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1983.030.0127

LettersRanger Family

Dubuque April 27th1856.

Dear Father

Here am I. On Tuesday last I walked from Mary's up to Peckatonic with

Cousin Hellen & took dinner at Lizzie's & found a letter from you & one from Billy Wait & as I

had no time to answer them I take this, the first opportunity. Got aboard the cars at 1 & at six

was at Dubuque secured my seat in the stage for Maquo Kita. Got the last seat, & the next day

after a drive of 40 miles reached Maquokita at 5.P.M. After leaving Dubuque. We have a very

rough country for nearly all the way. Whenever there is Prairie it is very rolling.

Immediately after reaching M. found friend Jenkins. & that night we sat & talked &

talked the next day Jenkins got a pony team & drove we over the country for about 30 miles.

Shot a few prairie chickens. Gophers. & Grey squirrels Took [?] Supper at his Uncle Aleks &

had a good time. The rest of the time we visited & saw the town. It is a little upstart of a city

Numbering Some 1500 inhabitants. Everybody engrossed in the one idea of Making Money. But

I must go back. We started out of Dubuque in a hack 2 Ladies Another young fellow, with whom

I became quite well acquainted & who came back with me & I expect in to see me this afternoon.

we were on the inside & a Mr Stimpson from Mo on the outside a man who is very well off

indeed we were all very sociable & after dinner. we had a shower & Mr S. got in the inside. He

Bragging up Iowa the Stiffest Kind. No country like it in the world. After it cleared off I got on

the outside. We met a team who never turned out an inch. Our driver says "You going to take all

the road"? Yes! "Well" says our driver: (a young fellow) "That Just the way with all you dd

Iowaians You'll take all you can get & more too". Ha Ha Ha It tickled Me Now you better

believe. Poor Stimson it rather took down at first. but he finally had to Join in the Laugh. And

here by the way I wish I could give you a description of A P.O. 10 miles out of Dubuque. We

drove up before an Irish hovel & I & my friend got out, over the door was a piece of Rough

board with Post Office done on it in charcoal. We went in & such a picture of Squalor Filth

Destitution & Misery I never saw. The man, his wife & six Stinkenest, [Urctohedest?] Sickly

Children overhauled the mail. only one room & one corner of that taken up by a Barrel of

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Whiskey. The other young man & myself concluded that it was the most wretched sight we ever

saw & would do to tell off

At M. I made some very fine acquaintances & a good many of them. They are all young

people them & some young men not so old as my self who have made from $5 to $10,000. Ed &

Sid Locke are at Lyons. Just below M. but I did not go down to see them. Yesterday Morning I

started from M. & arrived here at 5. The cars run down at 6 to night & at 6 in the morning I shall

wait till morning go to Mary's & Wednesday Morn start for springfield.

And now for Dubuque. We got here at 6. & great rush. I went to the Key City House &

1stClass house. After tea. I went to get a room. & there was so many they had to double up & put

I in a room. He put M in with a young fellow who came in on the cars, with me But when I come

to go to bed I found that he had changed & given me a front parlor to my self which rather

pleased me very much. He is a first rate Land-lord. & I like him. Last night he gave Me this

room on the first floor. Commanding a fine view of the river, & everything O.K.

Sabbath afternoon 3 o'clock. Have been to dinner & after dinner took a stroll down to the

river. The river is very high I hear a good many say as high as they have ever knew it & the wind

blowing. Oh My Stars how it Blows. right up stream. A Big Steamboat loaded with passengers

blown on to an island. has been working all the afternoon & morning & Just got off as I came

away. But the sight of All was. There was a large quantity of wood got loose somewhere. & was

drifting up the river by the Levee & some 30 or more Men, Women, Children in the water

securin a stock from themselves French & Irish. On up to their Middles. It was the most fun to

hear the women scream & swear when they happened to step into a hole or fall down. They came

pretty near getting a fightings 2 oe 3 times.

If the wind goes down after ten I should talk another walk. Just think here I am on the

West Side of the Mississippi. a thousand miles from home. I begin to feel as if I must be getting

Back.

Give My Love to all the Boys. I hope Mother is Better & Fan is well & Auns Betsy, Sally

& Olive.

Good Bye.

Your affectionate son

Fred