Hill Country Living
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Hill Country Living
By Coulter Fussell
I hope I’m not making a wrong assumption but I feel like it’s safe to say we all survived The Great Planned Water Valley Power Outage of 2024. I respect a decent amount of hysteria surrounding such things because heat stroke, oxygen tanks and melting groceries are real.
My friend crew did alright without power and air conditioning. Our various plans for the day ranged from embracing the whole thing with some yard time under the sprinkler and porch naps in the shade to literally leaving the entire state of Mississippi. I did the latter as it seemed like a great excuse to waste time in Memphis as opposed to being useful in my dark home by churning butter like in the ill-lit and un-airconditioned olden days.
Speaking of no electricity, it’s a Wagner Week! Many of these characters lived their whole lives without even the slightest iota of the thought of electricity. I’m not sure exactly when electricity came to Yalobusha (that’s a Jack Gurner/Grant Thompson area of expertise) but I’m guessing maybe the 1930s-ish.
Electricity or not, teenage boys remain the same: openly obsessed with girls and full of annoying and un-funny inside jokes making fun of their friends. Here’s a teenage kid from Texas writing to teenage John Wagner. They made friends at their military boarding school for rich kids. For those interested in history, you can Google search “Carson & Lewis” in Weatherford, Texas and a cool picture of the Carson & Lewis House comes up for the very year that this letter was written. I imagine this letter was written right there in that building as it’s on the official letterhead.
Carson & Lewis
Grain, Real Estate and Livestock
Weatherford, Texas
July 18th, 1884
Lieutenant General John H. Wagner,
Your highly appreciated letter received in due time and contents gladly noted. I’m glad that you responded so early. John, I’ve had a picnic time ever since I came home. I never go to bed till after 12 o’clock. I went to an ice cream festival last night and you bet I had a jolly time — and also the prettiest girl in the house wasn’t in luck. I tell you this millinery takes well in this part of the country.
John, be sure and go back to school. If you don’t, I will miss you a great deal. I will be here on 4th of August, and will have the prettiest girls to accompany me to Houston Texas that you ever laid eyes on. The only thing that I hate about it is that she is not going farther.
Lewis E. and Stan I guess will not return this session. Have you heard from John Chrom Pie Dasher Grandpa since he left Bingham? If you correspond with him, give him my best and tell him some time to think of old “C. English” and if he can find some spare time to write me.
I will close for the present. I remained ever your sweetheart,
A.S. Louis
PS. Kiss all the fair sex for me and sometimes say a good word or two. Write your true friend,
A.S. Louis.
