A letter from Isaac and Sarah A. Butler discussing farming, livestock and asking for clarification for money owed and requesting to sell land in Illinois to pay the estate

Butler, Isaac

Butler, Sarah A.

English

Isaac and Sarah A. Butler write on family health, livestock and harvest prices, the growth of Monmouth, and a plan for a new school building

Western Oregon University: Digital Commons@WOU

Western Oregon UniversityDigital Commons@WOUButler Family Letters (Transcripts) Butler Family Letters9-25-1857Letter to Brother and Sisters from Isaac Butler andSarah A. ButlerIsaac ButlerSarah A. ButlerFollow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.wou.edu/butlertranscriptsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Butler Family Letters at Digital Commons@WOU. It has been accepted for inclusion inButler Family Letters (Transcripts) by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@WOU. For more information, please contactdigitalcommons@wou.edu.Recommended CitationButler, Isaac and Butler, Sarah A., "Letter to Brother and Sisters from Isaac Butler and Sarah A. Butler" (1857). Butler Family Letters(Transcripts). 51.https://digitalcommons.wou.edu/butlertranscripts/51Butler Family Letters  Digital Collection  Western Oregon University Archives Hamersly Library 345 N. Monmouth Ave. Monmouth, OR 97361  For permission to use, copy, and/or distribute the materials in the Butler Family Letters Digital Collection or for more information regarding this collection, please contact University Archives at libarchives@wou.edu or  (503) 838-8899.  Title: Letter to Brother and Sisters from Isaac M. Butler and Sarah A. Butler  Date: September 25, 1857  Transcription:  September the 25th 1857  Dear Brother and Sister  It is with pleasure I take my pen in hand to inform you that we are in usual health at present altho both of us has been rather poorly all summer. Mother has just returned from Isaac Smith they are as well as usual Thomas Hutchinson has just come in from Umka [Umpqua] where he has been about three months  surveying. I have seen him but not his family since their return they are well as usual. Ira and Family are well as far as I know, he has been putting him up a good Barn this Summer, Elijah has been sich for about three weeks with something like the Lung Feaver and I am afraid if he does not quit working so hard, and take better care of himself, he will not live long, he is affected with the Bronchitas, and if it is not arrested Soon, it will terminated in the Consumption I think when he gets better I will try to get him to go into the mountains and live on wild meat a while, Elijah has been putting him up a Barn this Summer and has probably overdone himself and brought on this spell of sickness. The rest of his family are as well as might be expected under existing circumstances, Edward Ground and Family are in usual health  Edward has been complaining some lately but I think there is nothing serious the matter with him, Old Mr Craymes died about Three weeks ago with the palsey or something of that sort there has been considerable sickness within the last 2 months with Lung Feaver We have had a very drye summer the rains quit off very suddenly in the Spring. Our crops have been light My wheat only turned off 21 bushels to the acre Grass is quite scarse and if we should have a cold winter and the grass does not grow we will be very likely to loose some stock, I have about 22 head of cattle, 8 head of Horses 35 head of Sheep 25 head of Hoggs, 175 bushels of Old wheat 234 bushels that I raised this year I have about 4 acres in Timothy and seed to Sow more I have about 50 acres in cultivation There is plenty of Apples and pears plums cherries currents and such things in abundance, I recieved your letter Some time ago but have been so buisy that I have not answered it untill now, I am verry buisy building and addition to my house and I want to go to Portland in a week or to with my butter we have a bout 230 lbs made from 3 cows mostly butter is worth 30 to 40 cts per pound we have to pay pretty high for our groceries 5 ponds Coffiee 5 pounds Sugar to the dollar wheat is worth $1.00 per bushel but I think it will be worth 1.25 before Spring pork is worth 7 cts there is considerable Stir about the Slavery question but I think it will be settled now pretty soon by the votes of the people as it should be our Delegates are asembled now to draft a Constitution if Gen Wool can hinder us I Suppose we will knock for addmittance and be rejected. Old Wool(ey) had better stay on that side of the Rocky Mountains  I think his health will be better on that side. I wish you would try and get me a few chinees Sugar Cane seed and Send it in a letter I want to try it in Oregon Groceries come so high here it is high time we were taking measures to manufacture our own Sugar Old Uncle Elijah Davidson and Family were well the last I herd from them Alexander is not married yet. John E. Murphy and Family were well the last time I saw them They have started a good school in about 5 miles of where I live They are going to build a large House which will cost several Thousand dollars There is two Stores in it now and the place is improving fast considering the scarsety of lumber There is a great call for lumber now every body is trying to improve their farms people are puting out orchards and improving as fast as they can. I have just been to Elijahs and he is getting better. Ira told me that he would write to you all about how matters Stand in relation to the Estate.  I think you had better wind up things as fast as you can, that belongs to the Estate, I recieved the money on the Order you Sent on Ira $184.83, I believe there is Some more due on that land next January I want my part sent the Safest way and be Sure to pay yourself for your trouble out of it and Send me the balance. I believe I have never told you about Our little girl almost five months old and we think she is hard to beat  I am sure of one thing that you cant find a better child in Warren County her name is Mary. Ellen tell Jimeys wife she must send it a dress, it wants to eat everytime we do I must come to a close for the lack of time. What I have scratched down was done in the night before I got to bed. Bedford Haley and Mary have parted and she has got a divorse from him he is still in the neighborhood and says he is going to the States in the Spring  Write every good Chance I remain your affectionate Brother untill death  Isaac M. Butler Sarah A. Butler  

Letter to Brother and Sisters from Isaac Butler and Sarah A. Butler

Western Oregon UniversityDigital Commons@WOUButler Family Letters (Transcripts) Butler Family Letters3-31-1857Letter to Brother and Sisters from Isaac Butler andSarah A. ButlerIsaac ButlerSarah A. ButlerFollow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.wou.edu/butlertranscriptsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Butler Family Letters at Digital Commons@WOU. It has been accepted for inclusion inButler Family Letters (Transcripts) by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@WOU. For more information, please contactdigitalcommons@wou.edu.Recommended CitationButler, Isaac and Butler, Sarah A., "Letter to Brother and Sisters from Isaac Butler and Sarah A. Butler" (1857). Butler Family Letters(Transcripts). 47.https://digitalcommons.wou.edu/butlertranscripts/47Butler Family Letters  Digital Collection  Western Oregon University Archives Hamersly Library 345 N. Monmouth Ave. Monmouth, OR 97361  For permission to use, copy, and/or distribute the materials in the Butler Family Letters Digital Collection or for more information regarding this collection, please contact University Archives at libarchives@wou.edu or  (503) 838-8899.  Title: Letter to Brother and Sister from Isaac M. Butler and Sarak Anna Butler  Date: March 31, 1857  Transcription:  March 31st, 1857  Dear Brother and Sister,  It is with pleasure that I take my pen in hand to inform you of our health and prospects we and all the connection are well as far as I know. there has been some sickness here this last winter but not many deaths. we have had a verry bad winter here. we had a snow that lay on the ground about two weeks, but it was not verry cold but there has been a great deal of rain this winter more than I have ever saw in one winter since I have been here. grass is getting verry good now and stock is mending fine.  I have about 15 head of cattle 7 head of horses 20 hogs 29 sheep  I have about 200 bushels of old wheat which is worth 1.25 per bushel Cows are worth from $40 to $50 dollars per head  Sheep $6.00  I have 10 acres volunteer oats that look very well. Our country is improveing very fast good buildings and large farms are taking the place of log cabbins with no yard fence. All we lack here now, (or the greatest thing we need is a good steady market) give us a good steady market and Oregon in a few years will tell for its self    This is a great fruit country which none can dispute All kinds of stock do well here and most all kinds of grain except corn and we can raise from 20 to 50 bushels per acre of that we can raise all we need and that is sufficient  There is some excitement in our country about the slavery question but I am in hopes that it will not get very high Ira, F.M. Butler recieved a letter from you a few days ago requesting him to pay me the sum of $184.00 and some cents this we could not understand, him nor me did not know what this money was for. now he wants to know what this money is for before he can pay it and receit to you Just under that you stated that would leave $1115.00 and some cts due the estate (if I recollects right)  this we did not understand, the two letters you wrote before this one he never got probably if we had them they might explain this one. now I want you to answer this letter as soon as you get it and explain to me all about it. be particular to tell it very plain for buisiness of all kinds ought to understood well. I supposed that this 184 dollars was the second payment on the place that John C. Butler bought of me and [?Huchinson] but we were not certain about it.    I have written several letters back there but recieved no answers I wrote one to you last fall but no answer came I sometimes think my brothers back there have shureley forgotton me but there is a great many letters started that never get here  Some letters have come here directed to Monmouth Polk County dont any of you send any to that place for there is no post office there yet. I shall leave part of my letter untill I go to the post office tomorrow I may get a letter from some of you this mail  It is my opinion that the land and everything had better be sold amediately for you know if one of the heirs should die leaveing small children it is not likely any of us would ever get any good of our part of the estate. Ira thinks it would be better to sell the land now, if it does not bring quite so much one week from tomorrow is the day we have set to get together to make out the power of atorney to send to you.  I did not get a letter this mail write as soon as you get this  Isaac M. Butler Sarah Ann Butler  

Isaac and Sarah Butler describe the disposition of land involved in their fathers estate and general news of their economic situation

Western Oregon UniversityDigital Commons@WOUButler Family Letters (Transcripts) Butler Family Letters11-1-1856Letter to Brother and Sister from Isaac Butler andSarah A. ButlerIsaac ButlerSarah A. ButlerFollow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.wou.edu/butlertranscriptsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Butler Family Letters at Digital Commons@WOU. It has been accepted for inclusion inButler Family Letters (Transcripts) by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@WOU. For more information, please contactdigitalcommons@wou.edu.Recommended CitationButler, Isaac and Butler, Sarah A., "Letter to Brother and Sister from Isaac Butler and Sarah A. Butler" (1856). Butler Family Letters(Transcripts). 78.https://digitalcommons.wou.edu/butlertranscripts/78Butler Family Letters  Digital Collection  Western Oregon University Archives Hamersly Library 345 N. Monmouth Ave. Monmouth, OR 97361  For permission to use, copy, and/or distribute the materials in the Butler Family Letters Digital Collection or for more information regarding this collection, please contact University Archives at libarchives@wou.edu or  (503) 838-8899.  Title: Letter to Brother and Sister from Isaac M and Sarah Ann W. Butler  Date: November 1, 1856  Transcription:  Nov. 1st, 1856  Dear Brother and Sister   it is with pleasuer that I take my pen in hand to write a Short letter to you. I recieved your letter containing the second to the draft you sent me last fall and was much pleased to hear of your health and prosperity it has been a long time since I have received a letter from any of you  I had almost come to the conclusion that you had fogotton  me entirely. My health is some better now than it was Some time back. for the last three years I have been afflicted with a pain in my right side Supposed to have originated from a predisposition of the liver I have been taking medicine from a phisician and feel some better but am not well yet Elijah is complaining for some time I think he has the Bronchitis the rest of the connection are well as far as I know mother makes her home at my house at present and probably will for some time       Ira has administered on the estate here the propperty is all valued and will be divided among the children here, before verry long I bilieve it is the opinion of the children here that all the propperty  back there had better be sold at once for you know if ane of us should die it would lock up the estate for probably 20 years. I will give it as my opinion that this propperty had better be sold at once  There is one other matter I wish to call your attention to and this is some time before Father died he told me that when the place that I let him have was sold, if it amounted to any more than what he paid for my place here, that I should have the residue.  he paid [?2000] dollars for my place out after the interest is added for 3 years here will not be much if any over, you can just speak to the boys about it and if any one objects to it dont say any more about it, for I had rather loose all my right than for ane to think that I was trying to get more than my share In refference  to sending an order on [?I].E. Davidson for my money, I was talking to Mr. Davidson about it and he told me that by January there would not be money due him of any consequence and that I had better have my money sent in a draft your letter to Father some time ago if I understood it right there was #$350.00 due the 1st of January [??next] of my part but let that be as it may whatever is due send it in a draft untill  I should make other arangements  if I should make other arangements I will let you know soon, I will tell you something about how I am a getting along I have a claim of 320 acres about 50 acres under fine 100 appletrees /set out and 100 more  in the nursery to set out [2] American mares 1 hors  3 years old 1 half indian horse 2 years old and 2 two year olds, American colts, 12 acres of wheat sown in May last I expect to have a good crop next year from this you may think it strange to sowfall wheat in May and let it stand over untill  the next year, but it is the surest plan of raising good wheat.  I sowed my wheat in February last and raised 26 bushels to the acre. I have 21 hogs up [?for my]  pork is worth [?5} cts Bacon 12 cts wheat .75 Beef 6 cts on foot  Butter 36 to 40 [Cowes?] 40, to 50, we have an institution of learning just started in about 5 miles of where I live  I have bought a lot of 10 acres there and intend building next summer there is a good district school going on now  I believe I have nothing more of interest to write at this time  You must write soon and tell all the rest to write often  Isaac M. Butler and  Sarah Ann Butler  

Letter to Brother and Sister from Isaac Butler and Sarah A. Butler

https://digitalcommons.wou.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1048&amp;context=butlertranscripts

Letter to Brother and Sisters from Isaac Butler and Sarah A. Butler

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Western Oregon University: Digital Commons@WOU

Western Oregon University: Digital Commons@WOU

Western Oregon University: Digital Commons@WOU