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Note: Letter written to Claudia Sims from Marcus Cook; original in Sims archives.
Montgomery, AL
Nov 11, 1926
Dear Aunt Claudia:
I have for a long time wanted to sit down and write you but I haven't been able to find time for you know that when you have to make a living in the city, you simply have to keep on the mare, and at a fast gate, or some fellow will move out ahead of you. I am just now working up good to what is ahead of me, and I feel so responsible for others, and that keeps me worried to some extent, but I have at last gotten them all settled I think, and possible we can go out.
Malcolm is with the Tennessee Coal and Iron Co in Birmingham, he seems to be making a pretty fair headway, and I guess he will make good when he has had some experience. He was having a great deal of trouble with his head. I got him to come down here to Dr. Thigpen, for awhile, and he seemed very much improved when he left here.
Elizabeth is here with us. She has a place with the cotton association and is getting some taste of what the old world is made of, and I am doing my best to make it very impressive, at the same time look out for her. She is making good, to right along. I think it is so nice for a girl to be able to make her own living in case it has to be done, because you can never tell what will happen, look at Mother. Who would have thought she would have been stricken with a cancer.
Just to see her go, and not be able to do a thing on earth for was almost heart breaking but, I made up my mind to loose her. When she was here, the Dr. told me that there was no earthly chance, and the best thing to do was to get her back home where she could be home with her people. So I just told her that the Dr. wanted her to go home for a while and then come back later on. If she ever suspected what her trouble was she never mentioned it to me. So she obeyed me just like a child and when she reached home she never was able to get up again.
Some how, after Papa died, she always felt that her life was a detriment to us. She would often remorse that if she could only die we would have a chance to do something. But as long as she lived we would have to (some of us) stay with her. And she could not come to live with either Sister, or myself, because she was to far from that Mother-in-law and that would cause trouble. So now who knows but what she made up her mind to get out of the way, and did it? She was never a woman to complain, to any of us, always kept her troubles to herself. If she had any ill feelings towards any living being, she never mentioned it to me in all her life.
Well, she has gone, and we are getting ahead some little, I suppose, but life seems something of an artificial nature without a house and Mother.
I do not have the slightest idea, what will become of our property up there. Guess it will all go to ruin. None of us these to look after it. Already I had a letter from a fellow saying that Mr. Smith has moved off and left his crop. I expect he had gathered most of it, sold it and kept the money. He owes us, a nice little sum. I wrote Mr. Cole to go down and see what was there. I guess he has been there by now. And the house at plantation will also go to pieces, I suppose, and the farm I own on Talladega Creek, is very unsatisfactory. It is all tied up in about thousand different sets of heirs, and they are awfully hard to have pleasant dealings with. So I can't know what will happen. If you can see a way out, please tell me about it.
I would like very much to come up and visit with you some time but I have so many ties here now that it mostly that almost impossible. But I do want to all of you to stop that hard work and take care of your selves. Take a little time off and come down here. I believe I could make you have a good time, for a while, and I would be joyed to death to have you . Can't you do that some time soon?
We are in a nice little place. Have bought new furniture and are all fixed up. Nice as can be at least, I think so any way.
If you can not come I want you to write me real often, and let me know how you are all along.
Well it is getting rather late and, I just set up late to night to write you a long overdue letter. So write me real soon and, give my best regards to all the folks especially Aunt Mildred and Eunice and also Elizabeth George.
Your Devoted Nephew,
Marcus Cole
My address is:
305 Mildred St
Montgomery, AL
Notes: Claudia was Claudia Sims, sister of Marcus's mother Jannette (Nettie) Sims Cook. Malcom in Marcus's brother. Elizabeth is Marcus's sister. I think this letter really gives us an insight into the struggles Marcus had. May he rest in peace.
Lisa Allen Baggett
November, 2002
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