76-08-06   Winters Yolo County Cal  August 6th 1876 to E Damrell from EE 
Norton
Dear Grand Ma
We received you letter in due time but I was not at home.  I had gone to see 
Alice and make her a visit.  She is not vary well.  She expects to be confined 
soon if not all ready.  I have not heard from her since I left her. but hope 
she will get along well.
We are a going to see her in about a week from now.  I stayed nearly three 
weeks with her but could not stay any longer.  I was so poorly myself.  I have 
not bin in as poor health for 10 years as I am this summer though I am feeling 
better since I came home.  My baby is not well. it crys a great deal.  it 
never has been a healthy child.  it is vary pale and white sometimes not the 
color of blood about it but it grows some all the time. he is five months old. 
 the rest of the family is tolerable well except John is not vary well.  he 
has worked vary heard this summer.  he had a long harvest.  he had 5 thousand 
bushels of Barley.  the best crop that we ever raised.  I wish you could see 
the wheat this is raised here and hauled to the railroad.
Well Grand Ma I have so many things to tell you.  I hardly know where to 
commens.  You wanted to know about Bud. He is gone the insain asilum.  I have 
not seen him for six months.  he is was feeling vary bad when last heard from. 
 I cannot tell you half about him that I would like to but to make a long 
story short I would rather have followed him to his grave then to see him go 
there.  I never expect to see him well again, though he may get well.
it pains my heart to think of it.  Andrew has not come home yet.  We are 
looking for him to come and see us this fall.  Milton stayed all summer with 
us and is now is Colusa County with Sam & Alice
We are all scattered like stray sheep since Pa got Maried, for my self it does 
not make any difference.  I can take care of my self but Milton only 16 years 
old to do as he pleases.  I sometimes can hardly think of it.  to think that 
Pa would turn him out to do for himself so young.  I wish I could come to see 
you this fall but it is impossible for me to go with a little baby and not 
well my self.
I hope that I will be able to make you a visit while we both live.  every 
letter I get from you it makes me want to see more & more.
I have not seen Pa for two months.  he was here and read your letter while I 
was gone.  he lives 25 miles from us.  Abbot Canterbury, that is one of Uncle 
Milton's boys got throwed of a hourse and hurt his head and went Crazy.  he 
was vary wild.  he wanted to kill every body and run horse and take his chotts 
off and tear them up
(note:  L. F. Canterbury letter of 76-07-31 said Augustus went to insane 
asilum.  Are Bud and Augustus the same person?)
second piece of paper
I will write some more on this scrap as I was not quite done. 
Uncle Washington and Aunt Polly has gone to Oregon again to live.  Uncle Wash 
is in vary Poor health; does not expect to live long.  Flora live in Oregon 
and is doing vary well.  Almira lives in Washington Teratory and is Married to 
the third man.
The small pox is vary in Cal now at this time is in five miles of us now.  one 
Man has died.  it is a great dread on my mind all the time for there is so 
many people traveling a round all the time.  I wish you could have some of our 
nice grapes that we have.  they are geting ripe.  fruit is Plenty of all 
kinds.  Tell Ning & Aunt Theny  that I would like to see them and see if they 
have got old as fast as I fell I have since I saw them. Give our love and best 
wishes to all enquiring friend and relatives. for I have many friend and 
reatives that I would like to see as far back as I can. Remember, it was along 
                    page 2  76-08-06
time before I give up my old home and be contented here but I am now well 
satisfied and expect to live in Cal as long as I live.  excuse poor writing 
and spelling and accept our love and best wishes for self.  no more but 
reamins your true grand Children till Death.  Write as often as you can good 
by  Eliza E. N.norton