Toyah Tex.May 16/88Miss Katie:

Page 1

Your valued letter to hand, and contents noted. I feel flattered of course at receiving such a nice little letter from such a nice little girl. Your Modest? description of yourself is very pleasing to me indeed and in fact I feel that I am in love with you already. You say you say you are fond of music & c. in that respect I must say our spirits are congenial. I am very fond of music, and also dancing.

I play the Violin and guitar passable well, and enjoy listening much better than performing, but am never Contrary when an effort on my part will add anything to the pleasure or happiness of others.

Though we are separated by great distance, it is Consoleing to know that by that great invention "Correspondence," we are enabled to exchange thoughts, pictures & c. at an insignificant cost, And also that the Civilization of this modern age, of steam and lightning, makes it possible to

compass the world; much less the width of this continent, which lies between us, in a comparatively short time.

You doubtless have some curiosity to know something about the far west as perhaps you have never visited it. So will venture a limited description; This country is almost exclusively devoted to the stock business, "Cow boy's," Mexicans, and Chinamen are in the assendancy as to population. Toyah is a small town, a Division town on the Texas and Pacific Railroad 420 miles west of Fort Worth

and 195 miles east of El Paso, I am keeping books for the only Mercantile firm of any note in the place, the proprietor being my brother in law

I have been here now something over one year, and like the people and the country very much but the scarcity of girls makes me awful tired. and I often feel like I am about ready to emigrate to some blessed clime where the dear sweet creatures are more abundant.

I enclose here with one of my photos, which was taken here by a traviling artist and is a very

poor picture, but all I have at present, except some in "group", which I am rather afraid to send for fear that you might fall in love with some one of the other fellows.

You must be sure to send me yours in exchange, as I am very impatient to see it.- Hope you will kindly mail it to me as soon as you receive this that I may get it before starting East which I expect to do about first June, and will be absent from

this town about two months, on a visit to my old home, kindred and friends; where I expect to enjoy a good time and rest and recreate from the toils of business.

For fear that I appear to familiar or loquacious on such short acquaintance,

I will close by asking you again to please write very soon and send me your Photo, and rest assured that I am as candid and honest as to my true address, as, yourself

which is

Yours Very Respectfully &cH.W. Snelson