Tapleytown Dec 21 1886
Dear uncle I now take pen in hand to inform you that we are all well at
present thanks be to God for all his mercies to us hoping the [they?] will
reach you all in the same my father has got disheartened in writing
so often and has not got any answer for near five years so I thought I
would try what luck I would have in hearing from you.
Crops in this country has been partly fare on a average but grain is
rather lower than usual hay is a good fair price from 13 to $15 dolars
per ton we had 60 tons of good hay and over 300 bushels of apples
I will send one of fathers papers that will give you all the markets
we sold out in Oneida and Bought witin 10 miles of Hamilton where we
have a good market for all our produce we can save we have 112 acres
which we paid $5500 dollars and we live very comfortable we keep
from 15 to 18 head of cattle and six head of horses and about 15 head
of sheep. Father has been here this some time and is in good health
he is working at blacksmithing yet and can do a fair days work yet my
brother John K Lowrie has rented the farm and is working at Blacksmithing
where we left and has bought property there and is doing well my sister
Mrs Jean Knox lives close by him where my mother is at present I
would like you would see aunt Margaret Stewart of [Drumslamph?]
get her to write us a letter and give uncle John Gourleys address as
I would like to write to him. We have 8 of a family but 2 died 8 years ago
my oldest son was 25 last Sabath and my youngest is a girl four past so we
have 3 boys and 3 girls alive at present Aunt Ann Walker is in good
health and is [old?] to weave yet she lost her grandchild about 4 weeks
ago so she has nobody living with her but her son John also lost his
wife several years ago my uncle Alexander that lived in Pittsburgh died
3 years past in April last and has not heard from his family since with
soon if this reaches you and I will send you all our family pictures in
our group with our own.
We have nothing more of importance to write at present but give our love
to you all.
Address
Mrs Martha Cranston
Tapleytown P.O.
Canada
Please write a long letter as father wants to hear from you all yours
Martha Cranston
