Letters of Jonathan (John) Buck to his Aunt Elizabeth
Buck Garlick and cousin Sarah Garlick Kerswell
(First part missing) dated March 6, 1875 from John Buck, Bedford Co., PA to Elizabeth Buck and Sarah Garlick Kerswell
...well. You ask how it come that I did not come to see you when stated. The reason is that the man that was to buy my farm, backed out and I had made sale on the 27th day of March and sold everything to come and then after that man backed out I was to sell to another man and his wife died just two days before the time was for us to start and that knocked me all wrong all that I had and the balance of the company before I could rent again.
It just seemed as if I was not to go and I bought up again and went to farming. And since the times have got so hard in the West I am glad I did not go, but I will come and see you all yet if all goes right but I can't say when.
Money here is very dull, grain is very plenty. Flour is $5.50 per barell. Corn 75¢ per bushel. Pork very low. We have the coldest winter here that has been for 35 years, river ice 4 ½ feet thick.
Aunt Mary Buck is well, Catharine too, neather one of them lives with me now since last spring. Catharine lives with Assa Williams, Aunt lives with Jacob Foor, no other change in our family. Been very healthy this winter.
Yours truly, write to me again and tell me all the news and I will give you all the news then. To all my cousins and Aunt. John Buck.
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March the 6th, 1875 (letter from Delilah Clark inserted in letter from John Buck to Elizabeth Garlick)
Dear Aunt and Cousins;
It is with pleasure that I drop you a few lines to inform you we are all well at the present time and hope and trust these few lines may find you the same.
I must tell you where we live, we live near Gapsvill and I thought I would write a few lines to you all. I am a stranger to you I suppose. I am Catharine Garlick's oldest daughter, she was married to Wesley Clark. There is just seven children living and two dead.
I want you to be sure and write just as soon as this comes to hand.
Mr. John Buck told me I could write a piece in his letter and I am very thankful to write with him as we have not your address. I am paying Mr. Buck a visit now, so must bring these few lines to a close by asking you to please write soon as this reaches you.
From yours truly, Della E. Clark to Mrs. Sarah Kerswell. When you write,
direct it to Gapsville, Bedford Co. Pa or to Mother or to Della E. Clark
or to Mother, Catharine Clark.
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London (Madison Co.), Ohio, Sept 10, 1877 (Letter from John Buck to Sarah Kerswell and Elizabeth Garlick)
Dear Cousin and Aunt;
I seat myself to say I received a letter from you some months ago. I would have answered before now but was still thinking of being closer to you before this time but am about fixing to move back again to the old home place in Pennsylvania. My wife has been sick nearly ever since we have been in Ohio and is not sadis ficte [sic satisfied] to go any farther west and she now has the agure [ague] and two of my children has got it and I have concluded to take them where the Agure seldom comes any more, that is in Pennsylvania where they was born. The rest of my family is all well and I hope these few lines find you all well.
Times is very dull here now all though there is plenty of everything but fruit, there is none at tale, only what is shipped here. Hay is only three dollars per ton, wheat $1.00 per bushel, rye 45¢ per bushel, potatoes 30¢ per bushel, butter 10¢ lb. & 12¢, eggs 8 & 10¢ a dozen. Work by the day 50 to 75¢ and none hardly to do at that. Corn up here, the folks that has corn is just pulling the ears off leaving the foder so that stops the work from off the farms hands so there is no work to do.
I have two teams hauling and can only get $5.00 per day for both and you aught to get that for one.
I can't tell how Aunt or Catharine is gitting along for I have not had a letter from either one for five months or more, I can't tell why it is as I have written to both of them and got no answer.
We intend starting back 16th of November. I am going through on the railroad, so if you write so I can get it direct it to Everett, Bedford County, PA. To John Buck in care of Mary Buck.
One of my boys married a girl here and they have gone to keeping house here, so if my letter does not come to hand in time he can lift it and remail. His name is William L. Buck, he married a girl by name of Any (Annie?) Rit Chenny. She is a millener and mantel maker and still works at her trade. William is clerking in a grocery store and drives a delivery wagon for the store part of his time. He gets $28.00 per month and boards himself.
The crops have been very good here this year.
I guess I must close by asking you to write soon.
Yours truly, John Buck
Tell Aunt we all send our love and to all "Good By," It is raining the
ground is covered like a river.
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Columbus (Franklin Co.), Ohio, March 17, 1895 (letter from John Buck to Sarah Kerswell)
Dear Cousins;
I received your very welcome letter a few days ago. It found me well and my family is well as are my family. The boys and girls and their families is well.
I am boarding, I don't keep house anymore and I received your picture and I thought I had thanked you for it in my letter long ago, if not I am very much obliged to you for it.
I did not see Dasey Garlick when I was East, she was away from home the day I went to see her and I had so many places t go I did not get around again. I sen Mrs. Walis (Elizabeth Garlick Wallace) and Evey Price (Eve Garlick Price). She is married to another man by the name of Joseph Weaverling. Maybe you can mind old Peter Weaverling that used to I've east of my father, it is one of his boys she married, sister to Daisy Garlick.
I seen Telitha (Catharine) Garlick two but only to speak to her as met her on the road one day she is married to Wesley Clark, one of Elias Clark's boys. If you would wish to write to her direct it to Telitha Clark Bedford County, PA. Mench Post Office in care of her boy (William) Clark Sr.
Well you spoke of the cold winter we have had, the most snow and cold weather I ever saw in Ohio. No deep snow, but snowed for two months right along. It is nice here now.
Time is dull here but every thing plenty and very cheap. I have had work all winter in a wholesale house where it is heated with gas, as warm as wood care. The themometer was at one time 14 degrees below zero, that was perty cold, but they have had two feet of snow on the level back at our old home place this winter.
It appears that there is going to be plenty work to do this summer, lots of large buildings to go up this summer.
I will give you a few of the market prices; Hay $10.00 per ton; Corn 50¢ per bushel; Flour potatoes 65¢ per bushel; Beef 5¢ to 10¢ per lb.; Pork 8¢ to 10¢ per lb.; Butter 23¢ lb.; Large eggs 12 1/2¢ dozen; No price for days wages, get what ever you can. Muslin 3 to 5¢ per yd. and calico 3 to 6¢ per yd. Sugar 21¢ lb. And coffee 18 to 23¢ lb.
Well I must close for this time, hoping to hear from you soon.
Direct to John Buck, Columbus, Ohio. Galloway Ave No. 522.