On 4 Sep 1899, Emma poured her heart out to Judge Wood, begging him to not give her eldest son, Olin, to Reverend McCoy. She says that, “all of my hopes and ambitions are centered on him.” Then later, “It was hard enough when I carried the children to the home, but to give them away I couldn’t do if I was starving.” Finally, “In a few years he [Olin] will be able to provide for me and the younger children.”
Phew! That’s a LOT of pressure on an eleven-year-old boy! Was this expectation known to Olin? As a child, did he know that his mother was relying on him to grow up and assume responsibility for a family of seven? If so, how did that shape them man he became?
And what of Olin’s education? Emma says, “At the age of 14, I want to place Olin in one of our community schools.” Common schools were, well, common at the time – usually one-room buildings that centered teaching around the “3 Rs (Reading, (w)Riting, and (a)Rithmetic). And Meridian boasted about its Whitfield Graded School in the 1899 city directory. It was a giant building that educated nearly 750 students each year. Was Olin taught at one of these schools? He was 13 years old in 1901 when he was finally removed from the orphanage. And in the 1940 U.S. Census (the first to ask specific questions about education), Olin claimed he’d received an 8th grade education. Is that true?
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| Clipping from newspaper Clarion, Jackson, MS |
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| Copy of H. H. Stewart's business card as included with the collection of Emma Ferrer letters |
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| Portrait of H. H. Stewart, from Notable Men of Alabama, Personal and Genealogical |
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In her letter, Emma mentions a Mr. Stewart. Horace Hezekiah Stewart, commonly called “H. H. Stewart,” was a prominent citizen of Selma, AL. A wounded Confederate veteran, he was a city council member, president of the board of stewards for the Methodist Episcopal Church South, and for two terms beginning in 1890, served as the mayor. Most importantly for Emma, however, Mr. Stewart served as the secretary and treasurer of the Alabama Methodist Orphanage. Perhaps not coincidently, Mr. Stewart also ran a merchandise brokerage firm. It’s unclear whether the money she sent him was for the orphanage itself (like a tuition, which she calls “my expense to Selma”) or whether he was the middle man in obtaining the children’s shoes and clothing she mentioned. |
Emma wrote her letter on Lowi Brothers stationery. This seems to have been merely a matter of convenience. The Lowi Brothers store, run by Sigmund and Leopold Lowi, prominent Jewish citizens of Meridian, was located on 25th Street. The Grand Avenue Hotel, at which Emma was employed, was located a few blocks down, on 5th and 22nd streets.
Next Week: A Note from Mrs. Johnson |
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| Brooke Holt & Co Wholesaler, a few blocks from Lowi Brothers |
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