A. Vandandaigue was from Canada, but lived in Howell Co, Mo, for awhile, and then moved to Prairie Du Rocher, Illinois. He wrote his letters on Big Chief tablet paper in pencil. He totally covered both sides of each sheet - then thought of more to say, and wrote around the sides. He and Grandpa Dave had a correspondence from 1900 thru 1911, when he died.

Envelope postmarked, May 18 1903,
St Louis, Mo (World's Fair symbol, St Louis May 17/03)

Mr Dear Dave,  

Your letter of the 14th instant received and answer right away.  I hope you have received mine, they were on the same date.  I don't think that I can sell that wagon for $10, it is too cheap, he think that he can have everything for nothing pretty near.  I expect to go back before long.  Then I could see what I will do, but if he will pay $12.50, allright.  

I received my bundle of paper.  Many thanks for it.  Don't send anymore for the present.  I expect I will know more about my patent this week, if I am to be successfull.  I am glad that you are satisfied of your eighty you bought.  It look pretty cheap, so much the better for you.   Well I think we have spring weather now, but it is a very bad spring all over the country.  Lots of strawberries on the market.  They sell for 10 cents a box and some cheaper, but I think they separate the boxes, makes pretty near 2 with one quart box.

It is not surprising.  It is a boodling City of the wort kind.  It is good if you want to buy something to ask the price for it before, or you may pay a big price for it.  Allways some exceptions, but it look like the majority, many come from the orient and it is their customs to ask a great deal more and get what they can like the jews.  I hope the railroad will come.  

Now Dear Dave, take for granted that it is with all my heart that I wish you a happy and prosperous year and the rest of your life may finish the other half century with the best health and contentment, becaue it is the main thing, the rest follow.  Well I will finish in wishing you all happiness.  

Your friend,
A  Vandandaigue
(Underneath, like a PS, with no explanation)
Albert Myers West Bend, Polo Alto, Iowa)

Venice, Ill Dec 15, 1906

Orval Ferguson, Columbia, Mo

My Dear Orval, Your letter of the 22 of November was a great pleasure to me and I thank you very much of the interst you take for me. I am very glad to see you at Columbia, studying law, if you think it is the vocation you are called to and love it, that will keep you allways interested in it, trying allways to do better and better. Any man in any vocation, if he don't like it, it is a hell for him, and he can never do anything that will give him pride or pleasusre. Like you say, there is lots of good lawyers, straight and honest, yet there is but a great many more were not born to make good lawyers, that is a profession that can be so easily applied for dishonnesty, lying and lot of other things to get what they want, in anyway they can to get it. But for you I am glad to say that you were not brought up to follow that kind of lawyers. And I belieive conscentionly you have in you the stuff to make a good and honest lawyer, that will be a pride and an honor to you and your own family and to every respectable citicen in the country.

And now for me, your letter found me a little better than I was since a couple of months I was sick all the time since July, not dangerous but was so weak I could handly stand up, but in spite of that I have been able to buldt my boat and make it habitable, and I live in it since the first of October. It is not a big boat, 7 x 16 inside and in front 5 ft longer and back 2 1/2 ft. For this I have my trunck, a stove, l Bench, 1 Upright drill, my bed and lots of other things store away the best I could, it is very full. I made the boat not for hauling anything or to make money with it, it is to make me a home and in the same time expairimenting to make a new way to propelling it. My boat today is well finish, except for the machinery and it is too late now. I will pass the winter here, doing nothing, trying to remain my health and next spring go down the Mississippi and find me a place where I could finish the machinery. I bought everything that I need for the winter, coal, meat, flour, meal, potatioes, xxx.

Here in Venice, it was not cold, only few hard frosts and few other ligth only ____in the night. Today, friday, it rain all day, it rain oftern engout now, but during the summer it did not rain at all and it was very hot and damp, the nights were not warm. But since it is cooler the smoke stand so close to the ground that it look like evening, sometimes and bright sun we can see across the river. In the fall lots of nice days, good. I don't like the place, it is not healthy and the worst of all, the water is a poison that is the cause of so many sickness. Here we use the water of the river, it is full of sand and so many manufacture of acid of any kind make the water awful bad, we haul water from the river and put in tubs and let it settle, than we can drank it, but it has a bad taste.

Your father told me before about Schmit and Gleason, pretty good for Gleason. Well for election it is too bad the republicnas lost, but like you say, in two years my idea is that the republican will make it allright. I did not vote this year, I was not long enough here to have the right to vote.

Well I thought when your father told that you were at Columbia, that you went to study agriculture and see how the best way to get the most from the land and how to keep and augmente its fertility and see about the feeding of stock, what constitute the best way of differente kind of feed either to fatten or to make more mussells, for me it is what I like, I love to take the best care and studying all the time to improve to do better with the same feed but certainly for you you are right in taking what you like. For me I think nothing is so independant than a farmer, if he is not too poor to have the machinery necessary to do the work now it is not like when I was young everything was done by hand, and it was hard work but like I said before if a man don't like it, he does well not to bother with it.

Well You see I speak plainly I hope nothing of what I wrote will displease you, your are my friend and I acted just like a friend with the best desire to see you happy and prosperous. well I like Willow Springs well it is so healthy, but for the present I want to find out what I can do with something and Will Springs is not the place for that matter. Well Orval With all my heart I wish you success in your studies and wish you ambition to make a good lawyer, upright, honest and don't bond with bad fellows. Allways some so sweet that sometimes you are ketch without knowing it.

From your best friend in hart
A Vandandaigue

Prairie du Rocher, Randolph Co, Ill  June 17, 1907
D. S. Ferguson, Willow Springs

Mr Dear Friend,  

I received your letter of May the 5th and was glad that you were all well.  It was too bad that the springs was so cold and done so much damage.  It was all over the country, everything very tardy and here yesterday afternoon we had a bad hail storm.  It did not last very long but it done lots of damage to everything.  They were like marbles and came like balls,  My neighbors says that they never seen such hail yet here.  The garden all cut to pieces, corn all hack up, but it was late and the damage will be small, but wheat pretty near to be harvest and is a great loss and here you go miles and miles and you see only wheat, just as thick as could be desired and 4 to 5 feet high and just as dark as a man would want it.   It is not surprising.  

The land is just rich and fertile that could be found any place.  Many have from 100 to 200 acres in wheat and some more.  It is a sight to pass through in the road through these field, no fence no place except for a small garden.  The land is just level all over from the Mississippi to the bluff about 3 miles from the river where the village is situated reach by the Iron Mountain souther, a very nice place all well kept house, well painted, pasture lawn, good fences and all well kept, very few building shaby.  Well it is the best place I have seen to be so neat, yet there is two banks, one church only Catholique, 4 good general stores, a flour mill, a nice depot.  

Well Dave, I wanted to write sooner, but had so much to do and not too strong even if I am well, that it is the third time that I tried to write this letter and must keep some yet untold until a little later.  The walk to town 3 miles tires me awful  and I don't go the least possible.   Well, I started from Venice the 24 May and descended the Mississippi to Rush Tower.  It was about 3 1/2 hours.  I did not know the current, and the wind blew me on the shore.  The current is so strong I could not keep away from the shore and I anchor before it was too late.  I pass the night there and the next day because the wind blew too much and I didn't like the risk and at about half past ten the next day I start again and about half past three the wind blew me again to the shore and I anchor.  the current is so strong and with the wind in these curves of the river I could hardly keep in the right channel. 

If I had known like I do now, I could do a great deal easier.  You can see the first day from 6 to 3 1/2 in the afternoon I ran over 30 miles.  My boat done first rate, no danger at all, good and strong.   Well after I anchor that time I went to see if I could find somebody.  It is all wood here.  I took a trail and a little further I found a man plowing and I got all information I could.  My idea was to go to the Kaskasia River, but the man told me it was not so good than here, a great deal different so I went (so I went) down further and see some others and they told me the same so I decided to come? to here and went to see the owner of the land on an island. 

A french man and a very nice man, he told me if I like to stay there, I could use all the land I wanted and not pay a cent and stay there just long I wanted to.  the next day I moved my boat to the place but the water was falling and I stuck about 400 ft from the shore where I stay until a week ago when the water was rising.  My neighbors help me to bring it to the shore.  Here it is pretty near all french and look to be very nice people to help each other.  They are rich.   I clear a little garden and planted already 1 bushel potatoes and had some lettace, cabage and celera, but rabbits eat my lettace.  I must fence but can not do all at once and I am played out every night, but I am pleased I received Orville letter this week and he is gone with the cadets to Jamestown.   Well I must stop.  I must go to church now, it is late already.  I will write better a little later when I am more settle.  Excuse this letter it is very poor but can't help it.  I am very well and hope you are all also and write me soon.  

My best wishes to all,
Your friend
A Vandandaique

Letter headed Prairie du Rocher
August 11, 1907
Mr. D. S. Ferguson
Willow Springs  

My Dear friend, Your welcome letter of July the 14 in hand and was sorry for you all of the death of your grandchild that was so great a pleasure for you all and I feel the grief you had to loose her, you and Mrs and Charles and his wife, and tell him how I was shocked to learn of it and I hope he will stand that lost like a good Christian.  

Well I am glad that the crop look good.  I was afriad that after so bad a springs you would have a very poor crop, but  I am very glad it is for the best.  I am glad that Orval had a very nice trip to Jamestown and enjoyed it well.  It is too bad he did not see Teddy.  I think it is worth something to see him.  I think he is the best President we had yet, to do the best he can for the good of the country in general, and when he think something is right or wrong, he is not afraid to say so.  I wish every other President will be of the same mind, do right at any cost.  

well, I am glad you have a good crop of hay and pretty near all saved.  For the sowing of clover in your corn, I don't think it will burn, but I would try a strip, not all your corn, and find out the result.  It will be the stalks to get ready of next springs that may cause trouble in cutting your clover.  It think the idea is good.   Well I am glad your brother, Tom, has sold out.  He is old now and very hard to keep the boys home.  He can make a very nice living on a small place for his old days.  I wish him success.  

Well it look like most of the farmers are new comers and make you all strangers.  I hope lots of them are good ones and you will feel better later and hope Willow Springs will come some day a good thriving place.  It is worth it, healthy and good land, all it wants it is a new railroad to shorten the distance and give a good market.  

Well, Dave, I am well and I have so much to do that I have not time to be lonesome  and bother my mind with my situation.  I am glad of it.  I am so much interested in my garden work, I do all I can to do it right the best I could think of.  I don't care what time it takes.  I do it the best that could be done and I am glad of it.  today my garden look good, to have begin to plant in June and clear the land and grub it to perfection.  Next spring it will be nice work for me.  

Well, Dave, I wish you were here to see the corn 14 to 18 ft long and ears in proportion.  I passed in these mighty acres of corn and I will not speak of woods of any kind, a graet deal over your head and some place are so thick you can hardly pass through it.  It is a sight and the corn is just black that could be, the land is so rich it could not be any richer and so easy to work, no stone, no gravel. The great drawback is the overflows.  It is too bad, this year the water came pretty high but it did not run like some years.  Around here some lost a 20 acres field of corn.  The water came high only in July.   It is too bad the government don't straighten the channel.  The water would do most of the work to dispense it just to keep the bottom loose and the sand and mud will wash down very quick.  they fix the channel just for the little navigation there is and that don't pay.  The channel is made to go from one landing on one side the river to the next landing on the other side like this "a drawing is shown" that make it so crooked and stop the current and filled up the river in every crook.  When the current strike the shore, they tell me the banks cave in all the time and many many acres are washed away every  year.  1000 of them.  It is a pity to see rich land and not to take advantage of it, not for navigation but for the reclaiming of millions of acres of land that would make the valley of the Mississippi the richest and most populous country on the globe.  

Well I am well and I work just as hard as I ever did before for my age.  Every minute count and I like it, it keep my mind busy at what I like to do that interest me the most.   I ordered some sheet steel to make me a little shop in the place of lumbers that is too dear here $1.75 a hundred and sheet steel cost me only a little over 2 cents a foot, a little over $1.00 the 100 ft.  I will be glad when it will be made.  I could see what I could do with my ideas.  I bought a set of blacksmith tools and I think a great deal about it.  Until now my garden took all my time, but now I think I could do something else beside.  

Well Dave, I will be very glad to know if I could get some little Willis corn this fall, if some could be found, I hope so.  I would prefer it in the ears and have only nicest corn and pay its worth.  if you think you could get some, please let me know the price with the bag to put it in.  I had like to have half a bushel and would take any amount from few ears up if half bushel could not be had.  

Well, I think my folks are all well, my wife is visiting in Canada, but I have no news from her since she went.  I hope she has a good time.   A few word more about here.  It is the old fashion way they do here, living the best they can when they have some, no saving much I mean, the poorest french here, they don't know how to save.  You can see by what it is done for the fall after the corn is picked up, one man here had the permission to go over the same ground and picked up close to a hundred bushel of corn.  What do you think of that.

I have here my first neighbors french and poor that have big field of corn, the nicest you could find, and they told I could gather after the picking all I could and for nothing and those same fellow are indebted.  They are poor, they don't do much in winter time, they are backward a great deal, it is too  bad for them. I am to pick all the corn I could and can me some for later if I cant use it all now.   Well I hope you are all well and satisfied and will close with my best wishes for you all.

From your friend
A Vandandaique

Envelope postmarked Prairie Du Rocher, Feb 23 1909
D. S. Ferguson, Willow Springs, Mo

Mr Dear friend, Received your letter mentioning the nice and warm day and the good time you had too in that Lincoln birthday and I am so glad of it for you, and you mention also the approaching birthday of two more great men, myself and Washington.  I am lucky that my birthday come with his to throw a little light ray on mine.  Thank you for the thought of it.  I hope I will have a nice and pleasant day, I wish it.  For me here it will be very quiet and I have no much to do that I  (letter torn and broken on fold line)  to pass it pleasantly.   I don't think it will be __________here, it don't look so, but the weather is very nice and warm, the grass is green, but it was not allways like this.  The winter has been a great deal colder than last winter.  we had two spells of snow that lasted each a little over a week, about 4 inches each time, but we had lots of cloudy weather and chilly and a lot of frost, but I hope it is over now.  

Well I have 22 hens now, 5_________ and 17 pullets and I follow the bussiness pretty close to find out what profit there is in it.  I keep track of number of eggs laid and of what I sell and keep everything what they eat the cost.  But I was not so lucky this winter than last winter.  Last winter I bought 6 hens, puttets and a rooster in November and the man told me they will lay in March only, but in December they laid 65 eggs, in January 77, in February 110, in March 101, in April 28 only, because they were setting, May ____, June 50, July 64, Augt 74, Sept 70, October 84 and I move that top them some.  I had 5 pullets that begin to lay and during November they laid 30, in December 82.  I sold in July in St Genevieve chicken that give me $6.95 and sold some later and eat quite some, raised 89.   This year now they are not bothered in their coop.  I had a____egg in January and for February 21.  I had 162 laid.  I sold last week 8/12 dozen that give me only $1.25, eggs come down to 19 cents but before I sold some for 25, 28, 30 and 34 cents.  Now they laid more and more.  My young pulletts begin to lay.  Last week they laid 9 Monday, 6, 11, 11, 11, and 12, 12 Sunday. Well I am glad of the business.   I hope we will continue to be friend in this world and ________ __________ _______for it.  It am a great deal better now that I was last summer and fall and hope it will continue.  I did not do much this winter, but if the weather continue nice, I have more to do than I can, but hope it will be all right.  I want to make a good garden.  I have back of the house 1 acre that I have it plowed last fall and no. 1 ground.  

Well, I think I will close and wish you and Mrs and all your family my best wishes, good health and success from your friend,
A Vandandaigue  

I am glad for Charley for the Post Office.

Prairie Du Rocher, Nov 15 /09
Mr D. S. Ferguson

Mr Dear friend
I should like to write before this, but since some weeks I was not very well and had so much to do, that I put off to write.  It is allways a pleasure to me to receive your letters and to know how you get along.  I am glad you are all well and doing well.  I am glad for Charles that he keep the post office yet and make money with his drug store and that Tenny and her husband are doing well with her hotel ________and Orville too with the Republican.  I thank him very much for the 2 copies he sent to me.  I like it, it is full of news.  I wish I could subscribe to it but I have so much to do that I have no time to read.  I stop reading some of my papers for that reason.  If I come not so busy, I be glad to receive it and you too doing well with your farm in spite of the dry summer.  I am very glad of it and wish it will continue allways.   for me here I had very busy summer.  I work all the time, early and late, more than I every did before, but can't do so much work, the age and the strenght are not the same, but keep slow and steady.  I don't suffer much big pains but I am weak and dizzy and when too tire, I go and take a little rest.  

I am glad of my summer work, my crop pays me well  I had about 1/2 an acre in corn and beans sowed in them and I husked and weighed about 40 bushels of corn and sold the fodder for $11.00 and I sold some beans Lima beans, and I have plenty of them. Everybody look at my garden, even now it is full of beets, carrots, rutabaga and I had lots of beans that I sowed between the rows but in the last of October we had a white frost that kill them.  It made ice about 1/16 thick, but since we had none except white frost, that hurt nothing, everything is green.   _____except potatoes that did not do much, even with the land so rich.   I think it is the heat that cause it, but next year I will cover them with straw.  everybody complain of the small crop of potatoes, only few potatoes at each hill.  It don't rain very often here and not down poor like others places, but I think enough.  here the winter are pretty near nothing, since I am here 2 winters passed, we had only twice snow each winter, about 1, 1 1/2 inch each time, that did not last a week, and not very many frosts.

  I would like the country if I was not so old.  A young man can make a good living and the land is so easy to cultivate, no hills, no stones at all and where I am close to the bluff, it is not sandy like close the Mississippi.   There is only one thng here that can bother much is maleria, but if a person is careful, it will not bother him much.  A new man must learn, it is the water that cause it and it is in the ground to, but in using cistern water or boil the other of the rest, it will not do very bad.  I got it when I was in Venice and when I was on the bank of the river and did not boil the water but now I use cistern water and I am not bother.  You can see we must learn by experience.  My weakness I think started with it and then my kidneys bother me, but I hope I can keep allright, from my kidneys.   I am taking some pills from Dr. Lynott of Chicago, and he says he will cure me for 3 dollars.  I try him anyhow.  He says rhumatism is cause by kidneys desease and I believe it because I passed water too often, 7 or 8 times in a night.  It don't give no pains, only keep me very weak and dissy but now I learn of some good plant here for kidney.  I just learn it, I don't know the name, I forgot it.  It look like tobacco plant that _______but smaller and they use the roots.  They say it is a sure cure.  I am to try it.  There is a lot of it here.  I knew it in Canada and the name too, but I have no memory at all now.  The things that I knew well, I don't remember the name.  

Now I will tell you for indigestion, if your meal don't agree with you have some Belieangilique roots, it will cure you in a couple days.  I was for awhile.  I threw what I eat pretty near just like I eat it and a neighbor told me to use it, but did not know the plant and he went to show me in the swamp the plant, and it cure me in a couple days.  I will keep some all the time and the plant for the kidneys too.  If I did knew it before, I could save the 3 dollars that I paid.  Well I don't want to bother now with that sutff but if it could help, allright.   My folks are all well, and for me, I am not very bad now, but expect to be allright before long.  I think my age has a great deal to do with my weakness,  I want to pass another year here.  Now I am a little more not ______of work and have a little shop.  I want to work my patent and see what I can do with it.  You see, I must ______first and then try it.  Oh, I am satisfied with my chickens, they pays me well.  Pass this year I will know more what I will do, if I stay here or not.  My regards to you all.   

From your friend, A Vandandaigue

Envelope postmarked - Prairie Du Rocher, Dec 6 1909
Mr. D. S. Ferguson  

Dear friend, Will you be so kind to tell me if Hanacal is yet at Willow Springs and if he has Belgian Rabbits yet and some for sale at the price like before, $1.00 the pair and how old.  If he has some, please let me know right away.  I enclosed a Postal Card.  I am ready to have some and as soon I know that he has some I will send the money right away.  I hope you are all well.  I am some better.

  Your friend,
A Vandandaigue

Envelope postmarked Prairie Du Rocher, Dec 12 1909
Mr. D. S. Ferguson
Mr Dear friend, I will bother you once more if you wil be so good to see to have one pair only of rabbits from Mr. Hanaca.  I will not like to have too young.  I like they will bear this winter and if you will be so good to ask him when he ship them, I expect by express, to send me a Postal card that I could watch when they come.  Included one dollar to pay them.  

I hope you are all well, for me I am well enough.  We had a bad week and some snow and it snowed again last night, allways cloudy weather since last week.  We have 2 inches of snow.  

I thank you very much for your trouble.  I will be very glad to do something for you.  It will be a pleasure for me.  My best wishes to you all.  

Your sincere friend,
A Vandanaigue
N.B. 

I receive the Willow Springs Republican and thank you very much.  My memory is very bad, it is a pity.  A.V.

Envelope postmarked - Prairie Du Rocher,
Dec 27 1909
Mr. D. S. Ferguson  

Mr Dear friend, I receive your card of the 19th and I have not receive the rabbits yet.  I wrote to Mr. Hannaca that I was not in a hurry for them, but I would like to know when he is to ship them to let me know by a Post Card the day before he ship them.  Last week I have been every day at the depot and no rabbits.  I am about one mile from the depot and we have cold weather, north wind and some snow.  I tell you it is very hard for one to make that trip.  I am not young now and I can't stand the cold at all.  I think he will be reasonable and spare me to much hardship.  

Well I receive the Republican you have been too good for me to have it send to me. Thank you very much and I send you my last Democrat.  It is well edited and lots of news.  It is a pride for Orville and I wish him the best succes with it.   Well I know you had a good Christmas with all your family around you and all in good work?  in making a good living and I hope it will continue _______it with all my heart and wish you all, to you, to Mrs and all your children a happy and prosperous new year that will make you past your old days in contentment and happiness.  I wish it with all my heart.  

I wish I could have a little part in your happiness but I am quite isolated here.  I received letters from my wife and Joseph and from Canada.  They are all well.  My wife and Joseph would like I go to see them, but the cold is my great enemy.  The least little cold, I feel it badly.  My fingers and my toes come numb.  I can bear much, but I must be carefull and take the things the best if can.  

I am glad of my summer work.  I raised 40 bushels of corn all weighed from about 1/2 an acre and potatoes, lots of beans and some peas and beets, carrots and rutabaga.  Last week I send an order to St Louis for flour 100 lbs.  I paid $3.05 and 100 lbs sugar $5.00, rice 35 cts, 2 lbs peppers for 24 cents.  I received all in good order, the freight cost me only 29 cents.  Here everything is very dear.  I made over $2.00 profit on this lot.  

Well you see I have my living all ahead of me for one year, everything that I need and everything for my hens too, ground meat, ground bones.  I bought 10 bushels of oats for them and 100 lbs ship stuff too. I have plenty corn and 100 lbs clam shells.   You see I have nothing to buy until next fall.  I have 26 hens, they eat 3 1/2 lbs of corn in the evening and 2 lbs oats in the morning and lots of greens, rutabaga, beets and I mixed some shipstuf with ground bone and meat and some clam shells.  I done more, some body lost a horse and I went and picked the hams and bones, you ought to see how they eat that.  I give them the best care that I can.  They don't lay very much now, it is too cold and windy.  I raised 4-5 eggs _________.   I may forget something, my memory is awfully bad, you must be lenient for me.  Well I wish you again with all my heart a good happy and prosperous new year. 

To all of you, From your real friend.
A Vandandaigue

Envelope postmarked - Prairie Du Rocher,
Aug 8 1910
Mr. D. Ferguson  

Dear friend, Your letter of June in hand.  I am sorry that you have rhumatism, it is too bad.  I hope you feel better now.  If I have pain any place, even toothake, I use Mercel penetrating oil and it help me right away, just rub a little with finger on the part.  

Well it is too bad the springs has been cold and rainy but I hope you will have a good crop after all.  Here the summer has been wet and everything grow awfully and corn is very tender, it breaks easy.  I had very nice corn, everybody said that I had the best corn, so tall and very tender.  We had in July 2 big storms and it bent all the corn and broke lots of it.  It is a pity to look at mine, nevertheless I will have some corn.  It rain often.  

Well I write a little.  I am very tried.  I never work in my life like I did and do yet.  I had enough ground last year to keep me very busy, but this springs, the boss of the railroad told me I could use their land close to the track, it is about 30 feet and over wide and pretty near 2 acres long.  It is very rich land, but I had lots of work to make it fit to plant, so many big weeds and bad roots, but now it look nice.  I planted a part in potatoes, and some pease and beets and beans.  I dug up my potatoes and sold them, they were nice but very few I sold, most of them for 90 cents a bushel.  And get my pease out too, and planted in the place of my potatoes and pease, beans they are all up and look good.  I have another piece of potatoes on the same ground of the road, they look very nice and I think they will give me a good crop. I sell green beans at 20 cents a gallon, and beets, sweet corn. I have some good onions.  I was very glad of my corn, and I had only a little space to hoe yet and clean of weeds when the first storm came and it put it down so bad that I left it like that.  Everybody would not continue to plow their corn, it is all down.  

Well you will be surprise to see how they leave the grass and weeds grow in their crop. Here my neighbors had some potatoes and you could not see a bit of them, the weds 4 and 5 feet high.  They took a reaper these last days and cut it all the weeds down but here they don't care about weeds and the land is so rich it grow awfully.  

Well Dave, I am well, but not strong.  Maybe I work to hard, and alone like I am, I must work, or I could not stand the loneliness, but I don't feel no pains, I am glad of it.   I am so busy that I have no time to read any papers and stop most of them.  I have now only the St Louis Globe Democrat and I have not time to read it, only see the heading.  Well the Willow Springs Republican is very nice and well edited.  I just look at few line only.  I would be very glad to look at it more, but too tire and from 5 to 3 oclock I have not a minute to loose, to much work. 

I wish Orval a good success with it.  (It) is well edited.  I am glad of it, you have been too good to send it to me free, many thanks.   Well I am well but I loose my memory very bad.  I must be very careful to do anything I am ashame of me.  Well my folks are all well.  I don't received much letters from them except my wife.   Well I will close and wish you to all of you good health and good success to Orval for his paper and to all of you.  My best respects to you all.  

Your friend,
A Vandandaigue

I forgot to tell you about my rabbits, they look well.  I had a small one only he is pretty near as big as his mother.  I had no time to look at them but I think I will have more time before long and see to have them their best.  I separate them. I bought a book and they say it is better to separate them and put the mother with the male not long, just to have them with small ones.  I hope it will come allright, they don't cost much.

Found Andre Vandandaigue on 1910 Census for Randolph County, Prairie D Rocher, Illinois.  He is shown as age 75, born in Canada, occupation shown as 'income".

See Part two for a letter from his son Joseph, a story of coincidence, and some surprises. 

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This page was last updated December 7, 2000.