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To your Excellency.
The governor of North Carolina:-

Sir,

I was drafted into service four months ago, and since that time the opportunity of taking insurance has been offered the men in service.

Before being drafted I was employed by the Ohio Blower, Perkins Ave. Cleveland, Ohio; at twenty-four dollars per week, and twenty-cents car fare per day, making a total of twenty-five dollars and twenty cents a week. On this amount my wife and I were able to get along very well. Although it took practically all of it to live.

My wife is not very strong. I am interested naturally in the insurance, but I am supporting my wife on the forty-five dollars a month, with no outside assistance. Under the existing conditions we find it impossible to take advantage of it, as we would like. For as we are at the present time, it is difficult to barely live, and some things we should have, that are really necessary, are gone with out. With thirty dollars a month first to live on, besides coal, and other necessary expenses, there is nothing left for clothes, &c. So its impossible to take even a very small sum out of what we are no receiving, and live.

So in the interest of receiving some assistance, or at least valuable suggestions, I write you.

Yours obediently,

Frank T. Isbell
Co “H.” 119 Inf. Camp Sevier. S.C.