Hamersly Library

Polk County O.T March 4th, 1854

Dear Children

I have waited with greate impatience for a long time to hear from you
but at length the last mail brought me the pleasing inteligence of your
health and welfare. I was well please to hear hear from you indeed and
especially to hear that you was all still in the land of the living, but I was
very sorry to hear of so many of my old acquaintences having left the
wourld although I probably would have never seen any of them again in
this wourld Yet I was sorry to hear that they was dead and gone, but we
must all die in a very short time at most and the greate thing is to be
prepared for that hour let it come when it may. I was very glad to hear
that James's family was well although they have not troubled themselves
to write to us since we have been in Oregon  John I want you to write to
me and tell me how James has done with the store you say he has quit the
store but you dont say whither he made anything or not. I want to know
all about it how he sold and what he got or whether he made anything and
whether he is bound for the liabilities. Also what was the cause of his
quiting in short give me all the particulars about the whole trasaction tell me
what he is doing and what he talks of doing here after I fear he will not do
very well farming for he is not very stout if he could command the capital
to lay in a stock of goods, he would probably do well trading but if not he
must exercise his own judgement. I hope he may as he ever has pusued an
honerable course

You will naturly want to know how we are all pleased with the country.
I do not deem it prudent to state definately how we are pleased at present
for this reason we have had a hard winter in the fall after the rains set in.
The whole country was covered with the finest grafs that I ever saw in my
life our horses fattened as fast as I ever saw horses fed on corn & oats,
but about the first of January it set in cold and we had a greate deal of frost
and snow which killed the grafs very much and froze out the wheat
consideably it killed all most all the oats, they having been sewed in the fall
the best time to sew oats in this country. the old setlers say that this has
been a very unusual winter. these are some of the reasons which induces
me to withhold my opinions concearning the country for the present, when
I give my opinions I want to have them made up on facts asertained by my
own observation

I was very sorry to hear that William had managed his businefs in the way
which he did it would not have hurt much worse to have heard of his death
I often told him that it would not do to manage his businefs in the way that
he was manageing this is twice he has been broken up by the same means
I done all that I could to keep his head above the waves before but this
time it is out of my power to healp him. I want you to write al the particulars
about how he is fixing his business I hope he may yet try to pay every cent
which he justly ows and then promise a diferent course and if he lives and
dies in poverty let him live and die honerably. I was very sorry to hear of
my only brother's affliction I dont expect that I shall ever see him again,
and if he is still living when you receive this letter I want you to go up to his
house and read it to him, and tell him to give up all earthly things and try to
seek the favor of him who turns none emty away who seeks him earnestly.
John I want to see you all so very badly that it seems like I cannot ever be
sattisfied without seeing you, but you and James must write often and give
us all the sattisfaction that you can and tell us what you hear from William's
folks and Joseph's and all our old kneighbours and friends tell us of all the
important changes in Illinois for Illinois seems near to me John if you hear
from you uncle Jesse McGuire or you aunt Hannah Furgeson tell us what
you hear, tell us the general prices of land and all kinds of stock from time
to time in Illinois I want you to go to the recorders office and take down the
particular lots of land which I deeded to Thomas H Hutchinson & Isaac and
send them to me in your next letter. I have writen to you how I wanted my
business done but for fear the letter miscaried I will write again I wrote to you
to buy a draft from Clark & brothers on Adam's & Co of Portland or Oregon
city and send it to me without you could get a private oppertunty to send me
the money. I want all the money which I can get for I payed out all the means
which I had for this claim and still owe $1200 I let Isaac have the claim and
he is to pay for it but I have to pay first and he will pay me as soon as his
land in Illinois can be sold I wrote to you to sell my tax title land for cattle
and send them to me if you could get the chance but if you have not sold it
do not sell for cattle for the price of cattle is goin up in Ills and going in
Oregon so that they wont be any driving sheep is the only stock which will
pay to drive at present give my best love and respects to all my old friends.

Your loving father & mother

Peter Butler
Rachel Butler

I will write to James in a few weeks which will be more sattisfactory than to
write now write to me and tell me where to direct a letter to William

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