Correspondence (incoming): begging letters, H

Richland sta Dec 10th 1901 Mrs Jane L Stanford Dear Madame I suppose you are surprised to receive a letter from me but I will try and explain my reason. We are building a new church or mission in our small town of about 600 hundred inhabitants and it costs more than we had it figured at first, it costs between 8 or 9 thousand dollars and have not half yet to pay for it and we started a ladies aid society 6 years ago and will have our anniversary the 21st of Dec in two weeks time and raised nearly $1400 dollars besides the lot which we paid $375 dollars. It is

a branch from two other churches both about 2 1/2 miles distant east & west from our town which is in the center we have no organized congregation only so we have a place to worship we have some older members of both churches and are unable to walk so far and some are to [sic] poor to hire a conveyance every time So our ministers of those two churches preach for us every four weeks and than [sic] we have preaching every two weeks their names are Rev. A. J. Bachmann of the Millback church and Rev. H. J. Welker of the Lulpenhochen church and the name of our church is Grace Reformed and the church is built of lime stone and has sandstone trimmings and we had a handkerchief Bazaar on Nov 9th and cleared

a $100 with that we paid our pulpit furniture but now we need yet lights and about 300 yards of carpet - where an other lady & myself are the committee to collect and gather the money for the carpet which costs $200 or a little more and we have no organ for Sunday school nor church so you see we need lots of things yet so I seen in a Phil paper that you gave to universities and charities so I concluded to ask you for a little aid if you please we need it badly. Now if you think this is not as I have it stated you can write to our station agent I. F. Landis Richland st

I know many times such letters are written and are only fakes but this is not the case of my letter these are true facts. and if you wish to know more why just let me hear from you what you would like to know. and I will answer promptly. and hope you will lend us your helping hand for the benefit of our church. The Lords Blessing rest upon you. Hope to hear from you later Sincerely yours, Mary E. Holstein Richland Sta Pa

Seneca Falls Dec 12, 1891. Mrs Stanford Dear Friend While reading a little account about you in the Syracuse Herald this morning, a thought occured to me while you was doing so many charitable deeds possibly you could help me some. Saw in the paper where you give $25,000,000 to an University and had several left. Now please read this letter [throught ?] This story I am telling is sad but true. I was a poor girl working by the week and when I was twenty four I married a man wourth [sic] thirty thousand and he lived just one year then I was left a lone again to work for a living. his people did not like me because I was poor, and said that I never should have one cent of his money if they could help it, and it has