Polk County Oregon Teretory May 3rd, 1856

Dear son and family

I received your letters of the 24th Feb last inclosing drafts I have now
received four drafts $495 each. Isaac & Thomas H. Hutchinson both
received a draft each for $288 30/100 Isaac sold his for the cash but
the man wanted the duplicate for he said that the draft might be lost
and it would cause too much delay to have to send back to the states
for the second I have tryed to sell one of mine and could not without
the duplicate so I must wait till I can get the duplicate before I can sell
so I hope you will get all the seconds and send them on at your earliest
convenience

You wanted me to tell you what to do about sellin 40 acres more of
my timberd land I want you to consult William & James and if you
think the place will sell for more by selling off the 40 acres do so and
if not sell all together if you can I have made up my mind to sell all the
old place and divide it amoung all the children upon such terms as I
shall make known to you all in due time So the more you sell the place
for the more you will get if you can sell write to me and I will tell you
how to dispose of the money (I mean all that is not sold ) I want you
to sell the land that I got of Isaac if you dont want it yourself but if you
do keep it and if you sell the old place your part may go out of the
other I want you to sell the tax title for the best price you can get
except William determines to stay in that country and thinks he can
make a living on it and if he does I will give him my title but if he dont
live on it I shall not give it to him to sell for it would not be doing the
rest of you justice.

I am very sorry to hear that thare is likely to be trouble about the
N1/236.1 / N 2 100  but you must do the best you can and I will
do all that I can for you, leave nothing undone that looks likely to
establish a good title I want you to keep enough in your hands to
compensate you well for all your trouble and expence

One thing I want you to explain to me and that is my two thousand
dollars brought $1980 and Isaacs & Hutchinsons six hundred only
brought $576.70 tax out of theirs. you can tell they may think
strange and a few words of explination would set all right

I was truly sorry to hear that so many of the [word missing] have been
broken up for it must injure the whole community but a man ought
to always make his calculations for such things every thing is very
high in Illinois now but a reaction must & will take place and it
would be my advice to you all to prepare for that reaction be shur
to keep out of debt and all kinds of difficulties I have writen some
two letters to you lately so that it is not necessary to write a great deal
now I am in hopes that Wilson has paid off that note and Louis
Bradley has paid the rent for the old place and if you have not sent it
all be shure to keep enough in your hands to pay you well for your
trouble and all you expence I want you to tell your uncle Jo to write to
me and I will answer it imediately tell Josiah Whitman to try to get time
to write me a long long long letter tell John Haley to write to me if he
feels like it give my best respects to all the old kneighbours Aunt
Nancy Mr Phelps Edly Paul tell him that I sold old Kit the other day
for three hundred dollars war scrip I remain your loving father

Peter Butler

*Addendem*
Jimmy came to me just now a making a noise I told him to hush that I
had told his uncle that he was a pretty boy he says I wish you wouldent
tell him that  Tell him that me and Robert and the baby has got a little
colt we have one young colt and two yearlings

Mother says she wants to know what you call you brag boy. our little
Robert can talk the plainest I ever heard a child of his age I received a
few lines from you also a draft of 288.32 Now brother I do not know
of your ever keeping a single cent for your trouble and expense which
our business has caused you and I hope the next time you get money of
ours into your hands you will pay your self well for I have considerd all
right to give you this advice as it is my property which you have the care
of besides Mr. Hutchinson told me when he went away to answer letters
and do business just like he was at home.  Jane Hutchinson has also quit
writing to us so we know nothing about them. Robert Hutchinson still lives
in Umpka but I think he is rather down in the mouth since the
grasshopppers has eat up everything except his cows he says they eat his
apple trees off to the ground now this will look very unreasonable to you
but you have never seen a curse of this sort sent upon any land. they have
destroyed the grass almost entirely Robert says a great many cttle have
died starved to death the Indians are also at work upon them and I am
afraid will not be subdued very soon we have had a very hard winter and
a very backward Spring we have not made all our garden yet and what we
have planted is killed mostly by the frost. there was a fine prospect early
this Spring for peaches but they are generally killed by the frost Isaac is not
married yet but we expect he will be in a short time to a Miss Sarah Webb
that widow woman's daughter who came out with Mason in 52 She has
light blue eyes sandy hair and is about 15 years old. Iky has got one of the
best places in this country and is as well fixed to live as any of you he has
one of the prettiest mares I ever saw but he is one of the driest bodies I ever
saw he talks nearly none

Little Jimmy is teasing me to write he has grown like a weed and is as pretty
as ever tell Lavina and Erastus I will answer their letters soon

Your loving Sister

Lissie