Atascosa, Bexar Co. Texas
	Sunday, Apr. 5, 1885.

My Dear Father,
	In my letter of last
Monday I merely gave an account 
of our journey and of our safe
arrival; and this P.M. I will try
and tell you how we are situated.
We are on a rolling prarie more or
less wooded; six miles from from any
running water, and the only standing
water is in an occasional mud
hole. We get our water from a well
50 ft. deep one half mile away; Uncle
Benjamin dug in two other places
first without finding water. The
hired man (Mr. O'Conner) brings up
a barrel or two each day; it is
warmer when first drawn than
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after standing awhile, and, would
be excellent if only colder. A
number of families for quite a
distance get all their water here.
The town of Atascosa does not
contain a village or hamlet even;
and the nearest church is in another
town three miles away. (a Methodist
church). The nearest Baptist church
is six miles. Sunday School and
preaching is helf by a Baptist min-
ister on a small scale in a school
house one-half mile away. I did not
attend today for the rain.
We are disappointed in our accom-
modations here. Native Texans are
_decidedly _lazy, and northern men ar
smitten more or less badly with
the same disease, and as one
result they are willing to live in
almost any kind of a hovel or 
hut and call it home; and
fortunate it is for them that
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their climate is so mild.
Uncle Benjamin's house is the
best in this vicinity, and that 
is saying but little. The main
house is 18 x 20 conains but one 
large room, has six windows and
two doors, and schould be divided
some way into two rooms, but most
every body here lives in one toom.
The house painted white, with
green blinds and has a large 
fireplace. There is a veranda in
front 8 x 18 latticed at both ends
and all but 4 ft. in front.
Last fall Uncle B. built a larger beer
saloon 15 x 20 back of his store,
but it gathered such a low class
of men around his place that
he soon gave it up, and moved
the building back of the house 
and uses it as a kitchen and
dining room combined. It is sheathed
inside (painted white) and rough
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boarded outside. He expects to clap board
it soon. A Mr. Sanborn from Vt. a
realative by marriage of Uncle B. occupies
the main room. He is very sick with
consumption; been here all winter;
has lost rather than gained, was
sick three years before he came;
his disease is is agrivated by an injury
to his lung made in the army. He
wants to go home, and is hoping to
gain strength so that he can; but
sometimes I think he wil never
get it but yet he may. When
the large room is vacant we 
are to have it; some of our things
are in it, and we sit there a great
deal. Uncle B. sleeps in the room on
a cot. I suppose you wonder
where we sleep, well the veranda
is curtained off with a room at
either end. Adah, baby and myself
occupy a bed at one end, and
Horace and Aunt Clair the other.
"Camping out" Aunt Clair calls it.
Excepting one month Uncle and Aunt
slelpt out there all last winter.
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5
Our night accommodations is the
part that we don't like; it may
di first rate for saummer or a
little earlier, but I think it is
a little too open for the babies,
for the wind will get around 
the corners of the curtains and
they won't keep their legs covered
up, especially the baby. They both
caught a succession of colds
on the R.R. and have added more
since, so Harace still has his
cough, and baby has gained
one, which is worse yesterday and
today. I am going to make a crib
for baby and see if we can't keep
her feet under coverk and we will
take Horace in bed with us.
You ought to see the little fellow;
his nose and face alll peeled, and
his complexion is already several
shades darker that when you saw
him last. Adah appears to be about
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the same; while I am very much
better. I do just enjoy myself.
We all have excellent appetites.
Perhaps it is rather early to judge,
but from what we have seen we
think the climate is not quite
what it has been cracked up to be.
Still it is safe to say that it is an
improvement on New England, and
if people only had houses, and
stoves, and more of the comforts of
life so they might make themselves comfortable
according to the weather, I know
they would be healthier and happier, at
least lend wonderfully to our contentment.
I don't care at all for myself, but I
know Adah misses it. One thing we
are gratified about, and that is the
way Uncle and Aunt take to the
babies. They both appear very fond of
them, and usually they will leave 
any of us for Uncle Benjamin.
The mail goes in 15 min. so more
next time. Adah and I join in
sending love to Mrs. C. and to Dear
Father from
	Your affe't son
			Fred.
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1X
Aunt Clair rec'd letter a paper this
morning.