County Court
The Government of the Province of British Columbia

Saturday
August 26th 1916

My dear Bill-

Your letter containing your photo on horseback & church parade to hand yesterday - and very pleased with all - I showed the horseback picture to Dr. Lauson and he spotted the horse as a good one at once - Mamma & I had a good laugh about him leaving the (?) Cook behind - I took the Ford to Town yesterday toTom - Broken Frame. I guess John loaded his whole outfit on it some time lately - I am getting a bit tired of his smashings up - It is hot weather here now- The first we have had this summer tomatoes and corn are ripening now - There was no growth at all before this - Well we are done haying just now - only the corn & green oats across the river to be done yet - We have a good stack of hay and oats 45 feet long - about 16 feet wide and good & high - lots of feed - the hay was fearful heavy in the narrow part of the bottom in the far end -

Mamma & I were to Clinton yesterday morning - Mamma (?) the while - a boy of Cowans-Quesnell - not 18 - in the M.C. home from Vernon on leave got in an abominable scrape with other boys - He pleaded guilty - and his slang reveals a most horrible state of (?) in Quesnel - I ordered him to get 10 lashes and a few days in jail - so as to get back to his corps - soon - I got Mr. (?) to (?) for me to his C.O. to ask clemency for him - that I thought the whipping should square the score. It made me sick. He is a Langarra boy, but he cooks (?). (?) (?) and (?) - 1. We let the Chinaman go yesterday - I took him town with the Ford - He had a great outfit - a trunk - a big bag like the others - a suit case & an umbrella - I think we are on the track of a girl now - a Swede this time - She can milk - Dave is very (?) in his milking but he takes so long that the cow gets tired and he does not get it all - but one thing about him he milks clean. The cow fills the (?) pail every time -

The turkeys are getting quite big - they now roost in the tree in part. - There is great scrambling for good comfortable roosts every evening - one black orphan rooster camps with them - He began to crow a few days ago - He will not stay with the hens. - The other day a hen strayed down the other day and it appears Dave saw him - (?) her in great style - and his report of it was (?) saw he jumped and soon showed her "what he was" - Mrs. Parke and Mrs. (?) are going up to Hot Creek today - going to stay in the old cabin - Dave thinks they wont stop long - His impressions of that cabin are not good -

I will be I hope starting North again on the 5th of September. I hopes the roads and weather holds - the roads are good now. Johnny Callins have a car now - an old McLaughlin run about like Haddocks. They will use it for taking stuff to town I suppose. Barnes has a new chalmers, Have you any cars in camp there. - Did you try any there at all. - You never say anything of what Jeff or Brown are doing - they are not drivers what then do they on the amm col.?-

Ethel (?) is expected to leave Mrs. Huston's today. They had a (?) - she is supposed to go to Dr. Wrightman's - They are putting the roof on Baileys new store - It will be soon done - Dumonds are putting up a brick building. The Crow bank are now in the permanent quarters in (?) of (?) store - they have a dandy office - and it is said that a new hotel is going up on Ashcroft Corner.

Wing the Chinaman has put up a great big building on site of old (?) express office - Hustin is putting up a stable on site of his house - You will not know Ashcroft next time - Mamma is very busy this morning - and she says to pardon her for not enclosing a line. With love for all

Papa