Letter, in original envelope, dated December 29, 1905,
Cotati, California. I've left most of the spelling and grammar errors intact:
Dear Daughter
We are well at present and hope this will find you all well I was very much surprised I drove down to the pos office to day and got three or four letters and some other male and came back and Ma was out to the Carige House and I drove in gave her the male and while I was caring for the Horse looked over the letters and sed one was from you that was a big surprise but we are glad to hear from you all and it is rather hard for me to write now but I will try and answer the letters if any of thim write.
Now it May be you would like to know what we are doing we are chasing Hens we get 20 cents for Eggs to day we have 250 laying hens we moved them from our other plase at Petaluma and they stop laying but they are comencing to lay now they have plenty of green gras now we did not get any early rane and feed is late and hens hant dun well we sold some Eggs for 5 - 1 cents.
We have one Cow and one Hors he is A Hamiltonan and a good farm Horse & A good rodester and he makes thing fly some times he stands 17 hands high and often gets his head out of my reach he is A dark bay and rather good looking Tell Mr. Cabel we think of him often and would be glad to see him.
We have A fine ranch hear the land is Good little roaling and no stone to throw at A bird there is 13 Oak trees on it they are very nice. Did we send any of you the view our House on the other plase.
We are geting Old but we do all of our one work and have no one to grumbel at us and we can tak the world easy and look after our Hens Well I will close for this time hoping to hear from you agane with love to all -
from your Father B Buckley
Found in "The History and Conquest of the Philippines" by Alden March. Published by The International Publishing Co, 1899.
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