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Downie August 1 1851
Dear Brother,
I once more take up my pen to let you know that I am still in the land of
the living but not in good health. I got the ague in April last year and
has not got well. It changed from ague to gout and as Burns says of
toothache is a plaything to it. It commenced in the toe next my large one
just like a flea-bite and came up the forefoot and leg to the hip with the
most excruciating pain in the universe. Some times it was as if it burned
with fire, other times as it was froze with cold and some times as a dog
was tearing my leg to pieces with his teeth. This is all the pleasure of
th gout and to comfort me the doctor tells me that I will never get quit
of it for he says it is a legacy from some of my fore-fathers. The doctor
says he has not seen but one that has the same disease in the upper
Province so I will just hirple it out as my mother is doing before me. We
have not got a letter from you these five years but what John Burns and
his sister-in-law brought and one now from John Crichton. We do not know
whether you get ours or not but we do not get any answers. I have got but
one newspaper since you gained the medial at the curling. We are throng at
our harvest. Our hay and fall wheat are in. The oats is commenced. We have
about 18 acres of oats and 10 of fall wheat and 5 of spring wheat. The
fall is good, the spring is light, the oats is midling, potatoes is a
complete failure. They are just as they were froze and not a leaf left.
Instead of about 200 bushels, we will not have 10. We have had a very wet
summer and one complete flood which carried away all the bridges both on
this river and large Thames from Mitchell to London, that is about 60
miles. There is not a bridge left and on ours it took away 7 bridges. At
John's place there was a sawmill removed about 100 yards on to the centre
of the creek and at Saint Mary's the carding mill, a house of three
storeys, was completely removed. You would have thought all things was on
the move. The damages is not known. The river rose about 20 feet in a very
few minutes so there was nothing saved within its reach. We have lost our
minister. His father was minister in London and died and congregation gave
Mr. Proudfoot a call, so he has left us but we have preaching once in the
fortnight until we get one to please us. We are in want of a teacher to
our school. John thinks if Michell Andrew would come out it would be a
good place for him. Good teachers is very ill to be got here and his
sister Elizabeth would get plenty of work for girls is ill to be got.
Their wages runs about a dollar a week with board. Men's wages for farm
work runs from 10 dollars to 14 dollars per month with board, for chopping
6 dollars per acre with board or 7 without. Ten days allowed for chopping
an acre. James and John has chopped fifteen acres this last winter and has
logged it this summer and sowed 12 acres of fall wheat and 4 barrels of
potash. We have got the returns of two, one of them was third rate and the
other was first rate but it is selling very cheap this year. The wheat is
selling at two shillings sterling the bushel, beef 2½ & 3 cents per pound.
I wrote this in harvest but was not able to finish but I am a little
better. It is now 18 month since I took badly. All the rest of the family
is well but Margaret and Agnes. Margaret has been complaining most of the
summer and Agnes has the whooping cough but it is not very bad. Magdalene
is well and send her compliments to you all. She would give the world to
have one night with you all. Give my mother our kindest love and tell her
that she is spoken about every day, the very youngest knows her as well as
the oldest, always something about granny. Give our compliments to all
enquiring friends. We have had 74 pound of wool this year. We have made 16
yards of fuled cloth, the rest is for blankets and flannel. We have got a
mare. She is with colt so that will put us in a stock of horses. No more
at present but remain.
Your loving Brother,
James Good. |
