Bloomington Polk Co. Oregon Territory
Nov 26th 1855
Dear Brother & Sister
We received your letter of the 19th of Sep last week It was indeed
"good news from a far country" In your letter you mentioned the
sickness of Berryman Murphy, the same mail which brought your
letter also brought letters to our friends here stating that he was dead.
This was painful news for us all --We were glad to hear of your good
health and that of our friends generally
On the 14th day of this month a young man took boarding with us he
is a fine little boy with black hair and dark eyes, he weighes 10 1/2 lbs.
All of the friends are well at this time so far as I know. Isaac M. Butler
went out to fight the Yackama Indians he is 2nd seargent of Company
"G " of this county. The volunteers (regulars as well) and indians have
had a battle the indians have been defeated with some loss several of
the vol. were wounded but not killed --In the south the indians have
committed great devastation, murdering men women and children &
they have defeated the soldiers in one battle where the troops
attempted to drive them from a mountain
The school oppened with five prospects at the Institution near Thomas H.
Lucas' on the 19th inst
We have concluded that you had better try to build a house of such sise
as you may think best have a well dug fence built on the line betwen our
place & Isaac's and your fathers place and a well dug also on orchard of
about 100 or more trees of good varieties set out for we may want to eat
fruit from them ourselves some day --Please do this as speedily as the rent
will pay for it and pay you for your trouble.
We have thought that we will not sell the improved place and the timber
that belongs to it But the piece of prairie west of your field the timber
that
belongs to it - as it is in partnership with Isaac, you may sell if you can
get
a good price for it We think you will know better than we will what price
to put upon the land in partnership and what will be the best time to sell it
We do not want to sell the lots in Monmouth (I believe they are lots 2,3,
& 6 Block 48) unless you think that they will bring a better price now than
they will here after. You say that property is not as high now as you think
it will be after a while and it may be less to hold on to the property --if
I
had the money I coulde do well by laying it out in cattle and raising stock
Money is scarce here ande harde to get. stock is cheap from 5 to 6 dols
per hundred beef 6 to 8 dols Hogs are expensive to raise. Cattle cost
nothing to keep them after you have them and horses the same if they are
not usede too much - if worked steady them must be fede-Oats grow fine
here-can be put in the grounde anytime from the 1st of Aug to the 1st of May
Sheep are worth from 5 to 10 dols per heade and do well here-American
horses rate from 150 to 300 dols per heade Wheat is rated now at $1.00
per bush Ots from 37 1/2 to 50 cts per bush.
I have been engaged in a contract of surveying all summer. I have not finished
yet. I was elected County Surveyor of Polk County Last June the office
continues 3 years. So you see that my business keeps me from home a
great part of my time
Now brother, John, we shoulde like to see that little Butler of yours, Elizabeth
says that you were just right in saying that it was hansome because it looks
like
the Butlers but our babe is saide to look like its mother so of course it must
be
hansome. James is growing finely he is standing by my side asking who I am
writing this letter to ande I tell him to his Uncle John Butler. James is pretty
large
of his age ande is a pretty black eyed boy. Robert is a very lively child his
hair
is light ande his eys blue & fair complection he is slender and saide to
resemble
the Hutchinsons he is a great talker. Can say anything he chooses to say.
Whenever James and Robert sees the stagecoach pass they say that now we
will get letters from the states from uncles & aunts.
Father & mother Butler were her last week ande stayed here they were both
well.
Eliza you must write to us and tell us all about your children how the babe
gets along and all about the improvements of the country olde neighbors
ande friends etc. Write soon
Your affectionate brother
Thomas H. Hutchinson
Mr. Hutchinson insists on my writing a little to you though I do not feel
atall
like writing I have been very smart except a pain in my shoulder and sick
which has almost distracted me every night far more than a week in the day
time it does not trouble me much I think it must be my liver that causes it
Now I do wish I could be with you tonight so that we could compare our
fine boys I am almost vain of my three little sons they are so pretty and
smart I wanted Mr. H to tell you more about the babe but he thought it
was too childish for him so he tried to get off by calling it handsome over
my shoulders. he is so much handsome than any of his relatives that I think
it great injusties to compare him to them Now little Erastus you must send
one of the prettiest names that you can find for this little cousin. I reckon
it
is hardly worth while to ask Lavina to send a name as I have asked her to
write before and she did not send a single word back give my respects to
Matilda also to Mary and Jimmy Granville and Isaac
Your Sister and Aunt
Lissie
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