In a message dated 7/8/00 1:25:26 AM, jccongdon@earthlink.net writes: << I believe a Span is a pair or two horses as a yoke of oxen is two of them. I may have it wrong but have heard the term used in that manner from my aunts and uncles years back. As to the _ndy, I have no idea. Jeanne >> Thanks, Jeanne - we learn something every day. The expression they use often in these letters, "you had better believe" has survived all these years. Wow. BTW, did anyone notice the reference to shillings for the prices of crops?? I learned recently on Roots-L digest, the grandaddy of all genealogy mailing lists, that we, (the USA) did not have a standard of currency until sometime into the 1850's. So shillings were acceptable currency then. Amazing what you learn. Jim Enos