As Johnny continues to clean and organize his basement, more cardboard boxes full of “treasure” have appeared. For instance, right now we have a box full of letters and cancelled checks and other papers from 1933-1949.
The letter tells of the attempt to purchase 40 acres from Mr. M., as it would square off a pasture and keep range cattle back as “they bother us a great deal in the jog of the fence.” If he didn’t want to sell, perhaps he would want to pay for fencing wire.
Oh, my, this went back and forth… Mr. M. didn’t sign any interest bearing note for the wire, though he agreed to pay $225, if there was a signed agreement for the ownership of the fence. Then Mr. M. was 200 head short of his cattle (they must have been stolen), so he couldn’t pay cash money. Would we be interested in some calves or bulls?
Why, yes, but how would we get them as the gentleman lived near Casper? Perhaps he should just sell them and give Greet Brothers the cash money… We were the ones out hard cash…
“I might offer this as a suggestion for a price on the calves. We shipped one steer calf last fall and he brought us $15.00 gross in Omaha.”
While the letters were quite polite, I wasn’t sure if I should read between the lines!
I haven’t gone through all the papers. I don’t know if Mr. M. paid us or not!
Find me here!
What a fun winter project, going through that box of old letters. That hotel envelope is gorgeous!
I have a record book of my parents – listing payments written to the Doctor and hospital as each of us girls were born. I think my medical bill as a baby was about $80…Maybe because I was born on the way to the hospital, was nice and bathed by the neighbors and my umbilical cord wrapped in string and cut.
I’ve got a couple of dad’s old record books from the farm, interesting to see how prices have changed, & dad kept track of every item-