Page:The McClure Family.djvu/58

42 Aunt Betsy in a few days concerning Betsy's affairs according to her request. So we remain yours with respect,

JOHN M. HENDRICKS & POLLY HENDRICKS.

"

, June 15, 1833.

I take my pen to let you know that we are well; hope thes few lines may find you the same. John went to see the new country this spring. He saw Tom in Indiana; he has nothing, everything he has is sold. He is a distrest man; he has not got his children. It would make you sorry to see the distress of Tom. James is going to move here this fall to this place. Want you to write to me when you get this letter. No more.

POLLY HENDRIX.

."

", April 20.

,

I sit down this day to let you now that we are all well at this time and hoping that these few lines may find you all well at this time. I have met with a great loss by fire. I had everything in the world burned but my houses; nearly every pannel of fence I had was burnt and the two adjoining farms were also burnt. There has been a great destruction here by water; the Missouri river was so high that it was from ten to fifteen feet deep over all the bottoms. It swept off all the houses on the river. A great many lost everything they had. Corn and wheat crops failed here last season. The reason was it was so wet that people could not tend their crops; as to my part I did not rase hardly any. I have my meat and bread both to buy this year. I think I would of had enough to do me if I had not got it burnt.

Dear brother I have a great deal of trouble and difficulty in getting along. There is a great deal of sickness and death here. There is a disease here that is something like the collery. There is not a person that takes it that gets