CAMPBELL COUSINS CORRESPONDENCE
219
Third Ave. North,
St. Petersburg, Fla.
June 16th, 1923.
Dear Cousins:-
To Will
Selph, and all other Campbell Cousins, a hearty greeting from
this southern extremity of the good old U. S. A. "Cousin Will", you
will note that one of the Clan has already taken advantage of the
suggestion in clause One, of your letter of May 29th, that some
member of the family write something for the quarterly folio, if
the real Cousin is unable to do so. So it gives me great pleasure
to have the privilege of writing this first letter, although I am
sure Tommie could write a
much more interesting one. He is building houses, selling lots,
etc. and is more than busy this week, and he has asked me to write
this letter. He is still working for the filthy lucre and hopes to
have enough dough to keep the wolf from the door when old age comes
creeping on.
I think this Clearing House Bureau is one grand
thing, and hope it will be kept up indefinitely. I am sure it will
be a great pleasure to hear directly from all of our Cousins
(through the bureau) quarterly, some of whom we seldom ever hear
from.
As for Tommie and I, I think we are permanently
located for life at the above address. We came south to escape the
extreme cold winter weather of the north, and incidentally to see
if it would not iron out a little neuritis and rheumatism, both of
which it has most gloriously accomplished, bringing to each of us
renewed health and vigor and with it the ambition to be doing
something. We had spent four winters in various parts of Florida
prior to 1918, and had fully come to the conclusion that the
climate here was so much better for our health, and fully believing
it would lengthen our days, we sold our home and business interests
in good old Pennsylvania and started South by auto in December,
1918. We were thirty days enroute (though could have made it in ten
days easily) and in many ways it was the most wonderful and
enjoyable trip we ever took,‑ all of which I would like to describe
to you, but space will not permit. Here we bought a property, and
erected a small Hotel on it, with a capacity of sixty guests, and
it has been filled each year since, all through the tourist season.
Two years ago we rented out the Dining Room, and last year we let
the whole house, reserving an apartment for ourselves,‑ but
preferring quiet, vacated our apartment and took a nicely furnished
home out in the suburbs where we enjoyed a quiet winter. Then
Tommie bought
a forty acre tract (within
the City limits) and sub‑divided it, built streets, sidewalks,
put in City Water and electricity and is building houses, sells
lots, also houses and lots. This keeps him somewhat busy, though
he keeps a good real estate man with him all the time in his
office on the lots. He likes it, and is doing real
well.
I think you all know we have
two daughters, both married and living in Rochester, N.Y.
Mary
Ruth
at 26 Sarona Street. Mary married Mr.
O. C. Shewman
and has three children:‑
Frances
[later Zurflieh], twenty
years old, Tom, sixteen years old and
John,
ten years old. Ruth married Mr. Meritt Mitchell and has two
children:‑ Bobbie
, five years old and
Vernon,
three and one‑half years old. You know each crow thinks her young
is the blackest well, we love our children dearly and the
grandchildren,‑ there are none others like them on earth. Mary
and her husband and youngest son spent ten weeks with us here
last winter and they are planning to leave Rochester, and bring
the family here this fall; will probably have charge of the Hotel
this winter, and we hope they will be permanently located with us
hereafter. We also hope to have our other daughter and family
here with us later on. Tommie thinks his land speculations will
keep them all busy another year.
You have asked us to write
of, not only the joys of this life, but of the sorrows. Both of
our sons‑in‑‑law lost their Mothers during the past month: Mrs.
Mitchell (the Mother of Ruth’s husband) was struck by a street
car while crossing the street in Rochester and lived less than a
day, never gaining consciousness.
Mrs. Shewman
(the Mother of Mary’s husband) fell down stairs, and died from
the effects of the fall. It seems as though both our daughter’s
families were so saddened at the same time, our regret being that
we were not near them to help lighten their burdens and give
sympathy in their sorrow. But such is life everywhere: Some weep
while others sing, and it would be a sad old world if we were all
to weep at the same time.
When we lived in the good old
Keystone State, we thought it was about the only real good state
in the Union. But "Oh Boy" it is not so. We have found Florida
the real "Fountain of Youth", as it were, and St. Petersburg the
City of eternal sunshine. We are enjoying excellent health and
all the pleasures of life, and I believe are twenty‑five years
younger than when we left Knoxville, Penn. We take a swim in
Tampa Bay or the Gulf of Mexico every day.
Central Avenue (seven miles
long) runs East and West, with one end in Tampa Bay, and the
other in the Gulf of Mexico. We are quite centrally located in
the busiest end of the City, which is nearest the Bay. But both
the beaches have excellent bathing, and this salt water surely
renews health, and I believe prolongs
life.
I wish we could have one of our Cousins reunions down here; we could take care of the whole bunch, and I am sure all would enjoy a trip down here to this land of eternal summer, where the flowers are always in bloom, and the mocking birds sing all night long. Where grapefruit and oranges grow as profusely as apples in Pennsylvania, and are as free as cider apples north and by the way make as delicious a beverage as cider apples do. Now I really mean what I have written about the Cousins re‑union to be held with us next year. All of you think this matter over seriously, and plan to come here about September let and stay a full month. We will house all of you, and can run a community lunch house, and have a solid months pleasure.
We want to go North the latter part of July; expect to go by rail to Jacksonville, and boat to New York, then by rail to Rochester, N. Y. Cannot be away more than six weeks and are hoping that the Cousins re‑union will come off while we are North, for we want to see you all at that time.
With much love and good wishes for health, happiness and prosperity to each one of you, from your Cousins
- Report 1 - Page 37 -
(William Campbell
Family)