April 28 letter to Mary Ann Keith from Harvey Keith

April 28

To: Mary Ann Keith

From: Harvey Keith, Paw Paw, MI

Writes that he has gotten a job, earning $16.00 a month, and would like his mother to send his clothes, not forgetting his shoes, as well as get him some salve and a new bottle of his medicine.

Paw Paw April 28[1]

Mother[2] I have got a place to work. I wish you wood send my close to me send them Paw 2. I wish you wood go and me 2 boxes of that save and git a new botle of my old medson and I will pay for it as soon as I can. Dont for forget to pak my shoes in. I get 16$ per mont. I dont now how I will hold out. I have work ½ day drawing shome[?]. Sen my mail to Paw Paw. I am tired and cant wright mutch. Good by write soon.

I shal go after my them [things] satterday. Get them thare if you can.

Harvey

——-

[1] While the year is not given, in April 30, 1880, his sister Katie writes to her two younger brothers that “…now Harvey has gone away. You boys must not do as he has done.”

[2] Mary Ann (Batey) Keith

This letter is among several which were loaned to Jim & Ruth (Stankey) Keith, probably back in the 1980s, by Ella Nola (Curtis) Eaton, whose husband, Clifford Eaton, was the great-great-grandson of James “Oscar” & Mary Ann (Batey) Keith. This is a photocopy of Ruth’s handwritten copy of the letter. Note: Jim Keith is the great-grandson of Charles Luke Keith Jr., who was James “Oscar” Keith’s uncle.