it, and I am certain he and I should get on together, and I also believe we should mutually benefit each other, in more ways than one. The only stumper in my plans is, who is going to keep house? It is an enormous drawback to a fellow to waste time over cooking meals. Besides, loitering round the stove cooking makes one lazy and disinclined to work. So all bachelors, as were and as are, say; and I quite believe them. I think I will write to a fellow next fall, if he is still at the college, and ask him to come up. The snow is over two feet now, and getting about is difficult. So I effected a trade with an Indian: I tendered the revolver Aunt Fanny gave me, for a pair of snow-shoes ; they are worth about $5. I am not of a bloodthirsty nature, so I did not want the revolver, and I thought Aunt Fanny would not mind my trading it off for something more useful. So please tell her that I regard the snow-shoes as her present, and remember her every time I go down to the mail. One mile without snow-shoes really seems quite four miles, the walking is so terribly fatiguing, whilst one can run along on snow-shoes easier and more comfortably than on bare ground. They are six feet six inches long, and about fifteen inches broad, and when one comes to rough ground where there is no snow, one can slip them off as easily as slippers. They are made of ash with catgut string, a raw hide, and last a lifetime. I bought a rifle for $9, which cost at a store $25 and had never been used; and I had a shot at a wolf at three hundred yards, but missed it, as the wind was too strong. About the north half of 21. The bargain is only till seeding, i.e. the middle of April; so if I can have the money now, of course I should like it, as I could start at once. I must finish now, Love to all. TO HIS MOTHER. Cyprus Lodge, February 20, 1882.—... Now as to immediate plans. I have given $10 as security that I will buy the half section for $1800 (£370), with walls of house, granary and stables, twentytwo acres broken; which is cheap at current prices. Boulton has sold out, $6500 (exclusive of rolling stock-a good deal of which I hope to buy at two-thirds the price, if you send the money before the 1st of April). So I shall have a crop at starting, and I hope about $400 of grain. I have written to offering to pay his passage up, and give him $10 a month during the summer months, and his board during the winter. Boulton goes west with the spring. Everybody here has sold out to an English insurance company speculating. They are giving $8 to $10 an acre for dead land. I should not have been able to get the land I am buying, for less than $3200; but the fellow can't get his deed, as he has never lived on his place. So he will abandon it to me for $1800, and I shall homestead and pre-empt, as if it had never been taken up, which will make no difference to me, as I shall live three years in it at least. The place I jumped, I did not get bad luck to it. The land-agent, as I thought, had been heavily bribed; and so "worked" the thing for the other man. However, I shall get my security money back, so I only lose my expenses to Nelsonville. I shall buy Boulton's team, a couple of mares, one in foal; also three of his heifers, all in calf; and I have already bought two pigs, and a lot of lumber to finish the house and buildings in the spring before seeding-so you see I mean business. I hope I am not walking on air in all this. It is too good a chance to let slip, and so I hope the money, £500 will be forthcoming by April. The following is an estimate of the probable cost of starting. K --which is close on £600. The deed of sale for the land is made out for the 8th of April, at which time at least $1000 must be paid down, and if possible all. If I can get the money over, I want to buy some town lots in Torquay, eight miles from here. I hope to have got the lot of land before you receive this, on a joint note, as Boulton offers to back it for me. I am doing |