Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1911-12-08
AN old LETTER

y
of Highland is now in the hands of
the printer, ran across the follow
ing letter while collecting data for
| his book, and made a copy of it
with the intention of reproducing it
| in full, but, finding that it would
take up too much space, he made
use of only part of it. He has
kindly given us his copy and rec
ommended it's publication for the
following reasons: ID it is a very
old document; (2) it covers a
wide range of interesting events;(3)
the writer came of a well-known
Highland family. the oldest son of
the late Reuben Slaven.-Ed.)
Union Ranch, Butte, co. Cal.
May 23rd, 1860.
My Dear Brother:
| AS I have not
written you a letter since coming
here, | thought I would do so now
and as T have not very much time
to write, will make it do for a re-
ply to. two or three letters, which l
have received remaining yet un-
answered. Two of them are from
father and one from Stewart.
The two first dated March 9TH
and April 9Th, the latter Dec. 29th.
| will refer TO them again. | am
happy to inform you that we are
once more in pretty good health,
with the exception that the child
rem are frequently unwell from
teething. At least I hope it is moth
ign worse. Yet Mary looks deli
cate and lean to be produced from
such a cause. Alpheus looks finely
and seems to be quite stout boy.
My health appears as good as usual
except that l am more troubled
with headache than formerly. l do
not know how could bear up un-
heavy labor in the hot summer sun.
| do no intend to expose myself to
it this year, as | have taken up "a
school for six months. | be gan
teaching April 23rd. Thus far il
has been small in consequence OF
the hay making season, which COM
menced about the 1st. 1t is only
worth S55 per month, but l will
have more scholars soon. l have
at present only s or 9 at $3.50 per
scholar per month, payable month
ly. l did not take this school by
the month, as did my last one.
The people complain of hard times
and won't pay now more than
about s65 per month. But l am
not restricted. If I get 20 scholars
now, it is all my own. My scholars
are not far advanced, which rem
ders the school less interesting than
any school ever taught, except
the one taught here last fall. But
then | have some choice books to
keeps me company. In fact l am
a pupil to them myself.
I have a walk of about a mile and
quarter, which just about suits me.
Our school house is a small room
with plenty of cracks in it to admit
the air. The writing benches are
stuck around the walls according to
the old fashion, and the seats are
hard benches without backs. The
floor has cracks, wide enough gen.
erally, to let all the dust through,
and pens and pencils too, when
dropt; but we can get them by
Jerking loose plank, and sending
a boy under after them. When
attend to my scholars at their writ
ing lessons, am oblidged to slip
around with a careful, easy step,
for the floor shakes asif on springs.
The door, opening on good rawhide
hinges without creaking, fronts
toward the West, and also towards
the public road and dirty creek
close by.
If live animals can constitute
company, we have plenty of it in
the droves of hogsan1 sheep and
cattle pack trains of mules, wagons
and teams and conveyances of many
sorts, all hurrying by to the crack
ing of whips, whooping and hallow-
ing of hurrying men, all restless
and eager, and pushing onward IN
some direction after something a
fortune, 1 suppose. Such sights |
IAN see from our academy, almost
every day. Ny scholars are some
what of wild, uprourious temper
-nment. thev can sometimes make