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Elizabeth Morris Decker
Cornelius Isaac Decker
Elizabeth Morris and Cornelius Decker young family
ELIZABETH MORRIS DECKER
Letter from the Trail
Dear Father and Mother,
We received yours of the 23 of Jan. and Feb. 2nd and was more than glad to hear from you. I got yours of the 23 about a week ago but did not have a chance to answer it. Some men start from here tomorrow for Escalante and we thought maybe it would be the last chance we would get to write. We crossed the river on the 1st of Feb. all safe: was not half as scared as we though we'd be, it was the easiest part of our journey. Coming down the hole in the rock to get to the river was ten times bad. If you ever come this way it will scare you to death to look down it. It is about a mile from the top down to the river and it is almost strait down, the cliffs on each side are five hundred ft. high and there is just room enough for a wagon to go down. It nearly scared me to death. The first wagon I saw go down they put the brake on and rough locked the hind wheels and had a a big rope fastened to the wagon and about ten men holding back on it and then they went down like they would smash everything. I'll never forget that day. When we was walking down Willie looked back and cried and asked me how we would get back home. Willie wants me to tell George that him and his pa had a more than a good ride on the river, him and Genie got their valentines just two days too soon and was nearly tickled to death. They have got them yet and show them to everybody in camp. Cornelius has gone back after stock and will be gone for 10 days while the rest of the men work. We have got to another big rock, it will take about 10 days to fix it so we can go on.
We had another baby come to camp yesterday morning. Mrs. Larson had a boy that weighed 10 lbs. You have heard C. talk about a Larson that was in Snowflake: it is the same man taking his second wife. They have been on the road 6 months. She wanted to get up this morning and come to our camp. Ellen Fielding waited on her. I thought we lived poor on bread and meat but I don't think so now. We have got plenty of bread and that's what lots of them haint. Platt Lyman's folks have eat the last pound of flour and are now grinding wheat in a coffee mill to live on. We have got 7 sacks flour yet.
You want us to tell you what kind of a country this is but I don't know how. It's the roughest country you or anybody else ever seen: it's nothing in the world but rocks and holes, hills and hollows. The mountains are just one solid rock as smooth as an apple. Dixie is a good road to the side of this. They are just singing "Come let us anew our journey persue" before prayer. We are, I think, about 15 m. from the Colorado and they think it will take us 5 or 6 weeks to get to our journey's end. There is about a foot of snow here now, so you see we have had some winter as well as you. But we are all well and feeling good but we get lonesome and wish we were home some times. I wish I could see you all now.
Your loving Daughter, L. DeckerExcuse the scribbling, I have done it by campfire.
Letter from Bluff City, May 10th 1880
Dear Father and Mother, I thought I would write a few lines to you to let you know how we are getting along. We are all well and as dirty as pigs living in the dirt. Pete and Hannah are starting home in the morning and it just gives me the belly ache I wan to go so bad. I am nearly dead to see some of you. Tell Will I will want him to pack old Jack and ride old Jenny and come out here and see us, it wouldn't take only about 10 or 12 days. The water is not out yet and I don't know when it will be; it is a terrible job to get it out. Cornelius is talking about going up to recapture, about 6 miles, to put some crop in and then go up to the mines and work a while: we got your letter from the Mancos and was glad to hear from you. Willie don't do a thing but talk about that slate Dordy is going to send him. You ought to see Genie; he is nearly as tall as Janie and fat as a little pig--and so is Willie. When Hannah gits there give her a pen if you have got one to spare. She let me have on(e) this morning. I made some ink with powder and vinegar so never mind sending any. The wind blowed my house down on me and Genie day before yesterday. I had a wagon box leaned up on its side and it fell over and shut me under it and scared Willie about to death he hollered, "O Ma your screwed up tight under there and this things just came a flooming onto me and spilt butter milk all over me." I am getting used to this place so that I like it a little better, the trees are green and there is some fences and corrals put up and it beging to look more like home. I'll tell you who my neighbors are Mrs. Rowly is one and Harriet Ann and Mrs. Holyoak and Cedar woman on one side and a Beaver woman on the other, so you see we have more neighbors than we used to have. We live up in town now. Some ot the folks have dug wells and got splendid water at twenty feet. There was a funeral here last week an old man over seventy died he came out here with two of his nephews and they went 80 miles above and left him there sick. I don't think it is any place fo old folks to come to yet a while. We are looking for Pete and Em we heard that they were going to start about the 10th of April. You bet I was lonesome May Day, I kept thinking about your gooseberry pie; did you have one? If you have any more send me one in a letter. I am tired of dreaming about good currend cakes and coffee; I dream about being in your house and having something good every night. There are so many going back home that it makes me feel lonesome; there are seven starting in the morning and about that many last week so there is not many left to work on the ditch. You bet your boots if we stay here I am coming back before long to see you if it only takes two weeks. We have had two good messes of fish and now we have lost both hooks so we can't catch any more. Write as soon as you can. Your loving Daughter, Lizzie Decker P.S. Say Billy Dido why don't you write and tell us who your bo is and when you are going to get married and ask us to your wedding? I wnat to go to a spree if you don't write soon I'll splice my legs out with a stick and come and kick your rump. Gene's on the table dancing, so see how I write. Liz.
Right-click [Mac Control-click] to open full-size image:
Elizabeth Morris Decker
Cornelius Isaac Decker
Elizabeth Morris and Cornelius Decker young family