Dear little wife-
Will do as I promised but don't expect you can ever read it as the train is going so fast. After leaving Kansas City we soon crossed into Nebraska that we crossed from south east to north west two thirds of the country is the prettiest I ever saw, rolling prairies and fine farms. The country gradually got less productive but thousands of horses, cattle & sheep are to be seen. Along the plains cowboys in their full attire can be seen at every little station. The most notable of these are Sheridan in Mont- Buffalo Bill's headquarters and summer resort there is a hotell owned by him also livery or stage stable to take people to the Big horn mountains twenty miles in the distance. [ed. note: it is actually Sheridan Wyoming where the Buffalo Bill Sheridan Inn is located]. We could see them sixty five miles with some of their peaks covered with snow. I met a Dr from Chicago that had been hunting & fishing there. he was well acquainted with the country & of course was very interesting. I saw Jack rabbits, sage hens, and hundreds of prairie dogs also some quail not like ours but larger. we will soon be at Fort Custer
in two miles of the custer masecire. You may read about the west
a life time but you will no nothing untill you once see it. I
told Tommie See that if I made something I was going to bring you
west to see what is impossible to tell you. We are all in good
spirits (only if I could hear from you) while I am writing every
day to you my letters will not reach you for some time. We are
just passing an Indian encampment about 30 or 40 lodges on what
is called powder river (I believe). The Dr jus now told me that
sheriff smith & his deputy are on the train they jus caught
three out of five Indians that broke out & killed a man. he
said they were going to hang the three caught while I am writing
have come on to more Indians camped with a lot of ponies. The
country is a pretty valley for miles & miles in extent. As I
said before words cannot describe it, I will close my letter for
today as it is so hard to write on the train.Hoping that my Dear Little wife & boy are well.
From Everett
Oh! Yes I have just finished reading the novel Thelma you were wanting to get it when I left home be sure and get it and be a Thelma.
[Note: I will include a copy of the first page of the letters at each stage of the journey]
