Chicago Oct 19/1880

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Dear cousin,

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You see by the heading of my letter that we are in this “The queen city of the west”. We left Louisville the 1st part of last June; that is Ma, Pa, Eva and I did and stopped here two or three days. The republican convention was then in session and there were a good many strangers in the city. We had a fine time visiting the parks etc. and saw a good deal of the city. We left Alice and Stella in Louisville on acc. of their having positions in stores there and their employers wanted them to stay until the busy season was over anyway and they thought they had better do so. We then left for Leadville Colo. Pa had been out there about nine months before that time and had gotten somewhat interested in the mines. Eva went on to Polo instead of going west and that only left us three. We had a safe journey, crossing the plains etc. (a journey which you experienced once though not in the steam cars) and finally brought up at Leadville (The eighth wonder of the world). Think of a city in which O presume 35,000 or 40,000 people get their mail, being built up in two yrs. Pa has an interest in three mines and I think one of them will pay big next yr. as they have a 15 ft. vein of sixty ounce mineral. I worked on that mine about 5 weeks at $3.00 per day and then went prospecting with three others. One of them was my cousin Howard Smith, another was another cousin (Louis Waterbury) and the other was an old Polo friend so we had a pretty nice crowd. We were most of the time in the Gunrrison country, of which I presume you have read. We worked the assessments on 7 claims there which we think will be worth something next year. We stayed until the last of Sept. and thought it was about time to pull for Leadville before the pass over the range got blocked up with snow and we were just in time for the night- after we reached town we had a big snow storm. We boys then went to work on the stamp mill which they are putting up for the mine that I spoke about. I left Louis and Howard there and came back to this city with Pa and Ma. We are going to send for the girls (who are now in Polo) in a few days and spend the winter here. Ma wants the girls to take painting and music lessons and me to study book keeping. We all expect to go west again in the spring and probably will settle in Denver for a few yrs. anyway. We are all well and so are the rest of the relations from last accounts. There is a gentleman boarding here by the name of Mr. Sprague Bostwick who is going to your country to a town called Yale and so we thought if that is any where near your place it would be a good chance to send a letter. Hoping it will reach you I remain

Your affectionate Nephew

Leslie Waterbury