[Written over address on envelope:] answered

[Letterhead:]

My dear Cal,

A happy New Year to you and many returns. Many thanks for Elliot's book. It looks as if it were going to be very readable, though I have only got started in it as yet. Graham came in yesterday and I had quite a long talk with him. I remembered his face very well but never knew his name. I think you are in a very good place.

The wolf-skin will be quite an acquisition. Have not had a chance to take it to Toronto yet but will be there shortly.

What do you know about veteran's claims. I have been itching to get hold of some land in the West. Roy Williams came in to-day with a claim which he is applying for. He tells me the scrip entitles one to 320 acres, that if you have not already homesteaded you are entitled to160 acres more and that in addition to that you can purchase 160 acres at $1.⁰⁰ per acre making one whole section altogether. Would it be feasible to take up a section in this way. You can see that the actual cost would be $700.⁰⁰ for the scrip and 160.⁰⁰ for the quarter section, pre-empted. Then we would have to reckon on the breaking and on having a man to live on it and I suppose paying him in some way. Of course I am entirely ignorant about the details and the law too for that matter. I suppose you can have another man act in your place can't you?

I should be much obliged to you if you would find time to make inquiries and to let me have all the information at your command on the subject including information as to the available sections now open and their merits. Of course the money invested would be estate money, or at least part of it would probably be and it is therefore as much to your interest as to mine to see if we can't make an honest dollar. I am changing some of the investments to more profitable ones so that we could afford to tie up a little of the estate money, say $1000.⁰⁰ for a little time without income.

As I told you I am entirely green and it may be quite impossible to work the thing out; but you will know better than I do whether there is a reasonable chance of profit.

Your aff'te Brother

T.B. McQuesten