Hamersly Library

Bloomington Dec the 25 1853

Dear Brother and Sister

We all arrived at oregon safe and sound we was somewhat tired but we are
a giting a little restid we are all well and harty. The children all look hearty
esspecilly peter he is as fat as a pig his cheeks is red as a rose and his eyes
as black and bright as you please The trip was tolerably tiresom but knot so
mtch so as I suspected to find it  I was well most of the way through though I
was very weak along the snake river I did not have to lay down to rest avery
time whilst I was geting breakfast that was more than I could do in the spring
and summer at home or feeling like it at least the fore part of the trip is nothing
if the weather was warme and pleasant the weather was verry cold and wet
for a long time after we started the latter part of the trip is hard there is so
many long steep hills to climb up and down. crossing the cascade mountains
useed me up wors than all the rest of the trip we saw a great many curiositys
on the road we did not suffer mutch for the want of wood and water we fillet
our water cegs where we did knot exspect to find water and we sacked up
wood a nough to do us two hundred miles there was no timber in that
distance exsept one lone tree so we had wood and sage brush all the way to
cook with we found a great many currants on the way they was verry
exxseptable they was the best I ever tasted there was red yellow and black
ones in the mountains we found raspberry dew berrys and thumbles berries
we live close to a lake thare are hundreds of geese and ducks swimming in it
our folks kills one every once in a while and sometimes a pheasant. we have
all of the cabbages beets squashes and such things as we can use one of our
neighbours tells us to send to his garden and help our selves he wants the
cabbage cut off ove the stalks so that he can raise a nother crop on the same
stalks they have excellent cabbage and beets here. I think that people can have
plenty here to live onn with but verry little work though I cannot help thinking
a great deal about old illinois I would like to see it about this time the
connection are all well.

tomas hutcheson is gone to the umqua with his brother robert to look at the
country he has been gone over a month mack timmons lives three or fore miles
from here they say he is rich he has seven sones charles wells lives out here one
of his sones was at our house yesterday. hendrilks lives in oregon the singing
teacher this is a great place for wild roses the praires are red with the berrys at
this time the snow drop gooes wild here thousands of them. we want you to
write to us we allway like to here from you all and all the old neighbours givea
my best respects to matilda smith James and mary Butler and all inquiring
friends and tell them to write.

[to] John M & Eliza Butler

Eliza A. Grounds

**Addition to letter**

Bloomington

Dec the 26th 1853

Dear Uncle

It is with pleasure that I take the present opportunity of writing to you to
inform you that we are all well. I have enjoyed very good health since I
left home I never felt so hearty in my life As I do now at least every body
looks hearty hear. I think this is a very healthy healthy country, although
there has been four children died in this vicinity two of the hooping cough
and two of the flux brought in this country by emigrants this is a good farming
country every thing except corn and I have seen some pretty good corn hear
any farmer can raise enough to fatten his own meat on a small piece of ground
there is the prettiest wheat raised hear I ever saw grass is green the whole
year around it is now after christmas and the stock is out feeding themselves
to there own gratification yesterday (christmas) was the coldest day we have
had this winter it was rainy and the blew from the south but it would not be
counted a cold day in Illinois father has got him a claim within a mile of uncle
Iras a mile and a quarter of uncle lides. I believe I cant think of any more at
present you must write as soon as you get this you must excuse my bad writing
for this is a bad pen and I wrote in hurry

so no more

William B. Grounds

PS as there is a little room yet I will give you an account of the prices mare from $1.50 to $2.00 dollars cows from 65 to 1.00 dollars Pork $20.00 per hundred wheat 2.00 per bushel chickens about 75 cts apiece eggs 50 cts per dozen Butter 50 cts per pound potatoes 50 cts per bushel they were a dollar when we first come here I know of one woman here that has made $4.00 off of her cows and chickens this last summer my father says he is so busy he can't write with his claim is within three miles of the willamette we can hear the steam boats whistle every time they come up mother has sent you the leaf of a fir tree

no more

W.B.G.

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