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The American West and the Shaping of American CharacterSpring 2007Letters home from Vermonters in the West(Courtesy of the Vermont Historical Society)Download all letters as a MS Word file. Addressed to: Griggsville Pike Co. Illa Nov 27th 1836 Brother English Dear Sir, not having paper enough in the letter to write for all particulars and a promise in the letter to John I take the liberty to address you. I have spoken in former letters of your comeing to this country you mentioned to me, you should like well to come. I have thought much of it, and thus for your great kindness to me when I was at Hartland I feel indebted to you and would like well to pay you the debt. I am persuaded that if you could once come to this country you would say that you would give more for ten acres of land here, than you would for one half of Johns farm. The great chance of getting a good living here with one quarter of the labour to what it requires at the East which is actually a fact not to be contradicted is sufficient to induce one to come to this part of the country as that is for what we live principly, the advantages of your trade would be great here, you could have work and more than you could do at very high prices. common sale shoes and boots from Boston sell readily here shoes 10/6 to 12/ cash Boots 21/ to 24/ cash thin boots 5 to 6 Dolls I have thought if the boys would buy a first rate iron axle four horse waggon, horses & harnesses you could come out here very cheap and such a team would bring all our household furniture that we should need at present and a two horse waggon covered would be Sufficient for wife and your family if wife should think best to come in that way-if you should think best to come out in that way you would after getting into New York take the great national road which would bring you nearly to this place. Mitchells guide with a map, with the road designated, would be good to show you the route. Tell John to get Pecks Guide to Emigrants if he would like a correct representation of this country, respecting the horses harnesses and waggon or waggons if the boys should like to sell them after they got out here they would bring a high price Mr Bates with whome I live, would like the waggon and harnesses he spoke to me to have them bring out such a waggon and he would pay a good price, and then the advantage of bringing out such articles as you would like to bring, in not having to handle the boxes over, would save much, and it would be much safer for the furniture and crockery, but this is a matter you can look at and consider I will see that one persons passage is paid and that you have ten acres of good land etc. John requested me to write him respecting the climate and production prices etc I think in the letter that he has probably recvd I remarked upon that, climate warm enough and cold enough but has not made me shiver by it yet or by fear, you can judge of the climate, as in favourable seasons, they raise considerable cotton, but here it is quite healthy it does not do to settle upon the rivers or creeks as they subject one to the fever and ague The price of beef at this time is from $3.50 to 4$ Pork no adds whether fatned on mast or corn. Persons have been about offering 5 cents to it probably will bring 6 cent in the hog. mast is what they call all kinds of nuts and acorns Some men have from fifty to one hundred that run in the timber and faten on mast . the hogs are small breed called stunt breed and weigh light say 150th to average, that by getting improved breed, wheat is worth at this time from 7/6 to 9/ per pushel corn from 20 to 25 oats the same, corn is the easiest raised and is the principle article fed to cattle, but when farmers get their ground stocked with tame grass cattle will not want to be fed but about three months that grass is good late and start early while native grass is dead by the middle of Feb and then generally burns over and does not get started until about May sufficient for cattle to do well it being very thin on the ground. I think and almost know if John could come out here and take one view of the matter he would say that he would not live any longer in Vermon here a man can very easily raise 2000 bushels of corn and 1000 to 1500 Bushels Wheat yearly which would ammount to some dollars together with the pork and beef he might have to sell I shall now drop the subject-I shall write next to Clinton or William Write me how you think of my suggestion as soon as you get this-Respects to your family John & his family Yours with Respect George Petrie |
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