December the 18- 1899 Dear Brother and Sister I have at last got to writing this letter which I should have written to you long ago. I suppose you think we have forgotten you but we have not. We spea k of you all and wonder how you are all getting along and if your are all well and how big your boys are and a thousand things we would like to ask you if we could see you. John, you and Alley had better bundle up and come to Colorado. Jack says he would not be back in Old Kentucky if someone would give him a farm he says he don't have to tumble over the clods here like he did thare he could not stand it but he says tell you he can sholder two bushel of shelled corn all right yet. He says to tell you a man can make a living here easier than he can back there he says tell you he has sold $2.80 worth of alfalfa seed he got six and fourt cts a pound thare is 60 lbs in a bushel and also tell you he got 1.20 ton of Prarie hay and 48 ton of alfalfa hay. Last spring hay was-5.00 a ton we have not sold any of the hay yet we will hold it untill the price raises. to bail and ship to Denver it is six dollars now. We like it hear real well we have lived on this place three years and have rented it next year we gave $1.25 this year and will give $1.40 next year. Money rent Jack would rather do than part of the crop. This year he bought him a new mower and rake a two horse rake we have three horses broke to work and two colts to break next year we raised the colts. Wesley helped Jack put up all his hay he gave him $1.00 a day. I suppose you have not heard Wesley is married, he maried a Miss Lucy Farrier of Greeley Colorado they was married in Greeley April the 30- 99 they stayed with us until they went to keeping house the 27- of August they live about one mile and a half from us just about the same distance Mollie lives from hear. Bertha lives abut 50 miles away I went down to their house last June I stayed about 5 weeks she has another baby boy he was 5 months old the 8 day of this month she has four boys and one girl living her husband was elected sheriff of Sedgewick County this fall. Julesburg is the county seat of Sedgewick County, they have bought a house and lot in Julesburg. John did I tell you in any of my letters that the wimmen can vote in Colorado Tell Alley to come west and vote with us. we have a lady county clerk for the last six years. Tell Ally to come out and help us elect a President next fall we will want all the help we can get. tell all the relation howdy for us Tell Aunt Rena I have not forgot her and would like to see her afful well. Jack often speaks of her tell Tom he had ought come out here and go hunting with Mollies man he got him a new gun and he is a good marksman. Jack often tells him what a good marksman his brother Tom use to be. We had Thanksgiving dinner and Mollies man killed a wild goose for the dinner they were hear and Wesley and his wife also was hear Thanksgivin. We would like to had Bertha and Rachel to but Rachel is in Denver yet. Write and give us the news. From Jack and Mary McCarty (Tom McCarty 1855-1931 is buried in Salt Lick, Kentucky # 34974466.) (The above Wesley Waddle is on the 1880 Census in Bath County with Andrew and Mary, he is presumed to be a son from Mary's first marriage. ) Rachel "McCarthy" is in Denver in 1900, born Aug 1870 in Kentucky, a cook for the Daniel Sayre family. Daniel is an attorney, 60, with Anna A., both born in New York. In 1910 Denver, Rachel McCarty is a servant in the J.T. and Lena Murry family. One tree says Rachel died in Denver in 1910, but no documentation.

Julesburg, Colorado September 13- 96

Mr and Mrs John Bassford...Salt Lick, Bath County Kentucky

Dear Uncle and Aunt

I expect you will wonder how I ever happened to write, you need not for I haven't forgot you if I did not write. I have been intending to write for some time and kept neglecting it. Ma sent me your address and said grandma was living with you, Dear old soul how I wuld love to hug her and how far we are apart. I am going to send her our pictures, will send it when I do this. I hope you will get it. Baby is not good he would not set still John had to hold him so straight to keep him from moving he did move a little. His eyes did not take good. Everett the oldest was on John's rite. George on the left. We call the baby Ray. He was 3 months old when the picture was taken, he is 14 months old now and runs around every place. I would like to see all the folks back there again. I often wonder if it looks like it did where we used to live, do you know who owns the place now. I would love to see appels and peaches growing again.
That is something we don't see here. Fruit is high here it is all shipped in.
We live about 3 miles from Julesburg, the Platte R runs a half mile south of us and the RR on the north a half mile. It is the branch line that runs to Denver and on the other side of this railroad 2 miles is a RR The main line that runs to Cheyanne. We can see the trains on both roads. There isn't any timber here, anybody can see a long way. There is willows and brush growing along the Platte River but it does not grow large. Wild grapes grow on the Island We gather them and they make nice Jell I have made quite a lot this fall. Then in the sandy land there is sand cherries. They grow on little bushes that looks like weeds and they make nice butter and jell. That is the kind of wild fruit we have. I did not raise any garden this year it was too dry. We raise---- have had more if we got rain. Did you have good crops there what did you raise. Do you raise sweet potatoes there like you used to I can remember what nice ones grandma used to raise You hardly ever see any growing here Does grandma have prett good health.

Please write me all the news I would like to have a lock of grandmas hair. Grandma can give the picture to Aunt Alley if she wants to when she doesn't want it anymore. I must close please write soon. From your loving neice and grand daughter Bertha Johnson.. Address your letters to John W. Johnson
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Elizabeth Moore Julesburg, Colorado September 13- 96 Mr and Mrs John Bassford...Salt Lick, Bath County Kentucky Dear Uncle and Aunt I expect you will wonder how I ever happened to write, you need not for I haven't forgot you if I did not write. I have been intending to write for some time and kept neglecting it. Ma sent me your address and said grandma was living with you, Dear old soul how I wuld love to hug her and how far we are apart. I am going to send her our pictures, will send it when I do this. I hope you will get it. Baby is not good he would not set still John had to hold him so straight to keep him from moving he did move a little. His eyes did not take good. Everett the oldest was on John's rite. George on the left. We call the baby Ray. He was 3 months old when the picture was taken, he is 14 months old now and runs around every place. I would like to see all the folks back there again. I often wonder if it looks like it did where we used to live, do you know who owns the place now. I would love to see appels and peaches growing again. That is something we don't see here. Fruit is high here it is all shipped in. We live about 3 miles from Julesburg, the Platte R runs a half mile south of us and the RR on the north a half mile. It is the branch line that runs to Denver and on the other side of this railroad 2 miles is a RR The main line that runs to Cheyanne. We can see the trains on both roads. There isn't any timber here, anybody can see a long way. There is willows and brush growing along the Platte River but it does not grow large. Wild grapes grow on the Island We gather them and they make nice Jell I have made quite a lot this fall. Then in the sandy land there is sand cherries. They grow on little bushes that looks like weeds and they make nice butter and jell. That is the kind of wild fruit we have. I did not raise any garden this year it was too dry. We raise---- have had more if we got rain. Did you have good crops there what did you raise. Do you raise sweet potatoes there like you used to I can remember what nice ones grandma used to raise You hardly ever see any growing here Does grandma have prett good health. Please write me all the news I would like to have a lock of grandmas hair. Grandma can give the picture to Aunt Alley if she wants to when she doesn't want it anymore. I must close please write soon. From your loving neice and grand daughter Bertha Johnson.. Address your letters to John W. Johnson
In 1900 Bath County, John Bussford born Jan 1848 , married 16 years to Alvira February 1852, have Oscar Feb 1886, Auster March 1888, and Grafton Oct 1889. John died in 1910, and is buried in Salt Lick, # 41536191. " Owingsville Outlook, July 7, 1910 Died, John Bashford, Saturday at 11:30 o'clock, at his home on Mud Lick near here. Burial at Lower Salt Lick Sunday at 11:00 o'clock. He was aged 63 years. he leaves a wife and four sons: Owen, Ashby, Oscar and Grafton. We extend our sympathy to the bereaved ones "
"John b. 1848 m. 1st. Manerva Jane Staton 16 Sept 1866 m. 2nd. Alvira McCarty Oct. 4, 1880 Bath Co. KY."


Alley Basford, per # 145142855, is buried in Salt Lick, 1851-1922. "Alvira Ally McCARTY was born on March 1, 1850, in Bath County, and died on June 30, 1922, in Bath County."