Tougaloo, Miss.
Nov. 26, 1905Dear family,
"The best-laid plans of mice and men," etc. I did not get here in time for chapel Wednesday morning. Monday morning Miss Cutler took me to Newark, and also to the Eagle Rock that Amanda told about, and I took the train at Newark at 3.58, as I had planned; and everything went beautifully till after we left Chattanooga where I changed to the Shreveport sleeper. There the troubles began, for the car was not heated, and there was a young couple with a very young and quite sick child journeying from Virginia to Texas. The father fumed; the mother worried and the baby wailed.
Then somewhere between Chattanooga and Meridian we came upon a wrecked freight and a damaged track which delayed us a long time. While we were waiting there and nearly everybody improving the quiet time in sleeping - it was the dead of night - a theif [sic] went through the three sleepers and robbd [sic] a number of persons. I had asked the porter to wake me at half past four to get up for Jackson, and kept awake most of the night awaiting that call, so when some one came to my section, unbuttoned the curtains and looked in I asked if it was time to get up for Jackson. The man said no, asked if I were warm enough and passed on to the next section where he relieved a young man of $175. In the morning there were angry calls for the porter and complaints of losses on all sides, and the baby wailed, and the father scolded, and the poor porter said "I hates it bad. They'll blame me." I told about the man with the lantern who came to my section and the porter said no one but a brakeman had entered the car. So at Meridian the brakeman was arrested, found loaded with money, and we were sidetracked while the porter and all the men went up to the courthouse. Those robbed got their money back, (the theif [sic] had several hundred dollars not accounted for left) and after about eight hours delay we were off again. Oh, the above mentioned father rustled about the town till he got kindling and coal, and built a fire in the stove at the end of the car, but he built it in the ashpan and the smoke filled the car, then they put it out with water and ashes and steam resulted.
I explored the town, found a good place for breakfast, and watched a chain-gand [sic] cleaning the streets. They were dressed in stripes and were all fastened together by long chains attached at knee and ankle. I reached Jackson at 2.45 P.M. instead of 5.33 A.M. and found a freight train going by Tougaloo, so went up in the caboose at four.
Tougaloo looks just as usual. It has been quite warm, roses are blooming, and persimmons are not gone. I have had a bad cold which together with the heat (80°) and the quinine Miss Whipple gave me has made me feel like doing only what I had to; this accounts for my not writing last week. Look out for my letter next week and don't let it wander around, as it will contain a check.
To add to the list of my friends who have been in the hospital this summer, Miss Whitcomb (whose place. I take) has been operated upon at a Chicago hospital this fall.
The new teachers are Miss Richmond, Holyoke '05 from Vermont, Miss Bower from Berlin, Conn, Miss Handley, very nervous, and Miss Miller, very queer. "Miss Music["] and "Mr. Science" are not here yet. She comes next week and her first name is Johanna.
New building is not nearly done. Mr. Hamlin's office is my recitation room.
My room is the former sitting-room in Stone. The Wilds, Medlon gals, Misses Gross & Richmond live here also[.]
With love -
Susie.Mansfield is going to send you a bbl of old clothes.
Have a big S.S. class. 30 girls.
Congratulations to Ruth on the pillow shams.