72-00-00  undated letters/ John and Amelia Dearing-- Elizabeth Damrell  
                   
hand to try to write a few lines in answer to yours on May 27th which came to 
hand in due time and found us all in common health and was glad to hear that 
you was stil in the hand of the living but sorry to hear that your health was 
so bad all winter.  My health was so bad all winter that I often thought I 
would not live to see warm weather and my health is still so poore that I 
cannot keep up all day and it takes all the time that I am able to be up to do 
what I am compelled to do and keep house and it hurts my head and eyes so bad 
to write that I have to write a few lines and stop and rest that it takes  
 
back side of page 
I recieved 2 letters from you since Augustens death an thought I would answer 
them but kept puting it off for a more conveniant time and that time never 
came so I never done it at all it was not because I did not care anything for 
you my children complains verry much because I do not write to them oftener 
but I cannot help it for it is out of th question to write as often as I could 
wish I do not know how long it has been since I wrote to some of them I am 
ashamed of it but I cannot help it I am trouled a good deal with the piles and 
a disease of the badder and kidnys so that I can hardly sit on a chair to 
write orany things else 
 
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and when I get tired I have to lay down to rest I have to rent out my farm and 
live on the rent.  you wanted  know how our crops was last season the dry 
weather and chinch bugs and grub worms injured corn crops a great deal and 
some farms on the priarie made a total failure of corn wheat and oats was 
generally good some crops of wheat was injured considerably by the chinch bugs 
wheat will be almost a total failure this year what was not winter killed the 
chinch bugs will finish up and the wire worms and grub worms is taking some 
fields of corn and grasshoppers has cleaned up Kansas again and the adjoining 
countys of Missouri on both sides of the river and they are in 15 or 16 miles 
of us where they stoped last fall and I expect they will visit us this season. 
 
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We have had some good rains lately that has kept the chinch bugs back some and 
infat we have had rain enough this season so fare for the good of crops but it 
it has been too cool the most of the time corn was worth 60 to 75 cts per 
bushel last spring and seeds corn 80cts to $1,00 but there is none to sell now 
at any price wheat 60 to 75 cts but is now worth $1,00  $1,15 oats 50 cts 
bacon shoulders 10 cts hams and sides 15 cts per pound  Mr. Polk that married 
my youngest daughter livs on my place runs the farm and helps me along or I 
could not keep house. my second daughter Sarah Ann Rains that was born on bug 
Sandy died last January and left 4 children write every oppertunity yours 
truly