1858 09 26 James C Andrews to David Andrews

Beaver dam  Sept the 26^th  1858

Dear Mother and brother    i sit down once more to

write a few lines to you to let you know

how we all are  for i have got tired waiting

for an answer to the rest of my letters  this

is the third one i have wrote to you and

still no answer  so this will be the last one

until i get an answer

we are all in reasonable health at the present

time Rebecca is getting a considerable stouter she

is able to do her own work now  Amos has

the ague now for a few days past but the

rest of us is well  with the exception of a

few of the biggest biles that i have got 

they are not so numerous as jobs but a great

deal sorer in my opinion

I have not heard anything from Dan and

Mary Jane for about five weeks but they

were all well the last time i heard from them

the health of the county is just middling

there is a considerable of the ague around through

the country but that is about all the

kind of sickness there is as yet =

the crops of wheat was verry poor here

this harvest wheat turned out the poorest

i ever saw ther was hardly an average of

12 bushels to the acre in consequence of the

   

rust  oats is no crop at all lots of fields

was not cut atall  corn is just a middling

crop potatoes is only about half crop and

hardly that  wheat sells at about 90 cts

to $1.00 per bushel  oats would sell at about

45 cts per bu if there was any to sell

corn none in market as yet

times is the hardest here in consequence of

money matters i ever saw  evry man that

owes a cent is duned for it and there is

not produce enough in the country to

pay peoples debts  there is some of the ablest

farmers in the country that cannot pay their

debts and some of the best of our merchants

is broke up  I want you to write

whether John has gon to Michigan yet or not

Now David the last letter that i received

from you you wrote that you never had

received any acknowledgment of that money

you sent with Mary Jane

i would just say that i sent you a

note in a letter long ago and if you did not

get it i want you to let me know and i will

send you another note

Now David you wanted to know the least

i would take for my interest in the old place

i would just say that i will sell lower now

than i ever would before on account of the times

being so hard here and i am some in debt and

i am tired of being craved and i have nothing

to make money out of this fall and every

debt that i owe will have to be paid this fall

Now David you and William see what is the

best you can do by me this fall and let

me know and i will go in Just as soon as you

let me know and we will draw writings  i can

go in and stay about one week and we can fix it

all except Rebeccas signing it and that can be

done at some other time next spring for

instance when you come out

Now David i want you to write immediately

and let me know whether it will be worth

my while to come or not so that i will

have time to fit and go before cold weather

No more at present but remains your

son and Brother  James C Andrews to

                        David Andrews and all the rest

write soon Rebecca sends her best respects to Mother

                                                            and all the rest

PS I traded horses twice and i have now got a

mare four years old last spring handsome as a picture

even up for old nell worth one hundred and ten dollars

I like to have forgotten to tell you

that the fly is eating up the early

sowed wheat  Robert Reed and Nathaniel

Paxton is agoing to commence to plow

up theirs tomorrow morning and sow

it over and many others

1856 09 30 James W. Carrick to David Andrews

To:       David Andrews Esqr                                                 September 30^th 1856

From:   James W. Carrick                               Short Creek  Harrison County  Ohio

Respected friend    Your favor of the 12 of June came to hand punctualy

and we were much pleased to hear that you were all well   we and the friends

generally are all well  the health of this region has been good since I

last wrote you   I received a letter from Joseph Minteer a few days ago

they with Stewards family were all well  they still continue to be well

sattisfyed with their location and business  Josephs has entirely recovered

his health he says he has worked so hard this summer that the hair of his

head is all coming out.  him and Eliza Jane had been over at parrs a

short time before and they were all well  aunt peggy has got quite fat and

hearty we do not know what time she will be home  she intends to come as

soon as she can get a good chance of company and we know of one or two

good chances that she will have this fall.  We have had a very dry summer

and of cours we have verry poor crops of corn  I think on an average not

more than one third of a crop.  we had a great crop of grass and middling

good wheat and oats.  we have got our grain all thrashed out and reddy

for market.  wheat is selling at a dollar and fifteen to a dollar and

twenty five owing to quality  oats is worth from 33 to 35 and corn 60

and going up and som people thinks it will be a dollar before spring

I would just inform you that unkle Davy has entered a suit against the

estate for wages he claims $4.00 a week from the first of April 52 till

the first of April 53 and $10 a week from then till the first of Febuary

54  making in all with intrust from the last date a little over six hundred

and 90 dollars  I offered him two hundred dollars for a compromise but he

said he could take no such money as that   how it will end I am not able to

say.  it is the opinion of the neighbours generally that he will not get

as much as I offered to give him and the cost of his other suit is not

yet paid off and if he gains anything in this case the court will keep

their claim out of it and he will be about where he started.  I expect it

to com on the next term of the court which will commence on the 4^th of

November  you must try and excuse me for not riting to you sooner we

have been verry throung[?]  we had a middling tedeious harvest and as soon

as that was over we went at building the dam at the saw mill which was

a verry heavy job   since that time we have been hauling manure and

ploughing and seeding and cutting clover seed and at this time we are

engaged in getting out coal for the winter and as I would rather do almost

anny thing els than write a letter I always put it of to the last.  we

would be verry much pleased to see some of you in hear this fall you wrote

that you would like som of us to go out this fall  I think that will be

out of our power at this time  if your mother could com in this fall we

would like to see her if she should take a notion to com I would like to

know a while before hand and I would try and be reddy for her if she

dont come and no convenient opportunity offers I may probably to out this

winter if I keep my health  but I would rather not go this winter if we

could fix it anny other way pleas write soon as convenient after you get

this and let us know what you are engaged in  give our best respects to

your mother and all the family  I have been sitting writing so long that

my hand shakes verry much I am afraid you cannot read what I have written

                                                                        James W Carrick

David Andrews Esqr

NB  you will wonder what the scribbling on the fourth page of this letter

means  well I will tell you  I just went to the door a few minits ago and Robert

thought that he would write a little and that accounts for it all

[the scribbling is just a small child’s running circles and a few straight lines]

1855 09 22 Eli Johnston to Wm Andrews

To Wm Andrews

from  Eli Johnston                                                           Sept 22 1855

Good Morning Bill    We are away out in the Indiana  got to Fort Wayne

that same day and took the Packet [?] in the evening went down the Canal

40 miles to Lagro  got there the next morning about daylight   was then 28

miles from James   got conveyance immediately and arrived at James in the

evening  Wasn’t that going it?  Started Wednesday morning  got to James

Thursday evening  found James family all well but the youngest child had

the ague a little  not bad.  I am now at Horace’s   Eliza has the

ague a little too  not bad however.  I have not seen any of the rest

but suppose they are all well.  It is not as sickly here as it is in Richland

County   I have nothing interesting to write.  Your Mother was a little

tired when she got to James but not as much a if she had gone by way of

Warsaw.  We made it pay [?] going the route we did.  Write soon.  Direct

to Beaver Damm, Kosciusko Co., Indiana

Yours, Eli Johnston

1855 01 06 William Parr to David Andrews

to Mr. David Andrews   Newvill  Richland County, Ohio

from William J Parr       LaSalle, Peru  Illinois           Jan 6, 1855

Mr. David Andrews

Dear Sir,  I was verry agreeable surprised a few days ago by receiving a letter from

you, and am verry happy to improve this first opportunity to answer it.  We are all well as

usual.  Mothers health is verry poore indeed, she is verry much afflicted with […….]

complaint, which renders her verry helpless  she cannot walk and has not for more than

four years and in all probability never will again, her apetite is generally good, she is not

able to sew or knot [knit?] her arms are so much affected.  Father is moderately well, though he

is failing verry fast from […….] [……..] [……] especialy in winter.  Brother James and

family are well they have two children, both boys, one is three years old and the othr one

is nine months.  They live verry near to us. Sister Jane Delatour is living in Granville,

four miles from us, they have four children  they are all well at present  three boys and a

girl   Sister Mary Robinson is living near Platville, Wisconsin  I payed them a visit last

November  they was all well  they have six children, two [….] […..] five girls and one

boy.

We have had a verry severe winter since the first of January and continues so, plenty of

snow, good slighing all the while   we are verry anxious to see some of you, and indeed

all of you,  we live in sight of a railroad, but it is seven miles to the nearest depot which is

Peru.  You wished to know what the prospect would be for getting a skool in this vicinity.

I do not want to discourage you in the least but the fact is we have so many female

teachers that it is rather a dull prospect in that respect but I think you could gt

employment at some profitable business but I can give you verry  […] encouragement in

that way not with [….] […..].  I hope you will come and see us  I think that you

would like this country verry much and there is a good chance to get into business of all

kinds, but farming is the main employment as that is the most profitable from the fact

that we have a soil unsurpassed for richness and easy cultivation and a convenient market

[……] seven miles.  I can make two trips a day from where we live and haul with one

span of horses forty five bu of wheat, and fifty bu corn and seventy five bu oats at a

[……..] this will doubtless look strange to you but never the less it is true.  Grain is worth

at present  wheat $1.10, corn 41 cents, oats 28 cts and farmers are rather backward in selling

at these figures as they expect to get more as soon as navigation opens.

We had excellent crops in this part of the state last year and a good prospect for next as

the winter wheat which looks well.  This country is improving very fast  land is now

worth from ten to thirty dollars per acre.  Land around here sells verry hie.  We could sell

our farm for twenty five dollars per acre tomorrow if we wer so disposed.

 We would like to see your mother out here and I think she might come and see mother for

it is impossible for her to go as she is so helpless and could not go if she was well enough

for we have to keep a girl all the time and she could not have […..]

Now I must close  believe I have written all that would interest you and hope that you will

write soon again   giave my love to all the family and all the friends and especialy to all the

pretty girls if you have enny that is not engaged.  nothing more at present but remain your

humble servant and cousin

William [S?] Parr

1855 08 02 James C Andrews to Mother Brothers and Sisters

                 Beaver Dam      Aug 2^nd 1855

Dear Mother Brothers and Sisters              i take

this opportunity to inform you of our healths  we are

all well at the present time except myself

i have not been able to work for about a week

with the piles but i am getting some better

today than i have been –  I received  a letter from

mary Jane dated may the 11^th and i rec a letter from

John last thursday  he wrote that you wer all

well on the fourth of July as that was the last

time he had seen any of you

we have had the wetest time here that you

ever seen in harvest  it commenced raining

two weeks ago today and it rained every day

since more or less until today it looks like as

if it would clear off – harvest was verry late

here this harvest so that about the time that

we got our wheat in shock the rain came on

so there it stands yet and is verry much

spoiled some of the hudders is sprouted four

inches long –but if it keeps dry today and

tomorrow that we will get it hauled in

we have the best wheat and oats crops this year

that i ever saw any where the corn and

potatoes looks first rate as yet

the health of the country is first rate at the

present time i do not know of any person

sick in the country at the present time

the small pox broke out about six miles from here

about two months ago and there was several

died with it but they have got it stoped again

the Jefferies and Tuckers was all well the last time

i heard from them – I suppose you are looking

for us in there this fall but that is out of the

question for us to go in this fall as we will

not have the [funds] to sp[are]  it is pretty

tuff times with us yet as we have but

a small opening made yet and then looseing my

team last fall makes it hard times to hire a

team to do all my plowing and evry thing

but i have a young yoke of cattle comeing

on that will be three years old next spring

and by that time they will be able to do

a considerable of work – now Mother i think

that you could come out this fall and see us

a great deal better than we can go in to see

you   you and one of the boys could take the

cars and be here in twenty four hours from

the time you start if you could only just

think you could come there is nothing to hinder

you from comeing and if you cannot come yourself

besure and send some of the rest of them

out for i cannot wait longer than this fall

to see some of you it is now four years this

fall since i saw any relation atall of mine

I want you to come out and see my wife and

children as we now got three of them  the youngest

of them a boy now four months old we

call him William Harvey  tell William

that there will be a dress expected for the name

Now i want some of you to be sure to come

out this fall and i want you to besure

and write as soon as you get this and let

me know whether any of you is comeing

or not and write particular how unkle John

and family is getting along

So nothing more at present but remains yours

until death                James C Andrews to

Mother William Mary Jane David

 Joseph and Samuel --  I want you to write whether it is

so or not that unkle John has a cancer on his breast

1850 02 18 Ed Hagen to David Andrews

                                                                                               Feb the 18 1850

Dear cozen  I now take up my pen to inform you

 that we are all well at present hoping to find you all

enjoying the same, uncle Johns health is just about as it

was when I wrote to you before I received your letter in

diew time and was mutch pleased, we had a letter from

aunt Nancy Parr, a short time ago they ware all well but

her, she is verry mutch afflicted with the rheumatis, she

had to write with the letter on her nee she says they are

getting along verry well they boys say they are coming

to Ohio to see us,  the friends are all well I believe

uncle Davids left here yesture day he has been here ever since

you was here and she was down four weeks pop had to take

them as usual.  and a good load with them to Martha

Were  Tis well she has a hard time getting along they

sent a letter down to uncle John that she was in want

the friends must do something and between us

all we made up as mutch as he could hall.

We still have Agness here yet going to school she says she

wont go home when its out I expect we will have to

keep her been as we haven’t any girls, we have not

had many singings this winter I have only been to

three ther has been a great many frolicks we had one

yeserday at James Kerrs that payed very well there

was a good many there, and there is a doing to one at

Mr Jno Hammonds that big one she was going to have

when you were here next wensday but I don’t think

it will pay (not because Jess wont be ther) Marth and

me has been going to school all winter and Will to

and he has been going to a writing school 2 and 3

nights out of evry week he is a way at a singing to

night and Mary E to over at uncle Sam’s schoolhouse

and pap and Mother is away to, that’s a horable pen

I tell you now

I gess the girls are all well that you saw at the

party  I saw them poorty neer all last night Marth

Kerr more aspeshily and also Rachel, and Calvin

to was there and of course Jesse but I don’t

think that the old folks is verry well reconsiled

yet, but he has not been here but once this winter

when you write don’t say any thing about it

for I could not let the old folks see the last one

rob was over here last Tuesday night he got it

 to read and took it home with him said he was going to

write to you, but I must draw my letter to

a close fr it is 9 o’clock and I am getting verry sleepy

as it was late last night when we got home

write soon and tell us all the news for I think

between sense and nonsense I have told you as mutch

as you can read fr it is very poorly written my pen

is bad  give my respects to the rest of the family and

all who enquire after me  is any such there bee

                      no more but remains your cozen

good bie

1859 10 30 James C Andrews to David Andrews

Kosciusko County, Indiana    Oct the 30^th 1859 [57?]

          

Dear Brother

Sir I received the Waggon on the 22^nd of this month and

found it all right except them springs under the bed they was minus

the freight on mine was $1.90 cts     We are all well at present hopeing

this will find you all in the same state of health     Alba Paxton is

well also and as for the rest I have not heard    I gave you credit

on the note of twenty five dollars so that will answer as well as a

receipt   Write soon and let us know whether william is coming out

this winter or not------and how Mothers health is and all the particulars

I have only received one letter for you and that was from Wm McBride of

no importance to you     Give our best respects to Mother and all

enquiring friends----write soon  don’t forget

                                                                        James C Andrews

[James C Andrews to David Andrews]

1854 02 01 John S. Carrick to esteemed friend

                                                Shortcreek    Feb 1^st AD 1854

Respected and much esteemed friend 

       I regret to communicate to you the mournful

 intelligence that unkle John departed this life

 this morning at half past six o’clock  

 the funeral is to take place tomorrow

 at ten.  he suffered very much for the

 last five or six days.  I defer writing any

mor til I know what disposition he

 has made of his property.

Feb 6^th  the friends are all well

 at present so farr as I know

   I will now give you an account of

 the will as near as I can mind  it was

 read on friday the third and was as follows

    first to unkle David one hundred

dollars  next to aunt Nancy Parr 150 dollars

 next to aunt Livina Andrews 150       “  

 next to aunt Margaret 150 dollars togather

 with one bead and beading  the bureau

 one set of chairs hir chois one cow hir chois

 and the cupboard and cupboardware 

  next to Father the farm providing he will

 provide a living for aunt Margaret either

 in his own family or in the house where he

 died and pay the other legacyes.

  next he gave to Father two family bibles and

 Scots Commentary to Samuel Parr all of

 flavels works to Aunt Lavina bucks

 dictionary an Alexanders Sermons.  the balance

 of his books is to be equally divided among

 his brothers and sisters now living togather

 with

myself.  that is all I get.  his sadle

 and wach he gave to William C Carrick

                             paps William  

I have give you the outlines of the will

 as near as I can recollect aunt Margaret

 has not determined yet whether she will

 go to fathers to live or stay in the house

  unkle David and aunt betsy are trying

 to make a fuss but they cant get at it

 rite  they say that it is not unkle John

 will that it is Fathers and Mothers.  they

 say that they are a going to prove that

unkle John was not fit to make a will and

concequently break the will but I think that

 they will fail their.  I think that the less

 that they can say the beter  they will fair

   nothing more at preasant but still

 remain your sincer well wisher

write soon and let me know how

 you are getting along

  I will writ again as soon as I can

 tell you what is a going to be done

 and what aunt Margaret is

 going to do

   that is all for the present

John S Carrick

1854 01 23 Carrick, John S. to Wm Andews

Shortcreek  January 23^rd AD 1854

Respected Friend   I take the preasant

 oportunity of informing you that we

are all well at preasant with the exception

 of unkle John  he is still living  when that

 is said it is all that I can say for we do

 not know how soon he will be numbered

 with the dead  he has ben very bad for three

 weeks he was 21 days without a pasage

 last Thursday  Doctor------------ succeded in getting

 a pasage but it seems as tho it did not

 do him any good, he does not suffer

 very much near so much as might

 be expected we have to sit up with him

 at nights he does not sleep much, he has

 not taken any nourishment for

 two weeks except a sup of cream once

 or twice a day.  I wrot a fiew lines

 to John soon after you left us and

 requested him to write and let mee know

 how you got home  I would haf writen

 to you some time a go but I did not

 know what to write as unkle John has

 ben very much the same as when you was

 here  he does not talk so bad as he did

 we have had a very dry winter till last

 week we had a rite smart wet spell and

one of the hail storms.  We have very

 suden chainses some days warm others very

coald  this is one of the coald ones

 I have nothing more of importance to write

  only to request you to answer this

 by the return mail.  yours respectfully

                        John S. Carrick

1852 09 09 Sarah Carrick to sister Lavinia Carrick Andrews

                        Harrison County Ohio   September 9^th 1852

Dear Sister  it is with respect I now sit down to inform

 you that we are all well at present except unkle John he

 is not any better he is very helples  he can make out to

get out of his chare him self for the mospart and walk to

 bed the doctor thinks he will not be any better he is very

 short of breath he says he feels as well as ever he did

  the Doctor says he will not be any better he says it is

 very uncertain how long he may live  the friends

 are all well at present  Davids are living in Athens

  Martha Wear and the are living togather aunt

Betsy is working at the milener business and Martha

 is sewing she has

very hard geting along she had nothing

 left to keepe her  Jane Duff is dead  we had a letter

 from Nancy Parr about the first of May  the were

 all well we have not herd any thing from you since

 Mary Janes letter I wanted James and David to write

James said he had not time David mite have written

 several letters he has ben at unkle Johns most of the

 time for the last too months  we are talking of going out

 to see you this fall  is very uncertain wether we can

 leave unkle John we will not go til after the

 election   writ and let us know whether you are coming

 in this fall  Peggy says she would like you to come

 in   if I could see

you I could tell you agreat many

 things  I am so bad at writing

 I can not tell you

half I would like to writ as soon as you get

 this and let us know whether you are coming in

  the have just brought John down to our house

  a few minits ago he has not ben there for

 several weeks he talks very little without you

 talk to him  I told him I was writing to you

  he said that was very well no more but remains yours

   Sarah Carrick     Livina Andrews

[this portion of the letter from James  is included with the transcription above but no copy

of the original has been found yet]

September 10 1852

Dear friends  I sit down in hast to write a few lines to you and as Sarah has

written and I am in a great hurry I cannot write much  we have made calculations

to go out to see you this fall if circumstances will permit but it verrye

uncertain whether we will get of or not if unkle John should keep as well as he

is now we will likely go we may probably start about the time of the election

we have not seeded anny yet we will commence next week  I have nothing verry

particular to write and my pen is verry bad you can scarcely read what i

have wrote  write to us as soon as you get this and let us know if you are

coming in this fall and what time  no more at present but remain yours and

                                                James W Carrick