Source: Letter from Sarah A. Murray, Jacob H. Murray, Susie Murray to Uriah W. Oblinger, June 1, 1861
Quoted: June the 1 1868well brother Uriah I will try to answer your welcom letter which came to hand aweake ago I thought i wou wait until I went to town and seen wheatheryour things had come ore not but have nowent yet but I think they are not there yet as I got aleter from fanny the other day and she said nothen about them abiah sent his pictur to Sabra they are all well. but I will see as soon as I can get to town their has no ben no news for you excep one paper and as theire will soone be another one ill will send them then we was at singing twis yesterday the first time sin you are gone they have a singing at strups School house ad at strup of 40 Schollars and they have of agood school at the tounship hous we are not members yet bu I expect will be yet it is going on nise this time we were at puter baughs schoolhous yesterday they doe not get a long so well this time Josh Coblands is marraid to nole hookses sisternlaw she was a ‘illegible text’; Sue Caramor has a young sone we have our woods about fenced and we are done planting I plan sweet potatoes and truck to day it has ben very wet people are not neare done planting yet they are about done in this neighborhood Joe is done with all of his
People in the 1800s, often schooled only to the 3rd grade (if at all), did not concern themselves with "correct spelling" as we do today. They often spelled "as it sounds", which caused writers to leave off letters and to create non-Words. Today, this can seem laughable, until we recall that ordinary people often had little formal education. Mothers taught children at home, passing on whatever little they knew. But this also passed along spelling problems common in that community.
Here is an error-free unofficial rewrite of the excerpt, with corrections and punctuation, so readers can better understand the Words. HOWEVER, when quoting from the text, you should always use the original text complete with the misspellings.
Unofficial Rewrite:
Well brother Uriah, I will try to answer your welcome letter which came to hand a week ago. I thought I would wait until I went to town and saw whether your things had come or not, but have not gone yet. But I think they are not there yet as I got a letter from Fanny the other day and she said nothing about them. Abiah sent his picture to Sabra. They are all well. But I will see as soon as I can get to town. Their has (crossed out: no) been no news for you except one paper and as there will soon be another one. (crossed out: ill) Will send them. Then, we was at singing twis yesterday the first time sin you are gone they have a singing (crossed out: at strups ) School (crossed out: house ad ) at strup of 40 Schollars (likely means dollars) and they have ( crossed out: of ) a good school at the township house. We are not members yet but I expect will be. Yet it is going on nice this time. We were at Puter baughs Schoolhouse yesterday. They do not get along so well this time. Josh Coblands is married to Nole hookses' sister-in-law. She was a ‘illegible text’; Sue Caramor has a young son. We have our woods about fenced, and we are done planting. I plan sweet potatoes and truck. Today it has been very wet. People are not near (nearly) done planting yet . They are about done in this neighborhood. Joe is done with all of his.* Strup / Strup's is likely a surname of another family. ** People did not have erasers. They crossed out Words when they made an error or changed their minds about what to write.
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