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Letter from Uriah W. Oblinger to Mattie V. Oblinger and Ella Oblinger, April 6, 1873

Courtesy of the Nebraska State Historical Society, Oblinger Family Collection

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Bachelors Hall Neb' Fillmore County
April 6^th 1873
Dear Wife & Baby

Giles & Sam have just finished each of them a letter and have gone in the other room to visit the folks in the east end of the house and here I am now at the table hurrying my pen over the paper talking to those I love through its silent medium. I commenced my sod mansion last Monday and took some of the material on the ground such as brush & poles tuesday it misted rain some so I could not work at it, Wednesday I broke sod & commenced laying the walls, hauling the sod about 80 rods off of R.R. land. Why dont you get it on your own you ask, well we are not going to use our own soil to build with when the R.R. owns every other section around here. I am building my walls 2 1/2 ft thick and have got them 3 1/2 ft high, but the weather today and tonight looks as though I would not do much at it tomorrow this morning when we got up it was misting rain and this afternoon it snowed some and tonight (for I am writing by candle light) the wind is blowing from the north and looks as though it would freeze some befor morning. well if it will give us a good rain it would do us good for it is dry here so that the dust blows my eyes full and makes my face all dirty. now I expect you think being so dry the sod would all break to pieces. not a bit of it you can grab a piece 10 ft long and strart off with it and wear it out dragging and not tear it. I cut my sod 2 1/2 ft long and plowed about 4 1/2 in' deep & 10 in' wide and it is pretty heavy work to handle them. Oh! yes, while I think of it the first meals victuals I {Begin deleted text}ever{End deleted text} eat on my claim was las wednesday at noon it consisted of six cold corn cakes with apple butter spread on them. There was to be preaching here today and the weather was so bad that no one came it was to bad was'nt it for Giles made a general Cleaning out yesterday and when I came in last night he would hardly let me put my feet on the floor. I suppose you would like to know the size of my house (I wont say ours till you get here) it is {Begin deleted text}14 f{End deleted text} 14 by 16 ft inside, is this room enough for you to spread out in, if it is not I will build larger this fall and take the present one for a stable

Ma I got no letter yesterday and I wanted one so bad for I fell a little anxious about my little Pet since she is going to have the measles. if the weather is such tomorrow that I cannot work at my house I will go to the P.O. and ask the P. M. about it and mail this one also. I am in hopes this is almost the last letter I will have to write for I want you and baby to answer in person pretty soon. if you get to come at the time appointed it will only be two more sundays till we will be together if delayed a week it will be three, but dont risk starting with Ella till it is perfecly safe. Now Ma just fasten your head on good for the wind will blow it off if you dont. Sun-downs like you used to wear would be good in this country for they would develop the body running after them. and fix your eyes to quit looking at fences for we have none here {Begin deleted text}ol{End deleted text} only little pig pens and very few of them yet. We had a little sing just now out of the gem's. tell Nett I am get to be quite a soprano have almost a female voice, at least I would like a voice of female just now. I have realized this winter more than ever before that it is not good for man to be alone. you say I have had two men with me, well thats true but 20 men cannot fill the place of one woman. but I suppose you think just to the contrary, well we wont quarrel abot that till we get in quarreling distance I am getting a little tired of Sapjacks for once. I begin to want some bread that tastes like if a womans fingers had been in it. When I went to the Blue¹ after wood I would get Mrs Dewolf to bake me some biscuit and it tasted awful good I tell you, but then it would taste better seasoned with Matties fingers and then her & Baby to pour my coffee & help eat it. you see I am writing this part of my letter in a whisper for fear some one will hear me. dont tell Nett or she'll laugh at me and that will make me feel ashamed. Ma I had to get a right hand plow because they had no left hand ones to sell, it goes very awkward for me I tell you I wont use it any longer than I have to. Ma if all goes well you will get to see jenny when we start from Crete to my homestead (not ours till you get here) for I will be there {Begin deleted text}hauling{End deleted text} hauling off my corn right where she is. I expect she has her baby by this time. now Ma dont get mad for saying mine not ours for you know every body in this country is called a bachelor till he gets a woman to live with him whether he is married or not some try to make me believe I am not married they tell me they dont believe I have a wife for if had I would have her{Begin deleted text}e{End deleted text} with me. they tell me they dont believe if I had a woman I could stand it away from her so long, they are only joking you know

I have lots to tell you when you get here so just make up your mind to listen and dont bring any deaf ears out here with you but enough of this nonsense

I am enjoying excellent health at present and hope you and Baby and all the friends are doing the same thing no more for tonight but remain your affectionate Husband & baby's happy Father

Uriah W Oblinger