596327

[marlow.FTW]

[Brøderbund WFT Vol. 3, Ed. 1, Tree #6300, Date of Import: Sep 11, 1998]

John and Marietta shipped their goods by water from Ithaca to Chicago and themselves driving, and stopped at Unadilla to visit his brother-in-law James Livermore and was persuaded by him to settle there rather than in Chicago. They drove to Chicago and brought their goods back and settled in Unadilla.

Letter dated 1844, from John Watson to Samuel S Watson:

My Dear Brother, I had intended to have written a full sheet to you by Mr. Sales but I have not had time and I will just say that we are all well except Jane-she has some of the symtoms of the ague. We hope however that she will not have much of it. Please write by Mr. Sales as he will be there sometime in. We learn from Lockert by Mr. Stedman that Mary was very unwell.
Yours affectionatly
J. Watson Jr.

Fathers love to you all. This evening is 2 wks. from the time you see him in Richford the evening before he started and he was hindered at Buffalo 2 days and one day this side Detroit and got here last Friday morning-Jane had calculated to have written to the girls but is not well enough to do so but sends her best respects to them and to you all.

J.W.

Mr. Samuel S Watson
Newark
Tioga County
New York

Care of Mr. Sales

Monday morning 10 o'c March 25, 1844

My dear friend: Marietta has left a little space for me and I will fill it up although in quite a hurry and the mail goes to Dexter tomorrow morning. We are all in good health at present and have been so since we came to this place. We return you many thanks for the papers you have sent us, they seem almost like old friends. Tell Mr. Sylvester that I do also feel grateful for his papers also, and hope that I may some time be enabled to return the favor. A word about the weather in this country thus far we have had but little winter, about the 1st December, it froze up about two weeks and then thawed out again, til the 2nd week in January, continued frozen and moderately cold till the forepart of February, since that it has been spring weather till last week there were some flurries of snow but has come off warm again. There has not been over about 3 inches of snow at a time this winter, and consequently not much sleighing. It does not seem much like a winter in New York State ro the one that we experienced last winter on the hill and over the snow banks about the 1st of May.
We received a letter a few days since from William Patch, he enquired if there was land that could be obtained near us, tell him there is land that has been taken in times of speculation, and is owned by capitalists in the State of New York. It can be obtained, but as yet I have not ascertained what it can be got for per lot. I have been to see a man that is agent for a lot of land (that is a fine lot I can see from where I am now writing more that half of it) that is owned by a man in New York. The agent thinks it can be got for $300. I think it is well worth that price. There is 10 acres broke and fenced on it and if he, William, should think best to take it, he can get more joining it or near. I now expect to improve the land that is broke on it this year for a summer crop. The land that is unimproved is generally the best land, being selected when they could have their choice. Tell William I shall write to him soon about it.

J Watson

A little space more I will fill up. When I saw you last I thought if I lived till this time I should be in Illinois but when we got as far as here we thought that the country was good enough without going 300 miles further and since we come to this state I have been in ten counties in this state and five counties in Indiana and in Illinois and I am as yet well satisfied with this county and town and even this part of the town. Here we can raise what wheat we want with ease and anything that is necessary for food and raiment--the land in Illinois is mostly very large praries and great want for wood and c. I was on one of the large western praries in Indiana the 1st and 2nd week in January. The weather changed from warm to cold and then I almost wanted something to hold my hair on my head the wind on Richford hills can't begin with it. Tell Mr. Baker that his business in Ann Arbor would be as good as in Ithaca and provisions from 25 to 50 pr cent cheaper. Ann Arbor is a beautiful village, the State Seminary adds considerably to its beauty, and it is talked of as the place of the capitol which is to be established by the Legislature in 45. Give my best respects to all my friends, to Mrs. in particular. If you have an opportunity to let William see this soon, do so.
Tell Jesse that Van Buren prospects are good in this state.

J Watson

Miss Laura Hung
Ithaca, Tompkins Co.
New York