Hamersly Library

Bridgeport Oct the 22 1854

Dear Brother & Sister

It has bin some time since I wrote to any of you, it was not because
I had forgoten you the reson is I had nothing to write that I thought
wold interest you - we are all well at presant as fare as health is
concerned Berrymans leg is not well yet thare is a runing sore on it and
no prospect of it geting better he dont complain of it hurting him any he
runs round all the time as though it wasent sore the connexion are all well
as fare as I know I understood that Iras Margaret was sick but geting
better, your Father & Mother styed all night heare a short time since your
Father has had a hard spell of the tooth ache, but has got well your
Mother is some home sick -- I received the drafts you sent me and got the
money with out any trouble wouldnt care if you wold send me such
presants every mail I had to go to Portland to draw the money it was the
first time that I ever was thare it is qite a buissness place it is neare the size
of Burlington its a verry pirty place for a town-- goods as general thing sell
about like thay did in Monmouth when we left, thing that are Bulky and
groceryes are very high I paid for sugar coman article 10 cts per pound
coffee 20 nails 8 iron 8 --the country back of Portland, and up the river
for 20 miles is broken and very heavey timber, the timber is better than
you could immagine timber to be, it is mostly fir some hemlock & seder
it is not all claimed, the soil is verry good and thay have the finest vegitables
I ever saw it is not as big a job to clear land heare as one mite supose,
thay do the most of it with fire thay can burn up the green timber roots and all.

I was sorry when I heard you had sold my land from the fact that buissness
is so unsettled that I do not know what to invest it in I shall be afraid to
loane it or lay it out fore stock or land prices of evry thing is very changeable
and money scarce, the scarcyty of money is the main cause of our hard times,
the fact of the matter is this, the money is sent to the states to buy goods &
grcereys farming materials stock of all kinds pork butter & when the people
of Oregon learn to work more and buy less money will be plenty, stock as
a general thing is about half what it was last fall good cows is worth about
50 dollars each beef 6 to 7 cts on foot hogs 8 cts gross, wheat $1.00 per
bushel.

Wm Murphy gotin in good time and had good luck thay did not loose but
one cow I believe I bought a cow and heiffer of Meril I paid him $50.00
Bob Raglin sold the heiffers that he got Williams for $42.00, the boys are
both gone to the mines.

Calvin Wallace was to see us short time since he took a claime last winter
and swaped it for another lately he got 3 yoke of oxen and one horse to
boot he says he still has a pirty good claime he is neare his brothers about
80 miles above heare, him and some of the other boys that came through
with us took a job last winter of choping wood and making rails thay had
to camp out he says he took at that time a diare and has not felt well since
he thinks he is geting better now, the rest of the boys are in the mines, I
believe I do not know what thare are doing Jorge Bruner died out thare, I
am informed that he killed himself a drinking.

this is cort week I am on the grand jury I am also sumonds as a witnefs
Grand Jury men get $4.00 per day witnesses $1.50 this is good wages
but no difference Uncle Sam has to foot the bill I was on the pet jury last
cort so you can see that I am of the Behay's of Oregon.

it has bin raining off and on for two days and knights it's hardly time for the
wet season to set in yet it has bin about as seasonable heare this sumer
as it is in Illinois of a dry season, but it was cool and cloudy last spring that
crops aint hardly as good as usial so the old setlers say, thare is plenty raised
heare so thare is no need of sending to the states for anything pork not exceptet.

people are very buisy heare a seeding, I have ten acres of wheat sowed
and up I want to sow 4 more I have 5 acres broke up for oats. I killed
a panther the other day one of our neighbors dogs treed it close to my
house thare is a good many in this country I seldom ever heare of them
doing any mischief, I have not heared of them attacking any person big or
little.

if you have any of my money I want you to pay for the Atlas one more
yeare, not that I like the paper so well but because I can heare regular
about the thing that are going on about Monmouth dont forget the post
office (Bridgeport) dont forget to pay yourself for all the trouble you
have bin at for me, and finally dont forget to write often to your old
Father it does him a great eal of good to get a letter from any of you,
he seldom fails going to the post office the day the mail come in from
the states thats every two weeks. You must write to me as often as you
can.

Your loving brother

Isaac Smith

Contact