Atacosa, Bexar Co. Tex.
	Monday Apr. 20/85

My Dear Father,
	Unless too many
swarms of bees come off this
P.M. I will try and finish
a letter to you before the mail
leaves. I have aided in hiving
seven swarms of bees during the
past week, and several of them
swarmed a number of times
before they would stick totheir
new quarters. I climb the trees
and saw the limb or sweep or jar
them off while Uncle B. catches
them in a bag.  I was glad
to get the papers yesterday and
a week ago. I believe I prefer
the old "Journal" to the "Sunday Herald"
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2
Adah is anxious to get her paper
"The Household", and thinks the
new family must have taken it
in from the carrier. Will you not
please look it up?
If you have not already sold the
crib and its mattress, please do not
as we cannot find anything like
it here and that can be sawed
half way down the posts and sent
in the case now half full. I can
doctor it here all right. Three are
a number of things that we gave 
away that we wish now we had
packed in that case. You asked
me if I wanted those lambrequins.
I thought not at the time. I see
now that they would be splendid;
and they can help fill up that
case if you are willing when we
send for it.
We have been here now three weeks
and we are all of us better in health
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3
for it. We all eat like so many
pigs. Adah still has some pain
in her lungs, but does not cough
near so much. Horace will soon
be a little ruffian if he keeps on
from the way he kicks round
the dogs and cats, and he was
terribly afraid of them two weeks
ago. Baby's cough is very much
better, and she has two double
teeth through. The little thing
sweat so about her head and
neck that I cut off her curls
last week. The best thing that
I can say for myself is that I
am feeling first rate and Adah
will tell you that I do not
_hawk and spit hardly any now..
I have written to two of the boys
in the store and to Aunt Emily
and great-uncle Henry. Tell Clint
that I rec'd the V, and will 
write soon to him.
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They are troubled somewhat by different
pests, and they depend upon me to
kill them off! I peppered a wolf
ten days ago with buck shot after he
had caught a chicken. He has killed
severalof a neighbors sheep.  Two
rabbits had a nest under the store,
and woud eat up Aunt Clair's peas
as fast as they would grow. So I
laid fro them, killed them both,
we had them for dinner and soon
expect some peas. Saturday A.M.
I kiled a pole cat in theyard
after he had destroyed four eggs
under a setting hen a chicken.
I have also killed a hare or "jack
rabbit," and gave him to the dogs.
The fields are carpeted with beautiful
wild flowers. One evening last week
Adah and I took the babies and
went gathering and came across a
pilot snake, larger round than
your arist and nearly six feet
long. I had nothing to kill him
with so he ecaped. They dont
have many rocks here and the 
sticks were all rotten.
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5
	I believe I hav'nt finished
describing the place. But I don't
remember exactly when I left off
and may lssibly repeat some.
Uncle B's store is about 50 yds.
from the house, and at this
season he has but little trade.
He keeps about the house most
of the time and seldom goes to
the store except when he has a
customer. It is a building about 
15 x 30 two doors and one window
The weather boards are nailed right
upon the uprights, so it is a structure
of clapboards and shinbles as they
constitute the thickness of the walls
and roof. I could build a store
like it for $125.00 On one side is
and addition of one small room
in which the hred man, a 
Mr. O'Connor, sleeps. He is a grand
good worker. About 200 yds.
west of us is a small house of
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two rooms, where a widowed sister of
Uncle B's sleeps with her two children
Bertha and Bennie 10½ and o years.
They take their meals with us.
Mrs. Holmes helps Aunt Clair
some about her work. So our
family really consists of ten.
Mr. Sanborn is some better.
We have four horses, twelve head of
cattle, two dogs, two cats, forty hens,
sixty chickens, three peacocks,
twenty-four swarms of bees, 300 
peach trees, 300 grape vinesc a few
plum, mulberry, pomegranate etc.
About 15 acres are cultivated with
corn (7 acres), cotton (5 acres) and oats
millet, rye, barley, sugar cane, water
melons and other garden "sass".
The "Section House No 49" is midway of
the ranch but is unocupied, This
part of the R.R. being cared for by
the two adjoining gangs of men.
Adah and I join in sending love to
Mrs. C. and to yourself.
	Your affc Son.
		Fred. W. Cheney
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1X
We havn't rec'd a letter for a week