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Jesse Esrey to Amanda and Daniel Rhoads
January 12th A.D. 1851
Ray County, Missouri
Dear Children,
I avail myself of the privilege of writing you a line at this time. This leaves us all well with the fond hope that you are well and that you have escaped all the perils of the way. I received your letters from Saint Louis and New Orleans acquainting me with the fact that you were unable to sell your drafts for any premium. I spoke to Mr. Woollard about the premium on his draught and he said he would pay it back to me. You did not state whether E.M. Ryland paid you the one half per cent according to the tenor of the letter of James S. Lightner or not. If he did you would still lose one half per cent on $2300 and odd dollars.
I hired your corn gathered and gave the one seventh part to have it gathered and husked.
I am now placed in a condition that I am at a loss how to act. Your brother Isaac and his wife having rather split the quilt, he has resolved to go to California alone and resolves to go by water and requests me to take charge of the waggon and 4 yoke of oxen. He relinquishes his right in the hemp if I will furnish him with the money necessary to pay his way. After giving the subject some reflection and considering all the circumstances, I have supposed it best to hand him over $250 that if he took his wife and children by land. I would have to furnish his outfit and ex nse money on the way which would amount to at least F200 and might be more. The oxen I have no doubt will sell in the spring.
The weather was mild and pleasant after you left up to the first of December. It then set in violently cold unusually so. In about three weeks it moderated and has been mild and tolerably pleasant for winter weather. I had a letter from your uncle Arthur Foster a few days since. They were all well. And your grandmother Foster was heartier than she has been for years. Your Aunt Delila and her children have been quite unhealthy through this season. She has sold her land to Mr. William Edwards for $125 and he talks of moving up about Temeys Point. She thinks they would have better health there. John Esrey has becomed alarmed at the wide spread devastation produced by cholera in California and has relinquished the idea of going the present season and perhaps always for aught I know. We have seen persons that have told us that William Dailey is undoubtedly dead of cholera. I think you requested me to write if Thomas Taylor had his trial what was the fine. 1do not positively know. But have understood that he went to Jefferson for two years. Willis Stump brought in word of that kind and I heard it said that it was so published in the Brunswicker. That story that was talked about before you of Richard Taylor stealing a horse at Saint Jo was all a hoax put in circulation by some of the Bottom Boys or some one else. Old man Rogers came down about Christmas and took his daughter home. The people in the neighborhood are generally well. Robert Winsett lost one of his Negro women a few days since. A.W. Morrow has sold his farm to a man by the name of Bright and has bought John Quesenberry's store on the comer and is merchandising
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the valley that they turned back. He supposed that they had heard bad reports about the people and their doings in the Salt Lake Valley. He then says If so I will correct by saying that he never saw better [?] amongst any people than there is there, that the soil is good and the climate healthy, that timber is rather scarce in this valley but plenty in the mountains that surround the valley, that his crops were worth $3000, that he had built a house in the city near the Council House and expected to remove there in a few weeks and rent his farm. He further says that his wife had three babies at one birth and that they are all living. He did not want A.W. Morrow to sell his farm until he had further orders from him. He had heard from California by a man of the name of Barnard, if I am not mistaken in the name, that John Rhoads had lost a great share of his stock of his ranch. He had heard of his soninlaw's death but understood it to be Sheldon. Also that his daughter wanted to return to Salt Lake Valley and was rather looking for John Rhoads to come to the valley. Seems to have a great anxiety to have his children come and see him and wishes to be remembered to them and all enquiring friends.
Respectfully yours, J. Esrey