[Transcript of Letter from Charles B. Moore to Elvira Moore, July 7, 1850] Page: 1 of 4

                                
Vite Poche Alias Caromale let July 7th   1850
Elvira
I returned from Jerseyville yesterday
where I had fled from the 4th of July.
On the evening of the 2nd the mill stoped to let
the hands have the 3rd + 4th to get drunk
+ they claimed the rest of the week to get
sober so I jumped in the stage + went
up to Jerseyville. I found Aunt Polly at
a plentyful beautiful home. Mary Ann
has a little she cub   Barr about 6 weeks
old. Jerseyville is in a glorious farming
country. Wheat potatos there range from 102
to 150 acres in size   They have reaping mach
ines with which two hands + 4 horses can
cut from 15 to 25 acres per day. I saw several
of them at work. They cut it cleaner than
a cradle. Where Jerseyville now stands 15
years ago there was neither a house or a stick
of timber to be seen. All the land is now
fenced + houses stand as thick all round
the town as they do any where on Alexand
ers creek. They have a wind mill up there
to grin  their wheat + corn. I saw it runing
I did not get to see any open wild prairie
Barr hauls his timber 6+8 miles. He
is a nice farmer. He has commenced hedging
his land with bodark. They call it Osage
orange up there. Jerseyville is about half
as large as Sheleyville   Barr bought his
land from Ma lin(?) Anderson who lives near hinonaw