Josiah Parker Papers Letter 34

1st mo 28th 1831

Dear brother

I left Blue River the 26th left Samuel and family tolerable well and not much complaint in that settlement I am not far from Richmond I recd. thy letter or bunch of letters 12th mo. 28 and was very glad of them and you may be sure I am glad of a letter from any of you at any time if I dont write particularly about it or them not much complaint with friends about Milton Caleb Morris got cripbled by a horse falling down with him and on his leg about two weeks ago I have made some inquiry in regard to Silversmiths E Coffin and Mordecai Hiatt thinks Milton would be a good place for thee its a pretty smart Town and no workman there of that kind there tell F W that land may be had in the settlement of Walnut Ridge at various prices 7 half quarters are offered for sale at 3000 dollars with about 160 acres underfence 6 of the half quarters joining with make 480 acres together and another tract just by of about 200 acres of good land at 1200 or 1300 dollars with a stout plantation and some other small tracts it depends on the quality and improvements about the price theres very good land to be bought at $1.25 cts per acre in some places tell him land can be bought in any or almost any part of this Western World with money but I think he must not be afraid to move and then look for himself wheat from 45 to 50 cents per bushel corn sold at public [vandeie?] this day near Richmond from 26 to 30 cts per bushel at Eleven months credit to allmost 43 higher than than common its frequently been 10 and 12 cts for bushel in Richmond for years past pork form $2.25 to $3.37 I have rented out my land for clearing and engaged to work with A White exspect to commence next week at $7 for the first mo. and $8 afterwards I expect to work on a place he bought about 1/2 mile from Town so if any of you should send letters to me send them to Milton Wayne County I.a. in regard to your Temperance Society I wish it may have the desired effect but I fear your joining with the great men of the world you will have to follow them to[o] far though I need not say much about it as I know but little there is quite alarge Temperance Society up North of here at or about Newgarden Friends have joined it there. James Robert has not got here yet nor none of the letters that was givin him of you if they had been given to Willis Roberts I or we should have got them long ago. Uncle J P has removed to Hopewell himself and all of his children are there he has not bought any land for himself lives with his children I have not been there since last winter I saw Robert and Isaac a few days ago they were as well as usual

2nd [page] in regard to my coming back again I should be very glad to be there but little prospect of it at present If I can hear from you once in a while and hear that you are making out well I am not so oneasy about you If I was there perhaps I should be an exspence and I suppose you or some of you have given out the ideas of coming here away. I want to enter or get some more land somewhere its said to be a good body of land out westward where the other set of Binfords have gone its also said theres good land yet to enter I want to go out there next fall to look and if I should like would be glad to be able to enter a quarter if no more out there so if any of the money that the Dickmony land sold for is for me I should like to get it between this and then for its likely that the land there away will soon be all taken my health is tolerable at present its been a beautiful winter so far the ground is covered with snow and has been so sometime its a beautiful time for Slay riding as any of you ever saw I came in from Milton on that way its very cold dont thraw much its said its been colder this winter than its been in 15 years before we had a beautiful fall and was not a killing frost till somewhere about the 10 of last 2th mo. Some of the Creeks and rivers are frozed over so that people drive over them Send me some account of Sander and should like to know something about the molatto man that killed Lewis Boon and Jones I saw Zang and family last week they were well Edward and his family tolerable I said or wrote something about your being satisfied with staying there I am glad of that if theres no chance for you to get away its better for you to be satisfied if you are going to stay by all means but if not I dont see much need of you building much I have scrabbled nearly all this on my knees by candle light 29th in the morning its snowing I am in usual health this morning I may inform that Samuel raised corn a plenty last year and perhaps some ______ Several families from Guilford N C moved down to our settlement last fall one of Samuel Hills sons was was along I worked some for him I was working for him one morning stuck my ax in to my left leg right on my shin cut it to the bone it soon got well again in 2 or 3 weeks 30th came to Milton Jeremiah Hubbard had a meeting at Milford to day 31st he J H had an appointed meeting in Milton by candle light 2nd Mo 1st and and another the Evening by candle light also 2nd came on to Newport I am at Cader Woodards they are tolerable well Its the 4th of the week I set into work for A White second day it commenced snowing soon in the morning snowed all day or nearly so I worked some in it. it was not very cold it thundered quite loud several times about the middle of the day and also the next day chopped pretty near all day in the wood snow about 10 inches deep kept myself tolerable warm at work but the snow being so deep and that I have quit for awhile so came on here with J H and 2 of his sons and Charles Moore to this place C M thinks thee might do good businefs here away its now snowing 3rd went to meeting at Newgarden which was large it snowed all day or nearly so J H had a great deal to say meeting held about 3 hours he spoke most of the time I staid at S Pritchards last night they are tolerable well he says come to Newport 4th very cold this morning snow about 12 inches deep it rained alittle yesterday in the morning and looked very much like thrawing but turned very cold last night it was sudden a change as common to see in that part of the land 4th still very cold indeed some say its colder than its been before. I cannot tell for my part 6th still cold its said several persons have froze to death in this and Ohio states its also said they were all dre[ssed?] 7th I want thee to inform me about my cousin Copelands & Parkers ag___ and all the rest and old acquaintances also give me a pretty full account of them and Edmund Jacobs I want to know something about him whether he is a member of your Temperance Society or not. I think thee might come and see this part of the land some time in the ensuing spring or summer if thee could get with good company even with movers if they do get along slow I think its likely thee might get some work by the way and I really do believe thee would get more work here than there or as much if thee could do it so as to please the people though thee would find cleaning and repairing watches and clocks is not as high here away as there. I believe I had as well stay here as to come back for I should not be satisfied there to stay [lines scribbled out] I took a slay ride yesterday there was three Slays and 14 h___ we went about 2 miles and stoped and got 1/2 bushel of apples ate them and returned back again this is not for everybody to see the snow is about 4 inches deep where it is tramped and 12 inches deep in the woods or more A White and wife wishes to be remembered to you and James Peelles also so conclude when this should come to view you will see its wrote to several

Nathan Parker
William Parker

8th its quite cold and bad to get about in the wood when there _____ tramped way I am at Caleb Morrises he has got so that he can walk about a little they in tolerable health. I may inform you that I believe if any of you were to come here and settle as it were in the green woods and get aplantation you would then begin to think it rather too hard to sell and go in to the green woods again by this you may understand that some of us do know our neighbours by name when we see them altho some people do or would move frequently if they could sell to suit them

9th I am in usual health was weighed just now and weighed 160 and perhaps if thee would come here thee might get to 150 again its not quite so cold I think as common or as it had been several days part its said in still water the ice is over 12 inches thick please give my respects to all my old acquaintances and I should be glad to get an answer pretty soon

William Parker

Envelope:

Nathan Parker

Northampton Cty.
N. C.
Murfressborough Post Office

by the way of the City of Washington

Milton, Ind
2nd mo 10th

Recd. 13th of 5th mo. 1832