Letter from W. W. Burgiss to Etta Bailey, August 26, 1886 · Greer Heritage Museum collection

Title

Letter from W. W. Burgiss to Etta Bailey, August 26, 1886

Accession Number

2022.1.4.8

Accession Date

February 4, 2023

Accession Creator

David Lovegrove

Depositor

Shuman B. Gerald, III

Date

August 26, 1886

Storage Location

General Archive Box #7 Folder #8

Text

New York City
Aug 27/86
My darling Etta
I arrived here last “P.M” at 6 o’clock in good order and soon found my way up B-way to “Grand Central Hotel” where I put up for the night I soon found about a doz S.C boys and I then felt very much at home among the boys I found are the following Jim Gosseth Jim Tinsley T.D. Shaw S [Laucay ?] Crittenden Wm Laughlin F. W. Poe E’s Gage M Ned Beattie and our friend Mr Catheart — these boys are all from Anderson Greenville and Spartanburg and I [know ?] them all well I am having a good time I have already written you 2 letters one from Washington D.C and one from Danville Va – hope reached you “OK” You aught to appreciate my letters as the first thing I did when I reached Washington was to write you and I have just finished breakfast this A.M and am now up stairs in my room milling you I will write you every “A.M” the frist thing I do Etta do dont you have the blues You make your preparations as fast as you can any we wont wait long say about Sept 27th I went around Washington yesterday A.M and I saw the Washington monument Smithsonian Institute Capital White House and many other things of interest – saw where Garfield was shot I went around here little last night with the boys but did not get into anything bad I remember what you said to me the last thing I will be home about to day week I am going to Church Sunday — think i will go out and hear Dr Deems at the Strangers Church Etta I have not had any trouble at all in going around in this place I go all about like I had lived here all my life and the boys say I am not green one bit and some of them dont believe me when I say I have never been farther north than Charlotte NC before You know I came from Danville Va all alone Bartow struck Jim Morgan at Saulsbury NC and they left me at Danville and went to Richmond I did not see a soul that I knew from the time I left Saulsbury NC until I got to the “Grand Central Hotel” N.Y now dont you know I had a dull time but I managed to while away the time reading and looking at the country I think Va is a beautiful country and N.J is the prettiest country in the world I came to this place from Washington on the Pa RR about the finest road in the US — from Washington to N.Y we only stopped in Balt’o Phila Trenton and Elizabeth We would go through towns of 40000 at the rate of 50 miles an hour when we got to Jersey City NJ I came over on a ferry boat and then went up B-way about 1½ miles all alone — now dont you think I am doing fine and then went all over Washington alone I did not speak to but one man from Wash– to N.Y and did not know him now during this time you can imagine how many times thought of you better than I can tell you
#2
Do excuse this writing as I have the poorest pen you ever saw and a little old [lone taver?] and I am in a big hurry as I want to get down town and get to business as I must make good use of my time and see all I can and get back as soon as I can I am going to attend to all the business I can and make my trip pay me I am going down to Providence R.I Fall River and Boston Mass about Monday but wont be gone but one or two days You can send me mail at ℅ Quaker City Shirt Co 540 B-Way or ℅ T.W. & Co. as all ready directed I have not rec’d any letters from you yet but will get one this “P.M” I hope give my love to all and write me long letters and do excuse this bad writing as the excitement and stir of this big City has got me so nervous I can hardly write I cant hold my hand steady for a moment Let me know who is fixing up the building I have seen the Brooklyn bridge Fire department and many other sights but could stay her 6 months and then would not see half of N.Y I am going to move from Grand Central Hotel to No Washington Place with [Sturley Crittenden ?] and Jim Gossetts I will room with them — they are about 2 doors off B-Way The wholesale men there have been hunting me [info ?] by the dozs and are trying to sell me goods – they are awful good to me – cant do enough for me – they offer to show me around the City and pay expenses and do lots of things for me – they think they are going to sell me lots of goods – but I guess not well Darling I must close as it is about 11 oclock now and I haven’t done a thing this A.M but write Write me long letters and let know if I can do any thing for you here
Yours devotedly
Will

Do excuse big haste
but you know you said when I was in Rome I must do as Romands do and I am now in a place where every-body does things in a rush and I must too Yours
Will

You must excuse haste and all mistakes as I haven’t time to read it over

All aboard for lunch

This is lunch hour we dont eat dinner until 7 oclock PM
[unsure about this next line… looks like “Tomry aint Me”]