1879 Letter from Deadwood, Dakota Territory

Here is another letter from Clarence and Hannah (Stilwell) Bent to Minnie (Mary Elva) Stilwell.  This one was written from Deadwood, Dakota Territory on 30 March 1879.  I don't seem to have the envelope.  If I find it, I will add it later.

Here is an outline of the Stilwell family.
Here is a list of  links to the Mary Elva (Stilwell) Jones papers I've posted. 
If you are interested in what Deadwood looked like around the time Hannah and Clarence lived there, here is a link to a site about Deadwood.

Mentioned in this letter:

May & Julia = May Stilwell and her mother, Julia (Bristol) Stilwell, daughter & wife of 
   Hannah & Minnie's brother, Lucien Stilwell.

Mother = Mary K. (White) Stilwell, Hannah & Minnie's mother
Father = Lonson Stilwell, Hannah & Minnie's father
Warren = Warren Stilwell, Hannah & Minnie's brother
May & Nig = not sure who these may be
Charlie = Charles Osborn, husband of Annette Stilwell & brother-in-law of Minnie & Hannah
Otto = probably Clarence's clerk at the drug store
Blanche & Frank = Blanche (Stilwell) & Frank Munn, sister & brother-in-law of Minnie &
   Hannah
Miss Merrillo = not sure; a teacher in Fond du Lac, I suspect
Nid = don't know
Greta H. = don't know
Miss Rocker = a neighbor of Hannah & Clarence in Deadwood
Mr. Parker, Mrs. Mund, Mrs. Curtis = residents of Deadwood

************************************

Sunday Afternoon Mch 30^th ’79 [1879]

Dear Sister Minnie,

                I have just come down to the store to relieve my clerk who has been on duty all day.  I left Hannah happy at home with the birds.  We regret so much that we can’t have all the Sabbath Day together.  But we console ourselves with the thought that we enjoy more time with each other than many do & maybe it won’t always be  so.  This is a beautiful day – bright & warm.  We have escaped our usually very disagreeable Mch weather.  We may get it in April.  At any rate we will take what ever comes.  Come what will.  We, too, often complain at the trifles of life.  Han & I attended church this morning & remained at Sabbath School.  Good attendance at both.  I did not tell Han I was going to write you, but knowing how little there is left for me to tell after H. writes, that I just thought I would get the start of her this time.  But writing as often as we do, there is not much news to communicate.  Last week our public school gave an exhibition two evenings.  We attended the first evening – quite good.  I enclose programme.  There are a great number of children in the Black Hills now.  If we only had a railroad we would be as civilized as any people.

                Tell mother we rc’d her good letter last evening.  Letters from home are always so welcome.  Presume you miss May & Julia.  Although Yankton is in this territory it is more than 500 miles East of us therefore we don’t visit them often.  Hannah has not started her new dress yet, but hopes to begin operations this week.  Tell father I send him a Chicago paper containing Ingersolls disgusting lecture.  Presume Warren has commenced springs work.  “May & Nig” [?] will fairly shine under their new dress.  Tell mother not to conclude that we think of naught else but what we eat.  It don’t cost us more than $12 or $15 for week to live & we call that very reasonable for this country.  Well Min how do you like him by this time?  Who?  Did you say.  Why the new gent up at Charlies.  When you write tell us all about him.  Two weeks yesterday (last year) Apr 13 since I started for Metomen.  What a happy boy was I then.  Not more so than now.  I will bid you good bye & let the little girl finish.  Love & Kiss to all.  Ever your loving

Bro Clarence

Well, my dear sister, Min, Clad thought he would “play sharp” this time, and have his say before I knew that he was going to write even.  However you have gained a letter thereby sooner than you otherwise would have, for I thought my next writing would be to some of the Eastern friends.  Clarence has been home to supper and gone again.  I kept him with me an hour & a half, then he had to go to let Otto go to church.  Wish I could have him with me Sunday evenings if not in the afternoon, but it is impossible, if he goes to church and Sunday school.  Oh! Min, you do not know what a splendid old boy Clarence is any way and I mean every word of this too.  None of you know how good and kind he is every day.  You may think me foolish for saying so much about him, but its all true.  I hope some good man is in waiting for “Little Kiddle.”  Guess you will have to go to Fond du Lac to school just as I did.  I would like to see Blanche and Frank settled on the Morris farm again, and you going to school to Miss Merrillo.  I should be glad for you all.  When are you going to school again, Min?  I hope Nid will go to school this summer.  Hope they will have a good one in the first place, but it seems as though Greta H. [?] was such a little girl, no actions.  Perhaps she has improved.  You must miss little May.  I took Mother’s letter from Box 2-36 myself last night.  A Miss Rocker, a young lady across the way, came over and asked me to go to the post office with her, which is away over on Sherman Street, the other side of Main St.  We went alone after dark, though the moon was dimly shining.  I never want to go again, however, in that way.  I do not think that ladies ought to be on the street after dark unless accompanied by a gentleman, especially in a place like this.  I was so frightened all the time that I scarcely thought of anything else.  I never think of going off the porch after dark without Clarence.  You know I never was very brave.  Often when I go out in the day time if alone, I go with fear and trembling, for I am so afraid of the dogs, and this town is full of them.  It is perfectly dreadful to see so many in a little town like this.  Two families living not far from us are not content to have one or two a piece but have four or five.   One of these dogs bit a little boy not long ago, too, so Mr. Parker has since given it to a ranch man.  This same dog frightened Mrs. Mund & I terribly one time following after us and barking.  Some of them are savage.  Some one poisoned one savage dog on this street a while ago.  Clarence has poisoned one, not a savage one, but the owner was coming to live next door to us, and we had been terribly annoyed nights by the barking of other dogs that were with it.  But I think my dog story is about long enough, don’t you?

                It has been a warm day, and I am sitting without a fire this evening.  Mrs. Curtis and I went out calling yesterday afternoon.  Went over to Englereide.  I want to go out once more while the fine weather lasts.  Received a new scholar into my class to-day.  Seven present.  Tell Mother that we enjoyed her letter & hope she & Father will write soon.  Now, Min, let us hear from you soon.  This isn’t much of a letter, but answer it all the same.  Much love to each one and kisses.  Kiss Father  & Mother good night for me.  Wish I could see you all.  Good night.  Affect. Sister

                                                                                                                                Han