Postmark: May 30, 1899

[Note: I missed this letter in my list of files and so it is out of order, but just by one!]

Tuesday

My Own Darling

No one will ever know how I love you & were something to cause me to loose you I would soon grow miserable for I could never find another Nellie.

Were you to go to Ga & not write to me I’d go crazy. Nellie I truly hope your trip will prove a pleasant trip because I know you must get lonely where you are.
Pleasant as well as profitable because you must get your dress & have it ready by July.

I think that in that time Mr. Brinson will be well. He & I can easily get off to come to see you & most any time that suits you. You always say that there will be girls here & for to stay home. [Illegible] them if I want to.

Well Nellie there will be more than the [illegible] I told you of. Yet when you write me to come I’ll board the next train to see you. Of course there will be plenty of girls here the whole summer but there won’t be plenty of Nellies.

Mrs. McBride had a letter from Miss Cora stating she was going North 15th June & she wanted to come spend a week with her before she left. Then too in a few week there will be a very good crowd.

I have been hoping you ask me to Ga & propose to pay my way to have me drive you about & wait on you in general but you haven’t done so yet. So I have done spoken to borrow the money on my own face to go on & have already asked my Boss if I could get off to go. So if Nellie goes Glass means to go if not Glass will not.

Strange how people change. When I came to Fla I had a train ticket to Jaxville via of Waycross. When I struck west Fla thinking I never had & would never love anything in Ga & that my whole fortune would be in Fla & of course wanted to see it all.

I had my ticket transferred to F.C. & P. & came across the northern part of Fla. I don’t know whether it was so much to see Fla or to keep from having to see Ga.

Ha”Ha” how the wind blows these days. Now my whole life is in a Ga girl & so yes I’ll gladly go to Ga or anywhere else to see you & I know the trip will not only be a pleasant one but will be a good rest for me. I think maybe I can come anytime but can tell you Sunday.

Honey don’t stay long.

Lovingly your boy
Glass

Julia Eleanor Lang, 1899

julia eleanor lang, 1899, a photo by Katrina Elsi on Flickr.

Maybe this photo was taken on one of Nellie and Glass's Sunday outings.

The inscription reads: "In the Shadow of the Pines".

Postmark May 31, 1899

Dear Nelly,

I enclose schedule from Edgar Sta (One mile East of Johnson) to Folkston Ga. Changees sect.

Thought maybe it would be some advantage to you in planning your trip as you spoke of coming this way. Hope you can as Il get to see you. If you don’t let me know Sunday & Il come out the night before you leave.

Lovingly
Glass

Il see you Sunday

Postmark May 25, 1899

Thursday

My own Dear Nelly,

Your letter didn’t arrive yesterday but guess it will come in today.
Sleepy!! Don’t talk about how sleepy. I did get [Carriey?] home & it was real much late too.

Had some rain yesterday & I think it will help the people as much as the crops. I know I feel better already.

I had some fun yesterday with the Old Globe (our mansion).
The colored man was over there Hoeing Corn. I took my sling shot & would shoot shot on top of it & he didn’t know what it was. I had him hoeing backwards part of the time as he was afraid to turn his back to the House. He said he thought something was in it.

I went over yesterday to make a close examination of it & found 2 chairs one table & a bench. We’ll be in luck won’t we with all that much furniture.
Did Guy hear anything more!! We must tell him to go easy that he may want to court some time & we will tell on him.

I wish you all could come up here this week but guess no use to look for you.
Sunday seems a long time away but we’ll make good use of it when it gets here won’t we?

Lovingly your own boy
Glass

5/25

Julia Eleanor (Nellie) Lang Meggs

The following is an account of the life of Julia Eleanor (Nellie) Lang Meggs from the publication Miami of the Pioneers: A Picture History by Marjorie Meggs Gowin and Peter Thomas Skaggs Gowin, copyright 1976.

Was born in Georgia on a farm named “Solitude”. She was born into the Reconstruction period that followed the War of the 1860’s. As a daughter of an officer in the Georgia Cavalry, CSA, her early years were shadowed by the fact that her father, like all other Confederate soldiers could not vote, hold office, or own land until the repeal of the law making them outlaws.

The Lang family survived by farming a one hundred acre farm, a gift from her grandfather, Josiah Mizell, who was too old for military service. Also, her father, Felder Lang, became a lumber surveyor for the Dodge Lumber Company and did a lot of surveying of land in south east Georgia. It was hard for the Langs but they survived it.

She had two brothers and three sisters all born at Solitude. There was little educational opportunity, however, the St. Vincent’s Academy in Savannah offered some and she attended that school. It was Catholic and the Langs came to the colonies with Ogelthorpe and the Wesley’s and never departed the Methodist faith. So her school days were not easy.

She taught school in Folkston. At that time she stayed with her sister, Bernice, and her brother-in-law, B.G. McDonald. She also played piano at church, presumably the Old Mill’s Methodist Church.

In the late 1890’s the Langs sold everything in Georgia and moved to Florida to Dexter (near Ocala). There her father ran a turpentine operation, assisted by his two sons. He was also Postmaster of Dexter. Everything was going well until Felder Lang decided it was too cold in Dexter. He sold all his holdings and bought an Orange Grove on the Miami River, in Miami, Florida.

Meanwhile, Nellie had met and married William Glass Meggs. Glass had a brother who also ran a turpentine operation so the families were often thrown together. Glass’ brother, L.L. Meggs, decided to move to Jacksonville and wanted his brother with him. Felder Lang also wanted his family with him in Miami. Having seen Jacksonville, the Meggs’ obtained a “Homeseekers Ticket” and went to see Miami. If you stayed in Miami, you paid not fare. If you went back, you paid round trip fare. By now there were three Meggs’ since Donald their oldest son had been born. Nellie and Glass decided in favor of Miami and never regretted it.

They did not know then their life in Miami would be divided in three phases, the BOOM, the BLOW, AND THE BUST! These came in the period between about 1905 when the Meggs arrived and 1926 when a September storm ravished the area.

However, the Meggs family opened a successful business with money borrowed from Nellie’s father, Felder Lang. They were busy with a growing town and a growing family. Five Meggs’ were born in their second home, a large home bought from a Mrs. Knowles.

There were no hospitals so the children were born at home, with Dr. Jackson attending; and a Mrs. Pinder to care for the patient and the baby and to keep things in the home running.

Shortly thereafter, Dr. P.T. Skaggs and Dr. James M. Jackson told their patients there would have to be a hospital. So the ladies of Miami, including Nellie Meggs and Kate Gowin, stood on Flagler Street with ice cream cartons and collected nickels and dimes and quarters. Enough was raised to purchase a Spanish Mission located in the vicinity of Jackson Memorial Hospital. This was the beginning.

Meanwhile, Nellie was not idle. With all her large household, and competent help non-existent, she became a member of:

· Dade County and Greater Miami YWCA (Charter Member)

· Daughters of the American Revolution

· Gold Star Mothers (Her son Bill was killed in WWII)

· Hibiscus Garden Club

· Miami Pioneers Club

· Trinity Methodist Church (now First United Methodist of Miami)

· United Daughters of the Confederacy (Real Daughter)

She lived a full and active life. Her husband, Glass Meggs, expressed it very well. When he was dying he said of her, “I got me a good wife.” The Bible, which she lived, says, “A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband ---“

Nellie lived to be ninety-seven years old, and is interred in Woodlawn Cemetery, Miami, Florida.

Postmark May 24, 1899

L.L. Meggs

General Store and Real Estate

Marion County

Orange Springs, Fla. Tuesday 8:00 1899

My own Darling,

Guess youl be expecting a letter though you didn’t tell me what day to write. Then too you know I always write about 2 or 3 letters to your one.

I am feeling much better than I did last week & truly hope Il not get such a miserable feeling again soon.

I wish I could look for you this week but guess you think time about is fair play & it’s my time to come & Il come too if my Old Plug doesn’t get to fussy. Don’t look for me though I may come Wednesday eve.

Mr. Allen & his daughter from McIntosh is here. They leave today. I tried to sit up & talk with them last night but was so sleepy I had to pull to bed. I lay down while the young lady was playing the Piano & I soon fell into the land of Nod, dreamily thinking, of you.

I told Mr. Enox yesterday I was out Sunday & tried to sell his horse again. “He” laughed. He formed quite a good opinion of you I think.

I wish you all were here to take a [illegible] into the Spring these [illegible] days for it is certainly fine.

I never get a letter now only from you & seldom one other so I get lonely to not get any only I think my Nellie is thinking of me just the same even if she doesn’t write every day. Just think 2 years ago I had 8 young lady correspondents. Quite a change isn’t it.

Bye Bye with love & write long letter.

Your own boy Glass

Postmark May 19, 1899

Thursday 5/18

My Darling

Yours recd and OK

Dearest haven’t I always told you that you had more sense than I & I think you have proven so in this letter.

Nelly I am not of a quarrelsome disposition & don’t know why we should be quarreling this way.

I guess though its as you say I love foolishly & not wisely. Any way I love you no matter which way the wind blows. Nellie you say if I love you I would not begin to economize right at the engagement ring, suit & ect.

Now Darling isn’t that a true evidence of my love for you!!

I am a poor boy & I told you I’d give my all to you with Glass thrown in. Now what more can I do & you know the more I have the more I can give you. “C”@”C” don’t you C!!

Didn’t I tell you I’d buy you any kind of ring you wished!! Stop & think of it.

Friday. 5-19.

Yes Darling I had these two pages but wouldn’t give it to you yesterday thought I’d wait & mail it.

Darling I am truly glad you came. I’d just been writing to you & I had given you out & felt gloomy. Oh my when I saw you all drive up.

This am & evry since you came I have felt much better over the affair. I only wish I could be with you the whole time & am ready when you say to begin it. Dear be able to tell me Sunday when we shal marry.

I can’t tell what time Sunday I’l be there & may not get to come if Bro & Sister doesn’t come home as I can’t have but I think they’l be here any way by tomorrow & Il be there in time to go to S.S. Honey let’s go in the hack with Lewis & let my old Plug rest & drive him to Eureka at night as don’t you think it will be to warm for you to go at 11:00.

I know some of them will go to Eureka with us that is if you want to go Il go but it doesn’t differ to me. You make any kind of arrangements & Il [illegible] to your plan.

Gee whiz I’ve been lonely here this week. How I did wish my Nellie was with me.

I hope Guy will come tonight as I’l be alone.

Nellie if I wasn’t such a fool there would never any unpleasant thoughts come between us. So now you lay your plan for next Sunday & see if I don’t come to it.

With lots of love I’m your own Glass.