Letter to Rosa from Willie Moorhead - Petrolia Cal 187

I believe this letter was written in 1887 - as he refers to coming there in 1888.  I type the letter as it's written - not correcting errors. 

Petrolia Cal

Santa Claus 187

Dear Sister Rosa

I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, it is rather late but better late than never P. M Alice and (little I) went to the Christmas tree last night Santa passed around some nice presants and lots of them, and from there to a play Ten nights in a bar room. It was well acted and all but a few od topers went home laughing.  We are all about as usual except barking colds this has been a fine winter so far here, but to day is stormy land is from $10 to 35 an acre here right in this part there is not much farming but in the Ferndale and Eel river country there is considerable farming done right her is dairying and stock raising and here like any other place horses are from $25 to $200

Well now I am not afeard to invite you just call around this way the first day of 1888 and we will give you a slashing good dinner for there are ducks and geese on the river venison on the hills fish in the serf fine corn beef in the barrel and I will make you a pan cake as big as my hat and then for a horse back and a boat ride by the way I have got a nice little saddle mule that I broke last fall and the rest are mean enough to make fun of his ears   The boys are playing with the tops and blocks that Santa left. Alice got a nice glass fruit dish Emma lives in town with the milliner and is well as usual and as for the milliner I will not tell you nary a word. But come along and you shall have a straw stack of the latest build.

There is to be a chrstimas dance tomorrow night and one one week from that a leep year dance.  Since I got your letter I rec’d one from Aunt Mary D a great long one and lots of home news just the kinI like to get but don’t write. Warren Moorhead wife and child had come to Cal for their health, lung disease is the trouble I think, I always thought W was a stout rugged fellow. Have you heard anything from Ella Moorhead lately and do you remember her name. We have a temperance lodge here meeting every Tuesday night do you have any apples to chew on these long evenings this is a great country for all kinds of fruit

I must close, with love to all and a big share for yourself from Willie.