Correspondence (incoming): begging letters, P - Q

STATE OF ILLINOIS CHICAGO Taylorville, Ill 12/16/1901

Mrs Sanford [sic] San Francisco Cal.

Dear Madam

You may think it very strange in receiving this letter but the facts are this. I have made a good living and collected togather [sic] some little welth [sic] something like $30000 but my wife has been in poor health for a few years and bad luck & misfortunres have met me on all hands, until I was oblige to mortgage all of my property having to pay 7 per cts interest and small proceeds from my land it has kept me a hustling to meet my interest & keep my family so today I am not able to pay any of the debt. I have 2 young orchards of 140 acres 9 & 10 years old just beginning to bear, and if I do not raise the money

to pay off the mortgages within the next 3 months I will loose [sic] all I have. So I thought I would write to you and see if you would loan me some money for 2 years at a low rate of interest. I can then make it all right get out of debt and pay back you your money. If I do not get help I will loose [sic] all. I hate to loose [sic] it but can if I have to. You may think it strange my writing to you I could explain matters to you satisfactory, if had space enough and too I saw in the paper that you was generous hearted, there is one thing I do claim that I am honest and if you have the confidence in me I wish you would try me and see I can prove it. I will stop at present hoping & praying I may get a favorable reply from this

Yours truly W S Peabody

343 West Thomas St Chicago Dec 10th 1901

My Dear Cousin Jane

For Gods sake please wire me by Wells Fargo & Co. Express some money to keep me from starving. I am out of work and my eye sight is getting so poor. O'dear if you would only provide me with a home out to your city so I could rest easy for a time to have some Doctor attend me and see if he cannot help me regain good

health again. I ask you to give me "A Merry Christmas" and God will {bless?} you.

Your Affectionate Cousin

Thomas R Perry 343 West Thomas St Chicago

P.S. I expect they will turn me out of my room Dec 21st if I do not pay the rent "Tom"

always continue to look after our charges and { ?} justice is done. The object of the Society is also to protect young and wayward girls and to assist in all cases of distress.

This Society is supported entirely by voluntary contributions and the dues of members, and we earnestly solicit your generous assistance.

We intend to present all the poor little children we can find with Christmas gifts and must rely on the charity of your kind friends to help us out.

If it is convenient for you I would ask you if will kindly spare the time to have an

interview with me, and will you kindly let me know when.

Hoping for a favorable reply and also that you will pardon the liberty I take in writing to you.

I remain, Very sincerely yours, Mrs. John Pettee Pres. U.S.S. Office 612 { ?} Spreckles Bldg.