Faribault -- Dec 12-1901
Dear Lucy & family,
Cold winter is upon us now, about a foot of smow fell the 3rd, very good sleighing. Your last received I was truly glad to hear from you again. It seemed a long time since we had heard from you. Your letters are allways welcome. They are so newsy. Dont wait for me. I will have so many letters to write now the children are all gone.
Clarence is in Priest River, Idaho where Celia is living now. Alice was married Dec 5, to a Mr J H Turner of Jeddo, Bastrop Co, Texas. It's about 25 mi S.E. of Austin, the capital. She will write you from Texas. You can take the S. Pacific some day and visit her. It runs just south of them a few miles. I just received a letter from Mary. There adress is Sanger, N. Dakota. They have moved 5 mi. from there claim for the winter to a peice of timber near the Missouri River to cut cord wood. Mary said it seemed good to get into the timber where the wind could'ent touch them. I am glad they are there. I shall know that they are comfortable with plenty of wood to burn. This is a hard world for people that hav'ent much to do with. Is'nt it? Especially in the cold northwest. It seems good to think that you and your family can be so comfortable where you are. Times must be very much better there now than when we were there. Our crops were pretty good this year. We hav'ent sold much of this years crop yet. Eggs are 21 ct, Potatoes 40 cts, __, Corn 40 cts, Butter Creamery 30 cts, Choice Dairy 22, 27 cts, Hay $6 to 11 a ton. It was 16 below zero one morning last week. The cold crept into the house some and froze my plants that I had up stairs. The plants are all right that are in the sitting room.
T have a begonia that is 2 feet high and has a blossom stalk on top that is quite pretty, a beautiful red with white center and yellow stamens. Did you ever see a __________ vine in bloom? Mine is very pretty, also my Sultana Impatiens. I have a large Umbrella plant too. I suppose that you dont bother with house plants. I shant much after this winter. Alice had so many plants this summer. She took a basket of small ones with her and quite a variety of slips.
Father said he would write you this time but he wrote a letter this forenoon to Clarence and then laid down to rest. He has such a bad cold. I guess he will have to give it up
Orville butchered a hog yesterday, we raised 7. Next week will kill a steer. I wish you could have a taste. I dont care much for meat myself. We milk 3 cows. I make the butter have sold a lot so far. It makes fun money for me. I must close and get supper. I will enclose a chaine letter which if you feel like helping a little you can do so. The church is one that is being built for the people that Horace is pastor of at Priest River, Idaho. The town is new but quite a smart town as the western folks would say. Clarence says the timber there is magnificent. He is working in a mill at 20 cts an hour. The principle buisness there is lumbering & shingle making. The winters are of some length but not as cold as here.
We burn coal in the winter alltogether. This winter we are using the lignite coal of N. Dakota. It is smokeless and dont smut the stove up like some other soft coal. I suppose you did not hear much about the coal strike there. About election time there was quite a commotion raised and everybody thought they was going to freeze to death. Now all is quiet, but the price of coal is some what higher. Mr Mitchell is a remarkable man. I guess the Coal Barons will win in the end though. What do you think of our President? He seems to have a mind of his own and things have to go a little as he wishes. What do you think of Socialism. I see by the election returns in the Apeal to Reason that there are a great many Socialist in Cal. They seem to be increasing very fast the country over.
Orville's family are all well. I suppose Gerty is most as large as Blanche. The baby runs allround now, trys to talk a little. I must close with much love to you and all the rest.
Yours affect.,
I would like to have been with you Thanksgiving. It was a beautiful day here too.