Gamble Letter #9

September 20 [1880]

Dear father & mother you will think I have forgoton yous but we have been so very busey that I could not get time little alick has been very sick this last whill he was working in the round house and we had to take him home from it or it would have killed him the gass out of the coal was bad for him the rest of us is all well We have a very good crop this year we bought a team of Mules this morning at three hundred dollers we have too teems and too waggons there is a excursion to canada this month I was going down to see you but Alick took sick and I could not leave him we are going to take up our potatos this week we think we will have about five hundred bushels they are forty cents a bushel here we had to buy a reaper to cut our grain men was so scarse you could not hire any one for love nor money we raised ten calves this year and we have five of last years we are going to plough a lot this fall and have it ready for another year there is three hundred men at work on the ridge beside us altreng [altering] the track to emerson they are taking it from the low land and puting it on high dry land they are puting down six teen side tracks the round house is to be moved and the station they want to be prepared for high water another year I sold twenty dollers worth of butter this morning that was too weeks butter I have made a great deal this summer I get thirty five cents a pound we entend to thrash as soon as we can get them I think I have told you all the news this time I hope you are all well Alice send Maggy a alminack and Samy send a picture Willie and his father drives the oxan and Alick drives the mules and ellen & Janey herds the cattle and alice herds the calves and lizey and Me does the house work and sewing so you see none of us is idle dont be long in writing our kind love to yous all

Mary Ann