Dear Bro & Sister,

I now Seat myself to answer your letter, accompaned with some news papers relative to the fires, murders, and other calamities, that seams quite prevalent in the world now a days, the letter was dated october 15th & reached here on the 31st Same month 1871, the portraite of the little girl is very Beautifull, Should like to have the other & any one else, also I received a few more news papers Since the first, I guess from you, I wrote a few lines to Bro James in answer to A letter he sent from Columbus I wonder if he got it,

I am pritty well in health, & hopes these few lines will find you the Same, I am Just moving on as when I wrote last, following the Clock & Watch Business in a small scale, I am well Kept going untill I have delayed writing Sooner, I would write oftener, but am not good at it, the young has a better Chance now for Scholarship as we have plenty of Schools & good School Masters & are able to Send out lots of young Men to the College to be fit off to Teach the young & riseing generation some thing better than what we have learned in our day, almost every town has its reading Room a good Library, all Sorts of news paper for the young men to spend their time at in the Evenings, or any time of the day,

I have not heard from Bro Johns family lately at Shildon, of Course I wrote to them some time since, but has got no answer yet, you will likely know that Bro Wm Storey died on last Summer & his only Son, & a Daughter followed Soon after, he has 3 Daughters Still living, all married, I have lost a good deal of old Friends lately that has gone to were they will never return, you can tell Bro James Wife that John Hugill Widow (Sarah) died only a fortnight ago She would be Brother James Wife Aunt by Weding her uncle,

We had Joseph Brunskill here on a visit from Iowa, if your Wife has been over in that part of Country, She might have com'd in Contact with Mr Brunskill for which he would be able to give her all informations about Gunnerside & around it, and as your Wife was going on a tour into the State of Iowa & you going to Visit Cleveland, I fancy that I shall have a nice lot of news in your next letter and hopes it will be soon,

I intend of been over at Mr Broadericks Soon, & will Carry the papers & letter with me for them to read, as I have to go there to Clean Clocks, we have no particlars at present & I fear that I Shall fall Sadly Short this time, fruit has been scase this year & very dear pottates is very dear & most of them bad & Rotten, we have felt a few Slight Shocks of Eearthquake lately, one night while I was in bed, I thought the house was Coming down, it threw me up in bed thought some one was underneath got up to see if any one had Broken into the house, Such a Rattlening as if all the house was in a movement,

we have a good Deal of Sickness in the place, there has been a touch of Typhus fever up the dale, the weather has been fine & open But mostly wet thus far, had little or no snow of any Consequence yet, But it seams to be Setting in for a hard storm am glad you have got Such a fine organ into the house, hopes the music will be a help to ripen Souls up for their everlasting & final repose, as I often think that I Should like to die in the midest of music, Mother said what fine music was going on just before she died, I Shall be glad to hear from you at any time & will be glad to hear from any of the family or any other that might feel desposed to write, I have wrote this myself, & an old Friend has wrote the other paper, I must now Close with Kind love to all the members of the family & to your Selves, wishing you all a happy New year, & remains your affectionate Bro, R. Daykin