File:JamesElgieBeals-promisory notes.jpg

Promisory notes describing an agreement between James Elgie Beals and the family of Mr. and Mrs. R. E. Adams for the total sum of $250. The depression-era personal loan was made to save the Beals farm from bank foreclosure. Photocopy provided in 1990 by Ella Beals Wilson to Elizabeth Wilson Williams. Location of original document unknown. The following transcription was done on 27 Sep 2006 by Richard Brady Williams:

[top note]

July 24, 1941
One year after date we promise
to pay to the order of Mr. R. E. Adams
Two Hundred Dollars
Without defalcation, value received, with interest from date at 5% per year
And further, we do hereby empower any Attorney of any Court of Record within the United States or else-
where, to appear for us and after one or more declarations filed, confess, judgement against
as of any term for the above sum, with Costs of Suit and Attorney's commission of 5 per cent for collection
and release of all errors, and without stay of execution and inquisition and extension upon any levy on real estate is hereby
waived, and condemnation agreed to and redemption of personal property from levy and sale on any execution hereon, is 
also hereby expressley waived, and no b[text missing] exemption be claimed under and by virtue of any exemption law now in force
or which may be hereafter passed.

Witness_____________ hand and [text missing]         [signed] J. E. Beals              (seal)
                                                     [signed] [text missing] E. Beals  (seal)

[bottom note]

This note is identical to the first, except for the following two parts:

• The date is different; the month begins with an M, the year is probably 1942 or possibly 1943, but definitely not 1941. The remainder of the date is missing.
• The amount of borrowed money is $50 instead of $200.

Note that the first initial of the second name signed at the bottom is not clear in either note. It is definitely not a J., and the only other ?.E. Beals on file is James Elgie Beals's son, Robert Elgie Beals. However, the fragments of the initial that are visible suggest a "T" or "F."