At Home Dec. 16th 1860

Dear Brother

As it has been some time since I wrote to you I will take the present
oportunity to write to you I am in better health than I have enjoyed
for seven or eight years my wifes health has been verry poor all
Summer her disease is of the heart She is better now than she has
been since she was taken excepting a verry severe cold.

My little girl is in good health except cold. Mother was at my house
about a week ago She is in good health as usual we were up to Isaac
Smiths last week they were all well. All the rest of the connection are
as well as common as far as I know but Eliza Ground she has been
complaining of her lungs for some time. I believe this is about as hard
a country on the lungs as Illinois altho when I first came here there
was not such a thing known as lung complaint. There is some other
sickness consisting of typhoid & lung feaver putred soar throat.
there is not verry much sickness this winter as yet we have had a
verry pleasant Summer good crops a pleasant fall & winter so far

The roads are in pretty good condition considering all things people
are fencing up their land moveing the road and confineing them to
lanes and but very little work done on them we have marketed our
surplus wheat at 40 to 50 cts per bushel pork is worth from .04 to
.06 cts Beef .04 cts on foot everything that we have to buy is as high
as when times were good. Stock of all kinds has come down. I
moved back on my farm last May and have been verry buisy fixing
up my fences and putting things to rights I have now my 320 acres of
land all under fenc divided into two pastures I intend to keep one for
a winter pasture I have about 15 head of horses which is the most
stock I have there is no sale for property of any kind except hogs &
sheep every boddy is trying to get all the hogs & sheep they can pork
is pretty good price and cash which is about all the produce of the
farm that will bring the cash. people are improveing their farms all they
can but times are so hard that every branch of buisiness goes on verry
slow. there has been considerable talk about the Silver Mines found
here in Oregon but I am not prepared to say whether it is in paying
quantities or not if it turned out to be good there is plenty of the Ore
in 6 miles of my place it takes some time to have the Ore properly
tested I would be glad if they would be rich for we need some
money over here about sunset about now. It is thought by a great many
that our war debt will be payed off this session of Congress if so it will
help us some but not like it would once a great deal of it is in the hands
of speculators I suppose some of you back there think that congress
has served us right in keeping us out of our pay for 5 years. as some
of the members of Congress seem to think so or they would not
oppose the payment of the war debt. All I wish is that some of them
Silk Gloved Gents had to sholder thier gun and blankets and wade
through the snow and live on horse meat as we did but they can make
the best of it this time for it is the last time I will volunteer to help Unkle
Sams boys out a bad scrape I am willing to fight for my country when
it is necessary but I had rather go on my own hook next time. I want
you to write to me as soon as you get this and tell me all about the old
place whether the old barn is still standing yet and how large mothers
walnut tree is and who is living on the place how much it wrents for in
short tell me everything that you think would interest me

I expect to try to build me a house next Summer I have not determined
on what sized one I will build yet but it will not be verry large I need a
good house and barn on my place and then I would be pretty well fixed
for a poor man.

I have just finished plowing for wheat to be put in February the ground
is in fine order I want you to tell me what the propect of selling the old
place and what your notions is about selling it It seems to me if it can
be sold to a good advantage we had better have the good of it while
we live I have not recieved a letter from brother James for 3 years I
have written to him but whether he even got them or not is more than
I know Tell him the next time you see him to write to me and relieve
his conscience I want you to tell me where to write to Joseph and
William My little girl just now raised up in bed and wanted to know
who I am writing to She is a very promising child will be 4 years old
next April I must close for this time

Write soone

Isaac M Butler
Sarah Ann Butler
Mary Ellen Butler