East 405 - 18th Ave. North,
St. Petersburg, Fla.,
April 5th, 1926.
Dear Cousins:-
Greetings to every one of you! It is most gratifying to me to note that our worthy officers are interesting the younger set of our Clan in contributions to our annual book of letters. One cannot estimate the value "Their Children" will put on these volumes now in the making, even fifty years from now. If I could get such a set of works, covering the various incidents of the lives of my ancestors, written fifty years ago, it would be priceless. And of necessity these younger ones must, and are becoming the live wires to carry this work along. Each year we are getting two or three less letters from the "First Cousins"2 than we did the year before.3
As the Tommie Campbell twig of the William Campbell branch of the Joseph Campbell tree has been exploited to the fullest in the past three volumes there seems but little I can add to the genealogy in this letter. I might add that on the 12th day of this month, Frank and I will celebrate the 50th anniversary of our wedding, and both feel young at heart, and physically spry joining, in all the activities a real tourist City has to offer.
I am still engaged in buying and selling real-estate, and am at the Office every day directing all activities in connection with my affairs, with as much vigor as when at Knoxville doing business for the old New York Central Railway Company.4 I wish you might all be with us here on this "Golden Wedding Day"5 but if this is impossible, just make your plans to be with us on our "Diamond" wedding day. The salt air is a great preservative you know. We invite you all to come down and try it.
Wishing each of you long life, happiness and prosperity,
COUSIN T. C. CAMPBELL
1. To many of the descendants of the writers of these CCC letters, they are indeed "pricelsss," which is why I'm putting them on the web -- so that all present and future descendants could have these glimpses of their roots. Some have no interest at all in their family history, but their grandchildren may discover, and someday cherish, thses letters -wbt.
2. By "First Cousins," Tommie was referring to himself, and the 30 other grandchildren of Joseph & Ann Clinch Campbell. All were born in the Nelson area, and those who survived infancy grew up there. All "knew" each other, except that some of the older ones left the area before the younger ones formed memories of them.
3. Tommie's First Cousins were aging and rapidly dying off.
4. He had been their station agent at Knoxville, PA.
5. See CCC Vol 4, p80, Golden Anniversary news clip.
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