LETTER #5, DECEMBER 13, 1883, KNOXVILLE, ARK.
Dear brother, I received your letter a few days ago, was glad to hear that our end of town is improving. I have nothing much to write now at least nothing incouraging. I will soon be done cotton picking and then I don�t know what will come next, but other people have made a living and I don�t see why I can�t make out somehow. I came very near getting a school in the town of Knoxville or rather getting the position of Principle in the school, and I believe I would have got it if two of the directors hadn�t been Methodists and were determined not to employ a Baptist. Most of the people would rather have had me than the man they got. We had a �hog killing time� here day before yesterday. We killed eight hogs in all, and now we are going for backbones and ribs and �sassage�. I wrote to ma that if she wanted to see her kin that now would be a good time to come. If she takes a notion to come to let us know and we will meet her at the train, but if no one should be there she can go to eather of the stores and send word by any boy in town to Uncle Jesse as everybody calls him, and it is only about half a mile from town. Joe Kirk moved to Yell county last Monday. I don�t know any thing else to write now. Your brother, W. H. BrownInteresting envelope. Addressed to Mr. A.R. Brown at W.W.W. Co., Knoxville, Tenn.
Post marked: Knoxville, Ark Dec. 14,
G.A. Hamlen, P.M.(postmaster)
On the back side of the envelope the postmark reads:
Knoxville, Tenn. Rec�d December 15, 1883 5:00 PM It�s a 2 cent stamp.
Note: VERY GOOD postal service! It�s over 600 miles.
Transcribed and submitted by Betsy Smith