Vernon, NY 1 January 1847

Worthy Friend

Your letter of November 1st was duly received, which afforded us the happy thought that you had arrived at your place of destination in safety and in tolerable health; and in making this acknowledgement I hope you will appreciate our best wishes that to you, and all with whom you are, or may be connected, it may be a happy new year.

I should have written before but Udolpho (?) has been sick and I concluded to wait his recovery before I answered your letter.  He has had the Asthma and after that a large swelling behind and under his ear which has kept him confined this 4 or 5 weeks past, but he is about again.

We are in tolerable health likewise father who remain about the same as when you was here

Jane my sister , Ellen and her mother having seen them once you would know them now, no saving change having ---- over them as yet, although I can see a change in Ellen’s countinanie (?) when she plays the Old Maid provided she comes off victor and the same of Whis the Jack, she living like the rest of mankind, let her play what she will she like to be the victor.  Your connexions about here are as far as I know, Uncle John has made some inquires about you since you arrived at home and thinks you had seen all the from Ohio to Vernon and probably some people before you came here and consequently know how to conduct yourself (no flattery on my part) I give his probable meaning if I do not his words and felt very much flattered I thought by the relationship existing; Justice is Justice yet and nobody else and, I gulp enough of this

We are in Vernon yet and I rather think we always shall be.  Its locality I need not describe as you know all about it that need interest you any one only it is situated in the middle of the world with the same canopy which more favoree people enjoys but like the -------  ------- although sometimes giving promise of growth and beauty it is ---- stamped with thorns in every branch and ------ is visible in its very nature.

Provisions of every discription are very high in price.  Flour is $6.25 - $6.5 per barrel, Pork from $5.00 to $6.00 per --- it being mostly bought up for the Boston market, oats 44 cents, corn 56 cents and potatoes not to be had at any price they being mostly destroyed by the rot.

Business of every description is very dull owing to our having no sleighing. The fall and winter thus far has been very open and mild having but about 10 days sleighing thus far and it is now warm and pleasant.

The great excitement among the people here is for a RailRoad through this place.  It is to be a link in the chain of road connecting Boston with Chicago.  The people of Rochester, Syracuse, Utica and Troy together with the influence of the stock holders of the Boston road are being ------ to accomplish the object and it is the opinion of many wise heads that it will be accomplished.

I have offered my place for sale but as yet have found no buyers.  Ass soon as I can sell I shall try to take my fortune in some other quarter of this place.  There is a illumination in the Unitarian Church to night and I should think by the appearance of some as they pass by that shoulder braces were not out of fashion but rather on the fashion.

A general ---- of health prevails this vicinity so much so that you will generally find the doctors at home.  Mrs. Huchins went west as far as Buffalo the next week after you started and got back in about 3 weeks was taken sick on the boat coming back and was sick 2 or 3 weeks but is now round again.

Please accept our kindest wishes for your future health and prosperity and for this by whom you are surrounded to your father, mother, brother and sister and all to whom you with to impart a portion.

     Yours in Bonds of Peace
      Josephus & Dolly
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Vernon, NY 13th Jan 1848
 

Dear Cousin Dotia

Acording to your request and agreeable to my own feelings I set down this morning to answer your long looked for letter.  I received it about a week after it was mailed.  I was about making up my mind you was going to do by me as you did your mother, not write at all, but I will complain to much for I am often so negligent myself.  I was very happy to hear of your safe return to your anzious friends and of your good health and also the rest of the friends although they are perfect strangers to me.  They are dear to you and perhaps in time maybe to me.  You wished to know in jparticular about my health.  It is very good now excepting my poor back.  My lungs are very lame for about four weeks after you went from here.  I began to feel almost discouraged but they are quite well now.  I have just commenced attending singing school which will try their strength.  Fathers and mothers healthare about as such.  They live alone this winter.  They would have been very glad to have you spend the winter with them.  They are quite lonely.  Justus and family are quite well now.  Lucinda was here yesterday.  She says I must give you a great deal of love and her cousins that live near you.  Everett is attending school at Vernon this winter and boards with Doctor Norton.  He is pleased much with his school.  He gets along with speaking pieces first rate.  Beulah is not with us.  She has not been with us but three weeks since she came down.  She went to her sisters in Vienna and staid five weeks and then her sisters from Marcellies came and carried her home with them.  We are waiting patiently for sleighing to go after her but the prospect is rather poor.

We have had as yet but little snow but a great deal of rain and mud.  We have had an unusually warm and rainy fall.  As to your Aunt Dorothy and family they are well as far as anything that I know.  I must now stop writing and make some pies.  You know this cooking business must be attended to.   I now take my seat again to finish this letter.  It is now sabbath morning and a verry pleasant morning too.  We have no sleighling but tolerable good waggoning.  I will say to you in the first place that Father Weygint has gone from the shores of time to eternity.  He died last evening about eight o'clock.  You do not know who I mean but your father and mother both know him.  He was about ninety five years old.  I feel rather poorly  myself with a hard cold but I am in hopes it will be nothing verry lasting.  Mother has been quite poor since I commenced writing.  She is getting better again.  Beulah has not come back yet.  If we do not get sleighing soon we shall go after her with a waggon for if she returns in the spring she will not have much time to stay here.    We have just heard that her sister Sarah was married new years day to Mr. Miller.  I think Mr. Miller's farm joins her brothers so they will all be in one neighborhood which will make it very pleasant for them.  I must hasten and close this short  epistle for I must go and assist in making the grave clothes for Father Weygint's remains.  Well, Dotia, if I could see you a while I think there would not be as much waste time as there is waste paper on this sheet.  I calulate if we ever visit his friend at the west we shall then visit you.  Do come and see us again as soon as you can.  We will make it as pleasant for you as we  can.  If you can read this when you get it I shall be glad for my ink is so poor it is almost impossible to write with.  I am afraid it will rub off so it will trouble you to read it.  My love to you and all the friends.  Excuse all mistakes and do not forget to write again.  From your friend, Betsey B. Johnson

*(Bestey Johnson was the wife of Sherman Johnson and the cousin of Dotia Cady who was born in Vernon about 1819.  The Aunt Dorothy mentioned in this letter was Dorothy (CADY) BETTIS who was believed to have been married to Josephus Stannard Bettis and they later removed to Forestville, NY near Jamestown.  I do not know how any of the other people mentioned in the letter are connected to Dotia or the Cady family.  Known related names to the Cady family in Oneida County are:   Bettis, Barker, Harmon, Smith, Sweet)
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Vernon, NY 17 Feb 1861

Dear Cousin Dotia

I received your letter January 31st and I have delayed writing until this evening hoping to fins out your uncle Bettis’s post office address but I can’t learn where it is precisely it is in Chetauqua Co. not far from Erie.  If I can find out anything more I will let you know.  The friends here are in usual health at presant.  Father and mother are getting old and growing more feeble as we must expect Father is troubled with the Asthma which makes him so short breathed.  Otherwise I think he would be quite smart you must be very lonely at your house.  No one can make a mothers place good will your father break up house keeping.  I thought when aunt was here she would not live long for she looked like one in consumption then.  I am so glad they come and see us when they did for I always had a great anxiety to see her.  Mother use to tell me so much about her.  But she has gone and left us and we must soon follow her, we live now near Fathers, on your Fathers old homestead.  I wish you would come and see us we should all be very glad to see you.  I don’t know if I have anything more to write now.  This from your friend

        Betsey B