Ichabod J. Norris

Grass Volley [Valley] January. 17. 1857

Dear Sister

we received your letter and much glad to here of your good health it found us as it left you as we have bin [been] all of the time since we left home and it is something strange that so many as there is of us and all well but we had aught to have some good luck if we cant [can't] make money if we have good health we can make a firstrate [first-rate] good liveing [living] and wil [will] make some of that slow money that you spoke about --

there is but little news this time thing move after the same old sort except the weather is colder this winter than any previous one since I have ben [been] in this Country the weather being so verry [very] Cold with sudin [sudden] changes has caused more sickness than usuel [usual] there being several cases of fiever [fever] whitch [which] is uncomon [uncommon] for this Climate and the disease goes verry [very] hard

I thought last fall that I should not like to come home in the fall but as it has turned out I think we shal [shall] see as much Cold in this Country as you will in New Hampshire though we have one advantage over you if we like we can travel out of the Cold in one day where it wil [will] take you three or four, the Danbury Boys are all well as far as I know dont [don't] see any of them but. Geill and Tilton they are both well and doing well in the mines

Frazier is in the southern mines C. C. Dudley is at sanfrancisco [San Francisco] he left Iowa Hill three weeks ago what he is going at down at the Bay I cant [can't] say Tilton Cant [can't] Colect [collect] any thing [anything] on that note from Felps to Brown yet and it is rather doubtfull [doubtful] whether he ever wil [will] or not Felps is prospecting

I shal [shall] come home sometime in the spring proberbly [probably] as soon as June though I cant [can't] tel [tell] the exact time now but I wil [will] litt [let] you know as we write from time to time, and I meant you should keep sharp lookout for the ghales [gals] as you know I have got no time to fool away as I am now a youth of thirty sumers [summers] and when you write again tel [tell] me who is in the market and how you think I would take if you think I wil [will] run hard I can take one withe [with] me but there some expense attending an operation of that kind and I should like to save the frate ferever [forever] it ant [isn't] every ghal [gal] yer [you] meet that is worth the frate write how Jane & Frank get along with all of the news tel [tell] Jane and Sarah that we are uder [under] obligation to them for writeing [writing] so ofton [often] and it wont [won't] be long before I shal [shall] see all of you if we dont [don't] make to misdeal I wil [will] close as it is geting [getting] late

Please giv [give] my respects to all and take care of yurself [yourself] yours truley [truly]

Ichabod J. Norris

Mrs, William. T. Norris

Danbury New Hampshire