Carolyn Gay Taft Farm Letter - November 3, 1925

Old Mission, Mich. Nov. 3rd 19-25 My Dear Miss. Taft:- I thot it about time to write to you again but there wasn't any thing of any importance to hurry me any. Received your last letter. Am always glad to hear from you & know how you are coming along. I haven't heard whether Mrs. Stutsman received her apples or not & what kind of shape they were in. We have had dreadful cold weather & snow. The farmers have lost a lot af apples & what few hadn't dug their potatoes are no good now. They are paying $2.00 a bu. in T. C. now. What will poor people do? We had to buy most of ours we only had 5 bu. in all. Other people had the same luck as we did. Joseph just started plowing today the ground has been frozen hard so he couldn't do it until now. Wouldn't be surprised if it stormed again tomorrow the weather is against every one a fellow can't get the fall work done. There hasn't been any gravel hauled yet but will get at it as soon as he can. The mice are nearly driving us out of the house. They chewed 2 holes thru the wall board back of the range & are trying to gnaw thru the door way in the dining room. They can't find any thing to eat so are trying to chase us out. Cows have been in the barn for 3 weeks Nothing but snow oputside until the last few days it is going to make a long hard winter & means more feed to be bought. If Joseph gets a chance to buy hay reasonable will he get some? Harry Lang was selling some for $28 per ton a short time ago but it may be more now. It will be much higher by Spring. Joseph is as saving as he can be but animals have been feed for several months now & it all counts up. I know you will have to buy before Spring for all animals. There was 86 bu. of corn and 5 1/2 bu. of carrots never had so little of such things before. Nothing growed much after you left. The rye got a fairly good start before the snow came. Well I sold the remainder of my work that took me several years to make it came to $42. I'm not going to make any more right away as I am getting too nervous. Right now I have 2 dresses & 2 shirts to make of course I get pretty good pay for it But I find it very hard with my other work to do any thing extra for other people. Is it worth all the extra effort. I love to read & can't find time to do it unless at night & my eyes won't stand that. The work I sold in the past year came to $107.25. It isn't much but helps keep some things up. Please hope we have good weather as we need it for 3 or 4 weeks & then it can snow. Got some salt petre for horses water as they were bothered. With love Essie K.

   .15  axel greese
   .15  horse shoe nails
   .70  Toll bill from phone
   .65  fixtures for storm windows
   .15  salt petre
  1.80

$5.15

1.80

$3.35 left to your credit Enclosed please find receipt from bank.