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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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