Osage Mission Kansas
March the 24th 1875
Dear cousin Rob and Family
I received your of the ninth and was much pleased to hear from you after so long a time, but was sorrow to learn of the death of your mother and Washes children. I have been very sick since I received your letter I came home sick from town last Monday a week, the day I received your letter and haven't been able to be up till yesterday or I should have written sooner I had the tonnsel leetus in the throat my throat was swollen shut for some days come very near going up. this is the only sickness I have had since I came to Kansas

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Well Rob you wanted to know how close we all lived to [Lathen] in Kansas Lathen and Abe Zelnene and myself lives about six miles of Each other in Neosho county Dave Jim and Tom Campbell lives in Fort Scott about thirty miles distance. Dave is still on the Rail Road Jim is on the city Police force Tom is plastering doing very well you wanted to know how close the grass hoppers came If you had got as many bumps on the nose & face as I did last fall you would thought you had been among them its no use for me to try to describe grass hopper senes I could not do it Justice some days when they wase shifting you would hear a noise over your head like a train of cars in the air

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on looking up you would see the whole Elements darkens with grass hoppers when they came down at night they would cover the ground complete thoes that lit down on a corn field no difference how large it was would devour it in one days time nether leave blade husk corn on cob. We had to cut our hay in augest on acount of them and then they would jam the sickle so we could hardly cut they took every thing we had except our wheat last year was the only grasshoppers I have seen since I came here may be several years before they visit this part again they came from colerado and are called the colerado grass hoppers they hatch out on the dessert

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Well Rob there has been so much said about kansas destitution that I fear you have got out of the notion of coming its true we are hard up just now but I aint the least discouraged I have done well since I came here I have sold two farms since I came and now living on the third one I think I have the best situation in the county I live on the crosing of two main traveled Roads one mile and a half from the R Road large running stream in 20 Rods of the house timber the same distance the country is one of the grandest I ever saw all likes it that come here yet the climate is so mild the day you rote your letter the farmers was sowin oats all day frost had been out long before and it was warm i went to Frt Scott that day and about everyone was soweing oats

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Well as I did not finish on the other page I will turn a new leaf. Well Robert, I think the best thing you and Asa & your [XXXXX] Washe Wiekizer and as many more as will come is come to kansas land is cheep yet and now is a good time to buy while the grass hopper fever is up as soon as we get a crop time will bee good again the spring has set in deliteful oats are all soed and plowing for corn. There will be grate deal of corn planted in this month if weather remains warm we can rais any thing here that can be raised anywhere peaches ranges from 10 cts 25 to 50 cts per bushel. I have four thousand young trees to give away

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I want you to think on the subject of comeing west and and fi you want any further Information Write to me and I will do all I can to assist you I would like to see all of your out here. You can talk to Wash and the rest of the boys and let me now the consequence bob right soon give my respects to Uncle & bem[xxx] Aunt betsy george vick John Frank and the girls. Well Rob your family is the same as mine except mine is one boy and two girls. Will is conciderable help to me now he is very large of his age reads in a first reader can handle boys ten years old considerable of a Jayhawker Well I must cose pleas excuse this letter for I am very weak and nervious yet from my Illiness
Old Osage Mission Kansas A. W. Johnson

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I Shall be compelled to put out a crop this spring without any feed for my horses corn is so hi I cant by takes all to support my family we haven't received a penny from Eastern Donations it goes to thoes entirely destitute I had a little layed up that kept me so far. corn from 88 to one dollar pr bus very poor at that Wheat looks well this spring we cut Wheat hear in June

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Well bob this Sheet is an extra sheet I must be a little a head of you I have sit so long I am completely played so Excuse me Wright soon I will answer amediatly
Very Respectfully
A.
W. Johnson
B.
Isabella Johnson
C.
To R S and Rene Wickizer