Scope and Contents Personal correspondence among Slafter family relatives and their close friends make up the bulk of this collection. Early letters, dated 1858, tell of the scarcity of money and suggests that barley should be planted because it is the most profitable crop. Family news and town gossip are also prominent items in the letters. A June 17, 1858 letter from another brother to William tells of killing one elk and capturing another. March 12, 1863 letter mentions the sacrifice of soldiers...