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Notice: all or parts of this letter appears in a copyrighted source (Emmanuels 2002) and it is presented here with his kind permission.
(Justin to Niles)
Kings River, Fresno County
September 16, 1857
Mr. Niles Esrey,
Dear Sir, Having this opportunity of addressing you a few lines from Kings River to inform you that your letter of June 17th is received, which stated that you were all well, but of much drouth and bad propsects for crops of grain. Myself and Jonathan are living in Kings River. We offered to make this our home as long as we stay in this country. There is scarcely any settlement here but a great deal of stock. It is good grass country and well adapted to raising stock but fit for nothing else. The only land in Tulare and Fresno counties that is worth anything is the swamp and over-flow lands. The over-flow is caused by the melting of the snow in May and June. The rivers and creeks have very low banks in this part of the country, so that when the snow water comes down they over-flow for four or five miles in width. There is much excitement about surveying and entering this over-flowed land at this time. Me and Jonathan have located one section. We had it surveyed at our cost. We can pay the interest on entrance money for five years, and then let it fall back to the State if we think proper to do so, but I have no such idea of doing it, as it is the best ping [grazing] land in the state. We have got our cattle here. Dan Rhoads stock is here also. We expect to sell some beef cattle this winter. Cattle are higher in the state than they have been for two years. The high price in the beef market is caused by drouth in the south part of the state. There has been no grass there the last two years. Last year in the fall and winter sows and cattle died by thousands down there, and it will be so this winter. There has been about one hundred thousand head of cattle driven from the south part of the state in the last two years. But it will fall far short of that in the next few years as they have greatly decreased in numbers.
I should like very much to have you and the other boys write a little oftener than you do. When you or any of the other boys write to me and Jonathan direct our letters to Visalia, Tulare County. Give my respects to all of the boys, mother and the Shackelford family.
I have not heard whether William Phillips got home or not. If he is there me and Jonathan send him our respects and want him to write to us.
Justin Esrey