Addressed to…
Mrs. Mary L. Buswell, R.F.D. #1, Sioux Falls, S. Dak.

Toppenish, Wash. • Oct. 25 – 08
Dear Mother,

I received your letter of the 18th inst, also the paper. I have been working for the Washington Nursery Co. again this week putting in some more skylights in their ware house.

It is quite interesting to see them pack the trees ready to ship. They employ 10 or 12 men to pack besides those that do the digging. They bring in trees by the wagon hay rack load. Their large size boxes when packed weight 800–900 lbs. and contain 800 to 3700 trees, according to the size of the trees.

Am glad that you have had such a good garden this summer. I expect to plant one in the spring if I stay here, which I intend to do now.

I have bought two lots in Toppenish. If you look on the map of T— that I sent, you can see the location. They are in Robbins Add. lot 2 in blk 8 ($125.00) and lot 9 blk 3 ($250.00). The new concrete block school house which they are building is on block 9. I pay 1/3 down and balance in six years. I think I will build on one of these instead of in Zillah, as I will not be able to get any work there and I can work out a good deal here, and do my own at odd times when the weather is bad, etc.

Next year when the railroad is built in Zillah there will be lots of building and I can get plenty of work there, and will have the same advantage that I have here now. I am going to build a shanty to live in myself next week, as this building is too cold. I cannot read, write, or do anything but hover over the stove in the evenings, no matter how much fire I have.

It will cost about $25. for lumber and I will have to pay 12 or 15 more, for a stove and pump. Then I will not have to pay any more rent, and be much more comfortable. Lots of people have been living in tents, working on ranches, etc., are coming into town and want to get houses to live in.

I could rent my house very well if I had it built. Mr. Nelson who owns this house says that there is a family who is very anxious to move in as soon as we move out, and I do not doubt it. the $5.00 per mo. which he gets for rent just pays his monthly payment on his lot.

Mr. Lown’s wife is coming back in about a week, she was anxious to return as soon as she got home. He bought a lot (Robbins Add. No. 11 in blk 3. $250.00) and is building a house to be ready when he gets here. All the lots in blks 1–2–3–4–9–10 are restricted in the deed so that no houses may be built that do not cost at least $800. This is so that if you build a fine house your neighbor can not build a shack next to it. This does not prevent one from building a shed-barn, etc., to live in at the back of the lot.

Mr. Lown is the greatest dog man you ever saw. Almost any dog will leave his master to follow him off, even tho he does not call it. He cannot resist feeding one if it comes around. There is one fine large black one named Watch — the kind they always call Watch — the people that owned him moved away and left him, and he came home with Mr. L., and I am going to keep him if he will stay when Mr. L. moves, and I think he will.

I got my suit from M.W. Co. [Montgomery Wards] and it it very fine. I fits better than any I have ever bought at the stores. They sent the second choice which was the one I sent you the sample of and I am glad now that they did. I advise Fred [his brother] to send there for his next one.

I have the cutest bean pot you ever saw, it is about as large as a 4# butter jar and shaped like a very wide-mouthed jug, and has a lid. I have baked beans twice and they were very good — just like mother used to make. I wish you would send me some easy receipts [now known as ‘recipes’] for pan cakes, rennet pudding, etc. I tried rice pudding again and it is good. Also send me 2 or 3 needles-full of black yarn to darn my gloves. I have needles.

I think I will get the material for my house on time and pay for it out of the rent, or let the man pay for it who buys it.

I will give you an illustration of what I think Toppenish chances are for growth. If you would imagine Lincoln Co, S.D. to be the reservation and all the country around settled as thickly as it is, and the town of S. Falls as near as it is. When the reservation is opened there will be about 3000 people (I estimate) settled on the land. Had not that ought to make the principal and almost only town on the reservation and situated on the reservation as Canton in Lincoln Co— grow a good deal.

Of course there might something happen to prevent or delay it. But if I wait to invest until it is a sure thing there will be no chance for profit. I have been saving my money ever since I quit farming to invest in something like this and this looks to be a good deal better chance than I had hoped for. The lots in Zillah I hope to make even more from, tho it will take longer. The prospects look better all the time for the R.R. to come there and there will be an electric line there anyway.

There was some more hay burned last night and they had a chance to try the new fire engine. It worked fine but they were too late to save the hay, but prevented possibility of the barn burning which was close by.

I saw some Andalusian chickens at the Fair. They are blue like some blue ones we had but have long feathers on the head like the black crested Spanish we had once, but longer. I wish you could plant some apple seeds in the garden by the fence, where there is not much manure. They will be the right size to graft when I get home and I want to try it. Plant them this fall and they will come up in the spring.

Your loving son,
W.J. Buswell