Monticello June 25th 1861
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Iron this before Reading
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Mrs Mary C. Alvord,
Dear Sister:
Here is a leaf of Washington; A maple leaf at that. I might have got a larger one, but this is the first I met.

If I had told you that maple leaves in this country were larger than chair bottoms, you would not have believed me; but please spread this on a chair and see.

Oh! This would be a country
If it wasn't clear out of the world
And if the soil was better,
With more chances to make gold!

But some will say the soil must be good or vegetation would not be so rank. It is not the soil, altogether, to produce such vegetation, it is more in the climate. But they will still argue, that, if the climate produces these things is it not as well as though the soil did it. But understand, trees and leaves can grow very well, but nine tenths of the land is covered with breaks, (or furn) which grows from 3 to 5 feet high and can't be killed and who wishes to fight that [missing word]

I said if there were more chances to make gold, but many think this is just the place for that, but I would imagine that if a man can take a family into a forest that has a million feet of lumber to the acre, birdes [?] a dence thicket of brush, which is all to be bu [?] ground, and make moner [?] at ro [?] wheat at 40 cents per bushel, which is all it brought last year save for a short time on [?] sound when merchants would give a dollar in coffee at 30 cents per pound, shugar 20 [?] Poach [?] 22, Etc. Etc.

Oh this is the country for me,
The country for any going man,
He who cant make a fortune out here,
I know of no place where he can.

I think it has rained here, as often as 4 days out of 6 for the last 3 Months. It would be a great curiosity to you to come here and see every unpainted house over five years old completely covered over and in bloom.

And would not our eastern farmers think themselves in a fine streak of luck if they had to scrape the moss off from their fences every year after harvest to prevent them being burnt up. I have seen nothing in this country but that was mossed over except live stock, and swift rivers. Joseph has a 60 acre march, which he thought would be a fine thing to raise hay on, but come to examine it, it proves to be only a moss covered lake; for he hays he has run a pole down 20 Feet and had it come of its own accord.

Houses, fences and lakes
All covered over with moss,
Wives, husbands, and children
All carbb[?] crop,
Six months in the year
[?] knees in the [?]
And who would not say
Such a country is good!

June 26th
It is still raining. It rained last night so that is raised the streams considerably and it is still coming. Well let it come, We are near to the [?] here and have great delivery. And besides all that our land is a [?] What cant go off, and go down!

[Leaf 2]

Harriet and [?] have gone down the Colum[?] ...twenty miles to attend [?] his appointment and to make him a suite of clothes on a machine. They expect to be gone about a week so I shall have solitude to my hearts content. But when I am alone I am never lonely. Harriet's health is not very good this summer. She is the weakest I think that I have ever seen her. She does not call herself sick, but is very weak. Maria's health is also very poor. But Levi and Thomas are as tough as "boiled owls" Joseph is also quite well. I believe. My own health at present is better than for some time past. I shall live with H. and [?] about a month longer and then will join the conference or go to work again. If I to go work I think of going up to the Walla Walla country east of the mountains.

If you will not critisize to sharply I will present you with the following acrotie [?] which being my second effort of the kind will entitle it to your forbearance

Remember sister, still thou art, Oh mayest there ne'er forgotten be Let love e'er bind thee to my heart Love which ne changes e'er shall see In sickness sorrow or in pain N'er think my love will not remain Can I forget the heart So many years I've loved With all the shifting changing scenes In which I here have [?] 'Tis difficult indeed to see How such a think could ever be.

I hear from home quite often (through the papers) I have been on the Cowlitz about 8 months and have received one letter from home which was from Horace. But never mind. Let them come! I can read all that they can write!

Having such an extensive correspoanence I am about as well posted on home matters as though I was being there myself. Horace is in debt up to his chin, and expects to go in all over in about 6 Months! Henry has got the blues the "gallarat" [?] and will be ready for dutch cheese [?] in about two weeks and perhaps sooner, if it keeps thundering on the south. Well, so goes the world!

June 27th '61
As I expect to go to the office today I will finish this letter. It is still dark and wet. It rained all night again last night, and is now resending, for it is now 10 oclock and the sun has not made its appearance yet.

People all say that this is the most backward spring that they ever saw here. Timothy will not be headed out under two weeks yet, and last year people were cutting it a week or so later than that. But never mind, Days, Months and years still roll away!
And our life is being made up.

I shot a bear the other day. And told Horace I would send some for him and Fredrick some of its hair but forgot it and so I will send some to Lucy and Hattie if I don't forget to put it in. I wrote to that man of yours twice in 1860 and received no answer please tell him if he is mad to just write and let me know it. What do I care about his mad fits as long as I am where he cant get hold of me. If you read this to him please put your hand on his head and tell him I didn't mean anything wrong.