Correspondence (incoming): begging letters, H

[printed letterhead: ALBERT L. HOWE, SHERIFF, C. L. TILLMAN, DEPUTY SHERIFF.

Sheriff's Office, Adams County Natchez, Miss., Dec 28th 1901

Mrs Stanford San Francisco Cal

Dear Madam

Knowing your desire to do good in this world, I write this in behalf of the Baptist Church of this City who are struggling hard to erect them a suitable church to worship in. They have been very unfortunate in the past for the following reasons. their present Church is old and delapidated, and its surroundings are anything but what it should be. Houses of bad repute immediately in front jail in the rear, and Court House on one side. After deliberately considering the matter it was deemed by the Church that the only proper course to pursue was to purchase a lot in a desirable part of the City which by hard work we have accomplished, paying $4000.00 for the site. We are in hopes of disposing of the old church to the negroes here, and and with the proceeds of the sale it would give us a sinking fund to commence the new Church with, a friend of mine an old resident of the City but now located in France Mr Stephen Duncan

Sheriff's Office, Adams County Natchez, Miss Albert L. Howe, Sheriff C. L. Tillman, Deputy Sheriff An Episcopalean has agreed to donate us $1500.00 when we have disposed of the old building. Our Congregation is comprised principally of the working class, all of them dependant upon their work for their living. Our church is recognized as the most spiritual in the City. We have an excellent Past[or] Rev GB Butler a nephew of our Governor, and since he has had charge of the church (it has only been 2 years) the membership has increased from 125 to 270. With a church better located, there is no telling how much more can be accomplished in saving souls. We are poor and are unable to do the great work mapped out without outside aid. Our friends here have assisted us quite liberally, but we are now at a stand and unable to go further. No doubt you have many appeals for aid but before casting this in the waste basket I would kindly ask that you investigate this appeal and see if it is not worthy of consideration. I refer you to Gov AH Longino Jackson Miss, Hon WG Benbrook Mayor of Natchez Miss, Britton & Koontz "Bankers" Natchez Miss. Trusting you will give this your kind consideration I am very respectfully Albert L Howe Trustee & Treasurer Wall St Baptist Church

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Birmingham, Ala, 12/11/1901

Mrs Jane L. Stanford

San Francisco Cal

Dr Madam

I write to ask you if you wont assist an old & decrippled decendent of the Revolutionary War, The War of 1812 & The Indian War. My Great Grand Father served in that war, my Grand Father in the War of 1812 with England & my Father served in the Indian War under General Andrew Jackson. So you see I come from a long line of patriots. I am so old & afflicted that it makes it hard for me to obtain employment but if I could get some kind of philanthropic person like yourself to help me a little so that I could start a little business for myself with the aid of my aged Wife. We might by energy & economy make

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a living for ourselves & make ourselves selfsustaining & not be forced to go to the alms house & depend on the support of the community in which we live. I am a sober industrious man but I have been very unfortunate in fires. I passed through two in this place & so badly crippled financially that I have never been able to recover from them & everywhere I apply for work they say to me You are too old to do my work. So you see the position I am placed in without a home, money or employment & cant get it. If I had a little home on the outskirts of this place & a little money I could raise vegetables, chickens & have a little da[i]ry & by hard work and economy earn a living for myself & family. Do if you please mam do what you can for the old afflicted & God will bless you & smile upon you & yours in this

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wo[r]ld& crown you in the world to come. As the Bible says as you have done it unto the least of these you have done it unto me. If you will help me I will prom[ise] you that I will not make it public so as you will be annoyed in the future by others begging you in the future for help. You could send it to me in a check or post office money order & know one will never know that you ever sent it to me or if they would, never [insert: know] why you sent or for what purpose. But God yourself & I would know & there is where you would be obeying his command as he said never let your right hand know what your left hand doeth and there is where the blessing comes. I can [satisfy?] you as regard my worthiness if you desire it. Hoping soon to hear from you with the necessary help. I am most respectfully

William H. Holzendorf

No 720, N 23 St.

Birmingham Ala