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Philadelphia March 12th 1877
Dear Joseph & Elisa Jane I
rite [write?] these few lines to youse [you?] to let
yous [you?] know we are all well thank
God for his kindness to us hoping this
will reach yous [you?] all enjoying the same
blessing perhaps you think I have
forgot yous [you?] altogether on account of not
riting [writing?] for some time but I have not
I have not got a letter from you Joe
a long time I had a letter from my
Sister Mary Anne about 10 days ago
She told me to rite [write?] to some of yous [you?] right
away I was glad to hear of yous [you?] being
in good health she told me yous [you? were
about to buy John Lockards farm I
think well of it if you get it cheap enough
we are getting along prety [pretty?] well with the
store but in the winter times is
dull here and money scarce but it is stirring
up now there was a man came for me
to gow [go?] to work for him he has seven
houses to build I have been there last week
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I have 18 Dolars [dollars?] per week and your
mother attends to the store with the
assistance of Catherine all our goods are
delivered in the store but it is quite different
to a store at home there is so many
extraw [extra?] kinds of commodities to have in a store
here to suit the purchasers Johnny is driving
a team since September last he boards with
his boss and Mary Ann is working in a store
finishing white shirts and Seragh is
in the same place yet David went
to New York about 2 months ago when
the Sentenial [Centennial?] was over I have not herd[heard?]
from him these two weeks Willy has nothing
to do for some time and he is to school
with Samuel times has been dull
here for the last 12 months but it
is expected they will be better now we
have a new President elected and it created
some doings at that time his name is Hone
the last presidents time expired on the 4th
of this month
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Thomas and wife is well he has built
an adition [addition?] to his house this Spring
of two rooms Mary Anne rote [wrote?] to me
that she had got some word from us
by a man the name of William Ferguson
he could not tell her anything of us I never
saw him nor dose [does?] not now [know?] him in
the city I hope yous [you?] are getting along well
with your plowing I now [know?] this is the busy
time there I hope yous [you?] will not neglect
to rite [write?] a letter and let me now [know?]
if you have got Lockharts farm
We think long to have a letter from you
Your mother has prety [pretty?] good health owing
to her time but attending to the store
keeps her so much on foot we send our
kind respects to mother and are glad to hear
of her being in prety [pretty?]good health and likewise
to Samuel Mary Ann & Willy I will send
them a letter soon I am intend to move
from here as soon as I can find another
store that I think will suit me
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We send our respects to old Mr
and Mrs Steel hoping they are well
Please rite [write?] soon and direct as follows
John Ferguson 2002 Altor Street
if I get another house to suit me
I will rite [write?] to you my adress[address?] sometimes
letters gow [go?] astray on account of moving
to different parts of the city
ever remain your affectionate
Father & Mother
John & Mitilda Ferguson
David Colhoun & Family
is well and comes
to sees us
The [they?] live
about three
miles
from
us
