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Salina or Rabbit Town, December 4th, 1875
Dear Father Mother and All:
It is with pleasure that I seat myself to answer your kind and welcome letter that came to hand all right and was glad to hear from home. But I am getting reconciled fast. I do not know when I will be home for I have a dread of long journeys. I was up to Joseph City the other day and had the toothache and then went hunting and waded the river and catched cold and then I started home again. – my head and bones commenced to ache. On this side of Richfield I got off my horse and laid down and had a good notion to stay there. But I thought that would not do so I came on home and here I am with the big jaw. Griff says mother would not know me. Tomorrow is Sunday and I will have to stay home and keep the hall on the square. The two boys had been about crazy about the girls since the dance especially.
Joe Young Farnsworth had his wedding dance last night. I left in the morning, I would have stayed had it not been for my face. I expect Maria will go up there before long and maybe George too. N Griff has started to town to have our recommends read but I do not know whether the will read mine or not until I am there for I had a spell of my old complaint “gripping”. But Griff administered to me and I soon felt better. So you see we are not Heathen even though we live on the Sevier.
This is the mildest country I ever saw for this time of year. You tell Hy that if he would comedown I think he could get suited for there is land and water such as it is but he could do very well. We have daily mail and it is just thru on the road.
I have got one city lot to commence on. I do not think we can get up to the timber so we cannot get our log cabin up this winter. There is a great deal of travel through the town and I am satisfied that if a man had hay and grain to sell he could do very well. They took the 2 sacks of Lucerne and want more at 33cents a pound but it is worth a good deal for freight the way the roads are.
Excuse my blunders. Remember me to all my friends. Give my love to Grandmother and Aaron and accept the same yourselves.
From your affectionate son and brother.
J. H. Bailey
Note: Joseph had gone from Mill Creek to Salina where he hoped to get property and make a start. He was more or less under the wing of a sister and brother-in-law, Ellen and Griff Humphrey. He was unmarried at this time.
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Salina, Utah, Monday, December 27th 1875
Dear parents and all.
It is with pleasure that I take my pen in hand to answer your kind and welcome letter that came to hand all right. The kisses was so heavy that it cost an extra stamp but we was glad to receive them.
I am going to try and get five acres of land close to town for Lucerne. My lot is in the northwest part of town and is the northwest corner of a lot. Griff’s is farther east. The land is kind of sandy soil on my lot. I do not know how it is on his. Our land lays about four miles south of town. The river is about a mile and a half west of the town and in a northwest direction. It is about as big as Mill Creek is at the mouth of the canon. That runs to waste besides what the folks use so we have got plenty of water. But the land is poor around here that is the reason we have gone so far away from town for our land. The land here all slopes to the northwest the way the river runs-more north than west.
I am always glad to hear from home, it has been a very dull Christmas here. The boys had a dance but I did not dance. I am afraid to-the girls is stunners to swing. I have not lost any dancing. Harry Bab is here. I think we will make a start on the cabin today by getting out rock. I think it will be 14 by 16 on the inside.
Tell Charley H. that I think the climate here would suit him very well. I do not know how he would like the place. I think there is a letter missed each way. We have received three bundles of papers and you bet we was glad to get something to read. It as lucky for mason that you seen his house. How is all of our boys getting along - none of them married yet I suppose.
Please invite me to Elity’s wedding.
Well I cannot think of any more. Give my love to all my inquiring friends and accept the same from Joseph H. Bailey
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Dear Father, Mother and All,
You must forgive me for not writing before. I have been waiting to get some money to send to you but I cannot wait any longer so here goes.
We are all well at present as I hope this will find you all. Brother Crane went up the river to collect some of our debts but we only got one. We have got a contract for thirty-six tons. We will have thirty dollars due us on the last of the month on the contract and then I will send you some.
It is more like spring than winter; the weather is fine and warm. We are busy with the salt business but that is not all the work I have to do. I went to a meeting Tuesday night after we tot home and they put me in Treasurer of the Young Men’s Society and then they put me in teacher with the old men for they said I was a rowdy and must be broken in. And my pardner and me have been on most of our rounds so you see they are trying to make a man of me. They put Hy Anderson in teacher at the same time as me but he has not been around yet. We wanted them to let us two go together but they was afraid we would not teach much religion so they would not let us have our way. So I have to go with one old man and Hy with another.
And the same night they put me in president of the deacons class and they are the meanest set of young rogues that there is in the country or at least R M H thinks so at any rate. For they went to his the other night and played telegraph on his window. This operation is performed by sticking a pin into the window sash and then tie a thread to the pin and then tie a nail about six inches from the pin to the thread and then one of the party will take hold of the thread and by pulling the thread backwards and forward the nail will tap on the window glass and when the man of the house comes out they pull the thread tight and he cannot see it if it is black and a long one.
R M got so mad he had to cry so the boys says. So you see I have a fine lot to preside over but I think I can get along with them.
I hope you are all well. We have not had a dance since we came home. Giver our love to all of the folks and all of the children and accept a large share yourselves.
From your son and daughter
Joe and Ann Bailey
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Salina, February
28, 1878
Dear Father Mother and all,
We received your letter of the 23and it struck consternation and sorrow to our hearts. Oh my dear parents, I cannot tell you how I felt when I read about my two brothers deaths. It was hard enough to lose them one at a time but this is very hard to bear but it must be borne for the living’s sake. I hope that Reuben is better by this time for we have lost enough and too many if I am any judge. But the Lord knows what he is about if we do not.
Father it is my advice for you to sell out and move out here for when you all get well you will feel your loss worse than you do now. For you know you cannot hear the little feet pattering on the floor or the stairs and that will be hard and it will worry both of you. Whereas if you sell out and move you will not see there playmates or playhouses and many other things to remind you of those that are gone. And if you do not want the bother of selling your business now, rent your land and come and let your mind get settled and then go back and settle up and sell out. If you will consent to come out here now I will come with the two horse teams to help you out. I have got plenty of land for all of us and if you will come this spring we could put in plenty of grain but I do not ask you to work; for God giving me my health and strength I will work for all.
Brother and Sister Crane send their kindest regards and Brother Crane says he will do all in his power to help you and he tenders you his faith and prayer for your welfare. I believe the disease has got into the very walls of the house. It will be very lonesome there this summer but if you was out here we could preach to you and help to drive melancholy away. You may say you want to be laid where your children is laid – what is the difference where your bodies is laid if your spirits goes where they are. You can live the life of Saints here as ell as you can there. If we was to come there that would make you feel bad to think of what had been. The climate is better here and you may live to a good old age; but if you stay there I am fearful for God knows we do not want to lose either of you. When you write tell us what your decision is and all of you are for we are anxious about all of you. I do pity my poor dear parents for I know they look careworn and I think they have had enough trouble to make them look so. I do sincerely believe a move will be the salvation of what is left of our family, for you must not pine away for those that are gone but live for those that are alive.
I know it will be hard for you to tear away from old Mill
Creek but it will not be as hard a trial as you have gone through. If you will not come would it not be wise
to get some kind of acid and throw around the house to kill the disease; for
surely it is still lurking around to steal more victims if possible.
We are well at present with the exception of colds and I do hope and pray to God that you are all better by this time. Reuben must not die; so I hope he is better. Our love to all and I hope you will make up your minds to come. Let us know in your next letter.
We remain your loving son and daughter, brother and sister.
Joe and Ann Bailey
P.S. Bro. Crane believes the same as I do and he hopes you will come.
Note: The deaths referred to in this letter were from diphtheria. Within two months seven children died, five being Elizabeth’s and two belonging to the second wife, Elsie. Some died after this letter was written. It was true that the disease was still lurking in the house for when Joe went in July to visit his parents – who did not wish to move – he contracted the dread disease and passed away quickly leaving his young pregnant wife alone.
Bessie
Shields - Granddaughter of Joseph and
Ann
Bold added for emphasis!