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Home, Sunday, March 6" or 7
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My Son Bob -
A very warm and pleasant day; but as my eyes are not suited with sun-shine, I stay in-doors - Yours of Feb 24" to me, & 25" to Cora came together - Mails rather slow, now - but the "lightning" says, the Bill for increasing postage did not pass - tho' that selfish old publican, in the "White House" has vetoes our College Bill. Then failed the best chance for extending the sway of science, the world ever saw - But for that veto, there would have been places enough, within five years, for every Naturalist in the Union, - and more good Agricul=turists than we have got, fir for teachers. The devil fly away with the old mule
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"The particulars" of the loss of your Bill, which you ask for, I cant tell you. I saw the Bill, and read it, by permission of the Chairman, Mr Jab. It was almost word for word a copy of what you sent - and all the Com=mitte agreed to Report it - and all told me there was no use in my staying; and no chance for any new "appro=priation" Bill, unless the policy of the Douglasites should change. They had agreed to go against any appropriation, except such as would stop the workings of the "State Institutions" - and many Republicans were worse than demo=crats, in their penny-wise notions, and I should not wonder if several of them voted to table your Bill.
It would be just like the skunks. though the "democrats" were the men generally opposed to appro=priations. It will never be known who voted, or how - unless the [word crossed out] "ayes nays" [word crossed out] were called.
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My kindest regards to the Ulkes[?] - I like "caralns[?]", much - and the other well enough,
Charlie, I suppose, will leave Chicago for Odin to night - and we expect Aunt Ida and Alice to-morrow night - Sent last night, - but Alice ar'sked[?] to stay longer - to rear Bayard Taylor Actur[?] -
We have four men now, - and all we can do to feed them. - God only knows how we shall get on - Everything to buy, and everything dear - paid $4, per 100 for flour, last week - potatoes 75 cts per bushel, & poor[?] at that - and we northing but [illegible].