[note: letter is damaged by water, missing words indicated by dashes]
Breckenridge Cty. K.T. August 21st 1859
Dear Brother,
I should have written to you long since but I did not have time until
I got sick then I was not able but I am now able to sit and write
though my nerves are so unsteady that I can hardly write yet.
We had no more hinderance on the road of consequence after I last
wrote to you fan had a colt which hindered us about 1 day we then
halled the colt in the wagon two days it then traveled the balance of
the way we traveled through ------------ verry good country
in
Mo. better than I had expected to see in that country and land cheap
when we struck Kansas we traveled through a verry fine country until
we reached the place where we are now. we landed here on the 22nd
day of July we found Br. Joseph and family Geo. Rainwater and
Robinett here they had been here about three weeks Smith and
Minerva did not come. June and Emaline were both sick when we got
here June has another daughter they have all been sick but are well and
mending we had been here but few days until John and Willie both
took the chills we then took it one by one until we have all had it but we
are all now on the mend except Geo. & viola they still have chills we
have no house yet we are still living in a tent, a hard way of living
especially when people are sick the sickness in this country appears
to be almost entirely confined to the new comers the old settlers appear
to enjoy good health. I like this country verry well with one exception
there is not enough timber the soil is verry good I think full as good as
the soil in Warren Cty. Ills. the water is first rate. the timber is good
but consists principally of Bur Oak and Black Walnut there is some
Cottonwood Syccamore, Mulberry, white Hickory red bud elm and
base elder and grape vines in abundance and some honey locus the
timber is confined entirely to the creeks and rivers which are verry
plentiful in this part of the territory travel east and west from where
we live there is a creek or river about every four miles the streams are
clear pure spring water generally running over rock or gravel bottoms
the face of the country is more handsom than any country I ever saw it
is a high dry rolling country I do not know of one rod of wet land
anywhere in this country either on the prairie or in the creek bottoms
and at the same time I do not know of one qr. sec. of land that is too
broken to cultivate pleasantly I see no local cause for sickness the
general face of the country has a more healthy appearance than any
country I ever was in and still the chills seem to be verry prevalent
among the new coming I have made a claim on Allen Creek the
creek runs through one corner of my claim I have some 2 or 3 acres
of timber on it and have bought a piece of timber adjoining for which I
paid 10 dollars per acres I sold my ---------- for 85 dollars to obtain
this timber the -------- of my claim is as hansome prairie as a man
need want there is a stone quarry on it of the nicest limestone I ever
saw except in this country the road from 142 to Americus the County
Seat of this country runs through my claim 10 miles from 142 and 3
miles from Americus Americus was laid out just two years ago in this
month it now contains 18 houses one stone one blacksmith shop an
office and one tavern that would be no disgrace to Monmouth and a
number of other built on the way there is a printing press now in town
but have not commenced printing yet there are also two ---------
in town my claim is on the Indian land belonging to the Caw indians
there are plenty of good prairie claims to be taken here yet the timber
is all claimed but there is plenty of timber now that can be bought at
from 10 to 20 dollars per acre the country is settling verry rapidly I
think it will be but few years until this will be a thick settled country
flower is worth four dollars and 50 cts per hund here corn meal $1.00
bacon there is more in the country and but few hogs. I am tired writing
and you will probably be tired reading such scribling I want you to
write to me as soon as you get this and give me the news I am verry
anxious to hear from you
Yours with due respect
Wm C. Butler
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