but it is so lonely not to see you all there.  Make hast and get well.  Give my love to Harrell & Fannie & the family & Jim and Harrell came home both well.

Sincerely,
Florence Blakemore

The Dresden Bank

A bank note from The Dresden Bank, Dresden TN.  John Williamson Moran and James Henderson Moran III were the first and second presidents of the bank.

From the Dresden Enterprise February 28, 1890:

Advertisement for The Dresden Bank  Capital
        $100,000  Now ready for Business
 J.W. MORAN, President 
 J.W. JETER, Vice President
 George BOYD, Cashier
 Directors In addition to the above
 J. E. DUNLAP, R. W. MOSS, Polk ALEXANDER, H. H. BARR,
 E. H. AYERS, R. H. BEARD, S. P. SCOTT, T. H. SWAIM,
 T. H. FARMER, T. A. McELWRATH, W.D. JANES 

 Stockholder Names Listed In addition to above
 G. M. BRASFIELD, W. Y. BRUMMITT, I.L.BRIENDINE,
 W. R. BOBBOTT, G. I. BAXTER, E. E. BELL, Mrs. E. R. BRASFIELD,
 W. S. CARNEY, G. S. BOYD, Miss Mary DREWRY, L. B. EDWARDS,
 G. W. EDMONSTON, J. B. EZELL, J. W. ETHERIDGE,
 Mrs. D. A. FRAZIER, W. W. FULLER, Thomas FOSTER,
 F. P. FONVILLE, B.L. FINCH, R. G. FONVILLE, C. S. FOWLER,
 W. K. GIBBS, J.M. GLASS, W. R. GLASS, Nannie T. GLASS,
 HART and BRIGG, W. L. HAMILTON, Mrs. L.HAMILTON, 
 J. S. HORNSBY, Lea HARRIS, B. D. IRVINE, H. HEATH,
 IRVINE and SCOTT, Jno. W. JETER, T. A. JONES, G. W. JETER,
 H. H. LOVELACE, J.P. LYNN, Ed LYON, T. E. LOYD,
 Mrs Addie LEWIS, MoOORE & Co, Geo.W. MARTIN,
 T. J. MICHELL, J. H. McCLAIN, Miss M. F. McCLAIN,
 McELWRATH and BONDURANT, C. P. MEADOWS, J. A. MYRICK,
 R. A. McCLAIN, I. F. McCLAIN, F. PARKS, C. J. PAGE,
 Mrs. L. F. PEERY, W. C. ROSS, M. V. ROBERTS,
 Mrs M. A. ROGERS, J. B. STAFFORD, C. A. SWAIM,
 A. M. SMYTH, John L. SMITH, G. W. SIMMONS,
 H. K. STEPHENSON, Mrs. M. J. TRAVIS, Mrs.E. C. TRAVIS,
 J. C. TURBEVILLE, W. N. THOMPSON, W. J. VOWELL, D. T. WINSTON,
 J. W. WESCOAT, T. L. WOODS.