Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1884-05-10
California Letter.
BoRDoN, CAL, April 20, "a.

j. B. RITCHEY: Dear Sir-A week
ago visited your brother. l wish
you could have been with us, for as
sure you it was pleasant visit. We
left here at 5 a. M, and before we had
time to think we were in the city of
MERGED, distance of forty miles. We
expected to meet your brother at the
depot, having written to him, butowing
to the high water, he had not been able
to get his mail. We got carriage
from the livery stable, but it was some
time before they would undertake the
Tip. But about II o'clock they drove
round to the hotel and we started. We
found mud deep, black and sticky,
much like the Texas mud, though it
did not extend far, only few miles
around the city and up Bear creek.
We arrived at your brothers little
after ~. 1t was wash day with Laura,
and she and Bye had just finished.
Soon dinner was ready, and l found
that Micajob ''lived at home and
boarded at the same place." 1 was
pleased to find him so we'll fixed. He
has very nice and pleasant family.
His daughter Bye is very much like
you--fayors you more than her father,
but is better looking, and is going to
be just like your mother. She presides
at the head Of the table, and waits on
it like an old lady. The children all
60 to school-only six in all, five boys
and Bye makes six. Everything about
the place goes like clock.work. Each
one has his work-no telling this or
that one what to do. Joe aud Arthur
are the hostlers, Fate the "milkmaid,"
Ira and Claud get the wood and make
the fires, and Cage feeds the pigs.
1t would seem unreasonable in Ten.
nessee for boy 10 years old to put in
235 acres of wheat himself. Ira has
done it. His father kept his pillow in
order while Ira did the blowing. 1t
would do you good to see how well
Gage" is getting along. He used to
have to work very hard, but he can
now live easy. You know he never
took trouble to heart much. He is full
OF life and the same old Cage. He
loves a game of croquet as we'll as he
used to love a game of marbles. l
learned the game. They all play well.
Tell Alfred they would lay it on to
him. Laura plays well. She is get>
ting to look like her father.
Your brother has beautiful farm.
and could sell for a profit. Land
around MERGED is much higher than
here. They beat us farming. They
put in their grain in the right way. /
saw wheat field of 1000 acres that
beat anything l ever saw. 1t was up
to the top of the fence and not headed
out, Huffman has 8, 900. Red knows
the place, as he worked on part of it.
They think the 1000 acre place will
average 40 to 80 bushels per acre. All
the land down there is in cultivation.
As far as | could see the other side of
the railroad the land was in grain.
The District court had just adjourn.
ed. They had just tried big suit.
The railroad company refused to pay
the taxes on their property, saying it
was not worth what it was valued at
that they would take sixty or seventy
thousand dollars less than it was valued
at. SO some of the citizens told them
they would take the road. Some let
tiers passed, the citizens got the money
and went to close the trade, and the
railroad folks backed down. The par.
ties brought suit against the railroad
company for 100000 damages and
got $4,000 l understand the rail-
road company are going to pay it.
John G. Breckinridge's son was one of
the principle attorneys that brought
the suit.
The rains are about over, have not
had any since last Monday. Weather
is fine Nowadays warm and pleasant,
but nights cool. Mr.. Patterson and
family are at Salina. This is his time
to preach there, and will be absent
about two weeks. They stopped off