Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1882-04-08
Letter from Illinois.
uoryr MORRIS, OGLE Co., ILL.,
MVNN'- NT~.ol, 1900 4

MI has found grand fortune in the
MO III town of my birth and with whom
gVSSa ave been favored greatly by having
n" GOOD chats}, Dear Sir-lnasmucha rs
irarnoymised you letter when bid you the
and sorrowful goodbye, Will try
be-, at this late date to put you up one OF
ny ny kind, not OF much force OF coarse, as
h ~; in my short life lacked opportunities.
w. ionrneyed very pleasantly from Mar
.'nsburg. W. Va, from the 2lst of Febru-
srr, until the 23rd following, when at s
CLOCK D. m. we landed safely at my very
JeiChtful little town, Mount Morris, ILL.,,
here we met our Ogle county, Illinois,
friends who were not few; had fine
,;me: then was taken by them to their eie-
,,ant homes, helped them to eat their good
ssrrper and is woUld tell you, that we,
ike the certain rich man, Jared sNmptu,
,uslv every day with them, until our itill
,ime came to move into our own mouse.
MIR. Editor, l must say right here, that tue
cleverest and best people have ever ye'
found are the Pennsylvanians Marylaiiu
ers aud Virginians, and my dear Ir!enu
am very happy to tell you that .'lS 81.
tlement is made up principally OF lhae PEG,
no T am sure have never been treated
more kindly in nv life than nave Deen
nv this neOplc. since we arrived here, Tor
,he snore Of time we have been mere. we
never saw the day before when presents
we're thronged upon us as they have been
since our removal TO our new home BuL
nevertheless must tell you we have not
,ot forgotten old home and old friends.
Hes Will and have an idea we never
will although we may be permitted 20 live
amt our days. | often thought and said
NOT only 10 myself but to others, after De-
ing kicked around by my plows among
the rocks of Maryland and Virginia that |
cxpected to leave them and my friends anu
r,iiye old home all some day for the great
STATE of Illinois to live and die rejoicing as
| went, but when the time did fully come
! for the first time saw my great mistake
in myself for if must tell you the truth,
j, is this, | am satisfied it was the heaviest
TASK ever hand in my life. never once
thought then of rejoicing over my depar-
lure from my old home, but am now glad
~ tell You that on account of the great
amount of encouragement which we are
receiving at the hands of our most excel
lent friends here, we are gradually getting
over our gricfs in the way of old home and
old friends departed. Owing TO the great
rress of business with me which unex-
pectedly took place directly before my set
time came TO leave for the West, could
not get around TO see one-fourth of my
friends TO take another good look at them
and for the last time say goodbye, for
know a great many of you dear people
shall never see the good faces OF again In
This world and neither will ever hear
ANY more your clever voices again say
come IN, If / should be so fortunate 81
70 get back to see you at my present pur-
posed time, ten years. would Ike right
here and now 10 say to all OF my TRENDS
who | could not get TO see before left,
goodbye, wish you all we'll, both friend
and foe; hut Mr.. Editor, | must tell you
/ left everybody in peace and if have an
enemy there or here don't know them
and indeed don't wish 10 know them.
On our journey we found the waters very
full everywhere and especially along the
Maumee river in Ohio; therefore rs wide
is about half dozen fields nothing could be
seen but the top board and post to show that
there WAS u field. l have seen but very
little business going on of any consequence
cXrrpt sales since left old home. Sales
here are great deal better than they are
there. Horses, cattle, sheep and farming
indictments are much higher here than
ihev are there, but corn and hay are cheap;
corn brings between 90 and GO cents per
tushel, oats 10 cents and hay about IS
Der ton. Butter here is worth 80 cents per
bound. eggs 10 cents per dozen and pota-
toes 81 per bushel. The horses, cattle,
hogs and sheep in this country are much
better than you have in Virginia. These
people now have Il great deal more money
than Maryland and Virginia people have.
The lands OF this settlement now range
from $50 to 800 per acre, improved farms.
am informed 10y the people here that the
weather is unusually cold and wet Tor
March, but they say they had a beautiful
winter. | know never saw March as
cold and wet rs this was anywhere before.
Now the farmers are beginning to ploW
and harrow. | intend 10 buy new har-
row tomorrow that cuts Is feet wide, II IS
= ,hrce-hdrse harrow in three parts. l
have much to learn here ia the business
of farming. although have been prac-
tical farmer for the space of 80 years
Wages are high here a medium farm hand
gets readily $40 month and the best so.
/ never saw fall wheat looking better any
where than it does about here this spring.
Fall wheat is worth about 81 30 to $3.50
and spring $l.l5 Business of all kinds
here are good for this time of the year
and farming particularly Is richly paying.
am honor bound here TO say 10 you, my
own dear people, that while L know mat
money and living is more easily maze
here than it is with you, you yet and ever
will have one great advantage, and that Is
i'm the climate, and here frankly say TO
all of YOU who have left behind, who are
we'll situated and have your fortunes made
that you would frequently regret the day
YOU ever came away is my candid opinion.
As for my own case know lhave no rea-
son to regret my recent removal because
was not we'll situated; had been, should
have bought me lot in your most beautl-
full Elmwood Cemetery 20 be buried.
Now friend, John. in conclusion | wish
to say to You and ut least one other friend
of ShepherdStown and that selection made
TO suit Yourself if it is your better half,
come to see us at your.earliest convenience
that might have the privilege of show
ing YOU some of the prettiest part of this
world and people that the sun sometimes
shines on and ut the same time We would
have YOU and yours help us to get away
with at least some of the milk and honey
which flows so tluently through this coun-
try. Yours most respectfully,
j. CHALMERS BYERS.
The minority of the House Committee
on Territories has reported advcr sci Y to
y .l--., IL