This is a family heirloom letter passed down through the generations. It is in the possesion of one man who graciously shared it with a distant cousin of mine who has spent many years compiling the Nutter genealogy to be preserved for generations to come. It has been transcribed with no liberties being taken as to grammer or punctuation. It appears here just as it does in the original written form.
This letter was written by my third great grandmother, Eunice Linton Nutter who was born April 4, 1834 in St. George, New Brunswick, Canada. She married Thomas Rogerson (1819-1904) on May 13, 1853 in St. George. Eunice and Thomas has just moved, with their two young daughters, to "somewhere in Minnesota" from their home in St. George seeking a new and better life. An obviously very homesick, 22 year old Eunice wrote this letter to her parents, Theodore and Mary Ann Winder Linton Nutter, who were at the time living in St. George. The couple did not stay in Minnesota as their next child, Elzaide, was born in Brockway, Charlotte County, New Brunswick in 1858.
When I first read this insightful letter what struck me was Eunice's sparkling personality. She seems to have been an intelligent, hard-working and personable woman obviously commited to her family. I wish I had the honor of knowing her, but thanks to the careful preservation of this letter through the years, I almost feel as if I do. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
August 1856
Dear Father Mother
it is with much pleasure it I sit down to from you of of our present state of health which is good at present and hope that these few lines will find you enjoying good the same blessing. Dear Mother we are keeping house now we pay four dollars per month for two rooms and a bedroom Thomas boards at home now Ma I wish that you were here now to see my new stove it is a much better one and larger than the one that I left it cost 24 dollars and it is the same make as your stove stoves are as cheap here as they are there and everything else is as cheap. Dear Father and Mother I suppose you want to know what I have got in my house. I have got a new hardwood table larger than that of yours for four dollars and a half dozen chairs like my other ones. Tell Betty that Anna has got a high chair and a rocking chair. I have got a set of dishes and a bedstead and a new mattress. I shant tell you anything more for fear that you will think that I am proud of them. Ma I forgot to tell you that I have a new washtub and washboard I have got everything comfortable I like living here very well but I should like it much better if you were all out here so that you could come and see me once in a while. Ma this is the place for you, you can make as much money as you have mind to. I have made since I cam here 20 dollars washing and sewing. I get a dollar a dozen for washing and some weeks I was 6 dozen. I have nine gold dollars now. Pa and Ma I do wish that you were only here so that you could earn something before you both get to work. There is no trouble Pa if you were only out here. I know that you could do well with what Ma can help you. We expect to get along well in a short time we have our health. You can make money here by keeping boarders here. We boarded out when I came and Thomas paid ten dollars per week for three weeks-two dollars for Anna's board. Well Pa and Ma, I suppose that you want to hear something about this country. It is a fine country I think myself but it has been a very dry summer, the crops are nothing this summer but but here there is the most beautiful corn here I have ever seen it is as high as I. The grasshoppers are thick as blackflies and are eating everything up that is in the ground. Ma I wish that you had your cows out here and you all out here you would do well with them. They give 50 dollars out here for a cow and they look no better than yours do. Tell me how the colt gets along, the horses out here are a great deal larger than she is but no smarter. Butter is 35 cents per pound here. Potatoes one dollar and fifty cents per bushel, flour eight dollars per barrel. I have not seen Elzaid since I came out here she is 30 miles from me John was down to see me. I have not seen James he is up to Johns he has rented this summer I got a letter this week from E and she was well. She said she got a letter from home. We sent up after her but John was away to work and she could not come down. Her things are all harvested, she sent me down some cucumbers. Rebecca and Elzaid have been down here visiting they are the same as ever. Aunt Eunice is well this summer. This is a healthy place here only I was very sick for two days last and Anna was sick. The doctor was with me most all day, I had the summer complaint and the cramps. I was in great pain for a whileI wished you were here then to rub my legs when the cramp would take me. The doctor said that I would have had the cholera in a few minutes longer but he came in time. I am well now. Thomas' health is good but his arm is breaking out again. I wish that you were here to cure it for him. He is in the mill tonight and he has been all summer. He gets 60 dollars per month he is only going to work one month longer and then we are going up to Elzaid's and I am going to stop there all winter I guessif nothing happens. Thomas says Pa if you don't want that stove you had better give it to o'Neale for the rent. Ma you don't want it that I know if you have any thought of coming out here and I think that that is enough for him. When you write Thomas wants to know if you have got any chance to sell the land and if the hay is goodon it this summer and tell me if you have done anything more on the house. I want you to say no for I am afraid that you will go to work at the house and then it will look so well that Pa will not want to leave it. Dear Father and Mother you both know if I thought that you could not do well out here that I would tell you, but I know you can. See what i earn with two little children and two cross ones two. The baby is five months old today, she grows very fast and is as fat as she can be she knows all of us now. I have got a little wagon to haul them round, when I get the time. I often wish that the children were here to help me take care of her. If I hadn't any children I could sure make my fortune out here I have just as much money as I want to spend and you know ma that that take plenty for me. Thomas is laying by all of his gold to but landhe has not got any claim yethe doesn't know what he will do yet. Stephen is boarding with us. He gets 30 dollars per month and board. He is takinga little rest now like he did down east. He is going up to Elzaide's this week. Ma when you write tell me you are all coming out this summerand when you are going to come.
Ma when you come bring everything that you can with you. Bring all of your tins and you can bring all of your best dishes for most everybody that comes here bring all of their things. Dishes are dear here and clothes are dear here. Mind and bring all that you can, bring your clock with you. I wish that i had mine and bring your dishes with you. Pa and Ma it is nothing to come out here after you get startedyou write when you come. I dream that I see youall every night. I wish that you were here tonight for I often feel homesick. When you come bring me a good drink of your buttermilk. Ma, I don't what more I can write now I should have moreoften but don't have so much time as I use to down there. I wrote the week that I got here and have not gotten an answer yet I don't think that any of you have written to me yet.
I think the time is long and long to hear from you al do write as soon as you get this so I can hear if you are all alive or not. I don't know what more I can write to you now. I shall write more next timethat I write tell Statira that I am going to write to her and to Theodore to be a good boy and help Pa work.
Write as soon as you get this and tell me how the children and how Eta gets along and if she can talk. Anna can she can say Grandpa quite plain now. She likes Thomas now as well as she does me.
This is from your daughter
Eunice L. Rogerson
Write now mind Thomas and Stephen send their love to you all. I wish that this letter was longer so that I could write more. I haven't told half of the news....................................(illegible)...............and to Mrs. Talon. Tell her that your baby is the best looking now but it isn't the biggest.