Should have answered before this as I have been gone from home some 2 months and did not return till last weeek yourletter lay in the office some time before I got it.

I'm happy to inform you that I am enjoying good health and have had excellent health since I have been out here.  We are having very fine weather now and the farmers are all busy harvesting their crops.  Wheat and Oats are very good.  Corn and potatoes look well now although it is getting rather dry but hpe we shall have rain soon.

Nothing pays better here at the present time than farming.  Grain of all kinds are high.  Oats are selling now for $1.30 cts for Bushel Corn for $1.50 wheat about the same as  corn and all other produce in like proportion.  The supply is not equal to the demand though there is going to be a great amount of grain raised in Southern Minnesota this year.  Still there will have to be a large quantity brought up from Ill and Iowa to supply the demand for coming winter.

Business in town has been very good this season so far.  Considerable building going on.  new improvements being made so that on the whole I think we are having as fine a village going up here as there is to be found in Minnesota.  Money is plenty enough at three to four percent a month.  This may seem like rather high rates of interest to you for we think six percent a year in Massachusetts is about enough.  But I knew of a few cases last winter where five and six percent a month was paid down for a short time.  and no time less than 2 1/2.  This was a loan made here last week  of six thousand dollars for four years, at 2 1/2 percent a month payable quarterly, and another of two thousand for three percent, so you see we have some money circulating here for all interest is so high and no doubt this accounts fo the scarcity of money east which I hear almost daily is the east.

Every body that is coming out west brings with him what maney he can and it is almost a wonder to me that there is anything left in the Eastern States for it is astonishing how many people have some in to Minnesota for the past two years say nothing of Kansas, Nebraska, and other states which I suppose are fast filling up.

How long this state of things will continue is impossible to tell.  This western ferve at the present time is raging high .  Everything is all excitement and there will be a smash up before any.  The greatest trouble with Minnesota is that settlers that come in here and get a quarter section of land can't be satisfied to go to work and imporve it, but must go into some town speculating whihc seems to be all the rage now.  As a general thing there is but little speculation in land here as in Iowa and Illinois, as none of the lands have even been offered at public sale speculators have not had the chance here to buy large tracts of lands as in other states.  The preemption law allows eachone to preempt 160 acres of land and in order to get more than they are obliged to buy second handed.  So for that reason I think Minnesota will be settled by actual settlers much sooner than places where speculating have so largely operated.

Well Calvin I don't know but it was a foolish operation in my coming out west as some folks said; but there is one thing about it I don't know as it is any of these businesses if I don't call on them for any help.  If I don't get immensely rich I shall have the consolation of having seen some things of the world.  I don't believe but what I enjoy life just as well as even Hollis Metcalf or his son did.  anyway I have no great desire to change places with them.

I learn by your letter that you expect to come out to Michigan this fall and I certainly hope you will come out as far as Minnesota if possible.  I think perhaps the fall is not quite so favourable a time to come to a new country as some other time of the year but you bring out a hill of money and I will rish you here summer or winter.  I wish Calvin you might come out here to stop for I do think  these are greater inducements here and better chances for making money then there can be in the Eastern States.  I don't considerI have done much myself compared with some for I did not have anything to do with but for all that I am satisfied.  And no two coeays  about it there has been money made here now.

Well I do grief it is about time  for me to begin tomake my concluding remarks as I shall time your trend with sending.  You spoke of receiving from me but not the letter.  I wrote to you last March  but perhaps you did not receive it as the mails carried very irregularat that time.  Hope you will get this safe and find you all well.  Please give my regards to your father and mother Edwin and William and families and all friends.  Write as often as you can and I will endeavor to answer but hope I shall see you here this fall.  Excuse the mistakes and writing for it is matster but today.

Yours in haste
A.J.  Metcalf

From the files of the Rice County Historical Society
Faribault, Minnesota