Friday, October 21, 2016

Courting Miss Nora - May 5, 1918 "It is so hot down here"

Tom is still in Columbia.  He mentions:
  • It's hot!  I checked the newspaper and it was 86 degrees on May 5, 1918, which is hot with no fan or air conditioning. (1)
  • Della Kilby was Nora Delle Kilby Dancy (1897-1993).  In the 1920 census, she was a school teacher in Wilkes County, N.C. (2)  Tom was born in 1892, Nora in 1900, so Delle was their contemporary.
  • Greenville, S.C. was the location of Camp Sevier, which Tom and his brother John were sent to train before being shipped to Europe.

May 5_18

Hello! Miss McNiel -
I rec’d your nice letter today and like usually I am always glad to hear from you.  I wonder what you are doing for yourself? I wonder if it’s very hot up there yet.  It is so hot down here I am sleepy this morn.  I can’t write so you can read it. "Listen" I am coming up


[May 5, 1918 - page 2]

first of July to stay fifteen days.  My Father got me a furlough and you know I am some Proud of that and you know I will get time to come down to see you lots. I can’t hardly wait until the time comes to come up. Say has Della Kilby come back home yet? She said their school would close first of May.  Wish I could see her.
 


[May 5, 1918 - page 3]

I was over town yesterday and got some little tricks and I met some good looking girls.  We are going to be in Greenville first of June. and wish I knew where. I would like before I land.  I hope they won’t call us any faster for I am going to come home one mo. after we get up there. John says he is going to France real soon. Well I will go in about three months I heard and we may go sooner.  It’s hard to tell. We can't tell from now on where we will stay at for the orders changes so fast in the army.  I hope to be out of this man’s army soon and carry you to Winston. I am with very best wishes your true friend
Excuse bad writing please. Mech W. T. Snider


References:
(1) "Weather Bureau" Monday, May 6, 1918; State (Columbia, South Carolina); p. 2.  http://GenealogyBank.com
(2) Year: 1920; Census Place: Reddies River, Wilkes, North Carolina; Roll: T625_1329; Page: 11B; Henry C. Kilby household; Enumeration District: 181; Image: 437. 
Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010