74 LETTER-FILES OF S. W. JOHNSON 



Answering inquiries made by Mr. Le Ray de Chau- 

 mont as to the productiveness of his lands in Croghan, 

 New York, Mr. A. A. Johnson wrote : 



Deer River, 20th of March. 



Dear Son, — . . . Mr. Le Ray's lands are not generally of 

 very good and strong soil, so far as I am acquainted with them 

 by observation and general reputation. The current of emi- 

 gration sets to the west where lands are already cleared of 

 timber mostly, and sell at $1.25 per acre and three or four 

 dollars per acre will fit them for fine crops, therefore his 

 lands cannot compete in market with the western lands, in 

 climate, nor productiveness, A man who can get hold of 

 western land, say 80 or 160 acres, and pay for it and build 

 some kind of a comfortable dwelling place, in a few years 

 will with industry and economy be above board; while the 

 same industry and economy in Croghan will find him 

 struggling for a bare subsistence, he will probably have better 

 health — and that is of great account — but people in their 

 anxiety for this world's goods, don't value their health as 

 highly as they wish they had when they are sick. . . . 



We hope to see your portrait by the artist Mr. William 

 Furness of Phila. within 6 months, and the original too — and 

 when we see both will be able, for ourselves at least, to judge 

 if it is a good hit. I have received two letters from Stephen 

 A. and answered both, in his last he wanted my daughter 16 

 years old (Esther) to come to Manchester, and me to come 

 with her, and leave her there to be educated. I wrote to him 

 that it was not at all likely she would go or I either. If my 

 daughters could have all the advantages this country affords 

 for education, and they rightly improve them, they might 

 be quite as useful as many European ladies. It is your sister 

 Elizabeth that has a lame limb, not a little finger but her left 

 leg. She hobbles about with a cane. When it will get well, 

 time will tell. She is now using a little Massina spring water. 



