Faribault, Minn. - 2.17.'98
Dear Lucy and all,
I do think it is too bad that your long and interesting letter of long ago, has had to go so long unanswered. Just on account of waiting for those pesky little black stockings to be finished. Mother has told me to day that she had them most done and would finish them this evening. So, I will puch the pen for a letter for you.
I hope the stockings will be of use to little Blanche, but I fear she has outgrown them because they have been so long on the way. Guess you think we have forgotten you by this time, but I've been drumming "Granma" up several times to hurry up the socks.
We were glad to hear that you all enjoyed the cow so much and I knew you would and I am truly glad that you got her.
Well, Louis & Chester, do you miss going to "Grandpas" this winter? I often think of you, of how you would come down to the old "Clanton" house and call "Grandpa" "Grandpa". Little Blanch, have you forgotten us? I guess so. O well, I shall never forget you.
We are all well here, but Mary is sick. Alice has been out there over 2 weeks doing her work. We've been out there once to visit her since Alice went there. She is a little better. I fear she never again will have good health. She is so very careless of herself. Goes out and works out of doors like a dutch-woman, when she has no business to do it. John has been up north in Todd Co. and has bought an 80 acre farm, mostly timber. It is near to where Livingstone and Ad McKillip went. Tupper gave John 3 hundred dollars and John borrowed 500 more, making out the 800 dollar price paid. It has 17 acres under cultivation, a real good large log house and a good well. They will stay where they are until fall and work the place they are on. We are getting along well and comfortable. The weather of this winter is fine most all of the time. So mild that there is no dread of the cold to me, no day. Notwithstanding, the old Ground-hog could see his shadow on Candlemas day, and the Mythologists would relegate him back to his den for 6 weeks thereafter. Yet, he could at least have been out for 15 days more in succession, and not got his nose frozen.
My own health is ever-so-much better than it was when I left Cal. They say to me "how much better you are looking", frequently.
We like it so much to be so near to town. And are all glad we've got out of Hoosierdom and Germany. But on the other hand, the Germens up there are saying to me that they would like to get us back, but they never will.
We miss our wood and the Evergreen protection, but we've got here a much better soil, sure, a better well. It pumps so very easy, is 1 deg. cooler, and 40 times or more in volume of water than either of the wells out there. Here, Oh my, what "spuds" we did raise last year. About 300 bu. to the acre. We had 600 bu. We built a new corn crib 20 ft long x 8 ft wide x 8 ft posts to plate and had it much more than full of corn. Also about 600 bu of grain, mostly wheat, 1/3 oats perhaps. We can den up this winter. I raised 2 1/2 or 3 acres as cane and we'd no time to set up the mill, so I sold it to a man in town with a portable mill. He came up here and worked it up. Got 400 galls syrup.
How are you getting along now ? And how is Mr Sinclares folks, as well as all the Clewetts? How is your Mother Clewett? Is John (your former boarder) now at home? We got a letter recently from Lizzy Kerr, in Cal., also one 3 or 4 months ago, in which she inquired for your address. Maybe she has written you. I guess they are perhaps doing better than here. They were so badly in debt here that they could hardly keep up. We hardly ever go near the old home.
I have planned to put in an acre of Berries the coming spring, believing we can do first rate with them here and so near to this large market. I am going into small fruits considerable. Black, Straw, Goos & Raspberries, Currants, Asparagus. If the "biz" will warrant, we will increase it with all demands, as I believe we are now in a fine situation for it.
Say! Howard, there is about to be a "Labor Exchange" company started up here which promises to be a big thing in the country. They claim that in Frisco it is a power over gold which is a God-Send. If the worship of the Golden Calf can't be stopped by votes, I trust a way has been invented that will flank them in another way.
I will enclose a letter from Celia that will tell you of her welfare. "Skip" is with us in the best of faith and spirits. Did I tell you that he killed 5 or 6 woodchucks last spring?
We set out about 300 Evergreens last spring. Nearly all lived and "quite a few" Straw, Rasp, & blackberries, so we'll get lots to use at home this year, and some apple trees. Will set more apples this spring. They are all heeled in here now.
Our improvements here were a good house for Orville, 16 x 24 x 14 posts, a machine shed 16 x 30, corn crib, etc, etc,etc. Cost in cash a little over $300.00 and perhaps $200.00 in labor which we did ourselves, all paid up. The "boys" are getting up a fine large wood-pile of Oak, bought from 1 1/2 to 5 miles away. Our chickens have layed a little all winter. 3 or 4 old hens are now laying out around in the lot near the barn, and there they lay all the time. Haven't sold all of the wheat or potatoes, and no corn hardly. Wheat 85, Potatoes 35, Corn 25, now will be higher (______).
Trusting you are all quite well and that we may hear from you ere long. I am affectionately,