Northport, Nov Dec 6, 61
    Brother Bagley
	               Dear Sir  your
letter directed to manistee reached
me in due Season Since its recep.
I have learned from other sources that
you are at the university reading law
in dead earnest   I hope you find it, as
interesting and instructive as you anticipated
As for my self I think the profession of
the law the noblest of all professions and
the American Common Law preem-
inently entitled to the appellation "Science
of Justice"  When I came here this fall
or rather to Traverse City 30 miles south of
here I was taken down again with the
fever and have not yet [illegible in original] recovered
though I have had my office open 3
weeks but am only able to do office
business and attend to justice court
business in this vicinity yet I am making a


living have 4 cases in Circuit Ct. 2
in Law & 2 in [Chancery?] and could
have as much Justice Court business as
I could attend to if I was strong enough
to travel to the diferent settlements
You will see from my card that I am
located at Northport but this is only
Temporary I bought 36 78/100 acres one 
mile west of Traverse city [got?] of Gov. at
50cts per acre it is all but 5 acres on East
side hill and the five acres a platteau on
top of the hill, timbered mostly with hard maple
a nice cold spring comes out of the [illegible in original] hill
and runs off in a "babling brook" It had been
kept out of market by a preemption which
was forfeited the week I arrived at Traverse
and being first to ascertain the fact I
jumped the claim   Bates considers the
land worth 10 per acre but be that as
it may it is worth 15 to me  I shall
put a house on it in April and [illegible in original] move
in Should have staid at Traverse City
this winter but I could get no house

to live in and my things were here
     Shall [illegible in original] my office to
 Traverse City in March if I can get
my Library there as soon as that
   I am delighted with the country
and pleased with the people
And my wife is as well pleased as
myself   we have just formed a lyceum
here which I shall endeavor to attend
regularly
     There are 5 masons here in all
but some 11 here on the boy Bay
so we are trying to get a dispensation
from the Grand Lodge to form
one here which I think wont hurt
me any
    I should like to hear from you &
how you are getting along and
should like a catalogue [illegible in original]
			J G Ramsdell

J.G. Ramsdell
		Northport Grand Traverse
			[illegible in original]
			       Mich
		Dec. 6, 1860.
		Ans Dec. 24, 1860.