Spelling and grammatical errors are retained, and illegible sections are indicated by _____. Clarifications are added in parentheses.
Rosita, July 2, 1881
My dear Matty,
I rec’d your last two papers & and last letter yesterday evening. I am glad your health is better but sorry you have the blues. Come my dearling, there is a better time coming for us, I hope I feel cheerful and in good spirits. Jack is well. I tell you, we crowding things along so hard that we only have time to think and talk about our business. We came here to make money and we intend to do it. We have the foundation laid for something big and all we have to do is hold on, develop our mine, and we will get our price. We intend dooing just as you have said in your last letter. That is to sell when I have got down to ore bed and the excitement is up. Indication grows stronger every inch we go in our SM (Seneca Mining) claim. It’s hard work and heavy blasting. The crevice is still five feet wide and pitching into the mountain. I can’t see Jack from the ____ as he is under the hanging wall. So far the upper wall is called the ____ Wall and the lower one the Foot Wall. Yesterday noon we came to where both walls were terribly cracked and broken up by the Great Heat passing up through the crevise in the general upheaval of the earth. It has at one time been the bottom of the ocean and has been thrown up by the volcanic eruptions. Now I will post you in regard to our affairs. The ____ Jack and I now own two thirds of it and it is recorded and my name and his in the county clerk’s office. I gave Jack the deed to take care of, we gave $150 dollars for it and the doet (debt) owed on it $100 dollars in work this years taxes before he could own half of it. And he said for us to let him buy it for us that it was worth $2000 for it and that he would not give the man less that $500. That he would not have it for less as Blanchard was a mason. We told him to buy it but he as usual kept assing around to keep from work. So I mistrusted a wrong in him I said to jack one morning, came we will go and see the man ourselves. So we went and in less than an hour we had bought it for 150$. Had a notary public making out the deed bye nine o clock. Was back home at work on our claim so you see, if the doc does not work out, the $100 dollars taxes Jack and I will, and we will, then own it all. As I made the trade to that affect and have it in writing. I feel sorry for the honery devil and we wont be hard on him. We will doo just right, and nothing more. He came back late last Sunday, starved out and brought a ____ along to live off of. Jack and I was very liberal when he came back. He bought an old flye blown beef shank & $25 cents of last years potatoes & $25 cents worth of onions and went to making soop & eating old beef sinews and gristle. After eating all the good meat we had on hand when he came back we thought we could stand it as long as he could but he beat us out when it came to dinner yesterday. There was nothing to eat but some old bones and soop two days old. No coffee poor Jack took a little soop, I eat nothing. I said to Jack let us go and get something to eat and buy a pair of nippers so we can pull the gristle and sinews out of each other. As Tilden’s pills won’t moove them so we went bought a nice lot of something to eat brought it home got supper and you ought to have seen him eat last night at supper. The first one at the table, so to make the story short, he is the most unprincipled, meanyest, creature I ever saw in all my life. We keep an account of everything in the final settlement he will have to come to time so last Thursday we got the country surveyor and has the SM Claim run off. Corners and sidelines all permanently made. The surveyor made out his certificate and we had it recorded, two thirds of it to Jack and I so you see, that I am dooing is done right. So if anything happens to me you will have no trouble in seeing just how everyhting stands, no one can beat you out of it. And today I ____ my interest would sell for ten thousand dollars you can always just put the upmost confidence in Jack, he will never wrong order you wronged out of one cent. So as fast as we open up the claims, everything will be recorded and done right. It costs something it will all come back the name of the SM is changed too Cerargyte. And so recorded on account of it’s showing so much chlorides and horn silver rock. My advice to you Matty is to sell off all stock that will give trouble and work and take good care of yourself so that if I am permitted to return, we can enjoy our selves what little time we have left to live on this earth. And for the by all means, if you can get a good woman to live with you, do so, do it bye all means. It is horrible for me to think how lonely you are. Thanks for the stamps and papers. Jack is going to write you on the piece you sent. I don’t think hard of you for not writing. Oftener I know you doo the best you can, do not send anything to eat by express, it costs too high. I send Mr McCay and Lapoteys boxes of specimens on 28th June by express. Yours are in Mr McCay’s box they are all fine, your name was written on yours, wraped in paper. Don;t give any away. I send you something fine today, it is from Leadville, in cedar box. I will do my best to come see you this winter if I possibly can get away. It cost now from hear to Keokuk $37.50 by railroad. The rainy season is on hand and must have a dry warm house. Postscript on the back page- ____ Theirin we can buy ____ also a shaft house to be working this winter. Postscript on the front page- I wrote you note and Mr McCay’s box to send me $100 which you can do by post office order on Rosita PO I hope we will get to pay one before I will have to use it get Mr McCay to go with you to Keokuk to get. Send regards to all friends and a kiss for Matty. Will write soon, I have no time to write today one but you, I will feel better satisfied for you to get one to live with you.
The Rosita Museum 