Hutchinson, M.L.
August 16, 1857
My Dear Elizabeth,
Your very welcome letter of the 30th inst. came
to hand on Monday last . I am sorry to hear
of you and the children being sick. I
hope ___ this you have all got quite well ere this & are preparing to come
to this place next month, when I expect to have things as good a shape as is
possible in this new country, although we shall have to suffer privations and
inconveniences for a short time. However,
we are no better than other folks. I expect
we can do so for a while until we have a railroad to this place, which we
expect to get before long. I have not,
as yet, done any more to my house since I wrote you the other day but expect to
attend to it soon. I have been plowing
for the last four days for the man that is putting up the dam. Am going to make a wheel for him tomorrow or
to commence his water wheel which I have to make.
I am surprised at Edwin’s conduct, especially for not paying
Mr. Babcock as he faithfully promised to do so. Am very much much surprised too at this going
to Belvidere. What he went there for I can’t
imagine unless it was to notify the Albrights.
However, if he don’t want to come here he can stay there, for I should
never try to help him after this, for this will be my last effort to do anything for him, for he has always did
better to strangers than he has toward me or my family. I hope that he will sometime see the error of
his ways. I hope that he has sent me
those things for me from Rockford, and that I shall hear from him soon. You had better sell Babcock something out of
the house for the rent, for he wants a bureau.
Sell him the bookcase if he wants it, but sell him some one of the
others if you [can].
In regard to my coming home, I don’t know that I shall be
able to come. In the meantime you can be
disposing of the things as fast as you can, for I don’t want to but of little
to get rid of as possible, if I come, which I am unable to say as yet until the
latter part of next week.
It is going to be pretty busy times with us for some time
now in putting in the home & this golden opportunity. I certainly must not lose for it is life or
death for me at present. As far as my
circumstances are concerned, never mind, there is good land here & I have
got a pretty good slice of it, which I mean to cultivate some of these days for
the benefit of my family (God willing).
Perhaps Robert will assist you to dispose of some of the
things by finding out who wants any furniture.
Sell them cheap for it is of no use to ship them here. I shall not be able to pay the freight on
them. If I come home, which is doubtful,
I shall have to leave here in a week & walk to St. Paul, sixty miles from
here. My ink has run out. I have no means to come home without –
present - only earned enough to pay my board so far. The Hutchinson’s have not treated me
right. Never mind, they are a no account
here at all. The town is better without
them, so I hope that they will soon leave, which is the wish of most of the
folks here.
[John] [John either
abruptly ended his letter here or I have lost it………..so far]
I get the feeling that John won't make it to Beloit to help Elizabeth with the move to Hutchinson..........no time, no money.
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