Jan. 18, 1891 Mary Anne Benjamin McKenzie-1852 to Family

Holmes City, Minn.

Jan. 18, 1891

Dear Ones at Home

Ma, we received your ever welcome letter last Monday & sorry to hear that Louisa has the la grippe.  I hope she may be better by this time.  I haven’t heard from them since ___ death, only a card of the health of George & me.   Also got a picture of Robbie’s little pet. Oh, I think he looks so nice.  Tell Robbie & Mattie that I send many thanks & I should so liked to have heard from them. 

I wrote a few lines tonight. Jennie will mail this in Kensington.  She is going in the morning to meet Robert McKenzie.  He was to be in Minneapolis last week and William went to Minneapolis to see him.  Mrs. DeLong wrote to us saying he would be there & so he went down last Friday.

We got a letter from Robert today.  He wrote in Barret & handed it to one that was out.  They’re coming to Holmes City & luck would have it that the girls went down & got it.  Just think we ought to have got it Friday.  William wouldn’t have gone if he had known he could have come to see him.  He has been in Cal for some time & he wants to see him so much.  I wish Arthur could see him. 

Don’t you think Lizzie does well for the time she has gone to school?   She has only been three months to school.  

I must close for the baby is getting cross & sleepy & I have to go to bed for we have to get up at half past three for we have to meet Robert at five in the morning.  So good night.  Love to all. 

From your daughter,

Anna McKenzie

Tell Arthur many thanks, but I want a large one.

June 12, 1890 John Benjamin-1823 to Arthur Benjamin-1868



[This is the last of John's letters which were saved.  He died about two years later]

Roseland, La.

June 12, 1890

Dear Arthur,

I forgot, when writing the other day, to say anything about Howard’s colt, which I wish you or Robbie would trade off to someone for a Champion mower and a two-horse corn plow, even if you have to give a calf to boot.  Those machines are very much need, of course, and shall want when the time comes to use them.   Howard & myself are agreed about this, whatever you do with the colt. 

Am glad to hear such flattering news in regard to the crops.  Your long letter, Ma, came to hand two days ago, also Mattie’s nice letter too.   We were all very much pleased to hear from you all.   I hope & trust that you, Ma, will soon recover your usual good health as it grieves me very much when I hear that you are ailing at all.   Mattie is a jewel to come over to assist you when necessary, or not necessary, and her willingness that tells big in her favor.   Many thanks to you, Mattie, for your kindness. 

I must cut this short as I have several other letters to reply to.  Our united love to all,

Father

June 8, 1890 John Benjamin-1823 to Family

Roseland, La

June 8, 1890

Dear Ones at Home, One & All,

As George & Louise is writing home today, I too can drop a line they say, as we have not heard from any of you the past week.    I hope that there is nothing the matter with any of you.  When I don’t hear from you once a week I am uneasy until I do hear that all is right with you. 

The rain is coming down in torrents just now with very vivid lightening & heavy thunder.   I shall  try to come home about the last of this month if possible.  Shall try to get a pass.  If not, shall have to abide my time in some way. 

I have not been very well for the past two or three days but am all right again this afternoon.  Olive & I took the horse & buggy on the 5^th and to Amite City to visit the Pagsons as it was the 39^th anniversary of our marriage and we feasted too well on strawberries & it made me feel uncomfortable in my diaphragm, nothing very serious however.

Robbie & Mattie, too, must not think that they are slighted  in the least as all letters from here are as much for them as any of the family, as I can assure them that they are as much thought of as any and their name is mentioned in connection with home matters daily.   

Am sorry to hear that Mrs. Joseph Richardson is not much better.  We all hope that she will soon recover.  I shall write tomorrow if all is right to Mr. Ried, her brother at Glencoe.  My correspondence has been accumulating on my hands for the last day or two.  

Has Uncle Edwin made you the promised visit as yet?  What news from Frank?

Arthur, you will find a Sanwich Island Package stamp enclosed in this from Mr. Bacon to Howard.  I hope that you received the half dime all right that I sent in a letter to Winfred last week.  When is your school over?

My love & best regards to all at home & abroad,

Father

May 25, 1890 John Benjamin-1823 to Family

Roseland, La

May 25, 1890

Dear Ma & All,

No preaching here today, so Howard, Olive and myself will drop a line home, trusting that it will find you all well as it leaves us all well at present.  I hope that you received my last letter too of one day last week containing five dollars to help out with .  I am at a loss as to how to inform you what to do in regard to the taxes before June first.  I shall try to be home sometime in June if possible. 

I am glad that you have a good boy again to work.  I shall be a boy too when I come in the house at angst as I shall have to take up with my churn & tank again. 

I was not very well on Friday & Saturday last; some headache and dizziness.  Am all right again today. 

It must of been quite an undertaking for Winfred to milk cows when Antonio was absent that night & the next morning too, and had to get Robbie to milk his cows while he went to find Arthur.  This puts me in mind of McEwen some years ago.  One 4^th of July he commenced at night and kept milking all night.   When he was done with the night milking, it was time to commence the morning milking the next morning.  He had about 200 cows to milk. 

Ma, let me charge you not to sit up so late to write letters as you are not able to stand it to be up so late when you most certainly ought to be in bed taking your natural rest.  Condense your letters to be more brief.    I know that you are anxious that we should hear all that is going on at home and abroad too. 

Has there been any inquiry after any part of the farm yet?  Let me know if Uncle Edwin has been to visit or not as he wrote me he would on his way to the Pacific coast.  Do you hear from Frank or not as to how he is getting along?  Am afraid he has gone to a rather poor country as far as I can learn from parties who left there for Roseland, La

There was a meeting held here last Monday night to form a canning factory company.   They voted to capitalize a company of ten thousand dollars, 60% to be paid in at once .  A good move this.  It will be the making of the place as they intend to put in a pickling plant in connection with it, which they say will pay big profit. 

George has the frame up to his house but is at work at present at Dr. Hale’s house while waiting for lumber for his own house, but the lumber has come & he will be to work on his own again soon.   Howard has the foundation of his house built, but is waiting for some of his lumber when he, too, will be busy. 

My kind regards to all,

Father

Stationery of John Benjamin

April 13, 1890 Sarah Louise Benjamin Cook-1862 to Family

Roseland, La

April 13, 1890

Dear Mother & All,

We have been wondering why we don’t hear from home for so long.  Hope you are all well.  Seems as if someone would write if you were not.  Suppose the boys are busy seeding before this, but some of you must take a few minutes to write oftener. 

It has been a beautiful day but quite warm; about like June at home.  We have so many such days.  Of course, we have some not as nice but they seem few in comparison.

Well, suppose you have heard before this that we have two cows.  The heifer gives a splendid mess of milk, more than the cow, I think twice as much.  It is so nice to have so much milk.  Sometimes the cows get what they call here “bitter weed” and we can’t use the milk, but it don’t hurt the butter.  George has tried to keep them from it the last two days .  When he hears the bell he goes & drives them away.  It, the weed, is an old blowing that has gone back.

Howard has been home the last week.  Has been getting his foundation built for his house.  Hope we can have our abodes up before the hot weather comes.   Am afraid we are almost too thick for that. 

Had strawberries for supper last night.  Wish we could have had some of them up there .  They were very nice.  Hope to have some of our own next year. 

Winfred, I want you to tell me all about the colts.  Have they grown very much?  How were Frank’s?  Wonder if they looked better than Fly?  And she hasn’t had any clover hay either.  She is looking fine and growing like a weed.  When the milk is bitter, always give it to her after the cream has risen. 

Ma, are you going to set any hens this spring?  I’m afraid you are going to have too much to do.   Our hens have done so well.  Have sold milk.  The selling that Mrs. Sharrells expected to get last night.  $5.25 besides the chicks. Only ours here but Mr. S. was not well.  Will take them tomorrow suppose. 

Arthur, am very glad you are at home  & will stay this summer.  I know they will all feel better there.   We all hope Frank has made a move for the best and will do well.  R. & M. & baby George, we must hear from you.  Am afraid if you don’t write baby will grow so we will not know him.  How I should like to drop in & see you all tonight.  Give our love to you ___ please & tell Mattie believe that she is owing me a letter.  Now, boys, don’t let Ma work too hard this summer in the garden or in the house.   Must close as my paper is full.

With much love to all from.

George & Louisa

May 23, 1890 John Benjamin-1823 to Family

Roseland, La

May 23, 1890

Dear Ma & All,

Your letter and Winfred’s came to hand last night .  We were all very glad to hear that you were well and that the work was progressing on the farm.   I have no doubt that you worried on account of Arthur not coming home in time last night.   I hope that this will not occur again to cause you any trouble.  I am sorry that Erham or whoever’s fault it is does not make you ___ for the hay.

I think that you are doing well in the way of butter making, but the price is very low at the present time.   I am sorry to hear of so much cold weather up there.   I hope that the crops are not  injured __ in any way.  The weather here is very fine; warm days and cool nights.  Very comfortable to sleep.   I wish if it were possible for you to enjoy the layering of the strawberries along with us here. 

We had, or the Ladies Aid did have, a sociable one night last week  where strawberries and ice cream was served at 10 cents a dish.  It was very good I assure you & she took in about $38.00.  Very good for this young settlement, don’t you think so?

Better sow millet where the clover is ___ and there is no clover seed, as this will make good hay.  I would not advise to go into partnership with anyone as yet in a hay press as we have no sheds or any suitable place to store the hay after pressing.   I hope that Graham will not disappoint you about the money.  What did you do about Howard’s colt?  Did you try to trade him to Graham for the machine or note, as Howard wishes you to do this with someone and he and I can fix it up between us all right.  Try to do this with someone if you can’t do it with Graham.   Let Robbie trade him off if he can for something you want.   You will want a mowing machine for one thing.  If you can’t trade with Graham, perhaps you can do so with some of the machine men.   Take the difference in Henry’s binding twine, anything that you can make use of. 

Am glad you have a good boy to take the place of those that left .  Never mind, Winfred, you will be recompensed when I come home as I have quite a nice present for you which I think you will appreciate as I think that you will, as you & Arthur too have been so kind and attentive to Ma now she is alone.   I feel you have done this under some disadvantage while you were so short of help to assist you with the chores and other work. 

In regard to my coming home on the Excursion in June,  I will endeavor to come on or before that time if possible.   I expect General Howard or Mr. Wilson to be here on the Excursion yesterday so that we could make some arrangements to come home at once, but neither of them came, but a letter stating this reason for their failure to come.  Am really sorry for this as Ma has really more than she  can do or ought to do, whereas I could help her to a certain extent with the milk and butter. 

I think Mr. Tripp’s office is on the corner of 4^th St. and Jackson St.  I would address Mr. Tripp’s agent, Milwaukee Mutual Life Insurance Co, corner Jackson  and 4^th St. , St. Paul, Minn., which I think would find him.   Ma, you will find $5.00 enclosed in this to help along as this is all the money I have, at the same time owing the girls some for board too, and obliged to get something to wear since coming here, more than I brought with me.   The boys, and the girls too, say that they are going to write long letters soon to you all. 

My love to Robbie & Mattie, Arthur & Winfred, and all enquiring friends . 

Affectionately yours,

Father

PS – I got a letter from Uncle Edwin over a week ago. He expected to be in Minn. in a few days when he wrote, when he expected to come to H. and spend the Sunday with you,  I hope that he has been there ere this.  He was going to the People’s Const. so he told me.   He had been very sick before he wrote but getting better then. 

F.