*Lewis Doyle, Minneapolis USA to John Doyle, Pollerton, County Carlow, Ireland, January 23, 1873* Now Dear Cousin after being Careless about writing to my friends in Ireland for over twenty years I make bold to address this letter to you hoping it may find you and your family and also your Father and all enquiring friends enjoying a fair Share of this worlds goods and also the blessing of good health, Myself and My nine children are well thank God. My wife died in labor one year ago today leaving an infant boy we raised it very well till it was 7 months old when it died, We get on as well as Can be expected. I have been married and living here on a farm 16 years we had eleven Children four boys and seven girls. the oldest a girl is 15 years and the youngest is not three yet. I have 80 Acres timbered land about 30 of it improved So that I could run a reaper on most of it the balance is yet a wild forest but the timber will be needed Sometime for fuel and other purposes. There is thousands of acres of vacant land here of the very best quality and can be bought for 1 to 2 Pounds per acre the land in America is Surveyed after the English rule. We grow here the very best kind of wheat, oats, Barley, Rye, potatoes and all kinds of roots & vegetables without any manure for Several, years, there is a school House less than 1/2 mile from my house and a chapel less than two miles but the priest has So many places to visit that he does not have mass in it but once a month, there is a great many Railroads in the State already built and under contract, the wages paid to laborers on these roads are about 2 dollars per day and to a man and his two Horses 4 dollars Board on the line of these roads is from 3 to 4 dollar per week My mother and her Sister Mrs Tobin are well and happy considering their ages, My Brother Tom is well off in this world. he has 7 or 8 Boys and keeps a large grocery and provisions Store, John went to California and made a bout 3000 Dols in gold, He and Tim Served as Lieutenants in the war and came out without a Scratch. He owns a large farm 4 miles from town and some building in town which he rents to tenants he has 4 or 5 children, Mike is a Carpenter and lives in town his first wife died and he is married again. Tim is a Sailor and is Mate of a Steamer during the Season of navigation, Bridget is married to an American man and is happy and well off She lives near John Ann is a Sister and teaches a convent School for the last 12 years, I am the poorest of all, and the reason is I did not lay up my money when I had it plenty As I have a notion to marry again if I could get a Safe Match please Send some good young widows or old maids So they are good I want to get one from my own County because I know her and I could get along very well togather Its a fact weman of all kinds are rather Scarce here in Minnesota but Especially good ones. Pick out one for me and tell her I will take her on your reccomend and pay her passage into the Bargain, I am one year younger than you and have two good Horses 4 cows 8 sheep 20 Hogs and all tools to work my farm and am a carpenter to Boot and will give her all the tea and coffee (page 6) and pork She can possibly get out of Sight I believe I talked nonsense Enough if you call this nonsence now I will close by asking you to write me a few lines give my love to your wife to my Uncle and aunt Dobbins to your father and Brothers and to my Poor Aunt Nelly if She is alive I fear she is not Fare well till I hear from you, Lewis Doyle