1873 from S. Hamblin [F.B.'s G'father] to John & Halie Hamblin [F.B.'s parents]

Monroe, January 31/73

Dear children

I once more take up my pen to try & write you a few lines to let you know iam [sic] still among the liveing [sic] with some hope of giting [sic] well. but the turn of the season will likely decide that point. I have quit the Doctors in town & am doctoring with an indian [sic] of the Saraganset tribe & have ben [sic] mending slowly for the last 3 months iam [sic] up about the house the most of the time & have a good appetite but cant [sic] gather much strength til the weather gits warm So ican [sic] git out an exercise in the open air, the rest of the folks are well with the exception of colds; we have had a cold winter so far we have had 22 days that the quicksilver stood below 0 ranging from 2 to 23 degrees & many more days but little above 0 we have not had more than 10 inches snow this winter if it had all fallen at one time; water has never been so scarce Since ihave [sic] lived in iowa we have plenty for our mules & hogs at the well but have to drive our cattle to the branch.---we soald [sic] 16 hogs they brought 160 dollars we got 3 cts gross wheat is worth 75 to one dollar corn & oats about 15 cts bushel butter 15 lb & eggs 2 a dozen [?] is low & we have to sell money is Scarce & hard to get but we have plenty, to eat & wear be us therewith be content.

J. J. W[?] Starr was cleard after the jury hung one knight & part of the day's on the ground that thare was no malice between the parties at the time the hogs was shot.
There is no doubt in my mind but the sheriff got some of the Starrs friends on the jury but be that as it may the district Court of Ioway has decided that any poor cuss that has no property the law will take for debt can shoot as much stock as they please & all that is required is just to say there was no malice & the debt is settled ithink such desisions will soon prove the neceseity of self protection & ihave but one thing to regret & that is friend Starr is gone iwould like to have him for aneighbour one year & ithink the lacking point would not be wanting & the next jury might do him justice

Rob is goeing to school in winter[?] this winter ihope he will make good use of his time & try to continue for a few terms.

I have put my farm into the market at 25 dollars per acre Newlon [?] has until the first of Sept; idoe not much expect him to find a merchant as times are verry dull but chance of seling this summer; if isell i intend to look for a warmer climate if I am able to look at all & if not I think it would be better for mother to put the money at interest than to be bothered with a farm to rent and keep in repair; ishould like to leave next fall if we can & if we cannot ishall sell all the stock but my teams & 2 cows & a few hogs so we will not have much choaring to do & take it as easy as ican until we doe sell.

Joe is living on his farm he has offered for sale & says he will go south he has written 3 letters to you & has not got any answer he would like to have a letter from you & hear from his oald neighbours his health is quite poor he is troubled with catarrh in the head. Rachel is doeing verry well the last year if she had done as well the 3 first years it would have ben two thousand dollars better for them at this time but the past is among the thing that was, but to continue in welldoeing ma [may] ameliorate there condition hereafter time will show how long She will holdout, they Still have something to goe on--

I will now tel you something abut your money igot one hundred dollars of Rudy about one month ago & have not had any chance to send for acheck until now that is 180 dollars paid on the last note & Rudy had hard work to get that & says he don't think he can pay the balance before fall it is interest & will be about 20 dollars itold him iwould not make any cost on the note before that time he is a poor like the rest of us but doeing the best he can--

oald uncle Herb Harris died very Suddely this winter he was at James Bolings on a visit, he slipt on some ice by the corner of the house & felldown they asked him if he was hurt he not in the least & went into the house. This was in the afternoon he commenst reading the newspaper & in a few minutes his hands begane to jerk he then lay down on the bed & in a few minutes began to vomit & died before night John Moors wife is dead & family of 9 children are on the county [dole]

This is [?] the 2 & as the quicksilver has raised above 0 ithought iwould finish up this sheet [?] to have it ready for the mail in the morning & that is the best ican do at this time; the reason ihave not written this winter was my nerves was so unstrung icould not handle the pen & you can See they are verry steady at this time but are much improved the young folks are tending literary once a week they have avery good one this winter Seth & Nat edit the papers this week they will give the Society some spicy pieces boath in poetry & literary reading. Hannah has been going to school part of the time but had to stop on account of cold weather hur lungs are to weak to stand the bleak winds of town we will not send hur any more until the wweather gets warmer so she will losse half the term atleast--

Tell Frank he ma [may] make up his mind to come & live with me when isellout & come down there as ihave no littleboys now to git up in the morning & build a fire for me & grandma; & drive the mules I will have Some jentle enough that he can ride them to water & drive them when hitcht to the waggon & do lots of other things So we will have good times jenerally--

I will now have to close as it is geting dark & the oald Rocking chair is begining to fell hard as it wanted to rest--Please write Son & let us know whether this check gits through all right

from your father S. Hamblin
to John & Halie Hamblin
["F.B.'s Grandfather"-written in another ink & another hand]

PS: I have found that S. was Simeon & that this letter was written from the farm in Monroe, in Iowa. I'll have another post with other details but Simeon died 1/10/1874 at 58 - a year after this letter was written. Elinor died 5/27/1898 at 80. Frank was born in 1868 so he was only 5 when his grandfather suggested Frank come live with him & help with the mules.