Correspondence (incoming): begging letters, L

I am a t[h]ousand times thankful

very Respectfully

E. Lindholtz 2632 Chouteau Av St. Louis Mo.

would help a poor man along, now I {mide bee }asking to [o] much of a Lady like you, but it is no harm to ask, now I wish that you will help me out as I have a big Doctor bills to pay, and if you can I wish that you will send me a few hunerd [sic] dollers, it will help me out some and your kindness shall never bee forgoten, and you will Oblige me ever so much, and I wish you will answer this by return mail.

I [remane] your humble [surved] Yours Respectfully

H.H. Liehr No 769 Dennison St. Cleveland Ohio

Lynden Wash Dec 19th 1901

Dear Mrs Stanford

Wont you please read this my letter. I was a little milliner for many years until health failed, then I had saved $3 {thou ?} . I was foolish and investing hard earned money in to real estate. Oh Mrs Stanford I have the lots but not a dollar to pay the taxes any longer. Wont you dear Mrs Stanford buy them

and give me what I paid for them? It just seems as if my God tole me to go to you for help in my distress I am old now & cannot work & start[ a frish] as I did when I was young. Please do this for me & I know my Father in heaven will bless you

Please add

Hannah Longstaft Lynden Washington

ISAAC LOEWEN GENERAL MERCHANT Gretna, Man. Jan. 2nd 1902

Mrs. J. L. Stanford Sacramento, Cal Dear Madam:

Your great generosity of which I have read and heard so very much prompts me to take the liberty of addressing you and humbly present to you a brief history of my humble and unfortunately, unsuccessful business career, knowing that, if it would awaken any sympathy in you for a poor but honest struggler, you could, if so you wished, release him of a heavy burden by a few strokes of your pen, and thus render a family exceedingly happy and help it to some comforts. My career was briefly as follows:

In 1882 at the age of seventeen I left my fathers farm and clerked in several country stores till 1890, with the exception of two summers when I assisted my father at his farm. One member of the firm with which I was employed having died in Dec. 1889 I married the widow of the deseased in June 1890 and thus became the junior partner of the firm. In Jan. 1894 partnership was dissolved by mutual consent, my partner stepping out of the business leaving me the entire stock and I assumed the liabilities. This was, as I found out later to my own regret a sad mistake on my part, although I managed to pull along for several years. I had adopted the credit system which prevails here very largely owing to the fact that all depends here upon the