Dear Brother: I have not had a letter from you since I wrote to you last (on the 19th of Feb.) neither have I heard from Somerset since Mrs Wyrick was back here a couple of weeks ago and refer to all well. I believe She is going to move into Jack's Van Stickle house for the summer and intends to build here on the old lot this fall. We are all well at this time and hope that you are in the enjoyment of good health and spirits. Granny is in good health except the cough which is not as bad as it was I think. About three weeks ago Mr Sheets sold his house and lot to Mrs. Worley and moved out to Michigan -- staid a few days and last week they came poking back and I suppose he the will stay

in Newark the rest of their days. Our city has bought its self out of the draft and the mania for enlisting in our district is almost as bad as it was when the war first began, for the past two weeks enlisted men have bee sent from the Provost Marshals office here at the rate of from 11 to 20 daily and still they come. And this brings me to another subject Mr Dougherty one of the City Council granting to you as a veteran a local bounty of ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS half to be paid now and the other half when the June taxes are collected. Now if you have faith in the Government for which you are fighting and will send me an order if you are not coming home this spring I will collect the

money for you and invest it in Government bonds either in the seven thirties or in the gold bearing bonds the interest on the latter bonds is placed in gold and are about 18 month old and a $100 bond will cost $111 with the back interest unpaid. The 7-30s can be bought at par. These bonds are the only means by which money can now be invested to make anything. Money is so plenty that the banks do not like to keep it for you even for nothing. And besides these bonds are not taxable, either state or National. The 7-30 bonds can be changed to gold bonds after a while. There are other classes of bonds the 5-20 and the 10-40 any of them good. If you want to invest all you have to do is to send me an order to draw the money and I will get the bonds for you or if you have any money send it to me

and I will invest it for you also. We have had some pretty ruff weather for the past week yesterday we had quite a snow storm but today it was pleasant. Nights cool. Work is plenty and hands scarce wages are good and the prices of things is very high. The warehouse that was burned down sometime ago I guess will be rebuilt this spring. There is fire in the cellar yet. Titus Davis will not rebuild his shop, but has sold the store and it is torn down. If you get the papers you will see that the armies of the Union is marching on to victory both in the Southeast and in the Southwest and may they still go on conquering and to conquer till there is not a reb to be found with a gun in his hand. Well I have done better than I did in my last so I will close by wishing you happy love from all

Yours as ever James