Inquires about the settlement of his father's estate. Sends news of hard economic times in Indiana.

Morristown Ia (Indiana)
April 19th

25

Mr. James T. Gleves
Wythe County Virginia
Biffaloe ford post office

State of Indiana Shelby C.
April 10th 1842

Dear Sir I will inform you that ma (me) and my family are all Well at this time thanks be to god for his mercies and hoping That these few lines may find you and yours enjoying the same I have nothing of greate importence to wright to you I shall in in the first place State to you that I land home safe on The thirteenth day after I see you and had no bad luck on The way and I will inform you that I did not succeed in Making any arrangment with the money that is comeing To me from my fathers esstate neither with the $200 nor Any of the rest I have made my arrangement that I shall need all that is comeing to me this fall if I can get it on any Reazsonable termes I have bought a farm since I came home Containing 120 Acres for which I pay seven hundred Dollars I paid five hundred down and the ballance against next January and it may be that I will Come after it my self And if I do either Come or send I wish to make a final settle ment of the whole that is Comeing if you possibly can arrange Matters so to do if you Can I want you to let me know And if you Cannot I wish you would let me know also it May be that I will employ Henry Buck to settle my business for me and I wish to know as soon as you can answer me by letter I will inform you that I raceived a letter from Calvin Rutherford since I came home he was at louisville ky – at That tim and he stated his reasons for not coming to wythe Cou[nty] Was his health would not admit of him travling I wish to know something of my mother whether she is Still A living on the old place or not and if she is I Want you to let her know that we are all well &c the amoun[t] Of Calvins letter was about her and her situation which I stated to him her situation and also her rquest for him to Come and see to her and I have not herd what he has done – And I want you to let me know how matters are arranged and whether Calvin has come to take care of her or not I have neither writ not received any letter to tennessee Since I came home last fall I Calculated from the letter That I got and the answer that I sent him that he would come and take care of my mother which is his duty

I will now let you know what kind of a winter we have had we had only three snows that covered the ground and Neither of them to exceed three inches deep and neither of them a lay on the ground to exceed three days where the sun Could shine in short I have never yet seen such a winter And spring before this the prospect for small grain are first Rate and fruit also and avery thing looks flourishing The times are distressing in this country for the want of Money every thing are at the lowest rate for the want of Money and the quantity of it in the country Bacon are one dollar per hundred in cincinati corn are ten cent per Bushel here and mostly every thing in proportion and them that are out of Debt are the happy People I have nothing more worth your attention

I Remain yours with respect
Randolph Rutherford

I forgot to state what tim I would come or sed (send) I expect to come or send the lest (last) of sept or octo Ber next