FYI: There will be occasional abbreviations and references that don’t mean anything to me, either. If I can, I will clarify in brackets.

Will Buswell is about 38 years old when he writes this letter. Not sure what Will was doing as a younger adult, but I assume working as a farmer on family-owned land? His father was 66 and neither very strong or healthy, it would seem. (I don’t know that James Murdock Buswell had been injured in the Civil War, but something like PTSD must have been an issue.)

Addressed to: Mrs. Mary L. Buswell, R.F.D. #1, Sioux Falls, SD

Toppenish, Washington • July 12 – 08
Dear Mother,

I received your welcome letter of the 5th inst. Am glad to hear that you have the old S.S. started again. Perhaps you will be more successful this time as it has been so long since there has been any that people will be more interested. There are surely enough people if they will come.

We have had quite warm weather this week, several days over 100 in the shade. But it is quite pleasant if one is working in the shade.

Work is getting pretty scarce here now tho there are a few new buildings starting. A good many people are going away. I want to work here as long as I can as it is too expensive to move about. From all I hear, it is about the same everywhere, so there is not much use to run about anyway.

It can not be that Fred [his brother] is taking very good care of his bees to let them swarm so much. But I suppose that he is too busy as usual.

Is there no water running through the tile or is it all filled up?

I got the July C&B tho it took nearly 2 weeks to get here. Do not send the Aug. number until I tell you because I may move before then.

The church at NY is made of stone. Did I send home a postal card picture of it?

Well, I have been here over a year now and I think that the climate here can not be excelled tho some who come from Cal. claim that is much better. Besides the climate I do not think it is any better here than in S.D. or at least in Sioux Falls.

I think I would like Seattle if it were not so wet and rainy in the winter. There seems to be much difficulty in raising tomatoes here. They most all die as soon as they begin to blossom but yield immensely if they live thru. I think they put too much water on them in the hot weather and scald them.

Why does not Fred write?

I cannot decide what I will do until I find whether we are going to have hard times. It looks very much to me as tho we would. I want to stay here as long as I can get work then I suppose I must go home. — In any event I will be coming home but the time is rather uncertain.

I have not received The Review but probably will in a day or two.

Your loving son,
W.J. Buswell

= = = = = = =

Aside: My mom was a voracious reader who came from a long line of readers, par excellence. On the back of the envelope, I see where the recipient had written the title of two publications she didn’t want to forget: Adventures in Contentment; The Open Road. I’m still finding random notes about books in papers my mom left behind. Now I realize her grandma did the same thing.