.MTIxNQ.OTQ1Njg

The Plank has been made 7 or 8 miles out; when from three to four, they took ten dolls for day on it at the rate of [unclear] 1/2 per mile. The company have now about 20 000 dollls. on hand to pay for lumber but cannot get a supply, which delays the work they average building a mile in three days; One of our neighbours has contracted to furnish 1 000 000 fet boards for $ 8000. and is over on the Michigan shore with his men.

The prairie land and almost all the fine fertile region to the West to Rock river is nearly destitute of timber which for purposes of building fencing &c has to be transported from the lake ports, making business for plank roads  a great disadvantage doubtless to the country, but balanced by various advantage.  This place is remarkably healthy, a fine location and very fast increasing;  strangers come daily;  new merchants [machinists?], lawyers & physicians  the foreigners are mostly industrious and [pious?] Welch and Germans; very few Irish.  A great fire occurred last week in which one young man the bookkeeper just [unclear] lost everything even part of his wife's clothing which was in the store;  several pretty heavy losses;  the fire department has not been very effective but three new companies are formed & three new engines sent for.  A man living near here has just returned from Warwick where his wife's sister lives he brought me a letter from Aunt Esther;  the friends are all as usual.  Mrs Clark [unclear] husband  thinks you would do well to go there  a railroad is building near  I shall have the whole month of Aug. vacation which I suppose will seem rather longer than that month did last year journeying, climbing Mt [Grace?], visiting Pulpit rock &c.   Affec  y  Sister Ann.