Edward C. Smith to Henrietta Fletcher, 1886 March 14
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Your last letter was received by me one week ago on my arrival from the south and
then I thot I would answer at once but I was called away again and so you were
neglected but now I will try and pen a few lines to night for I will be off
again tomorrow and will not be at home much for a month. Marilla and children
are very well Did you Know that [Bess] Rust from Burke was
living with us has been here since last fall we pay her 15 Dolls per month for
doing our house work and she says this is more than she could earn back there
teaching school.
good girls finds good paying jobs here at house work
at present for the Chinaman must go. I was out to my ranch yesterday and find
business progressing finely we are now milking 57 cows and rasing about 50 [ ] and somewhere in the neighbourhood of 150
hogs and there is such good feed that the cows are milking very heavy and we are
making lots of butter altho it is low 18. to 20, cts. we employ three men at 25
Dolls per month the butter which we make is as fine as any thing made in Vt. We
will try and run our stock up to an hundred cows another year
I bought
me a very fine colt in Jan he will be three in June Jet black and a fine stepper
he cost me 200. Dolls so I now keep in town 2 horses and as fine a Durham cow as
I ever milked So this compells me to Keep a [hostler] who
besides taking care of the stock keeps the yard and flowers in order. the
country never looked finer than this season the grain is from one to two feet
high and the whole couintry is in bloom. I wish I had time to spare I would take
a trip East for the fare is to $28.00 to New York but I cant see
any way clear
You ask me whether Bent has ever sent me any thing that
was mothers I answer no. nothing. We [ ] that
it was mothers wish that I should have her silver spoons and shawl, which you
can send by mail have them registered and they will come
all right did you take the spoons or did Bent keep them. You had better sell the
land as soon as possible or if you want to keep it say what you will give in
cash for my part I do not beleive that we deeded away our entire interest in
mothers share of the farm when we deeded to Bent for we certainly could not deed
away what we had no right to have you looked the matter up thoroughly
Tell Katie to write me a long letter and when you get to making maple sugar to
eat some for me Give my love to [ ] Griswold
& wife and all the old neighbors and all of your little ones and beleive
me ever
Your BroEd