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Transcribed (from the actual letter) by Linda Elvestad and Fern Brawn, courtesy of Phil Vogler
[Phil Vogler's notes: The letter was with my grandmother, Madeline Vogler's, belongings. Thomas Vogler is my ggg-grandfather, b. 18 Feb. 1795, d. 18 Apr 1871. The Sarah (Thomas and Sarah) is his wife, my ggg-grandmother, Sarah Parks, b 7 Sept 1808 or 23 Sept 1808, d. 13 Apr. 1883. Sarah was the daughter of William Parks and Elizabeth Cohoon. Atwood Parks and his sisters, Jerusha (Jarusha in the letter) Parks McConnell and Sarah Parks Vogler, were children of William and Elizabeth. Jerusha Parks McConnell was the wife of James McConnell, writer of the Diary Extracts of James McConnell.]
[ed note: all grammer and spelling has been left intact. The liberty of paragraphing has been taken in order to facilitate reading."Going Down the Road" is not new!]
This letter was obviously written from Upper Canada, now Ontario, and is addressed to Mr. William Parks - Port Midway [sic] near Liverpool, Nova Scotia
Malihide - April 2nd 1848Dear Brother & Sister:
I send you these lines hoping they will find you enjoying the blessing of health which is the greatest earthly blessing that we can enjoy. We are alll elnjoying our health at present excepting Uncle Steven has had some very sick spells all winter and lst week he had the fever and ague but he is better now James. Solomon and Nathaniel is busy making shugar. Last sunday I was to see them they did hundred of sugar made each of them. It is a boon spring for making shugar.
It is too warm it has been a remarkable winter here. There has not been three inches of snow her this winter. The coldest weather we had was in March it is thought by the Dockters here that it will be very sickly here this season. There is a great many sick with the ague now all around us and we are expecting it every day and the children have the fever and ague about five weeks after we arrived here and it stuck to them until late in the fall. Solomon had it very hard last summer I have not bin sick but a few ! days but I have took and bought more medicine since I came to Canada than I ever did before.
I ought to have rote before now but have bin looking for letters from Uncle William Cahoons but they have give up looking for letters and are now looking for sum of them to come.
I will say this much to you if you are making a living where you be do not come here thinking to do better you are in a helthy country that is great thing you had better pay your money for bread that for doctor stuff a most any of the houses you go into in this part of the Cuntry you would think it was apothecary shop by the looks of the viels and the most of them has more viels than coppers.
I have been to work nine months at my trade as much work as I could do and i have only received nine dollars in money. I worked at harvesting one day and that was enuf for me. I think if I had to work one other day I would have had the ague. You can get employed at harvesting because there were so many sick that cannot do their own work.
I want you to see Thomas Vogler and tell him to not my money to Canada for if nothing particular happens, I shall leave Canada for sum part of Nova Scotia about the first of May if he has not got it I wish him to try and get it this Spring and I will come and send for it. I do not know where I shall get to yet. I have been a working in a shop with a tanner all winter and I have learned the trade considerable well. Mother says she wants to go back but don't no how to get away. Jarusha is married to a farmer he is framing a barn for James. Flower is four dollers, Lard four cents a pound, beef four cents a pound, butter seven cents a pound, corn two cents a cob and shugar eight cents a pound, cod fish /6, salt four dollars a barrel and oil six/3 a gallon cask more.
Foster Cahoon is up to Lake Huron about 100 miles north of this he expects to go a saling with William Henry Patten this summer. Emmuel Crosby has moved on his own farm. I have not seen any of them since last fall. I have nothing more particular to rite I am hopes to see you before a great wile and I can tell you more about Canida I expect you will all say that me not liking Canida need not discourage any person else from cumming for I have not bin contented anyware but this crisis has learned me a lesson.
Catherine and Jarusha wishes to be remembered to all their friends. Give our love and best respects to Thomas and Sarah, James and Lois Freeman and Rebecca and all other enquiring friends. I have nothing more to rite at present .
Atwood Parks.
Sally, I think that mother will be back with Atwood to want to come over and spend all night with you. Dredfully Sally, I want you to save me a pound or a half pound of black wool if you can spare it, if not, try to get it for me and I will pay you. Sis
(This latter part was in a different handwriting than the main letter and we (Linda and Fern, transcribers) only took a guess at the signature)