Scranton Feb 5th 1875

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Dear Brother

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It is a good while since I wrote to you, though I have often thought of doing so, but did not seem to have time just at present and so it has been neglected.

I meant to have written to you just after the death of our Mother, but had a good deal of business to attend to just then, and have suffered the time to pass on till now. I suppose Elvira or Temperance has written to you since then, so I will merely say that she died in Nov. I think, apparently simply of old age without pain or sickness, gradually failing from day to day till life’s lamp burnt out. She was up more or less every day, I think till the last. You and all of us have no doubt as to her future life. May we so live as to meet her in the life to come.

I don’t know as I have anything to write of the rest of the family that you don’t already know. Lucius I am afraid is falling behind and not doing as well as formerly. The girls are getting along very well, so far as I believe. I have a house and lot worth some $6000.00 paid for, but times here are very dull, and wages low and provisions high. Business men complain and many of the laboring class suffer for food and clothing.

Walter has been out of his apprenticeship about a year and for the most of the time has made from $17.00 to $23.00 a week working five nights but there has been a cutting down of wages putting him to only $1.00 a week more than others doing only about two thirds as much work, and so he has quit and started to day to look for employment elsewhere. 

We have had a very severe winter here so far and a great scarcity of water in many places, owing to the small rain fall during the latter part of last year.

We are all well here. Write to me soon.

Truly your Brother

George