This transcription was created by the Harvard-Diggins Library
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St. Xavier, Montana
July 25, 1897

My own true loving little wife,

Yours received and glad to hear from you. I have written Uncle Ed again and told him to send $50.00 to you I am having the worst luck with my wheel. Today Sunday I started out to see a war dance and the front rim broke just like the other. I was going over a fine road and not fast. It seems funny it should happen so as never heard of such a thing happening, only in case of running into something. When I finish the picture am working on now, I will have 14 pictures finished and I think I will (2) leave here this week and go to the Crow Agency where it is more civilized and get something to eat. I can’t stand the eating, very seldom do they have any vegetables. It is so hard to get any and they eat so much canned things and nearly every meal xxxx xx xxxxx and I am so tired of it I never want to see any xxxx. Once in two weeks the Indians have a beef issue. Cattle are killed and then Mr. Campbell gets some meat but it is eaten in the same day the cattle is killed and it's fearful to eat, it smells so. I don’t want any more of that. I can get the Indians at the agency 25 miles from here as (3) well as here and the railroad is there and they tell me they will paint up and fix up the same has here. So I may go soon as I finished here, which will be in two days. Then Mr. Campbell’s wife comes back August 1st with a hired girl and there wouldn’t be much of a place for me to sleep. If you and Lizzie will send me the measure of your foot I will have some nice moccasins made. You can put your bare foot on a piece of paper and mark around (4) it and send to me in next letter as I may not be at the Crow agency very long as I have so many places to go. But expect to be there two or three weeks anyway as there are some important Chiefs I want to paint there. I am painting a little Crow Indian girl about ten years old. She has on an Elk tooth dress with 600 Elk teeth on it. Well darling, I will close now. good bye my dear.

Your own true loving husband,

Elbridge
Lots of love, hugs & kisses

PS you can address me at Crow Agency, Montana