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This is a random find. A letter from a distant relative written in 1878. I've scanned the letters but the quality didn't really turn out the way I wanted so I'll transcribe them here aswell.

Letter 1:

Salt Lake City, june 5 1878

Mr J.P.Anderson.
Dear uncle, I take the privilege of writing a few lines to inform you how things are carried on in Zion amongst a people called the latter day saints which is (thieves, murderers and liars?). My father is a fine specimen who has been in the habit of beating mother til he has driven her crazy. Mother has been treated like a dog ever since she has been in this country and will now have to be taken to the lunatic asylum and have us children to do the best we can..

I have no more to say at present but I will let you know more in the next letter. Please answer this letter as soon as you can.

Yours respectfully

John L Larson Jr

in care of Dr S Marshall,

P.O. box 270,

Salt Lake City, Utah ter.

Letter 2:

Salt Lake City. July 24 1878

Dear uncle

Yours of the 30th is received and I am glad to hear from you. Mother is no better yet and father wants to take her to his farm which is located four miles west of S.L.City.

Father is not an intemperance man. I never saw him drunk in my whole life. He does nothing in particular but a farming. He lives on a farm which is not his own where he has been for seven or eight years. He makes a starvation living.

His second and third wives has left him and they sold nearly 20 head of his cattle before they left. He is now alone on the farm and if he can not get Mother out there he will either move in to the city or get another wife. Larrin is with him at present, my only sister. She is thirteen years of age and is a pretty fair scholar for her age. Jarred, my little brother is nine years of age and is learning fast. They have been going to school every winter. I have not been to school for seven or eight years but last winter I managed to go to night school two months and day school three weeks.

I was out at work last summer and earned a little money, enough to live and go to school thi last winter. I am now nineteen years of age. I am not a very good scholar but I have studied very hard last winter. I have been studying reading, writing and spelling, arithmetic and bookkeeping and I have been trying to study law. I bought some secondhanded law books this spring and have been studying them very hard and now I am going into business with a capital of 20 dollars which I saved since last summmer. I have made up a lot of liquid blueing which I will travel throughout the territory to sell.

I have traveled all through Utah and a little acquainted. I will start first with liquid blueing and then with red and black ink as my capto increase. I must enclose for this time. I send my best respects to you and all my relation.