Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1860-11-29
En- ON THE w EST.
A Rich Letter.
LIsDrS Missouri Nov. 1, 1860

LISDKs Missouri Nov. /, 1860
J A Estill, Esq, Sir-I spose you have forgot
me or very hear II, tho l remember you mighty
well. Ify you consider about mint you will mind
that was one of your scholars when you taught
school on Yaller Creek, many years ago. ! left
before your School was out and I have never seen
you from that day to this, and am not now sure
whether am wrighdng TO you or sum buddy else
Of the same name. A few days ago got paper
from man that was goin west twas tho Homes
County Farmer. I was mighty glad to sea 1t
because wonst lived in Homes county. 1t was
from this paper that found out where you are,
and determined to wright to you. When | left
Yaller Creek went to Homes County and eh.
gagged to teech School, but the examiners woodent
Civ me q sertifficate and consequently had 10
abandon that undertaken, and went to work on q
farm for j. 1--WE omit the name.-EDrroR.)
got on very good terms with his dotter. loved
her, and she loved me. We behaved as we hadent
ort to by deal of site. hated it almighty bad
when the old man objected to US marryin, but
know Jane hated it wose ner did, possible, be-
cause in the event Of our not gitten married she
was bound to be in q worse pickel than any male
man wood be in. But the old man dident know
nothing about the trublc his poor dotter was a
going for to get in by him objecting to our mar
riage & drivin me from his hous. went from his
hous up to Lafayette, and stad there q few weeks,
atween me and Jane and there was konsiderabel
fuss made and thot I had better leave. was
konsiderin about the matter when seen the con-
stabel coming up from Millersburg and without
konsiderin any farther broke for the woods in
bubble quick time, and have never been visable
to any person in that region sense then. hav
travelled round till got away out here. I hay
made some money. hav 800 akcrs of land here,
and mighty good land two. Decides tho land
hay nine hundred and fftysx dollars, all in the
yaller, laid by and saltcd. Teachin School and
huntin has been my principel ockupashuns and
have made them both pay purity well.
| Iwood wright to Jane if knowed she would git
the letter but am afraid she wont. ] luv that
girl better than all the rest of the world, and am
determined to marry her yt if / can get the chance
l want you to publish this letter so she can sea il
and l want her to wright to me as soon as she
gifts it, IfJane will konsent aud the old man is
either dead or willin to let me have his injured
dotter will come write along and marry her and
be good husband. think she is not married
for girls that prove victums to such accidents are
not very likely to get married. Dear Jane want
you to wright Immediately to Jonathan z Smith AT
Linden, Atchison County, State Of Missouri.
The huntin season is now in its prime. have
been huntin for about munth. / have now or
hand large quantity of skins that am going fol
to take down to st. Louis before my School com
mences, which will be in about munth IIuntir
is a little dangerous. We hav to sleep out SC
much at mite and the infurnel wolves are rlvenou
and always ready to eat a feller up. One mite
laid down beside creek to sleep and a pack o
the curses fell on me and wood hav killed me if
hadent managed it to git into the creek and duel
them under as fast as they cum at me. Rut
dident git in to tho creek till they had all tn
coher off me except one stoekin and my shir
cole. In that distressed state was kompelle
to walk thirty.one miles to my home. 1t larn
IL
60 out huntin now always take II large sac
with me, and when mite comes | cline a tree
hang the sack from a limb, crawl down into it anC
60 to sleep. One time this come purity near bein:
the last Of me. a set of cursed fools were ou
huntin one mite and they cum along to where
was hangin, and they thot was a ghost, and the
} up with their guns and fired away at me. Th
first shot cut the ropc that the sack was tied witt
and down cum; fallin about forty-ive feet. The
I ground was mdln soft where fell but it stunne,
me konsiderabel. But will give more of m
huntin experience when wright another time
Give my luv to Jane ifyou know her.
Yours Forever
JONATHAN @. SMITH.
P.S. Send copy of the paper containen thi
to James father and will pay for it when Gun
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