Aprl 16, 1858 Lane Sanford Bank to John Benjamin-1823

Banking House of Lane, Sanford & Co.

Rockford, Illinois

April 16, 1858

Dear Sir,

You favor of 27^th February came duly to hand and I was glad to hear from you.

There has been nothing strange here since you left, only awful hard times.  I never want to go through another ordeal such as we passed through last fall & winter but, thank God, we passed through it without tarnishing our honor, though we met with losses. We have had a very warm open winter, all the cold weather was in November & February.  Our spring is quite early, at least a month or six weeks earlier than usual.  The open winter has made it quite sickly; there is now and has been more sickness this spring than has occurred at any time since I have lived here.

I am sorry to learn of your dam proving a failure.  Enterprises of that kind can only be engaged in profitably by men or companies with ample means to meet all ___________ that may arise.

I don’t think Mr. Dickerman has done anything since you were here towards selling your machinery in settling up.  You know he is quite dilatory.  There is a new reaper factory started in town, Fountain & Co.   They might want some of your machinery & I will make the suggestion to Mr. D.  You had better write him and ask him to try & close it up in some way.  

In regard to the loan, I will be glad to have it as soon as you can make it convenient.  I was obliged to continue it a while at 3% per month and now have it borrowed at 2% per mo.  The great financial troubles during the fall & winter made money so scarce I could not get in any, and this, in connection with a large amount I had to pay last fall and again this spring for a near relative, has kept me quite behind and likely to for a time. 

I hope your friends at home will be able to assist you.  Hoping to hear of your own families’ health & your prosperity.

I remain yours truly,

R. P. Lane