RK-737

Battle Creek. Feb 6 th[underlined]

Respected Friend.

Your letter is rec'd as well as the Reports on Birds & Mammals, for which I am greatly obliged They are finely prepared & will be of great use to all those who wish to study Nat. History in this country; The author has made an exelent classification of the various species, & orders. They will be quite an acquisition to me; I had my Father write to some of the members of the Illi. St. Leg. as you requested. I was not personaly acquainted with any of the members, but Father was & so he [illegible] tend to the matter himself.

He is interested in the subject & will do all that he can to help along the work. I am in hopes that the bill will pass the house[?] but I am afraid it will not this winter, because the [illegible][underlined] is so nearly empty: but if it does not, the matter must be still agitated; & the minds of the people called to see the usefulness of such a work. I look forward with anxiety to see the[?] action of the Legistat[ure] up on it. I read the papers attentively, but see no notice of it yet; it will not probably come up until the last of the session. I shall be ready to come to Ann Arbor any time on an hours notice. There I hope to see & become better acquainted with you.

To be sure we con communicate our thoughts by pen & paper; but not with the fluency: That we can by speech: I hope you will let me know when will be [illegible] There is a great agitation over this country, with regard to Pikes Peak: The Gold fever has broken out, & many have started[?] & are about to start for the land of gold & the privations[?] of a Pioneer life: for my part I would rather remain in the older settled parts of the country.

I remain

Ever yours truly.

Geo. S. Haskell.