Robert Moore Esq. [Esquire?]
Clerk of the Union
Carndonagh
Londonderry
Ireland
Postmark: Londonderry 22 Aug 85
Carndonagh Au 22 85
Oaklands
Ellsworth
August 8 1885
Dear Robert
I would have written
you Sooner but I was Every
Week expecting to get one
from you. We were [fareth?]-
busy for the last few weeks
The oats, wheat, & Rye is now
all Cut & Stacked and Some
of it threshed Mr Houston
from Newton Cunningham
& Mr. Cochran from Coleraine
that Came out after me
and settled nearly beside
me bought a Left Binder
and they Cut my oats and
James Gillespies they Cut it
very nicely I never Saw a
Machine I like so well it does'n
leand [leave?] a head nor a sheaf
scarcely Ever looses after it
it ties with twine. Then my
next neighbour Mr Baker
has a threshing machine
and it Can do its work in
good style too it Comes to
the field, it is worked by
5 teams of Horses baker
supplies 3 teams I supply
two, and he threshes for 2 1/2
cents per bushel I had him
for about 3/4 of a day and
he threshed 630 bushels out
of the Stook I like the way
of working here very much
James Gillespie had them about
thi [the?] same time and done about
the same work the [they?] never Employ
a Man here about five or six
farmers work here in a kind
of Company the day I threshed
I had six teams I had two
in the mill three drawing
to her and one taking away
the oats into the grainery [granary?]
and I have not paid a man
and Sometimes 12 is not paid
according to Contract. I bought
another quarter just beside me
at 9 1/2 dollars per acre it
is good land with timber
and Running water on it
I have had 480 acres and
I think will be land enough
for me I think When I get
all my money I'll be able to pay
for it. Adieu to rent for Ever
I sold 13 young pigs at 2 1/2 dol [dollars?],
per head. that - is the first money
I made
I hope you are all well
as this leaves us at present -
Thank God for all his mercies
Your Ever affectionate Brother
Until death. Wilson Moore
I think I was'nt telling you
about James Gillespie in my
last letter. He & John M Money [Mooney?]
Came here and Stopped about
10 days they were very useful
and helped me to do - everything
they could and things turned
out very fortunate for them
they both took a farm of 16.
acres they give the man 1/3
of the crops and the [they?] get - 2/3
for their trouble I think it is
going to pay them well, they
have 2- acres of Oats and
about 80 of I. [Indian?] Corn the next
is in meadow and grazing
they have about 10 acres of
Millet - a nice kind of feed
ing for Cows in Winter. I
almost forgot to tell you about
Another kind of machine
they have here for harvest
They call it a header it is
wonderful to See it working
it Cuts the grain about Six
inches below the head brings
it up by an Elevator and drops
it in the wagon it takes
3 wagons to draw away from
it to the stack it is all
stacked the day it is Cut
The [they?] Cut about - 30 acres a day
there is not a man Employed
but a man with Every wagon
two men on the Stack and
the owener [owner?] of the machine
who drives Six teams of horse
himself - it does the work very
well but I hear sometimes
it gets a little damaged
in the Stack. If they Can do
with little help of men here
they Count nothng on horses
for they are doing nothing at
that - Season anyhow
I wrote to Andrew & Robert
and told them to give the
money to you in August - for
I have some to pay myself
in September 10 per cent
charged
[part missing]
you might write to say what
time I might Expect the money.
If you can manage to make it
payable as soon as it Comes
so much the better I lost nothing
on it [its?] worth the last time
[part missing]
We have the best Crop of I. [Indian?] corn
this Season that the oldest
Settler remembers to see but
Wheat Oats and Rye is Shorter
than last year I think flour
must be dearer
[part missing]
or horse a days wage Since
I Came we just give a day
in return. James has done
all the work on the farm him
self but there is nothing to do
but horse work I have four
good Mares and a good
foal I have plenty of good
grass and when one team
gets a bit tired or a Sore
Shoulder I just Stick in
the other the cheapest - I bougth [bought?]
Cost me 100 dollars So I intend
to go into the Breeding line
I expect to have four foals
next season - You Can't buy
much of a horse for œ20
