Spell Family History  

Memories Of Susie Spell Still (daughter of Benjamin Martin Spell)

"I take pen in hand," that is how many of Granny's letters started - those from her brother written from the trenches during the siege at Vicksburg. The ink was brown, or had turned brown from age, and was on ruled blue paper. And then he hoped they were well since last he had heard, and that he was glad to report that he was. I think he talked about poor rations and bad weather.

This was published on a calendar and memorized by Papa, Martin Spell, when he was a little boy - about 1885:

IMITATION

In this age of imitation
Everything in all creation
Is inclined to substitute.
They will sell you Jersey butter
That never saw a cow.
There is lots in a bag o' flour
That never saw a plow.
They will grind up all kinds of
Dried up leaves and call it tea.
They'll do the same with everything
And say it's just as good.
But now if you want the GENUINE
The kind that chewers buy -
You'll chew Old Bob Big Whistle,
Eli, Rock and Rye, Cockspur,
Rebel Spy, Rough and Ready.

Manufactured by Bailey Brothers Winston-Salem, North Carolina

This is probably one of the first tobacco commercials ever published. Papa used to quote it to me when I was very small and I don't know if he did it with flair, drama or comedy, but it was always funny I thought.

The "L" in Elliott L. Spell's name is an initial only. Mama named him for one of her professors at Blue Mountain College. I was name for Miss Susie V. Powell, who was once State Demonstration Agent.

I surely do not know how Granny met Grandpa. She did relate in my presence once that she was complaining about him when Aunt Fannye was a little tyke, and Aunt Fannye asked, "Well, Pa, if Ma thinks so poorly about you how come she married you?" And I asked Granny how he answered her. She just chuckled and said, "Oh, he told her that it was right after the war and good men were hard to find." This is one of my earliest recollections.

Granny went to school at "The Seminary" at Seminary, Mississippi. One of her friends was Sophronia Long - mother or grandmother to Hughie P.

There was a Rembert Speed about Uncle Pad's age. Granny over heard the two of them in a heated exchange of insults one day, and Uncle Pad said the reason Rembert was so mean was because of "that ole Speed blood in you." Rembert said, "Well, you got hog blood in you!" I guess he wanted the bigger share.

I learned considerable from Granny when I enumerate it, many Civil War stories and reconstruction stories. I will write later.

Kind wishes and kind love all around,

Snooks (Susie V. Spell Still)