Mr. Greely,
The undersigned, having been attentive readers of your valuable
paper for a number of years, and having our attention drawn to or directed to the
western part of this country, chiefly through the Tribune and it’s
correspondence, we beg to ask your pardon for the liberty we have thus taken to
drop a line to you for your serene advice upon the subject. ___ doubt but that you will comply with our
wishes with pleasure. We of course must
think it is necessary for you to know our means and capabilities: we are young
mechanics, cabinet makers of limited means, say 1,000 dollars or there abouts,
and we wish to invest this amount in some profitable business, thinking there
would not be as great a competition in the west in capital & trade as here. We rather inclined to settle in Wisconsin,
say Madison, or in that neighborhood, but wish to ask for information as to the
facilities for hiring water power, or other power in that vicinity, or any
other place which you may think fit to direct us. We have thought it best for one of us to take
a trip out there in the spring or the summer & would wish to know the best,
the cheapest, rout from Boston. We wish
to know your opinion upon locating land ___ in Wisconsin - if they can be secured – if convenient.
Yours truly,
The attached letter is one of the most interesting ones so far. John and one of his friends, in seeking to further their prosperity, had the audacity to actually write Horace Greeley for advice. Horace Greeley was a prominent character in American history, a senior editor of the New Yorker magazine, and founder of the New York Tribune. He is famous for his saying, "Go west, young man!". I have attached a brief biography of Greeley.
ReplyDeleteI believe the attached letter is actually a rough draft of the final letter because the letter contains sloppy writing and corrections. It probably marks a turning point in John's life. I wonder of he gets a response from Greeley??