Polk County Oregon Territory Dec 11th, 1853
Dear son and daughter,
I have the pleasure to inform you that we are all enjoying very good health
at this time except Isaac, and he is mending My health is better than
it has
been for fifteen years Your mother is also quite hearty I hope when these line
reaches you that you that you will remember us again if you have indeed
forgotten us, but I realy suppose that you have written before this time
although we have not had one line from you since we left Kanisville, except
one letter which I had forgot; This is the third letter that I have written
since
we got through and recieved no answer, John I want you to collect all that
you can and sent it to me after paying yourself well for your trouble. You can
get a check or draft E W Clark & brothers or Adams & Co. of Portland
or
Oregon City and send it to me and if any person cannot pay the money and will
pay good young cows or heiffers and William Murphy or any other safe hand
will bring them for half they get through you may take them. Though I had rather
have the money, I also want you to sell my tax title land down by Bises for
what
ever you can get in young cattle and send them if you have the chance if John
Holiday or Ben Hutchinson or any of the Simkins should come they will be safe
You perhaps would like to now how I like the country and what situation I am
in
at present as to the country I like it full as well as I expected and some things
better
and if my children were all here I should be very satisfied our winters as far
as I
have been able to learn is very mild and pleasant This winter as far is very
mild we
have had three or four very hard frosts and about one month rainy weather we
have as good grass here now as there is in Illinois in June our stock lives
very
fine upon the grass without feeding throughout the winter this is truly the
greatest advantage we have in this country our friends have all got land except
Thos Hutchinson on the Luckamute, though we are scattered some what Isaac
Smith and Ira is some ten or twelve miles apart, I said we all had land except
Thos, I have none in fact myself for I let Isaac have my claim which I give
upward of $2000 for, the reasons that he was sick and the law compelled him
to
take his claim by the first of December or forever he would have been debared.
I thought that I could get a claim between this time next April come year if
I want
one. he wants you to sell his land in Illinois to inable him to pay for this
and he
will send you a power of Attorney to make the title sell for the best price
you
can: as to my situation we have tolerable comfortable house for this country
we
have plenty bread stuff potatoes cabbage, turnips beats etc we have one
cow giving milk we have tolerable plenty of milk and butter, we have seven
hogs and eight chickins. Thomas Hutchinson is now in Umpquau with his
brother Robert and I expect will take a claim there if he can get one I
suppose it is about 150 miles from here nearly south all the rest has places
in this country and on the same creek, if I take claim I cannot tell where I
shall get one, I shall live here with Isaac untill he can do without us if he
gets
maried or should make any arrangement between now and next April Year
so that he can be comfortable I shall take a claim if not I shall stay here
we
have heard that James has sold out to Bogges we would like to hear the
particulars we want to now what you are all doing and intends to do, if any
of you has any notion of coming to Oregon, let us now it and if not let us now
it in short tell us everything which you think will interest us, you have no
idea
how bad we want to see you all I would be glad to even see your old dog
I do not now how to reconcile it to myself never to see you all again in this
wourld. Write often and I will do the same, although I have a very bad
chance to write and am seldom in a very good situation to write. Elizabeth
and her children are here with us and little James is in fine health and is
as fat
as a pig the little babe is growing very fine indeed I believe they are going
to
call it Robert; John Your mother says that you must write often, and tell
us all
about all the old kneighbors and also all about our old place tell Lavina to
write
all about the children, as soon as Erastus & Grandville can write we want
them
to write. Tell your uncle William to write me a letter if he is alive and able
to
write we have heard that he was very porly and would probally not live
through the winter, I would like to hear from any of the old kneighbors if they
think worth while to write to me, I will write to all the boys as soon as I
can,
I think I will give a brief account of our trip over the plains in one of my
letters
you can all avail yourselves of its contents and save the trouble of writing
separate letters to each one of you, If I could have as good health in Illinois
as
I have here I would be almost tempted to come back, on account of my dear
children & old friends give my love to all who inquires after me
[to] John Butler
Your father Peter Butler
Payment
