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Stuben Stuben County Ia July 1 1849Dear Brother & Sisters

I now embrace the opportunity of writing a few lines to you to inform you of my health and the health of our family which is tolerable good at present and hope these few lines will find you and your family enjoying the same blessing I would inform you that we have received your letter directed to Brother Shepard and was glad to here from you Mother's health is as good as could be expected for a person as far advanced in life as she is she sends her love to you all and would be verry glad to see you all but does not expect ever to see you again only you should some of you come and see her as you wrote that Andrew had some faint idea of going to the west we should be verry glad to see him out here this season with his wife and Lydia she would come if she was a mind to for women go alone from here to New York and Massachussetts but you must do as you think proper we have a Son that will be five weeks old next wednesday a stout smart rugged boy that weighed ten pounds and six ounces at his birth and he appears to be a well healthy child Mother has named him Lemuel as none of the grand children were named for father and it would bear up my name to Matilda health is not verry good at present but is improving we think if you will come and see the boy you can see a curly head

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Brother Shepard and family were well a few days ago Lyman is at our house to work for a short time and sends his love to you all and would be verry glad to see you Carseldana is teaching school this summer at the same place that she taught last winter Verona is a keeping house for her father and they are a getting along pretty well give my love to Mary Pratt and tell her to write to her Uncle likewise Cornelius and Levi and your children you wrote that you did not know anything respecting Zebina or his family I have wrote to them two or three times since that they have answered any of my letters and can not tell why it should be so if you should have heard from them before you answer this please write what you know about them please write respecting all of our friends and relatives we have had rather a cold backward spring but the crops look about as well as usual with us the wheat is almost ready to harvest and bids fair to be a plentiful crop wheat is now worth about 60 cents per Bushel and other produce in proportion

it is no uncommon thing for one farmer here to have fifty to one hundred and fifty acres of wheat in the ground at once and you would be surprised to see the fields of wheat corn that may be seen in this country it is a pretty easy place here to raise stocks of all kinds I have nothing more of importance to write direct your letters to Stubenville post office Stuben County Indiana write as soon as is convenient and let us know how you are a getting along we remain

your affectionate Brother and SisterLemuel & Matilda Colton

Envelope

Mr Andrew FletcherWaterville post office County Stateof VermontSteubenvilleJuly 2