We started from Randolph county, Missouri, the 15th day of April last, (1852.) Brother Norval was sick, and we had to lay by with him, one place or another, near two weeks, before we reached the Missouri river. We left the Missouri river the 15th of May, and crossed the bottom six miles, passing two or three miserable slues, and encamped on the foot of the bluff. Next morning Absalom Barnes upset his wagon, with his family in it, no particular damage done, only his lard, milk and molasses were spilled. This night reached Musketoe creek: here we began to find fresh graves pretty plenty. We traveled on, crossing Wolf river, Little Nimahaw, Great Nimahaw, Vermillion creek, Big Blue river, Little Sandy, Big Sandy, finding plenty of fresh graves all the way. We crossed Big Sandy late in the evening, near its junction with the Republican fork of Caw or Kansas river. Next morning, soon after our train started, sister Emilene Barnes was taken with puking and purging and we could not stop with her for want of water. Our guide spoke of a small creek, which we could reach by noon, but when we reached it we found no water but some stinking pools that nothing could use; so, the weather being very hot, we could not stop here without all perishing, ate our dinner, and moved on at dark; reached Aleneas creek, which did not run, but by digging holes in the sand we obtained water that was tolerable cool. There were also pools of water that our cattle would drink. Here we encamped. Emeline very bad; we did not think she would live an hour, as she was cramping terribly, but she lived till next morning, when she died; but before she died Amanda and Mahala were both taken, and Amanda, being very weakly, died about the middle of the day. Mahala lasted till next morning, when she died. We buried them all three in one grave. We were nearly all unwell, and all nearly frightened to death; so we yoked up and left the place about 11 o'clock. We traveled 5 or 6 miles where we struck Little Blue river, a little larger than Sandcreek. Here father was taken so bad, with a pain in his breast, we had to stop with him; he soon got easy and fell asleep. Absalom Barnes was very much complaining. We ate our dinners, and encamped for the night. Next morning Absalom so bad he could not travel. He grew worse all day; we set up and done all we could to save him, but all was of no use; he died next day, about the middle of the afternoon.
Today our oldest daughter, Margaret Emeline, and George Jackson were both taken very bad, and by dark we had given them both over to die; but we still kept doing all we could for them till about midnight, when there came up a terrible storm of wind, rain, hail, thunder and lightening; it blew down our tent, so we had to gather the bed with Margaret on it, and go into the waggon. The storm was soon over, when Margaret and Jackson began to get better, and by morning they were so much better that we concluded to travel with them. We traveled five miles when Margaret complained so that we had to stop with her till next morning, when we proceeded on our journey up little Blue till night, when father and mother and James Conner were all taken very bad with diarrhoea, next morning we moved on with them, though they were very sick. This evening some of the boys were driving our loose stock behind the waggons, when one of the boys put on a pair of frightful looking false whiskers, made of a piece of buffalo skin, with very long hair on it, and it scared one of the loose horses, and that scared the others, and they ran forward among the loose cattle, and they ran in among our teams, when there commenced a general stampede. I have been scared often before, but now I was scared in good earnest. Finally we got the teams all stopped, and began to examine to see what damage was done; found there was nobody killed or crippled; three of our wagons broken; set to work and out of three made two waggons and one cart. We now proceeded our journey up little Blue river to the head, where we encamped. Next morning discovered two buffaloes making for our drove of cattle; some of the boys mounted and gave them chase, but was fairly beaten, and returned very much crest fallen. Hitched up and drove off to Big Platte river; John Lewis very bad with diarrhoea; next morning drove six miles to New Fort Kearney, opposite the head of Grand Island We passed the Fort one mile, where we had to stop with John Lewis. Father returned, by John's request, to the Fort for Doctor Hammond; he still grew worse, and by night we had lost all hopes of his living, we however, tended well on him through the night, and by morning he was no worse. Concluded to travel, as the road from where we strike the Platte Bottom, 15 miles below Fort Kearney, to the crossing of South Fork, is the most beautiful road I ever drove a waggon over, plank roads and turnpikes by no means excepted. We could drive from twenty to twenty five miles a day, at our leisure, all along this bottom, and had excellent grass; and plenty of muddy water. The nights are very cool, and the days were very warm, and by filling your buckets with water over night it settles and becomes cold, so that by draining it from the drugs, and putting it in your water kegs you have pretty good drinking water all day. Here we have to burn small willow sprouts that have been killed by the burning of the grass; we dig a narrow trench with a spade, and lay thin strips of iron across it, then one feeds the fire in the trench, while the cook proceeds to boil the coffee pot and bake the pancakes, or thin hoe cakes. The day we left Fort Kearney William French was taken very sick. We traveled up this bottom 135 miles, to the lower crossing above the forks, here we had intended to cross but we met a Dutchman on his way from Oregon to the states, who had just crossed there on a mule, and he lost all his provisions and blankets and his gun; he said we had better let that ford alone, so we travelled up the South fork 42 miles, to the upper crossing which we then considered very much out of the way, but found that to be a mistake. We reached the ford about 9 o'clock, and were till night getting across; encamped on the bank of the river. In crossing here I was worse scared than I was in the stampede, and it was not without a cause; the way the ford runs it is three quarters of a mile across; I had my wagon beds overjetted six inches on each side, and then floored with light lynn plank; we put such things as were liable to damage from wet on top of these floors; I put six yoike of my oxen to my provision waggon, then Frank Hopkins and I prepared to cross; pulled of our coats, shoes and socks, with all my provisions, and two or three of the children, and some other articles, we drove in; I took charge of the lead cattle; we had to drive cattering across the current, up stream more than half way. Jacob Robbins had drove one of his waggons across, and returned for another; I started in after him, as he had learned the way, but his oxen being larger and taller than mine, he drove right off and left me: I missed the shoot, and got into swimming water, where the current was very strong; it swung me and the team around until it brought the waggon on a lock; and came very near upsetting it, when the oxen came to where they could get to the bottom. I got them stopped; had to hold to the top of the leader's bow, to keep myself from being washed under the oxen; there I stood until Dow and Abel Reed came to my assistance, when we got the team started out; and got them into shallow water when I proceeded on across the river without further trouble. Next morning we drove over to Ash Hollow, down Ash hollow to the North fork of the Platte, up North fork 4 miles and encamped here. We lay by next day for washing and resting our teams. We went to the bluffs for cedar wood for fuel, and we laid in, enough of wood here to do us, with what few buffalo chips we could get to last us to Fort Laramie. From Ash hollow we began to find some of the sandiest roads I ever saw and lots of alkalie pools of water which was very injurious to our cattle. We traveled up the North fork, passing the Solitary Tower or Courthouse rock, Chimney rock, until we reached Laramie fork, just above its junction with the North fork and in sight of Fort Laramie, we had a fight between Frank Hopkins who had drove a team for me from the start, and Edward Brown, a little red headed lying Irishman, who had drove a team from the Missouri river to Walker's Ford, 15 miles above Fort Kearney, where I discharged him, when he started back and said he was going back to Fort Kearney to enlist, but when we reached the bridge across Laramie fork, there was a great many waiting for their turn to cross, and here was Ed. Brown, he camp up to me very friendly and shook hands with me and Malvina and the children, and went to Frank and reached his hand which was refused, when Frank began to tell him of a lie Ed. had told on him when he was with us before, but Frank had not heard it until Ed. had left. They quarrelled a few minutes when they clinched, and Frank downed him and gouged him prety badly, then Ed. hollowed out take him off, when I pulled Frank off and Ed left; this was late in the evening, we got across the bridge, which is a bad one, and encamped. Next day some were engaged in trading with the Indians, and some in writing letters to their friends in the States. Here I bought another yoke of oxen, and took in an old man by the name of P. F. Norton, who drove my family waggon from here to the Umatillo river, he was a very good and careful driver.
At noon we started and drove up N. Fork 8 miles and encamped. Next morning was Sunday, and also the Fourth of July; we lay by till noon shoeing oxen, when we started and drove 4 miles where we struck the Black hills, drove on till night and encamped on Bitter Cotton Wood; good camp, plenty of grass, wood and water of the best kind. Through these Black Hills the roads are very hilly, but generally smooth and solid, with good grass, and as good water as ever run out of the earth. We crossed a very beautiful little creek of cool clear water called Horseshoe creek; here we found cut upon a tree the name of J. Biddinger; we travelled on and cross another beautiful creek, called Labonte; here had been a man hung a few days before we reached it. On all these streams there are trading posts kept by white men with Indian wives, with a parcel of Indian herdsmen living with them; they have large herds of cattle, which they are ready to exchange for lame cattle. There was one of these traders at Labonte; there came along some emigrants, and by some means a quarrel rose among them, when the trader proceeded to kill one man and wounded two more, they proceeded to bury the man that was murdered; by the time he was buried there had come up eight waggons, they pursued the trader and caught him and hung him on a cotton wood limb. We traveled on still crossing beautiful little streams of water, until we reached Deer Creek, we drove up the creek one mile and encamped. Next day we concluded to lay by and rest our teams and have a hunt. There was some emigrants encamped close by us, had been out and brought in an antelope; we all got our breakfasts and started, some one direction some another. I went by myself, my feet was very sore, so I gave out and returned to camp about ten o'clock, and found the others packing buffalo meat; they killed two, and Norton and Frank had packed in all we wanted, and Norton told us that there was no time to be lost, if we intended to barbecue the meat that day, so we went to work. And drove four forks in the ground and made a scaffold; we sliced our meat thin; made a tolerable strong brine threw in the meat and stirred around a little, then took it out and put it on the scaffold over the fire and barbecued it until cool, it was perfectly brittle, and it was the best meat I ever eat; the others nearly spoiled theirs by over salting it and mine would have been in the same fix if it had not been for Norton, he understood it. Buffalo meat is better than the beef of tame cattle; the hump on top of the shoulders is the best meat I ever eat. Next morning we travelled to big Deer Creek, where we eat dinner; here was the lower ferry across the North fork; we moved up the river and encamped on its bank, between the lower and upper ferry. Some of the boys thought we could ford it, so Jim and Jake Robbins took their horses and rode through, and they thought it no worse than the ford across South fork; some was in favor of trying, others were not, so Jim and Jake drove across safe, when the balance followed; we all got across safe. We wrote a small advertisement advising other emigrants to cross at Robbins' ford and save their money. Frank Hopkins rode back and stuck it up by the side of the road. We then traveled up the river ten miles above the upper ferry, where we left the Platte forever, and struck across for Sweet Water at Independence Rock; drove six miles and encamped at the Devil's gate. Next morning drove six miles and concluded to stop and rest the teams for a day or two. Next morning the boys started to the mountains a hunting, to try to kill a mountain sheep. George Jackson & W. Sharp brought in an antelope, and Dow brought in some sheep horns that would make you stare. Next morning eleven of our horses was gone, they went square across the road and made towards the mountains, which looked to be three or four miles off; we concluded that the Indians had stolen them; some of us armed with our guns, knives, and pistols, with some provisions, started after them; we followed their tracks a little ways, when we discovered a mocasin track in a horse track. The trail seemed to make towards a gap in the mountains, we followed on and found our horses in this gap. I suppose the Indians saw us a coming and ran off and left them. We cau't them and returned to camp. We all agreed that it was fully 12 miles across the bottom to the mountains. It is astonishing how people may be deceived in distance; I have seen objects which looked to be no more than one mile, and upon going to them I would find them from 5 to 10 miles off. From this camp we traveled up Sweet water three or four miles, brought us to two graves, there was a head board to one with an inscription, which stated that the person was murdered, and that the murderer lay in the next grave. I have seen a man since I got through that was acquainted with the circumstance; he says they fell out about a trifle, and one shot the other, and the company hung him. We travelled on up Sweet water; next day came in sight of the Wind river mountains, their tops shining with snow; we travelled on up Sweet water; near the head we left it, and 5 miles brought us to the South Pass; 5 miles more brought us to the Pacific Springs, here we halted two days and drove our cattle 6 miles off to the right on Sweet water. The day we stopped here Malvina was taken very sick, and father took the erysipelas on the back of his middle finger. But they was so we could travel with them in two days, and Malvaina was soon well: but Father had a hard time with his finger. From here we travelled on crossing Pacific creek, Dry Sandy, Little Sandy, Big Sandy and Green River, this we had to ferry. Here I took the Mountain fever, and they hauled me to Bear river, where they lay by one day. Father gave me a vomit of lobelia and I was soon well. We travelled on up Bear river to Smith's Fork; here we turned over a ridge and struck down a long ravine, to where the road runs over a spur of the Mountain, which is a terrible place to drive a team over.
Here was a company who had made a road around the mountain next to the river, and was receiving toll for their trouble they talked of leaving it in a day or two; we passed it one day's travel, when John Lewis, James Queer and Aaron Ross took a notion to stop and go back, and when this company left to take possession of this route, do a little more work upon it, and receive toll next season. We tried to convince them of the fallacy of their project; they had no bed nor blanket, and not one pound of provisions, and Queer had even lost his overcoat; so we drove off and left them, and at noon reached the Soda Springs, which is certainly the greatest natural curiosity in the world, they boil like a dinner pot, yet they are cool by mixing with some kind of acid, and sweetening, it makes as good soda beer as ever I drank. There is one called the Steamboat Spring, that throws the water from 1½ to 2 feet high. From here we travelled four miles and encamped; here we met some Mormon traders with potatoes, green corn, onions and melons; we bought some of their potatoes at 10 cts per pound; onions 5 cts each. Here we leave Bear river, which here turns back nearly South towards Salt Lake; here also the road forks, the Oregon road turns to the right nearly North; here in these mountains we found ten thousand black sarvis berries, we eat so many of them that they made us nearly all sick, and it came very near killing Norton.
Today we took in two new hands in place of the boys who had left us, an old man by the name of East and a lad by the name of Frank Mattock; here we struck a small creek, travelled up it a little ways; took a left hand branch that turned to the left into the mountain; struck a branch of the Portneuf, followed down it into the Snake river valley; across the valley to Snake river, down Snake river to Ft. Hall; 6 miles from Ft. Hall we crossed the Portneuf river; here we traded with the Indians for some very fine salmon trout fish. We thought we had been very much annoyed with dust, but now our troubles commenced in earnest. Travelled on down the river, passed the American Falls; here somewhere we overtook Joseph McKinney and family, from Greensburg, on their way to Oregon, Lewis Demoss with them; we travelled on down Snake river; very little grass, and that so dry there was very little substance in it, and the dust so bad that a great many of our cattle died. Down near the Salmon Falls, Samuel A. Martin, a step son of James Conner died; we buried him and traveled on down Snake river, crossing a small stream called Salmon Falls creek, and reached Salmon Falls late in the evening. Here we found two companies engaged in ferrying. We swam our stock and ferried our waggons and families. The ferry boats were formed by corking two waggon beds and fastening them together side by side.
Here John H. Hamilton and Frank Mattock were taken very bad with diarrhoea. We drove out two miles to Spring creek, where we found good grass and water. Here the news came that the great Dr. Millard was crossing the river by John's request. George Jackson rode back and bro't the Doctor; he gave them medicine that soon checked the diarrhoea, and they were soon well. Before the Doctor left father got some medicine of him, with directions how to give it, for fear some of the rest of us should be taken. Soon after the Doctor left Malvina was taken very bad, and in a short time we had lost all hopes of her living, when we gave her a dose of Millard's medicine which cured her.
We were detained here three or four days, during which time we traded with the Indians for a great many salmon, which is certainly the best fish I ever eat. Here we left the river, and in two days came in sight of it again, and the next day struck the old route from the old ford below distant; passing on our way the Hot Springs; the water of which are scalding hot. On Boysse river we found a most beautiful stream of water, and tolerable good grass, and the like of rabbits I never seen before. I know I can say without exaggeration that I have seen 500 black tailed rabbits at one sight. We killed a great many of them - they are very good meat - a little larger than the cotton tail rabbits. We descended this river to Snake river at Fort Bosse; here some were fording and some were ferrying. Our company all forded it but father and I, we ferried. Here Jacob Robbins and James Conner was running very short of provisions. They concluded their teams could out travel ours, so they left us and drove on. That night we encamped in sight of them on Malheur river; next day we reached Birch creek, which they did not reach by two miles. Next day struck Snake river again, watered our teams and left it forever; drove 3 or 4 miles and struck Burnet river, and up Burnet river 40 or 50 miles of miserable road.
About the time we was leaving this river our daughter Jane was taken with diarrhoea; we drove to Powder river, here she died, and was buried in Powder river bottom; this was a terrible stroke to leave a child here, among savages and wild beasts; it was hard but had to be borne. From here we moved on to Ground Round, here was trader and butcher, from Portland, they had flour at 50 cts per pound, beef at 25 cts, coffee 87½ cts, sugar 75 cts &c. We drove across Grand Round to where we ascended the Blue Mountains to the Utamillo river; here I was taken very bad with diarrhoea and was sinking very fast when Doctor Millard's train came up, he left me some medicine and Dow and William Sharp set up and gave it to me through the night according to directions; next morning I was better, we moved down the river to the Agency, where there was a trader with beef and corn; father bought one quarter of beef at 25 cts per lb; I bought some corn at the rate of six pints for one dollar. The day before we reached the Agency two of father's hands, yankees by the name of Reed, and my two hands Frank Hopkins and Norton left us and went on. Here I left one of my waggons, and father left two of his and took the one I left.
When we started from here and got up on to the ridge we could see Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens, 150 miles distant; their tops shining with everlasting snow; we traveled on passing Butter creek and on to Willow creek; Margaret, Mother and Jane Hamilton all very bad with Mountain or Camp fever. From here we traveled on to John Day's river, here the road forks; the left hang going over the mountains, the right to the Dalls; traveled 24 miles to the Columbia, down the Columbia 4 miles Des Shutes a very ugly stream, to cross from here we moved 16 miles to the Dalls; here was provisions plenty, but at high price, flour 15 to $20 per hundred; beef from 20 to 25 cts per pound, pickled pork 50 cents per pound.
Here father and John Henry concluded to winter and keep all our stock, we moved them out to 5 mile creek, where there was a good place for a ranch; and Jim and I prepared to descend the river; next day father came in to let us know that he had concluded to go with us; so they moved back to the Dalls; here I and William Sharp were both taken with camp fever - Margaret and mother both still very bad with the same disease. I left all my stock that was alive, 11 oxen, 2 cows, 2 heifers and my mare with Jonathan Dyer from Iowa who was going to stay with his own cattle and as many more as he could take in. He was to herd them through the winter and deliver them to me in the Spring for $4 per head; John Henry also left his oxen and two mares with him; father also left some of his weakest stock; and Nat, Dow, and two other young men, who father, Jim and John Henry hired proceeded down the pack trail with the rest of their stock.
There was a great many boats running between the Dalls and the Cascade Falls, here I found my old driver Norton employed on a Batteau which he said was the safest and quickest boat there was, so we struck a bargain with Captain Paget, went aboard of the Skukumchuck and descended the river 40 or 50 miles to the Cascade Falls; the boys had not yet got here with the stock, the second day afterwards they came here, they left the balance of their stock, and we left all our waggons, yokes and chains with Daniel Bradford; here Gilman was taken with camp fever.
Mother, Margaret and myself, a little better; William Sharp no better. Here is what they call a Railroad around the falls, we put our plunder on this little car, which was drawn by a mule, attached to it by means of a long rope, and a man between the shafts to guide it, and thus had it conveyed around the falls. Here we took an open boat to the steamboat landing at the foot of the rapids. We stopped at the upper landing. Next morning the Multnomah was at the lower landing, I and father went to see the captain and get him to come up and take us on board, but he refused it as he could get a load where he was, and he said this would be his last trip to the Cascades. So we took an open boat for Portland and got down to the mouth of Sandy late in the evening. Here, on the south bank of the Columbia, Jacob Robbins and James Conner were encamped. Here Jacob lost his younger son Aaron. We ashore on an island at William Goodins, a cousin to the Indiana Goodins, here we had to stay two days. The wind was so high the boat couldn't run when father went on for Portland; but me and my family were too unwell to turn out, it being a very disagreeable day.
Here we stayed eight days, when we took an open boat for Portland: at twelve o'clock pass Ft. Vancouver; this is a beautiful place for a town. At dark reached the mouth of the Willamette, and next morning by daylight reached Portland. This was Sunday, the 12th day of November, we were all wet and cold and I could only find one place that I could get the family to the fire, that was at a boarding-house. I spent the day trying to get a house to winter in, but every pen that had a shelter over it was full to overflowing; so next morning we got on board of the Eagle, the least boat I ever saw propelled by steam, and about the middle of the afternoon we reached Oregon city.
Next day I went down two miles to Willamette city; found mother and William Sharp a little better. Margaret was nearly well only she was weak. Gilman was able to walk out of doors without help, which he had not been able to do for some time, and he appeared to be a little better until Thursday morning, when he was taken with a severe diarrhoea, and he being very weak with the fever it soon ran him down, and Friday morning about breakfast time he died. This was the hardest stroke that ever fell on me, he was such a good boy in our train; he received several presents as a reward for his good behavior and attention to business. When I found he was dying I ran for some of the neighbors to come in, I went first to old Mr. Moors, Mrs. Moor went back with me, and the old man went for others, in a few minutes Mrs. Divas came; Mrs. Moor closed his eyes, when she came to me and asked me if we had any clothes to put on him, I told her that we had none but what was dirty and ragged, and nobody able to wash any, she told me to cheer up and she would be my friend. She went home and brought clothes clean, washed and ironed, that fitted him, then her and Mrs. Divas laid him out. She gave me money and told me to go to Mr. Barnes and get a coffin, and Nat went to Willamette city to get his uncle Dow and Norvil to dig a grave as there was no chance to get help here. Dow and Norvil came back with Nat, all as wet as they could be. It was as hard a days rain as I have seen in Oregon; it rained so hard, and was so late in the day that there was no chance to get a grave dug that day; the days being very short, much shorter then they ever get in Indiana. This was the 17th day of November; next day they dug a grave and buried him on a bench in the bluff above Lynn city, in a beautiful spot that had been selected by the citizens of Lynn city as a graveyard; there had been two or three buried there before.
Margaret now went home with Mrs. Moor to live with her; she was soon stout and hearty, but lost every hair on her head. In a few days father moved up here and went into the other room of the same house that I was in; when him and Dow and Nat were all taken down camp fever, and came very near dying; Dow and Nat was the lowest I ever seen any one to recover. About this time it commenced snowing, and it snowed some time on the wet ground before it began to lay, at last it began to turn cold, and the snow fell about half thigh deep. On an average the old settlers say it was the deepest snow they ever seen in Oregon, and the longest cold spell; there was thousands of bushels of potatoes frozen, people had put them away, as usual, on barn floors and in potato houses in loose heaps, without any cover over them. The day after Christmas the snow commenced thawing and I moved into another house upon a bench in the hillside; a burnt child you know dreads fire, and I had been burnt in Indiana.
The Willamette commenced rising, and rose higher than ever it was known before; father stuck to the house until they was hurried out in the night, and only got out a part of their things, the balance was washed away with the house; Lynn city was nearly rubbed out there, there were few houses but what was either taken off or damaged.
About the last of January I moved out across the Tualatin river, seven miles from Lynn city, into a cabin on a school section, next day I found a claim that pleased me well, with a shanty on it, built by Bird and Hendricks to shave shingles in; I moved into it on the 5th day of February, where I now live. I have got me a cedar house up but have not got quite ready to move into. I have had to work hard for other people for money to get bread with. My stock all died at the Dalls but one ox, and he was as poor as a rake, but I sold him for 75 dollars; father got five of his oxen; Young got three of his and his two mares, and Norvil got his mare.
We are having a hard time of it, but if I can once get to raising something to spare I think the scale will turn. There is a great many who are much dissatisfied, and complain because they have to pay so high for provisions, which is the very thing that brought them here. Malvina and the children have cleared off two garden spots, and have a fine crop of vegetables growing, such as potatoes, onions, cabbages, turnips, corn, peas, beans, squashes, carrots, beets, pepper and vegetable oysters.
I am now going on the last page of my four sheets, so I must begin to come to a close. I commenced this letter last January, and wrote two sheets, when the weather became fine, and we all began to get hearty again, when we moved out here on a claim and I have not had the time to finish it until now which is the third day of June. Margaret has not seen her mother nor the other children, since we moved away from Lynn city; she is going to school now, and is improving rapidly; her quarter will be out in about three weeks, when she is coming home to see us, and stay a while.
Last winter flour was worth twenty dollars per hundred; beef from 16 to 20 cts. Per pound; pickled pork and lard each 50 cts. per pound; potatoes two dollars per bushel, onions 4 dollars per bushel; cabbages, from two to four bits per head; eggs two dollars per dozen; butter, one dollar and a half per pound; chickens, one dollar and a half per head. Flour is now worth $12 dollars per hundred; potatoes $4 per bushel; eggs $1 per dozen; butter, $1 per pound; chickens, $1; Molasses from 75 cts. to $1 dollar per gallon; sugar, 12½ cts; tea about the same it is with you; coffee, 25 cts.
Wages very low, two dollars per day, and board, or three and board yourself. I have a good claim where I expect to spend the balance of my days, and I like the country as well as I expected, though I found many things different from what I expected; it is remarkable for health.
I have only one thing to regret in coming to this country, that is the loss of my poor children, and relations; I will say to you as William Herren said to me, the country is good enough, the great trouble is in getting to it. When you get this set down and write me a long letter, and let me know how you all are, and direct your letter to Lynn city, Washington county, O.T. So no more at present, but my best respects to all.