1880s cover and original letter from Oro City, Colorado, to "Miss Jennie Kiser, Elk City, Clarion Co., Pa." The envelope carries a 2-cent red-brown Washington stamp, an "ORO CITY COL. FEB 1" circular postmark, and an Elk City, Pa. receiving mark on the back. The enclosed multi-page letter is datelined "Oro City Jan 31" (year reads 188-, apparently 1884) and opens "Dear cousin." Envelope about 5.7 x 3.2 inches. Used condition: envelope toned with a stained top edge and wear, letter with fold lines, light soiling and a small tape remnant at one corner.

The content is a vivid winter letter from a Colorado mining camp: deep snow but no water, so the writer took a kitchen window out and dug a drift so snow could slide right into the kitchen to melt. She describes a premature birth in detail, the baby's dark blue eyes, the doctor's bill of 80 dollars, the funeral at 31 dollars and a 20 dollar coffin that "John" bought, saying it was the best there was in Leadville, and burial in the Evergreen cemetery. She also mentions chopping off a piece of finger with the axe while splitting kindling, and a gold watch and chain from her brother-in-law as a Christmas present.

Superb first-hand Colorado frontier and women's history content, with a discontinued-post-office cancel. Full letter shown in the photos.