Following is a letter written by John Q Richardson of Elgin, Minnesota in May of 1912. He was writing to his cousin, Ella Jane Stevens Sherwood who lived in Kendall, Wisconsin. At that time he was almost 84 years old and still was a hard worker.
Elgin, Minn., May 6, 1912
Dear Cousin Ella:
I think it time I sent you a letter.
We are still moving, slowly perhaps. Delie has been having a cold but is nearly well. I have been well for three whole days and hope to keep on. When I can go a week and have no trouble with my liver I shall feel glad. At the farm they are done seeding. The silage is nearly all eaten. Thirty young cattle are turned out to pasture. Ralph has two men, good ones. The hogs – eight sows are in pasture.
But the apples are not gong to be more than one twentieth as many as we had last year. There are very flew blossom buds.
And nine tenths of the blueberry bushes were killed to the ground. Some of those will start from the roots.
[In Ella’s handwriting added along side his writing, “He set about 150 blueberry plants from here and all were alive last fall – mother.”] The first two months of last winter were very cold. I think the blossom buds on the apple trees were killed then.
Last evening Delie and I went to a show of pictures at the church. It was the Head Hunters of Borneo, and other fine sights among the Malays. It was fine.
Men began, this morning, to build a house across the street. It will be about thirty feet square and two stories high.
My work, lately, has been setting red raspberries in the woods on the farm. I get them here, where they are building that house. They will not begin to bear much for two years. Of course I have my horse here.
--10:40 AM
The clothes are washed, ready to hang out.
As for going East, I must sow some garden seeds and I must see how my health is. It will be several weeks before I can start, if I go. I want to go, very much. I want to see the old farm once more.
Tuesday morning.
Yesterday I hired a German to work today in the garden, digging dandelions with a spade. I have been digging them lately.
About a month ago, my wind vane blew down. It had been on the barn fifteen years. But was made of pine and decayed. I wanted one that would last better. So I made it of burr oak. I had to hew it out of a stick four feet long and six inches wide – the half of the tree. It was well seasoned. I was nearly a week making it. But it is a good one. I got Ralph to do the climbing.
I have been reading Darwin lately. I got the books more than twenty years ago and read them then; but one forgets in twenty years. This is a wonderful world.
I have not heard from Pine Terrace for several weeks. Please write.
This is the fifth day of good health for me -- I am very glad.
I shall go to the farm by and by and get some milk and eggs, do a little hoeing, water Prince, and get home to dinner.
I have hoed the blueberry bushes. Some of them were killed to the ground but will start form the root. A good many are blossoming. I think I shall have less than a quart of berries this year. The bushes have spread some, even in one year so that if I live I can take up some outside plants and set them in vacant places – next year.
I hear form Cousin J. J. Smith of South Newbury, Vermont, that he’s milking machines were not a success and he has gone back to the old way. He milks twenty Guernseys. He has the best farm buildings I ever saw.
4:30 PM
I think I would better bring this letter to a close and send it tonight. I am still well, but awfully old – 84 next Saturday. Please write. Yours, etc.,
J. Q. Richardson
[Ella Jane forwarded this letter on to her daughter Dora with an additional note – “Guess I’ll send this too, but you need return only Uncle Roberts. Ralph’s wife is not very chummy and John and Delie miss Grandma’s letters, so I try to write often. Their birthdays are J – May 11th, Delia, May 21st. Send them a card please. Love to you each. Mother”]
Elgin, Minn., May 6, 1912
Dear Cousin Ella:
I think it time I sent you a letter.
We are still moving, slowly perhaps. Delie has been having a cold but is nearly well. I have been well for three whole days and hope to keep on. When I can go a week and have no trouble with my liver I shall feel glad. At the farm they are done seeding. The silage is nearly all eaten. Thirty young cattle are turned out to pasture. Ralph has two men, good ones. The hogs – eight sows are in pasture.
But the apples are not gong to be more than one twentieth as many as we had last year. There are very flew blossom buds.
And nine tenths of the blueberry bushes were killed to the ground. Some of those will start from the roots.
[In Ella’s handwriting added along side his writing, “He set about 150 blueberry plants from here and all were alive last fall – mother.”] The first two months of last winter were very cold. I think the blossom buds on the apple trees were killed then.
Last evening Delie and I went to a show of pictures at the church. It was the Head Hunters of Borneo, and other fine sights among the Malays. It was fine.
Men began, this morning, to build a house across the street. It will be about thirty feet square and two stories high.
My work, lately, has been setting red raspberries in the woods on the farm. I get them here, where they are building that house. They will not begin to bear much for two years. Of course I have my horse here.
--10:40 AM
The clothes are washed, ready to hang out.
As for going East, I must sow some garden seeds and I must see how my health is. It will be several weeks before I can start, if I go. I want to go, very much. I want to see the old farm once more.
Tuesday morning.
Yesterday I hired a German to work today in the garden, digging dandelions with a spade. I have been digging them lately.
About a month ago, my wind vane blew down. It had been on the barn fifteen years. But was made of pine and decayed. I wanted one that would last better. So I made it of burr oak. I had to hew it out of a stick four feet long and six inches wide – the half of the tree. It was well seasoned. I was nearly a week making it. But it is a good one. I got Ralph to do the climbing.
I have been reading Darwin lately. I got the books more than twenty years ago and read them then; but one forgets in twenty years. This is a wonderful world.
I have not heard from Pine Terrace for several weeks. Please write.
This is the fifth day of good health for me -- I am very glad.
I shall go to the farm by and by and get some milk and eggs, do a little hoeing, water Prince, and get home to dinner.
I have hoed the blueberry bushes. Some of them were killed to the ground but will start form the root. A good many are blossoming. I think I shall have less than a quart of berries this year. The bushes have spread some, even in one year so that if I live I can take up some outside plants and set them in vacant places – next year.
I hear form Cousin J. J. Smith of South Newbury, Vermont, that he’s milking machines were not a success and he has gone back to the old way. He milks twenty Guernseys. He has the best farm buildings I ever saw.
4:30 PM
I think I would better bring this letter to a close and send it tonight. I am still well, but awfully old – 84 next Saturday. Please write. Yours, etc.,
J. Q. Richardson
[Ella Jane forwarded this letter on to her daughter Dora with an additional note – “Guess I’ll send this too, but you need return only Uncle Roberts. Ralph’s wife is not very chummy and John and Delie miss Grandma’s letters, so I try to write often. Their birthdays are J – May 11th, Delia, May 21st. Send them a card please. Love to you each. Mother”]
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