I received a
notification for me to go
on a mission to the Sou-
thern States dated Feb 14th
I beg to state that my age
is forty nine last October
and I have had very poor
health for the last four
year's I have had three
attacks of La Grippe dur-
ing that time the last at-
tack was in Nov- 1893
I was very sick and it
has affected my heart and
have not been able to do
a full days work since though
I do some little light work
Page 2
I have a family of seven
children five boys and wish-
ing to bring them up in-
dustrous, with help from
my relatives in England
one year ago I bought a
saw mill and put it up
in the mountains thinking
also it would be a benefit
to us as a community but
I was at a great expence and
run behind considerable al-
though I have paid all
I can I am still quite
a sum in debt my mach-
inery broke down last fall
and I had to quit sawing
and since I received your
letter I have received news
that the snow was so heavy
at the mill that it has
broke all my machinery sheds
down. now Dear Brother
I have no one capable of
attending to the repairs Etc
if I should go away and
all the mean's that I have
spent would be a total
loss. also I am Homestead-
ing 160 acres of land there
which I should also have
to loose please excuse me
taking up so much of your
valuable time but think
it my duty to tell you
my true condition. believ-
ing me to remain