Poe Archive

Rumford Maine
24’ 1886

Father I will try to answer a few words of your letter. Mother fealds kind of huffy about your letter you wrote, she has answered all your questions she says, and when you write her a different letter, she says she will answer it.

I bought 10 thousand shingles at $1.50 up to hanover, I have got the barn shingled, the oxen & horse are on the gain. I have taken the old mare to horse the calves are looking well I have not cut the ball yet, I got one calf of Dolaff.

Frank he is in Heedlam to work shoe making. Bell is a going down home this summer. The cows are doing well, I have not taken any more of them to bull yet. The corn and the beans are looking first rate. I have howed them once, the potatoes are looking well. I shall get them howed this weak, I have howed the potatoes in front of the house, the oats are not looking very well, the inda wheat is up I see, I sowed four acres, used a bushel. Mr. Seager and I have never weathred the hay, the pigs are looking well, we have 62 chickens, we have but 6 giney eggs. Charles Proctor has helped me shingled the barn. It took 6 ½ thousand to do it. I shall go on to the house tomorrow a shinglen, I guess Herbert will help me, he spoke as if he would when he was over.

I have bought a mowing machine and horse rake of Mr. Finney; he asked $65 for one 4 ½ feet cut and $28 for the rake, but by talking with him I got it for $62 and $25, sow he discounted $6. Charles thought I made a good trade, he will give you time to pay for it in.

I have cut a couple of acres bushes in frount of the house, it is tearble dry here and if we don’t have some rain soon the grass will not be great, it has looked well within a few days. I am going to the pond Sunday to meat Aunt Jennie and then II shall get those harnesses.

The children are all smart. I went up to Charles Proctors a weak ago Tuesday to get him he did not dair to leave home then so he came down this weak. The day I got there his little girl, Eaver, had drawed a pin int her windpipe, it lodged about an inch below the swallow, she was taken strangling and spitting blood. Charles took her and went to Dr. Barnes. The Barnes wanted some other Doctor to help him so Charles telephoned down to Dr. Hiram. He came up and they eather rised her, cut her windpipe open and took the pin out. The Doctor said if the pin had gone an inch longer there could been no help for her, she is now sick with a bilious fever. Calista has her hands full.

May is home, them little trees are looking nice, it is raining now rite down and guess nobody is sorry. Mother got that money.

J. A. P. Jr.