Correspondence (incoming): begging letters, Wi-Wo

School Teacher so she could help me some I will thank you ever so much if you will give me just a small sum it makes no difference how small it is I will be very thankful to you for it and you will all ways be remembered in my Prairs [sic]

Truly yours Mrs E. S. Withers Withers P O North Carolina

Mrs. Leland Stanford Honored & Dear Madam:

Will you forgive my presumption in trespassing on your time and patience and believe that I would not take such liberty if I were not where I know not what to do or which way to turn. May I give you some personal details?

My husband and myself live alone in a dear pleasant home where in easy circumstances he was always one of the most generous of men and to aid a friend he signed notes which he afterward had to pay. This, with loss by fire accident and sickness placed a heavy mortgage on our home. For years we have been able to meet the interest when due, but dry seasons have severely injured crops in this section making it harder for us year & year until now we have the dread of losing our home. My husband has worked beyond his strength and is now in very poor health part caused by injury to one of his lungs in an accident a year ago. The doctor says he ought to go to a warm climate during the winter but under present circumstances that is impossible.

I have read so much of your beautiful life

and of all you are doing to make the world better and happier with the wealth God has placed in your hands that I have taken my courage by both hands and am doing for my suffering husband what I would not do for myself. That is I hardly know how to express it - that is to lay these facts before you, feeling that you would be as "God's good angel," to us, if my written words could come to you weighed with the force of truth which our Father knows is behind them. I have read with pride of your grand gifts and sorrows in sympathy with you over the death of your beautiful manly boy and noble husband. Can you imagine what what it would have been if you could not have done for them all that your love prompted? If you can fancy the bitterness that springs from helplessness in the sight of suffering borne by dear ones, perhaps you may forgive the seeeming audacity of a stranger's thus appealing to you. Your pictured face is before me as I write and gives me courage.

Kindly excuse the great length of this but I did not seem able to make it shorter Thanking you in advance for sympathy at least I am most

Respectfully & hopefully (Mrs.) Jas. Williamson Clarkson N. Y.

Jan. 1 - 02 May many happy and blessed years lie before you

De Soto, Iowa Dallas Co December 14 1901

Dear lady Jane L. Stanford

I see in the paper that you was so rich and you was [given] away sum [sic] of your money. I thut [sic] i woode [sic] ask you fore [sic] a little of it to git [sic] me a little home if I had 20 or 30 acarks [sic] of land i [cold] earn my one [sic] [liven]. I am so [olde] to earn days wages i am 76 years old. if i had little [pece] of land i [cold] earn my [liven] I am trying to live a [christon] life i [donte] like to beg and I will not [steel]

Now Dear lady [Plese] help me a little i [havite[ got a dollar in the [worlde] If you [whish] to know any thing [a bout] me ask the [Christen] Church the Edlers [wil] tell you all [a bout] me

I [hop] this will reach you God [bles] you for what have [don]

yours truly Wm L. Wilson

if you will [helpe] me [git] a little home when i am [don] with I will give it to some [christon] [purson] God [bles] you W. L. W.