Montana oil and mining journal., 1940-04-27
Butte Man Owns Priced Letters Which
Were Written Over Eighty Years Ago

little bundle of letters, nearly
100 years old, written from Iowa
when that state was one OF Amerf-
cas- frontiers, Is the treasured
possession Of G. J. Carter, 403
Colorado street, Of Butte. They
were written from Shell Rock, and
other towns In Iowa, some Of them
before the railroad had penetrated
that cOuntry-when Indians were
numerous and enterprasing-w
ing to beg bluff, steal or sell goods
to the white settlers.
The stamps ON some of the letters
all written to Carriers father, William
B. Carter. at Parkham, o., by his
| sisters and brothers who we're break
! ing trails in the far west" known as
/ Iowa-were Cancelled with pen and
! ink: they evidently had canceIling
stamps in those days but sometimes
| they couldn't find the stamp or else
they ran out of ink
one Of the letters, dated from Shell
Rock, Ia, in 1857, announces that a
sister of the writer has secured a job
as a school teacher at a salary OF $50
q month The month Is January. There
are rumors of intense cold and suffer-
ing, some of which IS true" The
writer tells of a man who had both
legs amputated because Of freezing,
two men who got into rough and
tumble on the streets of Independence
and who rolled about on the ground
with the result that when they re-
gained their feet, neither one could
clench his fist TO strike blow. Their
hands were frozen OPEN" AS an after
thought it is stated that the school
teaching job calls for only 20 days
service a month.
Hard TO Get Acquainted
George Moore, an acquaintance Of
the Carriers. who visited Brighton, Ia,
writes that it is practically impossible
to get acquainted unless you belong to
the church" He says he attended a
party, sat around until past 8 O'Clock
and not a soul spoke to me-" so he
took his hat and went home.
In 1857, a brother OF Carter. who
had a streak for business, wrote IN
ment Loyal to the Union, the State
of Iowa." that 'I traded a horse for
yoke of oxen today, tied the other horse
behind the wagon and came home
driving two teams of oxen" He says,
although it is only November, "the
winter has set in-and the corn isn't
huSked."
Grief to Settlers
In December, 1857, mention IS made
OF a trouble that brought mucn grle1
to the settlers. It is the overflowing
of the rivers with the consequent de-
struction of bridges. "The river is too
high to cross" Celia, the $20-a-month
teacher, is teaching 30 pupils In one
room In a dwelling house" The trader
blood manifestS itself in a statement
that the writer bought a watch for
SIS, traded it for a gun and sold the
gun for So" The letter carries the
ominous threat, Now re-
If you don't answer this letter
I'll sit right down and write you an
other" From this letter one learns
that Shell Rock Is in Butler county.
On Feb. Z, 1858, Celia, the school
marin, writes that: IT have only four
weeks more to teach" that I'VE have
been having an old-fashioned, pro-
tracted Methodist revival" That 1t 'rhas /
lasted three weeks during which we
have preached, prayed, shouted and
groaned for the sinners-and have
made 80 converts" 1t is further stated
that two or three had the powers but
was not present"
Splitting Rails
In January, 1858, the writer, who re-