Bloomington   April 10 1869

Dear Wife & Children

I recd yours last night am glad to hear that you are getting along so well. I expect you will make a little fortune in boarders I hope you will make as much money as I do and more too. things look a little brighter here they are begining to build not so many idlers still there are a good many looking for jobs.

When you get so that you can get along it will give me courage and liberty to push out where I can do better this is no place for me I am quite sure and I am at a stand where to put for but from all I can learn Mo. or Kan is the place for one with nothing but there hands. I think it was the great mistake of my life that I had not stoped here 12 years age when I was out here. My impression is that wages are coming down all over the country and I am not certain as it will be good policy to hunt much for the biggest wages but for a place I like for a home and there set my stake and stand by it through thick and thin. that Machine troubles me greatly I can send you about 40 dollars pay day and I want you to write me by return mail with that what you can do by borrowing towards the Machine or ay a part of it, what you can, before May 1st, and see how you can compromise the rest. if worst comes to worse I can quit the last days of the month and get Apr pay but that leaves me in a bad fix.

there is nothing of interest going on here the trees are budding out but it is very muddy from recent rains I see by the [     ] Press that Eva Gove is dead.

What a D____d old fool Old Withington is to get Married at his time of life. if John and Willie come west their heads are Level they cant do worse and the chances are 15 to 1 that they will do better after they learn to live here if they would put themselves to Farming, raising Stock is the business of all others.

love to all
C Shedd