Dear Ad,

Having got all the little fellows to bed, I have a few moments leisure, which I will devote to you. I am alone again, and have been since the Fourth. Newcomb has gone down into New Mexico, and does not expect to return until the first of September. He took $1000 worth of goods with him. I wish he could find some place for us to live where he might come home oftener. In a couple of months he will open his store in Taos again but Ed will probably tend to that as he speaks Spanish better than Newcomb does. I am learning it tolerably well. About half the people we have to trade with here are Mexicans, so one should know their language in order to make good bargains.

Charlie & Eddie play out doors from morning 'till night. They have a dog, a tame hawk, a swing, a wagon and a donkey and saddle, so they are perfectly happy. Eddie is devoted to his father, and everything he gets that is good to eat he puts away 'till papa comes home. Charlie is mother's boy and thinks everything I do is right. A Mexican gave them a lamb the other day, but as we have no milk but what we buy, I gave it away. We have four good milk cows, but as I can not take care of them when the men are gone, they are rented out.

I hope Grandma's arms are better by this time. But I presume you are having hot weather, and that is not good for them. We have neither hot nor cold here. One can wear about the same clothes the year round. Newcomb and Ed do wear the same. But they sleep on the ground almost every night and are out doors all the time.

I have begun making our winter clothes so as to be ready when the time comes. Although summer clothes will be worn all winter by those who can get no others and there are plenty of those here. One minute you will see a lady coming down the street in a white dress and in the next, one with a merino on. It is never warm enough to wear muslin nor cold enough to wear furs.

Some of us neighbors went about a mile out of town, up the side of a mountain yesterday for a walk. We came across a sort of basin in the ground filled with the most beautiful snow white rock looking like foam turned into stone. Mixed with it was a rock of fine grain and as bright and green as grass. We also gathered some of the handsomest flowers you ever saw. The wild flowers in this country are very beautiful. I would send you some only I am afraid my letter will be too full. There are larkspurs blue, purple and pink. And petunias and verbenas of all colors growing wild. Charlie & Eddie want me to go out with them to get them every day. We do go as often as I can spend the time.

We are having a considerable trade now, so the store takes a good deal of my time. I can weigh corn and oats, flour and bacon as well as a man. I make a great many acquaintances among the men, but am too busy to make very many among the ladies. But I have some excellent neighbors so that makes up the want of more. My neighbors' husbands are gone away from home too, so we comfort one another.

Our baby is just as good and sweet as he can be. He is prettier than either of the other was. He is bald headed and fat and white. Has great big blue eyes and a head shaped like Eddie. His mouth and nose are like Charlie, and he is short like Charlie. I have just short clothes on him.

I send five dollars in this letter, which I wish you would send to Aunt Betsey with my love. You know where and how to send it better than I do. I wish it were more but it is almost impossible to get any cash. I live on orders on this store and on that. Newcomb pays cash for his goods so that takes all we can get together, as he does not get much cash in return but mostly grain and stock. As soon as I can get some more money I will send her some more. Do not tell her that it is to pay for that quilt, but with this I thank her for that and want her to take the money and buy her something she wants for her comfort. Tell her I would write to her myself but I do not know her address.

Give my love to Grandma & Grandpa, Yours Alice Newcomb

Letter courtesy of Peggy Newcomb Barr
This page was produced by Bob Newcomb in Brea, CA