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Friday, November 16, 2018

News From Different Sort of Front: N.C. Folk Who Have Moved to California, 1918

From the front page of the Brevard News, Thursday, November 14, 1918

Letter from Transylvanian, Now in San Francisco, Calif.

Editor, Brevard News:

 Kindly permit me to write a few lines for publication in your paper. It may be of interest to some of our readers.

Spanish Flu hits Pacific coast hard, approximately 100,000 cases are reported to date in the three coast states and hundreds more are being reported hourly in large cities.

The number of deaths is variously estimated in Washington, Oregon and California between 2,000 and 3,000. Exact figures are not available.

San Francisco seems to have the epidemic under control at last. Saturday reports at the health office show 802 new cases as against 1,182 reported up to the same time Friday. The number of deaths has dropped from 48 to 30.

We are all pleased to think the time is near when we will be permitted to go on the streets again without wearing our masks. The Transylvanians who live in San Francisco have surely had their share of the flu.

Chas. G. Merrell, Ewart G. Merrell, wife and daughter, Miss Nora, Furman C. Hamilton, wife and baby, and Geo. Allman, all have recovered without complications.

Several times of late I have noticed articles in the dailies where the Board of Health of San Francisco has referred to the State health authorities in North Carolina as being the best or among the best in the country on the flu.

I have been informed that the cantonment camp at Freemont, Cal., near San Francisco will be vacated this coming week. All are gone now, except the 8th and one-half of the 62nd regiments, and they will soon be on their way to join the boys “over there.”

This afternoon I called on my old friend Gordon A. Williams, a well-known citizen of Transvylvania, a tanner by trade, was employed at the Grange tanyard for many years. He is at present employed by The S.P.R.R. Co., [this is a railroad company] or rather Wm. McAdoo, as gate keeper. You will always find him on his job. He is one man who never does things by half. He enjoyed very good health considering his age.

Miss Nora Merrell, granddaughter of the late Samuel Merrell of Little River section, is planning to make the long journey to her old home State during her next school vacation. She plans to take a sea voyage via the Panama Canal. Miss Merrell graduated in the public school last year. She is now attending the Commercial High School. She is a leader of the Christian Endeavor, a Red Cross worker, and is highly talented in music. Her many friends will no doubt be pleased to have her make the visit.

Wishing the News and its readers much success, I remain,

Respectfully,
F.C.H.
San Francisco, Cal.
October 27, 1918

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