Self envelope mailed to George Churchill Esq., PM, Ridge Prairie, Illinois. Postmarked St. Louis. Then sent to Miss Caroline Elisabeth Churchill, Monroe, Greene County, Wisconsin Territory with postmark of Ridge Prairie Illinois, March 4. Franking (Free) by G Churchill, PM
Dear Cousin
I improve
this opportunity to inform you that your Cow has got a Calf she found it the
next day after your Mother left here. We are all well Mary stuck a thorn in
her hand yesterday at school and it is tolerable sore. We have got our
Garden made I got three hollyhock roots and some pink cammomile worm wood
and live forever roots at Mrs. Cornwells. Today we are planting corn. The
peach trees are in full bloom. I expect this cold weather will kill the
peaches if it does not you must come and help us eat them next fall.
Miss Minerva Gaskill went to Carlinville with the intention of attending
school there but the school did not suit her and she came home again and has
gone to Lebanon.
Cordelia and Jane continue at school Candace G.
attends school now. Cordelia has got a new tuscan bonnet. Mr. Bennet pays
his compliments to Fanny Gaskill. George Brown goes to see Tharsalia Scott.
John Hays and Cynthia Cornwell are going to be married no preventing
providence. Auld Lee has gone to the shades (?). Uncle George has hired a
man to work by the name of Coats lately from Tennessee. ???Mc says that he
is going to New York City. James Gaskill has gone to Chicago. Mc? Works for
old Mrs. McMahan. Mrs. Carswell has got a little young one in her old age.
Joshua Gaskill said that they missed you in school very much. You have all
the news exhortations omitted for want of ability. Love to all.
Your
affectionate cousin
Hannah Amelia Weeks
PS Please to write as
soon as you get this.
Self envelope. Postmarked Ridge
Prairie April 25. Number 6 written in corner (for stamp)
Addressed to
Miss Caroline E. Churchill, Middleton Madison Co Illinois
Dear Cousin,
I have just finished a letter to Sarah Chipman and am in a perspiration
nevertheless. I will say a few words to you hoping these few lines may find
you in a comfortable degree of health. I was very sorry to hear of your
illness. Harriet was taken sick the day you left. She is getting better now.
She is as homesick as you was. She wishes she had never left Pike. I came
home Saturday after you went home and found the folks in such distressed
situation that I did not go back again. Father and Mother went out yesterday
and got my things. They were both to let me off. Mother told Mr. H that I
might go back in a few weeks if she could get help. James Posey died last
Tuesday. Mother Wood and McMan are very sick. John Piston (?) is sick with
the augue and fever mixed together Dr. Jennings was there last Sunday trying
to separate it. Williams was at home last Sunday. We all went to camp
meeting all the beauty and fashion of the Prairie. Collinsville and Troy
were there. George Coppasway (?) as native ? was there and gave us a talk.
My pen is so bad I will not write any more for fear you cannot read it and
write an answer this week. Please to write us soon as you get this an let me
know concerning your health and all other matters and things. Yours truly.
H. A. Weeks
Miss C. E. Churchill
Alton Illinois
(Postmarked Ridge Prairie Illinois Aug. (written in ink) 28. 6 written in
stamp corner
Dear Cousin,
Your favor of Jan. 18th was duly received and I
should have answered it before if it had not been so very cold. I am very
glad to hear that you are still in the land of the living. We had almost
concluded that you had left this world from your long silence. Gov. Finley
said that you had gone to fever river. (?) I am glad that Sall Two-legs has
got through with the troubles of this world.
I have not heard any
thing about Ann H. and the slip shod Philosopher. Mr. Whealtey was here not
long, since he is doing pretty well I believe. Brother Ben has been here
since the Doctor left here. He appears as well as ever and if you will come
and spend the summer with us you may have him if you want. Mother thinks
that he took a shine to you.
As for your cosin (sic) Alfred that you
speak of hard hearted wretch has forsaken us without just cause or
provocation. He told Pharsalia the other day that he had almost forgotten
me. Harriet Buckley returned home soon after you left here. Her Mother and
Brother came after her. Pharsalia say tell you that she and Orson (?) are
married. She told me the other day that she did not lover Orson or Sam.
Rather she seemed very candid about it. I do not think she will ever have O.
and M (?) Gillit is going to take Sam so you see that her cake is like to be
dough.
The Doctor left here a few weeks ago in great displeasure. He
says he asks no favors of any body but Mr. Churchill. I believe that he is
teaching in town. I shall say no more about him because I cannot find words
to express his meanness. Now I have answered all the queries in your short
letter but I am not through yet. ??? Scott is in jail for shooting the Esq
Scott. The ball entered his leg a little above the ancle. He intended to
have killed him. Mr. Scotts youngest daughters name is Mariann Minerva. It
is a wonderful child. Mr. Weiston (?) also have a wonderful child. They
don't know nothing. What it is going to be. They never raised such a child
before. Jesse Mc is married and Eveline Clark has a daughter, Jenny Botkin
is married to some body on the bottom. Sally Good and Cyrus Davison are
married, and I don't know who all. Mr. Nelson Danniels wife died not long
since and left two children.
We have had many merry sleigh rides.
Orson and Sam have each a string of sleigh bells. New Years day four or five
sleighs of us went down to St. Clair Co and got dinner. Christmas eve we all
went from a quilting at Mr. Peters (?) to Edwardsville and took supper and
went into the ballroom a few minutes. Orson was going to take the most
comfort of any that night but Horace asked Pharsalia to ride in his sleigh
and Orson was so made he swore he would not go so he went to Troy and got a
black eye. So much for him. Maryanne Gillit had a quilting last Thursday and
at night we had a merry ride. The slete is so hard that horses that are not
sharp shod cannot stand up. I always ride in the best sleigh and go ahead.
Ran some races and turnover and break down some times.
The late slete
has tore out shade tree very bad. The willow tree is nearly ruined.
Everybody except me have gone to meeting at Mr. Guthries today. They say
that Nancy Peter (?) is going to run away with Mr. Roudefelt before long.
Mr. R. is a Yankee and Mrs. Teter says always did hate the Yankees and she
believes in her soul that every one of her children will marry Tankees.
Don't you pity her.
We expect uncle George home next week. I have had
several letters from him. He boards at his cousin Charles Boardman Francis.
We have a Boston gentleman living here this winter. He is going to Boston as
soon as uncle G. gets home. He did expect to bring his wife here to board
and crop it next summer but he has heard of his fathers death and his Mother
wants him to come and live with her and I am glad. Aint you.
Mr.
Kraft has sold to Dr. Green and left Troy and Seet (?) Hunter has gone or is
about to (small bit of page torn here). The Troyans have had two bulls of
late and Perham Bull brought me a ticket he .. one to Mrs. Blair, Mrs.
McClannehanand(?) andMrs.Gillet. Mrs. G. went foot and alone and danced
allnight. Now I have told you all the foolishness that I can think of and if
you can read it in a fortnight and do your chores you will do well. Please
to write when you get through with it and tell me where you are and what you
are doing. All about matters and things. Did you come to Edwardsville when
Hannah S. was married? Who came with you? Was it G. Conlee or the brickyard
fellow. Why did you not come to our house. Please to excuse all mistakes for
my pen is very poor. My fingers very cold, and my family very impatient for
their dinner. All well as common love to all.
Yours truly
Hannah A. Weeks
Miss Caroline E. Churchill
Browns Prairie
Ills.
Self envelope to
Miss Caroline E. Churchill
Brighton, Macoupin Co, Illinois
Postmark looks like Jerseyville????
Dear
Caroline,
Miss H. A. Weeks is teaching school in the Marine
Settlement and will not probably receive your letter for some time to come.
We are all as well as usual. Yours, George Churchill
Miss
Caroline E. Churchill Brighton, IL
PS. Miss Fanny Gaskill is teaching
school in this neighborhood, and Miss Julia Small in the upper part of the
Marine Settlement.
Postmarked Ridge Prairie, April 22. Free franking.
G. Churchill, PM
Dear Caroline, Your letter for Hannah arrived
yesterday. She is sick, and so is her mother, but both are getting better.
Mr. Weeks also has been sick a long time, but is now nearly well. Boardy and
the Baby are both comfortably sick: -- You know what that means - about as
sick as you made yourself last year when you wanted to go home.
You
need not wait for the Rev. Samuel Kelly. He is safely married to his cousin
Rebecca McMahan, and carries on Uncle Isaac's farm. Uncle Isaac has removed
to Shoal Creek, Clinton Co., where he has bought Curtis's mills. George W.
McMahan was drowned near those mills last spring.
Dr. Jennings die
last week at Troy of delerium tremens.
Mr. Wm. C. D. Harrington,
formerly of Otsego Co. NY teaches school in this neighborhood.
Isaac
Holt and his wife are no longer one flesh, but twain.
You may as well
direct your letters to your uncle as he will read them anyhow, and bits and
picayunes are not very plenty in the school. Ma'ams pocket. Your uncle will
safely hand over your letters to the school Ma'am; and as they will meet her
critical eye, let me advise you to try to spell as well as you can, and
point your letters, and begin every sentence with a capital letter.
Please give us some idea of the geography of Monroe, Greene Co WT. How far
from Galena and in which direction? Which "uncle T" is it that lives six
miles from you? What is Ma doing. Tell about Jackson, and Gilen (?) and
RooseyAnn, and Maria. The Baby is trying to learn to write, so look out for
a letter from her.
Andrew Miller elected sheriff: Lyn (?), Edwards,
Joseph Gillespie, James Reynolds representatives. Henry C. Camdell, Coroner
of Madison Co.
Yours, George Churchill.
(Postmarked Ridge
Prairie, Sep 16. Self envelope to Miss Caroline E. Churchill, Monroe, Greene
Co., WT
Dear Cousin, I was very glad to hear from you again although I
did not expect to hear from Wisconsin. I didn't get the last letter you
wrote from Brighton until it was too late to go and see you. If I had I
should not have let you gone out of the world to live with the Badgers if I
could have helped it. Why did not you write your letter as long as a horses
head. We wanted to hear more particulars about you all. What you are doing
and how you like the country. I expect we will be poking up that way next
spring. I wish you was here to go with me don't you? Father and Mother
expect to go to see the country and people in about two weeks. They intend
to find a place we donot know where probably about a mile from Galesburg,
and William and I will go up early in the spring to get in some corn wile
the others stay here to build a barn for uncle George. You must step over
and stay with us. I shall be very lonely up ther without friend or foe. How
far are you from Galena and which way.
Horace is going to St. Louis
next week to live a year with Mr. I. Lockwood and learn to be a leather
merchant. We are not all well. Father has had the ague and fever for more
than two months he is well now Mother has had the fever five or six weeks
she is getting better, every one except I have had the ague more or less, it
has been sickly here a good many have died with the flux down south around
Bethel and on the bottom. Dr. Vennings (?) of Troy died of the delerium
tremens. Mr. McElroy (?) is dead. Also Mrs. Widow. McClannahan. Old Mrs.
Merry. Tennydum (?), Botkin. I do not think of any others that you were
aquainted with. Luann Merry in the Spring. I forget wether it was before you
left or not. Was George McMahan drownded or not while you were here. He
drowned in School Creek. It was two or three days before he was found. Isaac
has moved his family to School Creek. Rebecca occupies the old stand with
her darling honey. I will mend my pen and then tell you who has entered into
the holy state of matrimony of late. I am sure it will break your heart for
the priest is gone! In the psring John Henderson married Elisabeth
Whiteside. They live on your old place. The Wrictons (?) live on the old ?
place near Gilead. Old man Henderson is going to move next week to Marine
and Lloyd is going to move into the tavern. Mrs. Hott is going to live with
big sister Susan. She and Old Holt have dissolved copartnership on George
and Elisabeths account. Uncle John Wriston (?) has moved down as poor as
poverty. They are a mean set from one end to tother. Tillia thinks his wife
loves Alfred Wriston better than she does him. John Mcvey married Eliza Hall
and lives where his father did.
The Rev. Samuel Kelly to his cousin
Rebecca McMahan. Mr. James Willoughby married Miss Polly Janette Gates. Mr.
Benjamin Franklin Slate would marry Miss Mary Ann Minerva Gaskill if he
could get her. Mr. Shaw has figured about run in debt all he would and last
week absquatutated(?).. He drowned our horse Royalist in the spring in
Silver Creek.
I taught one quarter at the same place and boarded at
Mr. Andersons. Your Father was here two or three weeks ago. He lives at
Middletown. He talked of going to see you this fall.
Please to write often.
Love to all.
Your True Friend. Hannah A. Weeks.
(Self envelope.
Postmarked Ridge Prairie Sep 23. Written in stamp corner: 18 ¾)
Dear Caroline, Your
letter of the 4th arrived on the 19th April. I did not hand it to the school
marm, but I think she has read it. Our folks are all well, although most of
them have had the ague this spring. Wm. W and Chamby (?) B. Weeks have been
gone to Galesburg 20 days. They took 3 horses, wagon, plows.
I see
you have dropped the "Elisabeth" out of your name. You must not forget the
memory of Miss Betsey Free.
I saw your father at Collingville
yesterday. He was well. He is making a crop at the Bluff, 4 ½ miles SW of
Collingville.
Do you live in the town of Monroe? If not, how far from
it? Do you go to school? Do the other children go? Which of the O'Flynns is
in "cahoots" with Miss Burt (?) of Gardner (?).
The Baby goes to
school once in a while and does (have?) stroke of bumps at playing. Miss
Hannah Seybold (?) is our school marm. Joseph Gaskill is married to a girl
of one of the Smarts.
Next time you write to me, please put "PM"
after my name on the outside of the letter to save Mr. Phelps the trouble of
writing "18 ¾".
Divine (?) and Mindry (?) boys and girl have got
married. Among them Mr. George Brown and Miss Moore. (?) McMahan's School
Creek speculation turned out bad, and he is nearly broken. Yours G. C*
*George Churchill
Dear Caroline, Yesterday I rec'd a letter
from Miss Hannah A Weeks saying that you "complain because I do not write
oftener." Now, it was my opinion that I wrote last, and that it was your
turn. If I was in error, this letter will set all right again.
I was
at Kingston Bluff about 2 weeks ago. Your step-brother, little Samson
Kingston, had been very sick, and had been calomeored (?) and Talinvested
(?) by Dr. Butte of Butteville so that the boy had picked out several of his
teeth with his fingers. Your other step-brother, William Wesley Kingston,
and the old folks were well. The old gentleman had rec'd a letter from you,
but could not find it to show to me. He does not "make rich come" yet. ?
will not pay for hauling, and apples are cheap. Jane has been offered $1 per
(?) here are well. Aunt Harriet Gaskill is dead: so is John Reid of Troy and
Miss Ann Marriat Guernsey (?) of Collingsville. I am sorry to hear that all
you Wisconsin swains wear yellow breeches, and that you cannot bear that
color. I reckon Miss Hannah will get married before you yet, not
withstanding your anxiety to enter the holy estate of matrimony. She don't
like Galesburg therefore I guess she will take a Ridge Prairie man. Guess
who? Now please give me a geographical and topographical description of
Monroe, and Greene county, and the characteristics of the Bagders, Wabarham
(?), and Yellow Breeches. How do you like your step father, if you have one
- for rumors are contradictory on this point. Remember me to your mother,
and Jackson, Giles, the Doctor, and Maria.
Yours. GC
Dear Caroline, Your
letter of Feb. 4, postmarked Feb. 8, came to hand yesterday. I send in reply
a piece of a yellow letter in compliment to the "yellow breeches" of which
you appear so fond, and hope it will shine."
Mr. James R. Perrigo
jun. And Miss Hannah A Weeks were united in the holy estate of matrimony at
Galesburg on the 25th Jan. 1842, at 6 o'clock and 30 minutes, PM by the Rev.
H. H. Kellogg, President of Galesburg College and the happy couple arrived
at this place on Saturday evening, Feb. 5.
Mr. Perrigo and his
father, mother, grandmother, 2 brothers and sister and boy young and small
(about 3 years) live in my house. They are from "York State". The old man is
very deaf, and not healthy. The old man and son had a ?? of spell of
sickness last fall which caused the wedding to be postponed. Grandmother and
Mother Perrigo are Methodists, the old man nothing in particular, and the
young man is not a member of any church, but is very worthy, ready, sober,
young man; and goes to meetings with his wife.
I was informed by
somebody that you had become a "school marm". Is it true? You have a sousin
teaching a splendid school at Prairie du Ghien, WT, among the Badgers at $4
and $5 per scholar a quarter. She has 45 scholars, in Chemistry, Philosophy,
Geography, Grammar, and Arithmetic. Her name is Amily Amelia Churchill, and
she lives with her uncle Rev. Jedidiah Dwight Stevens. So you can write to
her, if you choose.
I was at Kingston Bluff in Jan. All well; and
plenty of nice apples to eat. Your stepmother showed me a piece of the upper
jaw of Master Samson Kingston with 2 or 3 teeth in it. This piece fell out
by the operation of that "Samson of Medicine" Coloned (?) administered by
one Dr. Butte. But little Samson is alive and does not seem to mind it. He
calls his mother "Jane". Nevertheless the graveyards in these parts have
received quite an acception to their population by means of Lancet, Calomel
& Co.
What made you cut out your signature from your letter? Are you
married? And don't want to tell me your new name? If your mother married
yet? I hope your "little Yankees" will teach you so much Geography that you
can tell whether "Monroe" is on the Mississippi or Lake Michigan or Lake
Superior or Green Bay or the Wisconsin. You say nothing about Grandmother
Gardner (?) or uncle Temple.
I was once well acquainted with your Hon
James R. Vineyard who lately killed Mr. C. C. P. Arndt in the Badger
Legislative Council. Venyard was a printer at Vandalia when I knew him. Are
such scraps common among the Badgers? I understand that the Badgers are so
fond of the Tuckers (?) that they are trying to get 12 or 15 counties of ??
away from us. If they should succeed the Badger country would be completely
luckervied (?). Tell your Mother and grandmother that the Goose Creek farm
once owned by your Father has recently been sold to Wm. W. Stine (?) for
twenty dollars per acre, and that without any more additions to the
improvements since you left it. The best bargain your father ever made was
when he got the Goose Creek farm in exchange for the Skeamsborough (?) and
Rice estates: and the worst bargain he made was when he trucked it off.
Squire Scott has built a barn, and an addition to his house, and has a
nice new cookstove therein, and is getting along "prime".
I have
excused all your mistakes, and in return I want you to study diligently
while you go to school and afterwards and learn punctuation, and how to
spell "opportunity", "description", "hear", and "affectionate".
Times are pretty hard here, but nothing like what they are at Galesburg and
up north. We still use coffee and sugar. Coffee 8 lbs. For a dollar, and
sugar 15 lbs. For a dollar, corn 25 cents and wheat 87 ½ cts a bushel in St.
Louis, and the mud so deep that we can hardly get there. Give my reports to
all inquiring friends. Tell Norman and George that I will thank them to
write to me.
I have some more news to tell you, but will not do it
till I have another letter from you. Two of your acquaintances have got
married here, much to the astonishment of the public. I will tell you who
they are after I receive your next letter. GC
PS: Since you left I
have built a new barn, 30 by 40 feet, a stable with loft 30 x 12 ft. a new
?? house, and have raised a ? of a Wood, Tool, and a Carriage house. I
conclude my letter because it will take you a week to ? out all that I have
written. GC.
Dear Caroline,
Your favor of April 19 was rec'd
yesterday. I am sorry that you cannot find out in what part of Wisconsin
Green Co. is situated, and that the little muddy stream running through your
mudless country has no name. What is nearest (?) county to you? Is it Lake
or McHenry or Boone, or Winnebago, or Stephenson, or Jo Davies? How far from
Galena to Monroe? How far from Rockford? How far from Belvidere?
"Thos astonishing weddings". Martin Joseph Macdonough Gates to Miss Mary Ann
Loving Gillet. Mr. Joel M. Davis whose wife died not quite 3 months before
to Mrs. Engor??? Who had already had 3 or 4 husbands. Mr. Tompkins to Miss
Serena Morris. Miss Sally Watt to somebody up the prairie. I forget the
name. Most of the people have joined the Washington Temperance Socieities.
Isaac Hall among the rest. Troy has become a sober town. Mr. Henderson is
the President of the Temperance Society there.
Where does Felix
O'Flynn live? Uncle Temp? and Uncle Thompson? Does your grandmother live at
Monroe? Is it a very healthy place?
Mrs. H. A. Perrigo's husband has
a name handsome enough for any woman or girl, and he is a fine young man,
but unfortunately he lived at Shoal (?) Creek till the fever and ague got
such a fast hold of him that it seems impossible to eradicate it. He
presently has a chill or a shake.
Mr. Silvanus Gaskill died on the
29th April, and was buried at Collinsville on the 28th by the side of his
wife. So there is a family of orphans. Sam Teter (?) has shot his left hand
to pieces with a pistol.
St. Louis prices - Coffee, 8 lbs. For $1;
Sugar 15 lbs. Do; Wheat 73 cts. Per bushel. Times hard enough, but not so
bad as among the poor Badgers.
All well at Kingston Bluff. Sister
Jane makes a splendid dish of coffee. Little Samson goes to school at Silver
Creek.
I have built a new bar, stable, and smoke house, and have up
the frame of a wood, carriage, and tool house. I have also built a very nice
frame house, 8 by 12 feet and 10 feet high, and finished it with a cookstove
and other furniture for your Uncle Levi so that he may not be troubled with
"noise", and that other people may not be annoyed with his presence. He had
been teasing for a house more than three years, and when done he still
wanted me to pay for his board in Mr. Perrigo's family. I declined the
honor, and let him take his choice: to cook for himself, somebody to cook
for him, eat his victuals raw or starve. He was quite "stuffy" and tried
starvation about 2 days and then concluded to cook for himself. The house is
six rods east of the SE corner of the Pear Orchard where I have fenced in
and plowed a quarter of an acre for him to use as a garden. I hope he will
gradually alter his opinion that "it is not right for him to do any work."
We people here all think he is as able to work as most other people. He lets
his beard grow, and looks far worse than Lovero (?) Don. He can make a great
deal of money at boot and shoe making and mending if he will only work. He
has the best shop in the state. Please write soon.
Yours, George Churchill.
PS. I do not know who told me you were a school marm. Your old lover, Rev.
Samuel Kelly is building a log cabin on Hendershot Hill near the head of
Goose Creek. Why do you write "satisfied" for "satisfied"? PS. Remember me
to all inquiring friends, especially to Jackson, Giles and the Doctor.
Dear
Caroline,
We are all as well as usual. You have a little
half-sister at Kingston Bluff. "Jane" requested me to name it. Whereupon I
named it "Elisabeth Jane". Is not that a pretty name?
There is a
Presbyterian church established at Troy. Dr. Joel K. Reiner and Mr. James R.
Perrigo, Jun. Are the Elders. The members are Elders Reiner and Perrigo and
their wives, Mrs. Scott and 5 children, Bennet Posey, Elizabeth Goodin,
Hardy Goodin, Ellen Davis, and Mrs. Kimberlin. Rev. Mr. Chamberlin preaches
to them every other Sunday.
Uncle David Gaskill died in September.
Miss Margaret T. Henderson has died since.
I am no longer Post
Master. Mr. Thomas J. Brady has been appointed to fill my place so this
letter will cost you 18 ¾ cts if you get it. I hope money is plentiful among
the Badgers than among the (?) for here it provides us to raise portage
money.
There is a little letter in the Post Office directed to "Mr.
George Churchhill, Postmaster". I have concluded that it is not from any of
my relatives for they would know how to spell better. It is post-marked
"Monroe, Wisconsin" and I cannot get it without paying 18 ¾ cts. And as it
cannot have been written by you or any other Churchills, I have concluded to
let it be. But perhaps you have changed the ancient and honored name of
Churchill for some other. If so give us some hint of the matter. Send me a
good long letter and I will try to buy it.
I papered through
Middleton yesterday, and perceived that your father's late (?) was still
there. I learn that corn and potatoes have been sold at Alton for 8 cents
per bushel. Hard times!
When you write that long letter, please tell
whether you are married or not, and to whom. Also about your mother, and
Norman, and George, and Lucena (?) and Maria.
Have you yet found out
where Monroe is situated?
There was an earthquake at Alton yesterday,
a little after noon. No damage done.
A huge brick building has been
erected at Upper Alton for Shurtliff College. It looks odd, seen through the
trees and oak bushes.
Martin Alexander Blair is married to a girl
named Lucitta Willis - Martin James Blair to a daughter of Mr. Swain, the
tailor. Mr. Swain has joined the temperance society and removed to
Collinsville.
The Methodists expect to build a meeting house at
Collinsville. This will be the nearest Methodist meeting to Kingston Bluff.
I usually attend the Episcopal Church at Collinsville every other Sunday.
Mr. Darrow preacher the other Sundays at Marine Settlement.
There has
been a great Temperance reformation in this region, and it has been followed
by an extensive revival of religion.
Old Isaac Holt has committed an
assault upon Linus (?) Bates; given surety for appearances at court, and
cleared out to Kentucky.
William W. Hisss (?) has bought the old
Goose Creek farm, and put up another log cabin on it. I reckon it would take
a good many Middleton houses and lots to buy that farm now.
Your
Mother promised little George to me. If he were here, I would try to clothe
him and send him to school, but I apprehend his father would not be
satisfied till he got him home; and how he and the young Kingstons would
agree, I cannot predict. But three boys in one family are too many to be
profitable.
I had a letter from Mary C. Weeks on the 18th Oct. All
well there at Galesburg. Mr. Weeks had not yet raised his house.
Times are very hard here. Potatoes are hauled to St. Louis and sold for 10
cts. A bushel. Corn, same place, 15 cts. What 37 ½ cts. Castor Beans at
Edwardsville, 30 cts. White beans, 25 cts. Chickens are hauled from Edgar Co
to St. Louis and sold for 20 cents per dozen. Old debts remain unpaid, and
it is not very east to get trusted.
Hail Moron, Esq. Died a few days
since at Monticello, aged 49. A great loss to society.
I remain your
affectionate uncle, George Churchill.
PS: It is expected that cousin
Hannah will before long supply the world with another Perrigo.
Your
Uncle Levi is quite as well as common. I have built a nice little frame
house for him, furnished it with cookstove and "fixings" and let him cook
for himself. He wanted me to. I had furnished him with a new house, but I
told him no. Since he finds that he is at perfect liberty to cook for
himself or starve, he makes no more fuss about it. He shaves oftener than
formerly at least. Once a month. He has cost me a great deal to support him
in all his whim whams. GC
I understand Mr. Weeks is making corn stalk
sugar at Galesburg.
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