Otego June 20th 1880

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Dear Brother,

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I’ve been thinking about writing to you this long, long time but have kept neglecting it for a more convenient season. I have not received any letters from you in more than a year. I answered right along. I think we ought to write oftener and every time I write I resolve that it shall not be so long again. It is very dry here now and to day is very sultry. I hope we shall have showers. It is two weeks today since we had rain. Adeline has just moved to Leadville Col. - they call it a very rich mining country. It makes me feel very sad to have our friends so far away. I have always flattered myself that I should visit Ade again some day but she has got so far away I have about given that up. Mr. Waterbury owns a share in a mine if it is half as rich as he thinks he will be a rich man. It is the General Shield mine and it is what they call a true fissure mine. The walls on the sides are well defined and I have forgotten how wide, and the depth is unknown. It is a kind of mine that they pretend grows richer the deeper they go. Lucius and family are well as usual. Lucius is not very well any of the time but I think his health is rather better than it was last summer. He has not as bad a cough and he seems better other ways. I have not heard from Mary or Barlow in two or three months. They were well then. Granville Bundy lives on our old place. Whiting has the half that Ezekiel used to have and there is a dutchman on there. Whiting thought he could make a good farm of it and he bought lime and has been at a good deal of expense to enrich it but I guess he finds he can’t make good land of it. Livingston has the care of ours. He has not been to so much expense but he has had the house and barn new shingled. Mrs. Thall is dead, Avery and Almina live in Franklin, they own the next house below Mr. White as you go down to the village. Elvira and I keep house here in Otego village. I weave carpets and she sews. She don’t get many mens clothing to make for the ready made clothing is so cheap. Well we are going into another presidential campaign. You know well the excitement we yankees always have when there is to be a president elected. The Republican nominee is a man well spoken of as being upright and he is a great worker. He is a six footer, he is big enough if that is all. Ben Corey is living here yet, he is Corey yet most all the old inhabitants are gone. Lauren Dodge you know married Delia Broad. He is living on the Broad place. Mr. and Mrs. Broad have been dead some years. My Brother how I do wish you would come home or if you did not want to come to stay come this side of the Rocky mountains and buy yourself a farm. There is good land and cheap in Iowa and Missouri and they pretend there is some good land in Colorado. Come east, and how sometimes I take fits I want to see you so much. I can’t hardly give it up and I never have given up but I should see you yet. Well I have written all I can think of that will interest you and now good bye and May God be with you and bless you. We are just having a splendid shower.

T Chase