Hamersly Library

Bridgeport January the 15th 1860

Dear Brother & Sister

I take this opportunity of writing you a fiew lines by the way of
rememberence, it is over six years since I saw you it seems as
though it was but a fiew days ago, my affections twords you is
as strong as it ever was and my desires to see you is as freqent
as ever I have hopes that circumstances will so favor us that we
will se each other again but if it dose not we ort not to neglect to
write to each other as often as convenient I must acknowledge
that I have bin carless but the main reson is that I feel as though
I had nothing of importence to write, it has bin so long since I
received a letter from you that I have forgotten its contents
farther than you was all in usal health which gave me much
satisfaction this leaves us as well as usal the little children has
had a very bad colds but have got about over it Rufus & Wrigh
is going to school to Monmouth Rufus boards with his Aunt
Sarah, write with Calvin Murphy thay think thay have a good
school, the connexion are as fair as I know are well except
T H Hutchinson he has had a very hard spell of the Typhoid fever
he is now on the mend Granmother stayed thare the most of the
time he was sick she looks qite harty & well, Ira tends to the
clerks office for Hutchinson since he has bin sick he looks to be in
better health than I ever saw him.

Isaac Butler rented his place and moved to Monmouth and went in
partnership with a man by the name of Boon they bought a drove
of cattle in partnership the report is that Boon has gambled of the
money that he got for the cattle, if it is so Isaac will be very near
broke up I am in hopes that it is not as bad as reported.

Old Jimmy Hogeings was at my house not long ago I think from
what he says he has pirty well run through with his property he
says him and his family dont agree very well he appeard to be in
a good eal of trouble

.thare was a serious occurence hapend in our neighborhood last
week, a man by the name of Mop shot a man by the name of
Harper he shot him in the night through the window as he sat by
the fire, from the place whare the ball enterd and came out it must
have passed through his hart he died instantly thay have got him
(Mop) in custody and sufficent proof to hang him
thare exists three resons for the bloody deed first him & Harper
had a qallel the day before second he (Mop) had bin bring to induce
Harpers wife to run off with him, third he was drinkin this is the first
murder that has happened since we have bin heare in this county &
I hope it is the last.

Thare is a great complaint heare about hard times
money is scarcer heare now than it has bin since I have bin in the
country this is the main cause of hard times, when a fare price beef is
worth 5 cts per pound pork 6 cts wheat $1.00 per bushel oats 75 cts
sheep 5 dollars per head good goldings is $200 and some times more
aples has got down qite to what thay yousto be I sold forty bushels at
$2.50 and I sold some for less we kept plenty to do us, I wish you
could be heare and help us to eat some I think you wold give up that
we could beat you raising apples at any rate thay are good and no
mustak this reminds me that I have not eat any since I commenced
writing I am qite hungry write soon your affictonate Brother and Sister

Isaac & Margaret Smith

[to]John M. Butler
Matilda Smith

I forgot to tell you about our winter the forepart was cold and frosty
it injured the grafs considerable the wether now and lately is warm
and pleasant stock so fare has wintered well without feeding, if the
wether continues favorable I want to commence plowing this week.
I have marked out the sise of some of my winter apples these are
about a medium sise I have about forty varietes but the five samples
the sise will give you idea how large thay grow heare

[overlapping outlines of the five varieties of apples, to indicate their
size, are traced on the rest of the page]

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