1983.030.

0120 Letters Ranger Family June 11th 47 From our dear Little "Log Cabin" in Old Brants None I know you will love me with a whigish love for speaking so prettily of our domicile

My dear Betsey, Salley, Mary & Olivia, And all the rest connected with the dear family dont you begin to think Jenny has forgotten you all or rather her promise to write you ere this but believe me dear Girls, this is the first opportunity I have had & half steal this since I was landed on Erie's shores I wrote aunt Jane a "faint" description of our voyage & think you must learn all about that so shall say little about it. only it was truly quite a novelty to me enjoyed it in the extreme had pleasant wether all the way what a fain idea one has of our Country unless they take a trip through it I was & am truly delighted with it You wanted me to write something about Ann T I can only say to you I am sure you are acquainted with her sometimes very agreeable & sometimes in a spinning-wheel [fit?] her father loaded our boat with lumber so we were to be detaind in Troy 1 whole day & that was horriable & then to go to Albany was beyond indurance so she left us with a bad cold poor Girl her Father put her on the railroad & sent her on that is the last I see of Ann had a plenty of good company left we were not lonesome at all I enjoyd the trip to the city's much 1 day when we were promenading the streets in Albany we fell in (behind) Scott Sherwood so we follow'd on after him up to the capitol & took a look at & in the garden or park & round about town came back to the steamboat landing went on board the Isacc Newton it is a grand affair & there we meet with [Gite?] Nelson we see some of the Glens F folks almost every day or some one we knew found some old Schoharie friends in Syracuse very glad to see us we had good luck getting in with our things uncle Ambrose & br Henry came after one load & Cousin John Mac Donald another 2 of the neighbours & Uncle went again after another load & brought them all in the next week after we got here staid 1 week to uncles to rest before we commenced house keeping the farm we are on was engaged for us before we got here father & John planted & sow'd oats soonas they could after they got here, uncle turn'd his team right out & he & his son help'd us as fast as they could & Cousin Polly & Matilda White wash'd & clean'd the house out

real nice for us let me say to you that I have got one of the best of ucnles & Aunts & the kindest of Cousins here & kinder neighbours you cant find anywhere else I left many friends I love & shall never forget in old Queensbury but no Girls, I should not be willing to exchange back my anticipations are more than realised this country by far exceeds that I wish truly I could give you a birds eye view of it my parents are as well pleased with it as I am I must now try to tell you something about our location (the writings are not drawn yet but expect they will be next week) it lies on what is call'd the mile strip from off the Indian reservation the road runs east & west = 7 miles we are from Lagrange & 2 miles from Keen Co[y?] & about 4 miles from Versailles where br H lives & 26 from Buffalo we have delightful roads here from Buffalo here the roads are as good as from Sandy Hill to the F'osh & all around us here they take a great deal of pride laying them out straight and makeing them good our little farm lies on the north side of the road so our House fronts the south the farms are all laid out in 50 acres some owns 50 & some 100 the Houses looks west of us almost as thick as a village as many as twelve or 14 I can count from our window for we have got 3.12 lighted windows in our little parlor or kitchen our door yard is just about the size of our old one there a very handsom elivation from the House to the street the Garden is east of the front yard & the handsomest cherrie trees you can imagine on 1 side plum & Peach trees around the rest of it they are all large & loaded with fruit Peach & cherries to in the apple orchard about 70 large Apple trees all grafted fruit I never saw such fruit trees their the bark on the apple trees are almost as smooth as Glass the trees are very full of apples too & the Grass in our meadows are is almost to my hips & you cant see to the Ground either betwen the hills of clover or grass the meadows are around the House they say we will cut tons at least our pasture our folks say would be sav'd there to mow we have a very comfortable House for the kind 1 square room with 3 windows & a recep where Father & Mother sleeps a good bed-room where I sleep large enough besides my bed for the beaureau my dress tables & looking Glass 1 window with 12 lights & a nice clothes press out from it I wish you could see the rose bushes my window is shaded with they are the large flesh rose & hang as full of buds as they can well be call'd rose trees they almost reach the chamber window tallest I ever saw great quantitys all around the House splendid current & raspberries we have a a good shingle roof on the house & a good chamber got a Cupboard rack for our dishes white curtins to the windows a carpet on the kitchen and bedroom floor curtins

around my bed (the same we had around out parlour bed a back stoop all boarded up so we can wash out their a [good?] pump of water there & a milk room nice & cool with a hard Ground bottom better place for milk than we ever had before & a slab wood shed - & large handsom new frame barn tell Em I never heard the birds sing sweeter than here a Phebe birds nest in the roof of the back stoop & sweet little yellow birds nest of 5 in the rose bush side of the front door & an old cat most all white & 5 kitts at the barn an excellent brook of water close by the barn there is 50 acres in the farm all clear'd but about 15 acres which is very heavey timberd it is call'd an excellent little farm we get it for $800 John has a handsomer span of horses than our old one & for $7 less than we sold our others for 6 & 7 years old they are very handsom & bought 2 cows & 2 pigs & Aunty has givin us 3 hens & a rooster we got us a real good barrel of flour for 5& flour rises & falls about every-day but we happend to to have good luck the folks gave us dried apples & peaches & cherries & currents were large enough to stew when we commenced House keeping so you see we have got started Salina Scipon lives right across the road from us she is now here she comes in about every day & seems to enjoy the privelege much Oh how I wish I could tell you all I want to but if my paper is large I cant put all on I want to you would laugh Betsey if you should see the folks purr around me yesterday Father & Mother attended a large party to Gilbert S its all Queensbury folks, Henry Brown & his wife & Lucretia tell aunt Jane when they get Home she must go to see them when they get Home which will be as much as 5 or 6 weeks there was omre than 50 their in all John & me call'd towards night & see them all it is 2 miles from here where they live i saw Jane Hawley too & the house was perfectly alive how does Ann & her widower get along Oh do tell me all the news soon

Give my best Love to her & Emeline tell Mrs L Newman all about our Love to her & Uncle spencer to uncle peck & aunt Jane when the Brown's return I shall write to Em I expect she is waiting for me I shall tell her about Indian Town Father Cousin Phebe H & me went down through their settlement last saturday after br H I enjoyd it in the extreme I needn't tell you I had an introduction to one of their crack'd beaus for I did I dont know wither there was a cativation or not he lives in a splendind cottage on a hill We are all enjoying good health I have gain'd 3 pounds since I was to Troy & Mother has gained 6 pounds.

She send her best Love to your mother & all the rest of you & all inquiring friends dont forget to write me write away I expect you are in the heat of business hope reall you will reap a golden harvest do come to see us as soon as you can I must say good buy with my Love to all the sisterhood & Samuels family likewise & believe your truly aff friend Jane A [Gaylan?] Our Post office address is Collins Erie Co N.Y.