(Edna Carlisle)
Biographical Note:
(continued)
Editor’s Note:
The Harvey system, before the inclusion of dining cars in passenger trains became common practice, a rail passenger's only option for meal service in transit was to patronize one of the roadhouses serving rancid meat, cold beans, and week-old coffee, discouraging many Americans from making the journey westward. Fred Harvey built landmark hotels and restaurants along the rail ways and is credited with creating the first restaurant chain in the United States. The 1946 film “The Harvey Girls”, featuring Judy Garland, helped make famous the waitresses who came to be known as "Harvey Girls"
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(H. F. Combs)
Biographical Note:
Hamilton Fillmore Combs was born in Lawrence County on November 1, 1856 to Murphy and Susan (nee Jones) Combs. On March 27, 1881 he was united in marriage to Amanda Elizabeth Milligan, daughter of Andrew and Elizabeth Jane (nee Bunn) Milligan. Amanda was born November 29, 1861 in Lawrence County. The census records show the following children were born to this union: Flo (b. Nov. 1883); Roscoe (b. Feb. 1888); Opal (b. Sep. 1890)’ Bertha (b. Dec. 1892); Harriet (b. Feb. 1897); Bernadine (b. abt. 1901). Hamilton died on October 24, 1923 and Amanda on January 14, 1933.
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I am still with the Harvey System as stenographer for one of the superintendents, the same position I have had for some time. Last September I had the pleasure of taking a western trip, including Colorado Springs, Salt Lake City, San Francisco and the exposition, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Pasadena and Grand Canyon, Arizona. Every mile of the way was a wonder to me as I had my first sight of the mountains and the ocean, with the experience of a little trip to Catalina Islands. My impression is that the extreme west is a wonderful country for one with a full purse, but a working woman has just as good opportunities elsewhere.
Anna and I have fond recollections of former days in Lawrence County and wish our friends a very happy new year.
Yours truly,
Edna Carlisle
Harvey System Logo
Where Edna Worked
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Brown, California
January 24, 1916
Editor Press:
In response to your request, I will write a few lines. I so often think of my old friends and customers of Sumner and wish I could visit the place again (which I hope to do). I realize there have been many changes in different ways quite a few having gone to the great beyond.
Ten years ago last December my family and I left Sumner for California. We lived there five years, until we moved to Fruita, Colorado, for health reasons, and two years later to Long Beach, California. We enjoy changing from one locality to another. Most unpleasant part of it is breaking the home ties of friendship when leaving.
Since April 1915 we had been on a 320 acre ranch near Brown, Kern County, just to improve the ranch. The valley is about all a desert with a few good ranches, but we are surrounded by beautiful mountains. We enjoy the canyon, with the running water in summer as our summers are very warm. The mountains are covered with snow now. This is a good fruit country and most all kinds of grain can be raised here. We are all enjoying the best of health here and consider this a very delightful climate. We have many friends each place we have lived. I wish I could tell you more about California's land of sunshine, climate and flowers. We have a married daughter near Altona, Illinois, a married son in Fruita, Colorado, and two married daughters in Davidson, Oklahoma and our youngest daughters at home.
We often talk with fond recollections of the good times enjoyed with our neighbors and friends in Lawrence County.
The Lord is wonderfully blessing us in this new country.
May the New Year surpass your expectations and hope in success and prosperity,
Yours respectfully,
Mr. and Mrs. H. F. Combs
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Madison, Illinois
January 22, 1916
Editor Sumner Press:
I appreciate very keenly the opportunity to write a few lines to my friends and relatives in Lawrence County. Since there is, or was, at least three Glen Corries in Lawrence County, it might be well to explain which one I am.
I was born in Lukin Township from the Frogeye school district, 10 miles southeast of Sumner. My father's name was W. F. Corrie and he kept the US Post Office at Ruark many years before R.F.D. took its place. My mother’s name was Elva.
Many a happy days have I spent in the old schoolhouse at Frogeye. My first teacher was Addie Wright, who later became the wife of Rev. W. C. Ivie. I would very much to see again the old Beulah Church, a place very dear to me, perhaps because my mother is buried there and many other friends.
Although I am nearly 27 years old, incidents seem very real to me that happened many years ago in our little house on the hill, near
Moffett cemetery. When I was about five years old I was running around on the floor, with a long iron hook in my mouth, and had the misfortune to fall down and push it down my throat. When my mother pulled it out, part of the flesh came and with it in my voice has been marred ever since. It was about two years after that, when I was out one night to draw a bucket of water (with a pulley and chain), when I got the bucket to the top and reached over the curb to get it, my foot slipped and I went down headfirst into that cistern which was 20 feet deep and half-full water. As I came up to the top of the water I grabbed to the bricks in the wall and held and yelled for help. There was one place in my life that minutes seemed like hours. However I was soon rescued by my father and unhurt.
It was in the winter of 1900 that we moved to Richland County, located four miles west of Sumner. I had no more accidents for a few years really not until the winter of 1905, when we lived in the Shaffer property on the State road. On February 17, I started to Olney driving Mr. Shaffer’s team and wagon. Before I had got half a mile from the house, the team ran away and turned the wagon over on me. I was picked up more dead than alive. It was about this time that Hugh Murphy had returned from college, where he qualified himself to be a doctor, and it was thought that I was a good patient to work on. Drove from Sumner, five miles and a half, in 30 minutes and after working with me for hours, succeeded in sewing up the gash in my head eight inches long, with 12 stitches.
However he did a good job and I hope he is still successful wherever he is practicing. I have been away from Lawrence County about 10 years. Spent part of my time in Douglas County but most in Madison County. Spent the last summer of 1912 in Colorado, a beautiful place to visit but a poor place to live, at least that is the way many of my friends as well as myself found it.
I have been in Madison about eight years. I have been Sunday school superintendent three years; secretary and treasurer for the Township Sunday school Association five years and am now serving my third year as County Secretary. It was my good fortune to meet here a girl who was born and raised in Indiana, just across the river from Mt. Carmel. We were married in 1913, have a fine home and two boys. The youngest arrived Christmas Day 1915.
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(Glen Corrie)
Biographical Note:
Glen Corrie was born on February 5, 1889 in Lawrence County to William F. and Elva M. (nee McGuin) Corrie. Census records indicate Glen and his wife Fanny had the following children: Elmus (b. abt. 1915); Avverit (b. abt. 1916); Bruce (b. abt. 1918); Violet Mae (b. Mar. 1919) Glen (b. abt. 1921); Dorothy (b. abt. 1922); James (b. abt. 1924); Louella (b. abt. 1926); Donald (b. abt. 1929). Fanny died in 1962 and Glen died in 1969 and they were laid to rest in the Forest Home Cemetery, Forest Park, Cook County, Illinois.
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