The first item is a whiskey bottle from 1886.
It says, "The Duffy Malt Whiskey Company Rochester, N.Y. U.S.A." The bottom has the date Aug. 24, 1886.The other items are a four-page letter from 1942, a picture of someone who was in the Navy, and an envelope for the picture.
I can make out most of the letter. It was sent from Raleigh, N.C., and is dated October 2, 1942.
Dearest Stand,
I received your letter today and was not only glad to hear from you, but was greatly shocked at hearing from you.
I must admit that I thought you had completely forgotten me. I had to smile when I read this part of your letter (Darling, have you forgotten me?), not in a million years will I forget you and neither will I ever try. (smile)
You said something about being home from Louisiana. Does that mean that you are in the army?
Yes Stand, if you still want to come see me you are at liberty to do so anytime you wish so long as you let me know when you are coming. Darling you said that you are having a swell time where you are. Well I don't doubt that at all for I am sure that if anyone is having a good time you are one of the crowd.
Mrs. Bessie Alston Smith, the girl that used to work with you, told me to tell you "hello" for her whenever I wrote.
My brother, James, is living in Portsmouth, Va. now. His address is 134 Key Road, he has been there for five months. I visited Portsmouth and Norfolk during the month of July. And man I had a darn good time for everything was actual in the (groove). I heard your friend Kate and her husband were in Norfolk but I didn't see her while I was there. Kate lives near James but he is at home now because one of his brothers died last week.
Darling I'm awful sorry I don't have a photo worth sending you right now. I did have some but they were stolen from me in...Stand I don't (know) where James Strong is. The last time I heard anything about him he was in Hamlet, N.C.
Football season has started and I am having a swanky good time.
Annie Ruth Daye, Mary Louise Jones, Mary Dunn, mother, daddy, Tom and all of my gang said "hello" and that they would like to see you and so would I like to see you.
Smile and keep your chin up.
With love
xxx Dot xxx
We're not sure if the man in the picture is the same person to whom the letter was written; there's no name with the picture, unfortunately. But it's still a pretty neat find. I think we'll get the picture and letter framed eventually.
We close on the construction loan April 18, so real, actual work on the house could begin as soon as next week. Yay!
