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Laguna, New Mexico
Valencia Co.
November 15, 1897

My own true loving little wife,

My overcoat came today and I am glad of it as the eves are too cold for my light coat.

I have finished four Indian pictures now. I painted today a little squaw with a green shawl on and it makes a pretty picture. I had an Indian man engaged to come this morning. He was to fix up for me (2) in Indian costume, but he didn’t come. I saw him today and he said he would come tomorrow for sure. If he doesn’t come tomorrow, I will get out of here in a few days, but before going I want to paint two or three men.

I subscribed to a little magazine called the Land of Sunshine, published in Los Angeles, Cal. It is a fine magazine and cost $1.00 a year. I have ordered it sent to you and want you to take care of all of them, my dear. The October issue, on the front page, is a pueblo woman making these jars I have written (3) to you about. The first pages of the November issue is an article on a pueblo village called Acoma, which is a few miles from here. This Indian village here is just like it, only more picturesque. The house I get my meals in, and sleep in, is just like the house in the foreground. I want you to read the article called "Katzima the Enchanted" it speaks of xxxx Marmon, they are the people I room with. His wife is a Pueblo Indian and an awfully nice, kind woman. She has a small rug a genuine butta (bayetta) rug, (4) my they are very scarce. I have been trying ever since I have been here to get it from her. But she didn’t want to sell it as it was in her mother’s family, but today I got it from her for $3.00. It is worth $20.00. I have two genuine butta (bayetta) rugs now, Navajos both of them.

I have lots of fun with the little Indian kids. they all know me now. They have a peculiar way of calling anyone and I call them the same way and how they laugh.

The Art Amateur is to have a long article about me and my (5) Indians. Also Illustrated and McClure's is to publish some of my Indians to illustrate a study Hamlin Garland is to write about the Cheyenne Indians and later on they are to publish all of them. They wrote me a nice letter yesterday.

Sunday I didn’t work in the afternoon and I enjoyed myself by keeping company with a lot of hobos, or bums, in other words tramps. Seven or eight of them were stealing a ride on the cars west to California and were put off here and were here all the afternoon and I got (6) quite intimate with them. How I had to laugh to hear them talk. They almost have a language of their own. I could hardly understand some of the terms they used. They called bread "bunk", etc. Some of them are smart fellows and they had beat their way all over the world. It was interesting to hear them talk.

I hardly think I will be here more than a week longer but you can address your mail here. Good night darling. Your own true loving husband.

Lots of love, hugs & kisses,

Elbridge
Give my love to your folks.