A Simple Request Between Neighbors

“Will give you the Money or meal or flour for it Just which you Want”

Well now, friends, have a look at this. It’s just a tiny slip of paper, but it carries the weight of a whole world that used to be. Back in the winter of 1888, a fellow named J. S. Johnson needed a bit of help from his neighbor, Mr. Laben Gwinn. He sat down and scratched out a quick note asking for two bushels of corn. It wasn’t a formal contract or a legal demand; it was just one neighbor reaching out to another, the way folks used to do when life was lived a little closer to the soil.

The paper itself is a sight to see after all these years. It’s a thin, narrow scrap, likely torn in a hurry from an old ledger book. Time has turned it a deep, warm yellow, and you can still see the sharp creases where it was folded up small to be carried over to Mr. Gwinn’s place at home. Even though it’s over a hundred years old, that dark ink still tells the story of a simple transaction made with a respectful heart.

What really warms my spirit is how Mr. Johnson offered to settle the debt. He didn’t just reach for his wallet; he offered up meal or flour too, leaving the choice entirely to his friend. It’s a beautiful glimpse into a time when barter and flexibility kept a community running. And isn’t it just like those old days to have a date like February 30th on the letter? Whether it was a simple slip of the pen or just a man too busy with the farm to check the calendar, it adds a touch of human mystery to the whole thing.

When we look at this little treasure today, it reminds us that the best parts of history aren’t always in the big history books. Sometimes, they’re found in the quiet moments of neighborliness and the simple promise to do right by one another. It’s a little piece of the past that suggests being fair and flexible is a mighty fine way to live, no matter what century you’re in.

Original Transcription

Feb 30/88
Mr. Gwinn
Please send me
2 bushels of
Ears of Corn
& Will give you
the Money
or meal or
flour for it
Just which
you Want
Respectfully
yours
J S Johnson

[Verso/Back of Page]
Mr Laben
Gwinn
at home