, 1900-10-11
FOL 10. NO. IL.
An Interesting Letter.

&. (The following letter, written by a
hther back in Ohio to his son in this
place. has been handed us with permits
o print. As there are so many sons in
ibis country to whom the advice given
herein will be acceptable, we are glad
bf the opportunity to use it. We are
promised others from the same source as
they are received. This letter will be
Found interesting to the older "boys" as
well as those just starting out in life for
themselves, as in this CASEY
Cambridge, o. Sept. both, 1900.
,MY DEAR SoN:-
Your very much looked for letter
ZANE this morning and your mother has
Aecd AID re-read il until she knows it
Eby heart and is now carrying it around
B.ith her. She cant get over the idea
that you have gone plum TO the other
side of the earth. to live among savages
Ind outlaws, instead of civilized people.
4 You say you lave not yet found work.
Don't be too particular about what you
DO. just grab hold of anything that
A+ Oil IL kct W w. " III " INV 4
easy to get work at your particular
trade, like you would here. for, from
what l know of that country, l should
Think a man would have to do just what
be could. not what he wanted to do. In
the mean time be careful of your associ-
etes and where you do your loafing. You
bay there is mo place to loaf except the
ealoons." l know you well enough to
know that you will not go there to
epend your idle time. Be careful of
your associates. The old saying that u
han can be told by the company he
keeps is a true one, though there is a
better saying. Judge a man by the
company he refuses to keep" Above
bill things avoid the vulgar, smutty, pro
Zane man. .tOut of the abundance OF
the heart the mouth speaketh," and the
heart Of the vulgar man is a very cess
pool of foulness. II i we're to give you
a rule to go by, one to guide your life in
all things, 1t would be this: Never say
or do anything hat you would be as
hamed to do or say in the presence of
any refined lady or gentleman. II you
adopt that, your life will not be far
wrong. But enough Of this, for l want
to write OF other matters.
From what you say OF Saratoga. and
and thecountry generally, l would think
a wonderful change must have come
over it since 1865, when / went through
there on the Old Overland Trail, as we
called it. There was a stage station
somewhere down the river, 1 should
Judge. from where you say Saratoga is
located. 1t was a wild country then
and antelope were everywhere in great
droves. l little thought then. when we
were travelling through there with an OK
team, and fighting Indians and standing
guard every night over our stock, that
people would ever settle there 10 live. l
remember Elk mountain very distinctly
and your description of it brings it up
wildly.
Mary has her new bicycle now and is
very proud of it She says l needn't
bother about going after the mail now
she will get it every day. 1t is rather Il
task for me to harness old Bill and drive
three miles to town and back, but l
would do a great deal more thar that
when your mother looks at me and says:
-there might be a letter from James"
why. she wanted me to go to the post
office the very next day after you left.
My dear boy, you must write at least
once a week to us for your mother will
be looking and longing for your letters,
and you must not disappoint her, what
ever you do. Remember she is getting
along in years and the doctor says we
must keep any kind OF worry away from
her as much AS possible, or she wont oe
with us very long So, don't forget 1t
may he a little trouble to nave to write
every week, bat there well come a time
when you will look back and wish you
had written twice as often and twice as
much. Charley Boy is at my elbow and
he keeps telling me not to forget to say
he wants you to write to him. You
must write a letter entirely to and adj
dress it to him. He looks like he felt
the loss OF yonr company very much.
Your mother and Mary will write in Il
day or two. Your father,
j /.