[written up left side of page] P.S. The taxes are $8.15 or $8.10 this year, I don't know which. Was married 22nd Nov.

The Rev'd. C. McQuesten Dear Mr McQuesten,

I rec'd your letter last mail and as I was very busy until today could not write until tonight. Thanks very much for your kind wishes and that very appropriate toast. We are having very severe weather up here at present; 40 & 50 below is a common occurence [sic], in fact it seems to be the order of the day. But we have very little snow. Just enough to make good sleighing.

Well I guess I will start at once and give you the official statement of the crop on your place last year. The total amount of grain threshed was 3640 bushels or closer to 27 bu. per acre. I am sorry to say that the grain was frozen but not badly. I took in some samples and some of the buyers seems to think that it should go .3 Northern. I think that it ought to go 3. but a person cant [sic] control the Fates i.e. The Winnipeg Graders. If I get No 4 for my share without dockage I will be more satisfied than with 3 at this end.

It is impossible to sell grain here now & even if I could I wd [sic]not, as they are simply robbing the Farmers this year. I wd strongly advise every one to ship which I intend doing myself & If you wish I will do the same with yours. You make about 10 cts per bu. & probably a grade. You will just have a carload & I think it wd be best to wait & get a car & ship.

You asked in your letter when I thought I could get yours marketed. I really can't say when. I am building a bin in town and it holds a carload & I'll fill that and try and catch a car. They have not got a car in Andath (our town) since the 21st December but I hear that there are cars in plenty in Saskatoon and the CNR have not got the power to send them through. I may be able to tell later on when I can get your wheat out, but to set a date now would be very rash. We may have cars soon and may have none till spring. But you can rest assured that I will do my utmost for you, both in getting the grain out & in selling it.

I put 800 bu. in the shack & then as it couldn't hold it I built a bin to hold yours and at the present time there is 1143 bu. in it and I think that I will have the balance of your share and put it in & so square up the division. Although your share is 1200 odd I wd not put much faith in the figures as it is 1200, machine weight, & I think that it is a little light. The weigher slipped in moving on to your place and we had threshed about 500 bu. before I noticed it & I thought I'd let it go as it really makes no difference, only to make the yield longer & who does not like big yields.

I guess I have given you all the news of the crop. So I will conclude with best respects & wishes from [Gertie?] & myself.

¹ Calvin had a share-cropping arrangement with Glendinning which appears not to have been very successful; and there are suspicions in the letters that Glendinning was actually cheating Calvin. For other letters and links on the subject see W8239.