I've been transcribing some old family letters. In one letter dated June 23, 1900, "the Show" in Stuart is mentioned and later "the Sacrament at Goblintown". Can anyone shed any light on what specific events are being referred to here? The letter is from my Gr-granduncle Joe Taylor to my Gr-grandmother Emma Taylor Martin. At the time of this letter Joe is living in Elamsville as a boarder with William C. Hooker who has a store in Elamsville. Emma and Robert live about a mile (as the crow flies) behind the Patrick Springs Hotel toward Bull Mountain. The full transcription follows. My comments are in brackets... - John Taylor Elamsville Va, June 23 [Saturday] 1900 Dear Emma, I rec'd your letter sometime ago and will try to drop you a few lines tonight. This leaves me well, hope will find you all the same. The rain is certainly falling hard now. We have had plenty rain this week. I was nearly done cutting wheat when the rain set in. Our wheat is good. I haven't done any work since Thursday, it has rained every day since. I was looking for Bro John [John S. Taylor] down today, but I guess it rained too much for him to come. I want to go to the C.H. Tuesday. Maybe I will get to see Robt there [John Robert Martin, Emma's husband]. Or has he quit going to court? I guess you all went to the Show at Stuart. I went over there that day with the wagon but did not have time to go in the Show. I go to Stuart once every week with the wagon. Sunday morning. It is still raining and I am afraid my wheat will spoil in the shack. If I lose my wheat, I can't marry. [Joe never married.] Sunday night. Emma, I will finish my short letter tonight. I spent most of the day at Mr Ayers. I got as many May and June apples as I could eat. The trees are full. Do you remember about eating so many May apples every summer. Well I guess I will come to see you next Saturday if nothing happens to me. I want to stay over till Monday so I can get to see all. I want to see you all so bad. I wish I did live close to you so I could be with you often. I saw Tim Fulcher yesterday. He passed here and stopped at the store [the William Hooker store] a while. Well I must close for tonight. I will find out when Sacrament comes off at Goblintown and tell you when I come. Write and come soon. Love to all. Your Bro, Joe Taylor

Sacrament at Goblintown: They once held all day meetings at Goblintown. I attended one when very small with my grandmother. It was quite a meeting. Preaching was done all day long with different ministers getting up and taking their turns. ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Taylor Martin Jr." <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, June 18, 2005 12:02 PM Subject: [VAPATRICK] The Show in Stuart, Sacrement in Goblintown - 1900 > I've been transcribing some old family letters. In one letter dated June > 23, 1900, "the Show" in Stuart is mentioned and later "the Sacrament at > Goblintown". Can anyone shed any light on what specific events are being > referred to here? The letter is from my Gr-granduncle Joe Taylor to my > Gr-grandmother Emma Taylor Martin. At the time of this letter Joe is > living in Elamsville as a boarder with William C. Hooker who has a store > in Elamsville. Emma and Robert live about a mile (as the crow flies) > behind the Patrick Springs Hotel toward Bull Mountain. The full > transcription follows. My comments are in brackets... - John Taylor > > Elamsville Va, June 23 [Saturday] 1900 > > Dear Emma, > > I rec'd your letter sometime ago and will try to drop you a few > lines tonight. This leaves me well, hope will find you all the same. The > rain is certainly falling hard now. We have had plenty rain this week. I > was nearly done cutting wheat when the rain set in. Our wheat is good. I > haven't done any work since Thursday, it has rained every day since. I > was looking for Bro John [John S. Taylor] down today, but I guess it > rained too much for him to come. I want to go to the C.H. Tuesday. Maybe > I will get to see Robt there [John Robert Martin, Emma's husband]. Or has > he quit going to court? I guess you all went to the Show at Stuart. I > went over there that day with the wagon but did not have time to go in the > Show. I go to Stuart once every week with the wagon. > > > > Sunday morning. It is still raining and I am afraid my wheat will spoil > in the shack. If I lose my wheat, I can't marry. [Joe never married.] > > > > Sunday night. Emma, I will finish my short letter tonight. I spent most > of the day at Mr Ayers. I got as many May and June apples as I could eat. > The trees are full. Do you remember about eating so many May apples every > summer. Well I guess I will come to see you next Saturday if nothing > happens to me. I want to stay over till Monday so I can get to see all. > I want to see you all so bad. I wish I did live close to you so I could > be with you often. I saw Tim Fulcher yesterday. He passed here and > stopped at the store [the William Hooker store] a while. Well I must > close for tonight. I will find out when Sacrament comes off at Goblintown > and tell you when I come. Write and come soon. Love to all. > > Your Bro, Joe Taylor > > > ==== VAPATRIC Mailing List ==== > Patrick County Heritage Book Volumes 1 & 2 > http://www.myvirginiaheritage.com/heritage_books/patrick_county2.htm >