Pickle-Lowry Collection 

Letter From Sarah Stone To Sarah Pickle 

November 16, 1897

Transcribed and Annotated by Greg Green


Shottsville Ala November the 16 1897

Sarah Pickle

Dear sister and family I will write you a few lines in return of yours recieved some time ago. We are all well at this time. Hope they will com to hand and find you all well. Sarah times is prety hard hear. Its not rained but once in 9 weeks but it looks like rain today. There has been a site of sickness hear this year and a site of deaths. More deaths this year than has been in to years be fore. Sarah mother is dead 1. She died the 13 of November. She lay 9 days that she could not speak but a few words we could understand. Sarah I hardly know what to write. Times is prety hard her this year. We will not make quite fore bales of cotton and a bout ______________ 2corn. Flour is 3 cts per lb. Meat is six cts per lb. Coffee is six lbs to the dollar. Sugar is 18 lbs to the dollar. Rice is 10 lbs to the dollar. Corn is 40 cts. per bushel. Sarah you wanted to know who S.S. Riggs is. She is Polly Youngs girl. Polly married a Hamilton and he died. Polly is living with Susey Riggs now 3. I stoped with her a while as I cam home from Mothers. Polly is sick. Suzey said she had writen to you all and could not get any answer. Sarah you wanted to know how my flowers don. They all come up but the dew plant seed and all died be fore they bloomed. All but the pinks and sweet william _____they died______. The summer it had been so drie. Sarah write me and the others. Robert is. Ive not answered his last letter and I want to answer it. Ive not heard from him in a bout six months so write soon and all the news. From Sarah Stone and family to Sarah Pickle and family 

1 This is assumed to Sarah Aldridge Pickle, wife of Robert Pickle and mother of Sarah Stone. On the other hand, this date does not correspond  with the date of death recorded in the Jacob Pickle family bible. This discrepancy needs to be investigated.

2 This segment of the letter is very faded. Cannot read several words.

3 Polly Young is Mary Pickle, sister of Sarah Stone.

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