This is a letter from C. L. Barker to Cousin Rhoda A. (Barker) Duncan.

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C L BARKER LETTER to Rhoda A. Barker Duncan:

There is a Chauncey, Kent Co., MI just NE of Grand Rapids, 
about 570 miles west of Northville, NY

Names:

Newman <------------------- Newman L. Barker (1820-1899), son of Ichabod
Anna
Lorenzo Ingram <------ Marshall Co., IA
Clark          <------ Marshall Co., IA
C. L. Barker <------------- Cousin of Rhoda
Fay Duncan
Rhoda Ann (Barker) Duncan
Charley Duncan <----------- Son of Rhoda & Fay
Amos Barker <-------------- Brother of Rhoda
John
Mrs. Mould
Mr. Cleveland
Julius Baman
Norman Saterlee
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                                       Chauncey, Dec. 9th, '95
Mrs. Duncan, Dear
Cousin after so long time I will try
to answer your most welcome letter
which found us all well. Was sorry to
hear that you had been so near to the
grave but was glad that you had so re
gained your health as to be able to rite
to me altho I had about given up was
hearing a word from any of my cousins
in the East, Well now what shall I say that
will interest you. I hardly know but
as you are a strainger here (that you always will and I am afraid
I will  tel of things in general. This very
nice winder weather now with just snow
a nuf to make good sleighing it came before
Thanksgiving & has ben fine ever since
If you had ben hire we would trealed you
to turkey how much I would like to have [end pg 1]

you & Fay make me a visit, it is very hard
times here Every thing that I have to sell is very
low & things that we have to buy is low also
but how can you buy with out money &
how can you get the money when you can't
sell what you have to sell. I did not know but
Mr. Cleveland would let out some light on
the subject in his message but in sted of lite
he has only let out the Dark, The prices are
as follows: wheat 62 cents corn sells for 15 cts unshelled
oads 20 potatoes 15 to 20 cts if you can find some 
one that wants pork from 4 to 4 1/2 veal 5 mutton
3 1/2 to 4 chickens 6 beans 70 to 90 cts hay 14 to 15
but that is very scarce it has ben one of
the dryest seasons that we have had since I
have ben in the State did not have any rain
from the 19 of May until July & that was as 
mutch snow as rain with cold weather ground
frose quite hard it almost killed ane grass
where I cut 5 tons of hay last year I only
cut one this year there was a very large
amount of potatoes planted but it was so dry that
they did not all come up. I lost 8 acres that did not come up

but I am glad that they did not for they are so cheap
but after being so dry the first part of the season
rain came in time to give us the largest crop
that Mich ever raised three of my neighbors
have more then 1000 bushels a piece in their cellars now
& know market at all for them. It has not ben
quite as bad with fruit for while we had a very
large crop of peaches they all found a market
at a fair price there was on the market in one
morning 20000 bushels & nearly as many a good
many mornings & all found sale by nine 
O-clock or before it is a very nice site to go
on the market at a bout 4 O'clock & see the
fruit & vegitabels of all kinds how I would like
to have Fay & your self go with me just once
We do not raise peaches yet but Expect to before
long as we have 200 trees set & shal set 100 more
in the Spring but we have grapes did not have
mutch of a crop this year on account of the frost
only sold $34 worth last year sold over $70
I have set quite a few trees so I expect to raise
some fruit before long if I live but if not
the trees will be here

I have quite a nice apple orchard of 65 trees they
are large a nuf to bear are just beginning to them
I have a pear orchard of 150 trees 75 of them will
bear in a year or two and the rest later on
I am a going in to plumb raising have 3 trees
that are just beginning to bear then I have
100 that I set last Spring & I shal set 3 or
more in the Spring if I live So I think
that if you should come out in the year 
1900 that I can give you all the fruit that 
you would want. Now a bout my stock as I
know that you was a farmer daughter we are
milking four cows at presant Sold one because
did not have a plenty of hay shap milk five this 
summer have all of there horns cut off I suffer
that you will say how cruel you are will it does
seam so but it is a kindness to the other cows
for she dose not get gorded as she did before
and it makes them so kind & friendly. Earl has

[reversed, at top of page 1]
please tel me once more
Leas address do you hear from him very often

I killed 2 pigs the other day 8 1/2 months
old the combined weight was 610 lbs. 
how was that for pigs can you do as well
an beachnuts ha ha ha

[reversed, at top of back page]
Now Rhoda Ann If you will answer this I will
try to do better then I have hoping that you
will forgive me I remain your
Cousin C. L. Barker

[middle sheet, side1]
It is a fine country very rich soil
but no timber hardly only what has ben 
set but lots of cattle & hogs also horses
& grain. Oh what corn fields I did see
corn & oats were a first rate crop this
year the highest report that I heard was
110 bushels to the acre of oats these corn
was not quite ready to harvest when I was
there but they said that it would go from 
40 to 100 bushels to the acre it was splendid
I would like to live out there on some 
accounts and a gane I would not I think
that it is awful cold there in winter
but they like it & I have lots of money
which they never would had if they had
staid up above the dam on the west
side of the river just above the Dugway
Hill I guess that I have about exhausted my
budget of news & if it is interesting to you
just rite & tel me so I wish that you would
tel me all about every body down there that
I am acquainted with. Love to all yours
with kind regards, C L Barker

[middle sheet side2]
on b4 he is four years old in the spring
has his horns cut off & has hime broke so
that he drives him in fills before a wagon
can cultivate corn or do anything that
you can with a horse rides hime after the
cows he has a large caffer ring in his
nose will weight 10 or 12 hundred Earl thinks
that he is very nice. We have a very good
school & the boys both go do you have to
have a flag at your school house in you
state We do hire I have just bought one
for our school it is 52 by 96 inches
shal put it up this week I think it cost
$4 it is the law in this state
Will now I will tel you a little about
the west I left home the 12 of last August
for Iowa Marshal Co. was gon one month
had a fine time visited my cousin
Lorenzo Ingram & Clark. Fay do you 
know them

[middle sheet side2 reverse]
Is Newman a live yet I have rote twice to Anna
but get no answer how dose Nancy get along
dose Charley Duncan stay at the ___ & where is
Amos Barker & John & all of your girls
when you rite tel me all a boutyour family
Oh is Mrs Mould a live yet how I would like to 
visit you all a gane Where is Julius Bamon
Tel him to rite to me Where is Norman Saterlee

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