not be satisfied I would not stay there. I have got out of the way of dealing in five cent pieces. But I intend to come back on a visit anyhow before many years. Times have been very hard this winter. It has been a very open winter, no rain of any account which has prevented the mines from working.
I was at a Party last Thursday, the best that [has] been got up in the valley. The Miss Hoffmans were in attendance. It is the first dancing party they have had to in this valley. Miss May has been teaching school away from home all winter. She says she likes the country very much but Mrs. Hoffman and Julia are not satisfied. Mr. Hoffman is farming about two miles from where we live.
Charles Miller is here working for us. We have hired him for one year. He is Isaac Miller the drayman's Brother. We are going to get a thrashing machine and reaper here this summer which we think will pay us first rate. I do not want you to think too hard of me for not coming home. I know it is my duty to do it, but to go back and be a hireling at thirty dollars per month, I won't do it. When I do go I will be as independent as any of them. You may call this pride but I can't help it. Give my love to Kate and children and all enquiring friends. ...
My love to Annie and Lizzy. Tell Fred to be a good boy.
Your Affectionate Son
John R. Tice
Jacksonville, O. T. April 10/55
Dear Father and Mother,
... I will begin with Mother's lines to answer. You say that George Lawson says that I will never come home. He doesn't know nor any one else, not even myself. But it has always been in my mind to come and is still and always will be till I do come. But I won't promise to come till I am ready to start. When I promised to come before I expected to come or I would not have said so. Father says in his lines that my last letter was short. . .. I may have written several short letters, but I have never been fixed to write until the present. I will try to explain all my business now. Last fall when I thought I was coming back to the states we had a train of mules and wheat sowed on the shares. Mules were low. The cause of that was that there was not much freight and we could not sell our mules or wheat
