Letters written in Chinese A: Letter on red paper, H: 10.75", w: 7.875", neatly formed columns of Chinese characters. (donor indicates this is a letter to his father). "Father,your greatness, under your knees: The family are all healthy and safe, but we don't have enough food for the next day. It is very hard to live here, there is no place we can borrow food or money. I hope that you can send some money home and we can buy some food. If we don't receive any money from you, the whole family probally will have to go around houses to beg for food and other people will laugh at us. I am now doing some cement work, the pay is very low. It is not enough for the daily living expense. The price of the rice is very high: one bag of low grade rice is 86 yuan, the middle grade is 98 yuan and the top grade is 114 yuan. The rice to feed the pig is 81 yuan. I have hard time to keep up the expense. I hope you are healthy and your business is prosperous This is also your children and your grandchildren's hope. your prosperity is also our fortune. P.S. They are building highway in this area, every household has to pay 10 yuan tax , it is due in the first part of February. Pleas send money a soon as you receive this letter . This letter was written on January 11th 1930 by Zuan Mei." B: Letter, very wide H: 8.25", W: 19.25", written in black ink on white paper. Many columns of characters with two brown seals at each side. (donor indicates this is a letter from a woman saying that she has received the money sent to her). "To my husband , your wife reports with respect: I have received your letter and $50.00 Yuan in late April. For 2 or 3 years, I have not received letter from you. We did not have money to buy food and we have to go around to borrow money from other people. We were talking about selling the house and the land.but this animal(?) did not listen and also because of his bad luck. Zuan Huan's wife kept asking him to return the money and asked him to sell the house and land to them for 500 yuan. The house and land was sold to other people for 600 yuan.You have worked so hard to buy him the land, now, I have to sell the land. I feel so sorry to you. It is only because we have not received money from you for three years. You bought land for your son, we also sold the land because of your son. You have to send money home to buy food and to support your wife. If ther is any odd job, your son will be willing to go to work. In our life, our children and our grandchildren are the goal of our life.If we don't help this animal(?), his children will go hungry. Our grandchildren have been going to school for 3 or 4 years, it costs 30 yuan a year. We can 't even borrow a penny from the relatives. You are getting older. I hope that god will protect you and you will have good health. I hope that you are able to save some money and come back to China soon to see your wife and your children and grandchildren. When you receive this letter , no matter how much, please send some money home.If you don't send us money, we will have to go around to beg for food.Please consider our relationship as husband and wife. I am getting old and I don't have the energy to go to work. Please respond soon. We are all ok, please don't worry too much. I will stop writing this letter now.P.S. If Zuan Ying writes to you , don't believe what he tells you. He is sucking people's blood. If you have any money, don't send through him. He took 3 yuan from the 50 yuan you sent through Kai Ping's Yong Long oil and sugar shop. Xian Bo, my husband, I hope everything is fine with you. Your wife Mai Shi kneels down and report to you on the 29th day of April." C: short letter, L: 9", W: 5.875", red lined white paper with neatly formed black ink characters, red stamp on lower left shows a column of printed Chinese characters. To Mr. Cai Chen with respect: I have received your letter and $182.00 yuan for the last shipment. Thank you for ordering again. I followed your request sent a case of the goods through the ship. Since you asked for seven inches of the big bottle medicine, but I only have three inches,so, I am adding 8 inches of small bottl medicine. Attached is the list of the prices, please check. Greeting to you, wish you good wealth. April22, 1930 Seattle Guang De Stationary D: short letter, L: 9.875", W: 5.125", neatly formed black ink characters on white paper with a red stamp in lower left corner of printed Chinese characters. Mr. Cai Chen received the following: big bottle medicine 3 inches 465 yuan small bottle medicine 8 inches 62 yuan large shrimp meat 12 yuan hua yu not sure 2 yuan zhi gan not sure 525 ma0(cents) zhi che not sure 25 mao(cents) Total: 1482 (?) yuan April 22, 1930 Seattle, Guang De Hao Receipt E: Note, L: 9.5", w: 2.25", three columns of black ink Chinese characters on plain white paper. Kai Ping county, Mi Gang Xi Zha, Chen Xian Bo(name) 20 units Sept. 13, 1942 check no. 603

1997.018.006