Courtesy of the Nebraska State Historical Society, Oblinger Family Collection

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Fillmore Co Nebraska
Mar 9^th 1873
Dear Wife And Baby

I am here alone at present. Giles has gone to Grafton with Mr Elliotts to church Sam got in the Wagon with Mr Dewolfs and went off too so here I am alone. after they were all gone I fixed up some hot water and took my watering bucket & what do you think I did, why I saked some of the dirt loose & renched it off so I fell pretty well again. While I think of it, how much is the box going to weigh that you will send if I know I can tell what it will cost to send it but you had better inquire which road carries freight the cheapest, by way of Chicago or by way of Burlington, and send it by the cheapest route you spoke about coming on to Sutton on the cars if it did not cost to much as you would be tired. it will cost $3.20 for you and 1/2 cent a pound for the Box beside I expect to have some business in Lincoln about that time and I thought of making it all in one trip and it will not cost me half as much to fetch you & my things my self as it will on the cars beside I will give you a good nights rest before starting out and then you will get to see more of our beautiful country. Ma you must make up your mind to see a very naked looking home at first nothing but the land covered with grass and a sod house to live in. the prospect will no doubt look monotonous enough to you at first no fences (as none is needed) in sight but we have a soil rich as the richest river bottoms of Ind and no clay hills of course there is some poor land but it is the shape of sand & gravel knobs you do not see here as in Ind a rich black piece of ground and clay all round it, but the land is even all black soil I do not believe there is an acre of clay soil in Fillmore co. you must not build your hopes to high for "there's many a slip twixt cup & lip" but if we have health and luck we will have a beautiful home in a few years for we have a nice pattern to make one out of one thing we wont have to do here is clear land before we can put up a house all we have to do is plow up some sod (which will hang together for a half mile without breaking) cut in lengths to suit and lay up a wall & cover it and you have a house. to one who never seen one of our houses built of Nebraska brick it would seem as though they were a dirty house but they are warmer & cleaner than our hosier log cabins ever were unless duble pains were taken with them for there is no daubing to fall out nor cracks for the wind to sift dust through there are some here who wish they had built sod houses in place of frame ones until they were able to build permanent. Giles House where I am now writing is weatherboarded with lap siding and only lathed inside and when it is windy the dust sifts thrugh and gets over everything. Ma if you want any mud you will have to fetch it with you as it seems to be almost unknow here in my last I spoke of a stormy week well in this I have to tell you of a beautiful week some have been plowing & harrowing and today is nice and warm so that I am writing without fire in the room & in my shirtsleeves the most objection I have to the weather here is the wind there is a great deal of it during winter & spring and being nothing to brak it one feels it more than in the timber but there is no more wind here than in Ind only it can all be felt. tomorrow the plows will start in every direction unless it should freeze up which it does not favor now. I am going to the little Blue¹ after a load of wood tomorrow will have to camp out tomorrow night just come and go along wont you it is a long way to haul wood but we have it to do till we can raise corn to burn. it is not as hard work to haul wood so far for a year or two as it would be to clear for 15 or 20 years which we would have to do if our land was all timber beside there is no stumps or roots or stones to be throwing the plow around all the time. Well it is past 2 P.M. and I must have some slapjacks.

Well Ma slapjacks is over and here I am talking at you again well you no doubt think so many slapjacks are not good well we are all getting fat on them any way. as every body that comes here get fat I hope you will not be an exception to the rule but get fat too. now dont box my ears for saying so till you and by that time you will be over your mad and then there will be no danger.

Ma be careful of Ella and dont get her exposed to the measles or whooping cough at this time if you can help it I hope Snells may get through with them without anything serious occurring. that is right my little think of aunt Retta when Uncle Will goes to see her and send her something to eat I dont think Ella got her mischief from me for I have lost none that I know of Ma you must not get mad because your relatives are kind to you and gives you so many things bless their lives for remembering those I love. May be we can return some of the presents with interest some day. You speak of Julia {Begin deleted text}smi{End deleted text} Smith being on the cars two nights and a day & a half. Mr Vandorens came from Logansport to Lincoln from tuesday morning 3 oclock till wednesday at noon so you will not be on the train as long as Julia was. yes while I think of it, W. F. Cullen and Old Logansport man is keeping a boot & shoe store in Lincoln. if the weather stays so nice for a few days yet I will commence my house and have that ready till you get here. I will not send money to pay freight on the Box I will settle that here Pleas inquire what the fare for a through ticket will cost to lincoln by way of Peoria & Burlington & Plattsmouth and send me word as I cannot find out this side of Lincoln and they can tell in logan I want to know so that I can cut my coat according to my cloth as I have to get a plow & stove yet and they come pretty high breaking plows cost from $24. to $30. and cook stoves from $28. to $40. plows for plowing after the sod is rotted can be got for $18. as to living we can cheaper I think than in Ind.

I hope the day is not far distant when we will not have to deny ourselves of all the luxuries of life but if we can manage to get through the summer without going in debt we are all right unless som bad luck should overtake us. in my last I told you about getting a letter from Father but did tell quite all that was in it Father had felon² on his {Begin deleted text}thu{End deleted text} thumb as well as some of the others being sick Horace's wifes name was Sarah Erickson but it is Oblinger now of course he has got a mighty healthy fresh looking woman or was when I was in Minnesota Father said he could not send me any money as he was in debt himself for building and other improvements and would not get out till after harvest so you see I will have to do as I always have run my machine without his help well I guess I can as I am about used to it. Well Ella I dont think it is good for little girls to eat much candy it is better for them to have little books and larn to read and write beside candy money will be scarce for a year or two it will take all we can rake and scrape to get Bread, Meat, & potatoes but nevertheless we will try and get what my little needs to make a useful woman of her. Ma you talk of not wanting nice clothes till we can afford them from present appearances we will be able to afford them sooner here than if we had staid in Ind but a home of our own is far more preferable at present than nice clothes, or rather fine clothes for good common clothes is good enough for anybody Mother wanted to know how our butter was keeping it is doing well. the first jar we opened is at any rate we have just commenced on the second we have about half of the sack of dried fruit yet that we started with and a few of the beans and one piece of the meat that come in the box and one can of the apple butter yet

your loving Husband

Uriah W Oblinger