Bellaire Mich Aug 3^d 1902

 

Dear Brother

                        I have been owing you a letter for a long time and have thought many times that next sunday I would write, but the resolution did not receive propper support. I find that writing is a difficuilt matter unless there is something to talk about. some people can allways find something to talk about but I was never favored with that faculty, and I think poor talkers are apt to be poor writers Our summer was rather cool and wet till the middle of July and hay oats and wheat are a good crop but corn looks small and backward for the time of year and will probably not be more than 2/3 of a crop. the farmers are trying sugar beets this year for the first and seem to think they are going to be a paying crop, but I think they can tell better after a few years experience as the percentage of sugar varies considerably in different localities and is an important factor in the value of the crop.

 

We are all usually well at present John and his mother are over at Cora’s at Mancelona he and Frank Hoppins were going after huckle berries somewhere east of there. Maud Lesher that is Phebes girl came along last evening on her way to the Spiritualist Camp Meeting at Snow Flake and said the boys had got back with 12 bushels of berries. I should want about 3 years time to gather in that many. Phebes health is good for her but she has not been very strong for some years. Maud does not look much like her mother she is geting fleshy and look as though she woul crowd 200 pretty close / her husbands people the Leshers are all spiritualists and take considerable interest in the meetings. they have a four weeks camp meeting on their grounds at Snow Flake a little station 5 miles north of here on the P. M. where the road touches the west shore of Intermediate Lake they have a pleasant location and hold a campmeeting there each year I have never attended any of their meetings but have thought I would some sunday the boat runs up every 2 hours from here sundays so a person could come home when they got tired of the music

 

I have worked a little at bricklaying this summer but find that it is harder geting around than it used to be, but as there are no bricklayers here that can hurry anybody it is an easy job to keep up with the procession. The building here this season is mostly dwellings and plastering dont amount to much here they paper everything and a wall that will do to paper on is all they care for. the farmers are geting out of their log houses now so there is considerable work in the country that is all right for the carpenters but the mason work is rather a small affair they are using portland cement and gravel instead of stone for foundation walls and any body can put up a wall with that after the box is built to fill the cement into. building stone are not very plenty here and the cheapness of portland cement makes its use quite general they are puting in considerable sidewalk here this season, but I have done nothing at that. there are several parties working at it and the price is a little thin. The Elk Rapids works have shut down for repairs so we are using Alpena & Wyandotte / neither of which are as good as the Elk Rapids there seems to be quite a difference in the quality of cement from different localities the Alpena cement is made from stone instead of marl they claim a superior quality but it is not as good as some of the marl cements. every firm claims to have the best and it takes a trial to get at the truth

 

I suppose Dowagiac is flourishing as usual I often think of those who used to be there it is nearly 30 years since I came away. the crowd that “sits” in Coleman & Snyders has probably changed with time. Jim must be looking quite venerable by this time but probably enjoys a story as well as ever or a game of cards. I think you wrote me that Mose Casey was living in town how does he put in his time does he keep his farm yet where are the other Casey boys. I think Jerry got killed on some river in Wisconsin several years ago while rafting logs he was the oldest of the boys, a smart wide awake chap but rather venturesome. The removal of Evans from the Pension Office that the old vets have asked for so long has finally been made and they were cheered by the assurance that he had been given a better place and that his policy would be continued by his successor in office. perhaps Evans was merely a reflection of the administration after all, and the real cause has not been removed. Well we will not bother the government many years more and our reward must be the satisfaction of believing that we did the best that was possible in our day and generation to preserve the nation for those who should come after us. Thos Wolcott papers were thorougly perused and then sent over to Phebe. many of the names are familiar / but a great many appear that I never heard of. Well it is no wonder thirty seven years have passed since we left the sleepy old town I supposed that the rail road had given it a start so that it had grown to be quite a place but the census return seems to indicate that it is growing down hill like a cows tail. Isaac Leavenworth was about the only public spirited man in the town when we were there who had the means to illustrate what he thought would be for the best interests of the place. some of the most influential people of that time I suppose have not a living representative there now Mrs Chancey P Smith who used to be Martha Wilder is now living in some of the western states her father owned a farm of 400 acres just west of the Village he was not a pleasant man and his children all left home. Martha was the youngest and used to walk from their place to Wolcott to school when we lived on the forks of the road between their place and town she used to stop sometimes to get warm in cold weather you were just begining to talk then and she used to get you to pronounce differnt words and was quite amused by your effort.

 

I am geting this spun out beyond your patience to read so will wind up for this time.

 

Write soon and give us all the items of interest in your locality

 

                                                                                                Your Brother

                                                                                                                        C W. Doolittle

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