West Point. Neb. Aug 3 - '97
Dear Brother:
I have been wanting to write for some time, but I am always slow at writing letters. — Marcia writes often and keeps you pretty well posted in news, no doubt.—

We enjoyed Marcia's and Seba's and the children's visit here. — Dr., Ella, Georgia and Florence are here now. Dr. & Ella came last week, and the girls came to-day.— Florence is now playing on the plains.—

We received letters from the folks at the claims, yesterday.—

Some-time when you have time please write Edgar and Hudson a letter. They will be very glad to hear from you.

Kenelm and Ross Harding went along to the claims, and staid one week, and after they came home they walked to Omaha they walked there in three days. They did it just for the experience. Renelm has grown a good deal this Summer.—

Lottie, Nastein (Yoder) is in town visiting, and Saturday Mrs. Dr. Thompson and all her children except Charley and Kein, and Lottie and her children were at our house to spend the afternoon and to supper. Lottie

has three girls. The youngest is not quite 3 months old. It was born in Omaha.—She expects to go home in September.—
We have had some very warm weather this Summer. It has also been dry lately, but this after-noon it drizzled — We need a good rain.—

Aunt Kitty and Johnny are both well. Alice and Paul and Boyd are at the claims.—

Mother and Aunt Kitty visited Ella at Rosebud in the Spring. They had a nice visit. Johnny and Amy went up the latter part of June — Amy staid about his weeks and Johnny about 4 weeks.— Perhaps you know all of these things.—

Our place looks nice, but not as nice as some-times, because it has been too hot and dry— When the folks went to the clams I went along as far as Neligh. It took one week to get there.— The trip was real pleasant in some things, although unpleasant in some other things. It took eleven days to get to the claims — four days from Neligh, and the folks arrived there all right.— I hardly know just what to write, and as it is getting late will close.— I hope you will keep well. Write to us some times.—

I send my love—
Your sister Lillie
Mr. Lipe sends his regards to you.—

Aug., 6, 1897.
My dear brother Lawrence:—
Although you are so far away when I write to you it seems as if you were no farther away than at Lincoln.

It is evening, Thursday, after supper. It has rained more or less all day, and is therefore almost dark. We needed the rain very much and though it prevented over S.S. from having the picnic planned for today, we

were only glad for the shower. The grass and crops are fair in spite of the season of dryness. Father is making some hay across the river; two young boys help him. He is breaking the two yellow colts and they are taming down wonderfully well. We miss the boys every day. You know Phoneta is still at the Claims; the boys need her to cook & care for things. As yet they have no house; they were unable to buy one already made, as they had hoped to. A letter from them this week told that they have their well made & windmill

erected, furnishing them an inexhaustible supply of water. This will greatly lessen their work — before it took them four hours to water the cattle. Lillie may go up and stay with the boys a while.

Ella & Doctor came last Saturday, Little Nellie too. Sunday, Doctor took Nellie to Lyons to stay with her grandmother. Today Georgia and Florence came. Next week all of them excepting Doctor, who will return to Rosebud, expect to go to Lincoln to visit your folks. You know Marcia & the children would have stayed at our house to see Ella

if she had come sooner. Marcia felt she could not stay any longer. You hear from Marcia, so know the Lincoln news better than I do. I can hardly realize that news at [?] is rather old when it reaches you a month and a half late.

The sixth of Sep. I begin to teach school at Winer. I was elected to teach the third, or intermediate room, at $45 per month for nine months. I am glad, for I shall now get some experience in teaching. I may be able to do better next year. I am glad it is so near home. I can go home every few weeks easily. I can not say

what sort of a teacher I will make. I shall try to do well. I have little idea at present of pedagogical ways of working. I will write some time later and tell you how I am getting along.

You may have heard that Elmer Frost died — just 4 weeks ago today — of inflammation of the bowels. It was an unusually sad death as he was the main supporter of the family. So many country people have died of that sickness this summer.

Before I forget it, let me tell you that in one letter Uncle Til wrote, he said he thought

very often of you and prayed that you might have a safe and successful trip; he wished he might hear from you. If you have not written to him, and I suppose, busy as you are, you have not, please do write to him. I think it would please him more than we can imagine. Even if you should write as soon and you get this it will be three months later than now. Uncle Till writes quite often. He is using a new curative, but instead of healing his sores it appears to aggravate the pain. He wishes he could see mother & Aunt Kitty and soon. I think he has

finally given up hope for his recovery.

Last Sunday night at 2 in the morning — Monday — a large fire occurred; Mr Stufer's new house was burned to the ground. Not a year ago his house was utterly burned & this one was built and ready to be moved into. No one doubts that it was set afire.

Lillie goes to the creamery almost every day. We are all busy as usual. We have all been well, too as usual. Mr. Lipe expects to start for the Rocky Mountains next Monday for a short vacation. Seba, Mr. King, and Kenelm

are well and doing what they usually do — Mr. King is busy as always.

I hope, dear Lawrence, that your fever has left you by this time, and that you are completely acclimated.

Mother says she will write sometime soon. If you weren't so far away she would write often, but it seems so long a time till you get your mail that one puts off writing any.

But I must close now Lillie will write too.

With best wishes for you in your work, and love to keep you from getting homesick, from Amy.
(Adios, mi hermano, hasta Setiembre.)

I am getting awful gay. Will have to send you a piece of my new lawn dress. But Marcia has one yellower than this. I am having a new velvet jacket made by the man at Miller & Paines too. I thought you ought to know. S.D.

Lincoln, Nebr.
Aug. 22, 1897
Law,
I can't get Marcia to tell you about the most exciting thing that has happened since you left. Mrs. Williams had her annual surprise party on Mrs. Wright, and since you were not here I had to take your place just as I do at the table, etc. There were more there than usual — even Mr. Doane. We had such a good time. It was too bad you had to miss it.

I have just been to Valparaiso June has a wheel this summer and it helps his rheumatism. Hattie is better than she has been

for years. She thinks Dr. Helurie is wonderful. She says she is well but is worrying about you. Mr. Hackney is Secretary of the Board now. We hardly hear of Mr. Ludden now. He addressed a Chicken Convention last week. School begins the 20 of Sep.

Alice Taylor's mother is dying with cancer and she is there. Laura Burtt is keeping house for Fred here. She is a [?] girl - an intimate friend of Alice's. Alice was elected to teach. They have moved to G8 14. 

Mrs. Bowen is going to marry the Pres. of the Highland Park School Board. Marcia says she told you. Good. wheels can bought now for $25 with repairs for a year. I am not going to get one this fall though. Mrs Cooks — the younger one, hurt her knee last winter and after months of suffering had her leg amputated above the knee, and now they think they will have to take it off at the hip and she may not live at all.

West Point, Neb.
Aug. 24, 1897.
Dear Uncle Lawrence:—
It seems so strange to be writing a letter to you and having to send it clear down to Argentine Republic; to think of how different the people, the land and the climate are from when I have been used to and then again to think how dreadfully far away from here you are.

I have read some of your letters which have come from way down there and I find them very, very interesting, especially that part about the country and the people.

I suppose you will be back at home next spring and then I shall see you at the University quite often. 

Right after school closed this year I went to the claims with Uncle Hudson & Edgar and the rest of the party. I suppose I need to say little about it for I suppose you have heard by this time of our journey there. But I will at least say that I had a very enjoyable and pleasant time. 

I got a letter from Mrs. Stevens the other day in which she wrote, "I saw by the paper that Lawrence Bruner had hone to South America or Africa, has he returned yet? I hope the [?] won't get hold of him. I think you all must feel anxious about him at least I do, but I suppose he has an escort to guard him."
She also said her health was poor

and for five weeks was confined to her house. At present she says is quite weak.

I suppose you know that Amy is going to teach at Wisner this term. 

Mamma said that if you could she should like to have you get her four to six skins of S.A. birds so that she could have our birds mounted in a new case along with those. Whatever the cost should be she will settle with you.

In this part of the country the rain has been slow in coming and when it does come seems to be almost afraid it would overdo itself when it did come. The bright spring prospect is gone and the lawn is dry and the grain & corn has not had an over abundance of wet. Still everybody hopes for a good crop

and a full pocket-book with wheat near the dollar-mark.

The wind turned north last night and the air is cool and nice but the sky looks cold and wintry so that when you sit indoors you almost imagine yourself looking out at a late fall landscape. The only thing that mars the resemblance is the green on the trees and a few flowers blooming in the yard.

I do not know whether you know Pat Bolard over at the creamery or not. If you do not know him personally I suppose you have heard him spoken of at some time. I have been over there of late and he has always asked about you and your work and then after he has heard about you [?]

always ends up with "That's a fine trip he's takin' and I tell you Kenelm that does him as much good as if he had read about that for five years. My trip to Europe taught me more than if I had gone through the school here. Learning's a fine thing, but experience is lots better."

There is nothing else I know of to tell you so I think I shall quit writing. Hoping you are so well as all of us folks I remain

Your loving nephew,
B. Kenelm King.