August the 1st 1883
towns county ga
Dear son and daughter I seat my self to drop you a few lines in answer to your letter that I received this Morning dated July the 19th which made me glad to heare that you ware all well we are all well as common at this time as to health Me and your Mother is both able to get round yet but we both feel old age creeping on us I have worked verry hard this summer but I have stood it tolerable well we have had a very dry time hre our corn crops is bound to be short wheat is tolerable good here I have not got mine thrashed yet the coneration is all well as far as I no Quisenbury has stade with me this summer and helped me to make my crop he is well an stout I doo not no whether he will stay with me all the time or not he is tending plots Mills at this time for one month thare's herd the steam tharasher blow in a half mile of me There is too in hearing of me now you never said whether you got any of my letters or not I have rote several letters and never go any answer we want you to come and see us as soon for we are not able to go see you for getting old and not able to travel un less we ware well first for it and we want you an Polly to come and fetch the children we want to see them so come and see us our country is going up now There is a fine Merchant Mill and a Carding Mashean in a half mile of me and as it seams like my letters hardly ever gose through not rite much more at presant I will drop a few lines in this for Mother to let her no that we are Still here and would like to see her dear Mother I would like to see you if there was any chance But the chance is bad for we are left a lone by our selves and no body to take care of what little we have got I can not tell you any thing a bout Albert and Charles nor none of the Rest of them they are still at ducktown I suppose if it was posible that you could come out and stay with us awhile I would be glad give our best Respects to Marion and Samantha and family so I must close by saying Rite or come soon let Mother and Marion have ther part of this letter I can not rite much I can nether see no hold my pen.
J B Stiles

NOTE: The letter above is typed by Sandra (Nipper) Ratledge as true to the original in spelling, punctuation, and organization as possible. Many thanks to Cousin David Stiles of Athens, McMinn CO, TN for sharing his copy of this old letter with us!

This site is dedicated to the memory of my parents, Tommy and Beulah (Cline) Nipper.

Homespun
Graphics
by
Sandra Ratledge

All you kinfolks, put some mail in that old box!