January 6, 1876 letter to Frank Tomlinson from Henry Keith

January 6, 1876

To: Frank Tomlinson

From: Henry Keith, Kalamazoo, MI

Writes more about the drill-tooth invention.

Scan of 1876-01-06 Henry Keith to Frank Tomlinson

Kalamazoo Jan 6^th 76

Cousin Frank

I suppose you still live, move and have a being. As for me I cannot deny the fact that I do live and am some sort of a being, but as for being a being that moves and acts like one of the beings that are said to be human I hardly know as I come under that class. Yet I manage to move about as lively as the most of them and I find pleanty to do but I notice I am not filling up my pockets very fast but manage to empty them as often as there is anything to empty out. Well I feel just about as well for I think I am all right yet and I do think that we have a machine in process of construction that will eclipse anything of the kind now in use. We are now manufacturing a grain drill to be attached to a hay tedder[?] horse rake planter sower and we also intend having attached to the same trucks a cultivator and broadcast seed sower. The tedder and rake are already in use and it is considered to be superior to any of the kind now in use. My pardner Mr Ives[1] is the inventor and patentee of the tedder and rake and we find with but little trouble we can attach the others to the same machine each being independent of the other and the transfer from one to the other will be very quickly made rending it a complete combination as well as a strong and durable machine. We have a drill tooth which does not clog being a decided improvement over the old still[style?] of tooth. All farmers that have seen our tooth pronounce it an improvement. Time will tell how it comes out. The folks about here are usually well so far as I know. No winter here yet, very warm and pleasant, no snow. If you should ever write will you please give me Geo Smeads no – Nellie[2] gave it to me but I have lost it. My address is Kalamazoo not Galesburg.

Yours

H L Keith
Kalamazoo
Mich

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[1] George Ives

[2] Frank’s sister, Nellie Tomlinson