Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Sarah Ann Camfield, 2 April 1883








Noble Center Apr 2 1883

Dear Children

we are wel as usual I think Father has been uncommonly well this winter and spring he is fleshyer than common you would be astonished to see him eat he says he wishes you both and Frank could come here before going to work it did not snow here last week only wednesday and thn only alittle wet snow
we have a young man bording here and husking corn on the next farm he husked all the week he husked 108 shocks he 7 and one half cents per shock we charge him a shilling per meal (written along the margin – he did not begin to husk until tuesday 10 oclock) I was only joking about you fetching the loom you know but I did think it would be

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nice if I could fetch my things and have you help me weave it we could fix it to suit me better than any one else I want to make 35 yds I can
the day you wrote your letter we went to Bronson the dust flew so on the Chicago road you could not see a buggy but a little way off we sold our wheat week before last 1 dollar per bushel we had 197 dollars 50 cents that finished paying rent and paid our part of the Clover seed for sowing this spring and had 60 dollars left that 60 goes on next years rent at 7 percent interest Apr 4th
I have got a girl but would rather do without I could but I cannot if we had a man by the month I would
we had a letter from Rosey 2 weeks a go they are well or was then

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now Anna I did not mean you should send that money back much less interest Father said send the one dollar back anyway he had quite a mind to be offended because you sent interest but we will make it right some time if we can I hope you did not rob your selves
Father would like to know what farm this is on the paper so please tell him when you write again
from S A Camfield



I believe a shilling was 10 cents but since the US didn't have shillings I'm confused as to why Sarah Ann uses the word shilling rather than dime.

I would love to know what kind of loom Anna had. Was it a hand loom or a big floor loom? What did she make on it and was it used to make extra money for the family?

For more see:
Camfield Family Letters
Descendants of Sarah Ann Wisner
Michael Camfield



Camfield, Sarah Ann Wisner. (Noble Center, MI) to “Dear Children” [Anna Camfield Carlisle]. Letter. 2 April 1883. Digital Images 1-3. Privately held by Apple, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Snowville, New York. 2008. [Carlisle Family, Box #1, Correspondence, 1882 - 1883, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. 2008.]

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