Clinton County Mo         May the 23/1855

Dear Sir i received you letter dated April the 8th and was glad to hear that you was well and also that you had a notion of coming to this country We are all well and doing very well considering the seveur drouth that we have experianced heare we have had but little rain for the last 12 months but it is becoming a little more seasonable now and we have a tolerable prospect for a crop we have the likelist prospect of any in the county our corn wheat and oats look well considering the dry weather and I can safely say that this prarie country can stand a drouth better than any country I ever saw not to be wetland Produce sell high here corn is worth from 3 to 5 dollars a barrel wheat one dollar and a half per bushel flour six dollars per hundred bacon from 7 to 8 cents per pound and a prospect of being higher Coffee six pound to the Dollar You wished me to tell you the truth about this country I will try

(pg 2) and do so I consider it a very good country it is much easier makeing a living hear than whare you live and I can truely say if I was back there and knew as much about it as I do I would loose no time till I got back these things I do not say to get any person to come but you wanted the whole truth and here it is you can live easier here and work only two day in the whole week When you get a new garment here you need not be affraid of that wearing out before you get another wage is worth from a dollar to a dollar and a half per day and you can all way find employment of some kind or other I consider this as healthy a country as that if you take care of yourself and keep out of the watter. we dont go in a swiming heare evey day as we used to do there there is some that do and they have the fun of chilling a few day for it but the chills is quiting this country and there is very little sickness here only a case of feaver now an then

(pg 3) You wished me to let you know about Nebraske I can not recommend that country at this time it is setting up very fast there is thousands going there and a great many leaveing there I think in a year or two there will be a better chance there than at presant there is great confustion there at present concerning making it a Slave State and when all these matters are settled I think that we might stand a better chance than now if you intend coming to this country when you get this write and let me know when you will be here and I will try and get you a place to live till you settle your self and if I can't get you a house you can just come in my cabin and stay till you get one write whether you will come by land or by watter and if you come by land I will send you a way bill so that you will have but little bother in finding the way if you dont come at all write ocasionaly give our best respects to all the frinds and beleive me as ever your true friend and well wisher

to                                                                                              John A Williams
L F Crumley