Chicago, July 18, 1863
Dear John,
I received your letter last week and should have answered it
last Sunday but for my having a very severe headache. Consequently I had to let it go until today. I was sorry to learn of your misfortune since
you have been in Minnesota, although it may be for the best that you went out
there, but of course as it is very natural for me to think at present. I can’t see that it was, at present circumstances,
and time will tell. I would like to had
you come and take charge of some shop or mill in Chicago where you could have
made from $2,50/day to $3.00 per day and get some money when your work is
done. I have the entire charge in this place
where I am now. The place I was in all winter
is vacant at present. They have had two
more as foremen since I left them and they would be glad to get a man as good
as I was to them for most any price. But
enough of this, for it is useless for me to say anything of your coming here
and so I shan’t say anything more about it.
I was glad to hear that you were going to turn your
attention to raising sheep (or a part) for I don’t think there is any part of
farming more profitable. It requires a
good deal of care, that of course you can learn the same as others done before
you. But it would be a good idea for you
to correspond with some parties that were experienced in the business. There are those that make it very profitable
while others lose a great deal. If I don’t
take up again and go back to my shop, I may buy some sheep and let someone have
them on shares. They do such things here
a good deal so I have learned since you wrote to me last. But, John, in regards to my family I don’t
think I should ever make a farmer from the fact things don’t go fast enough. For instance, I should want a steam plow, a
steam harrow, steam to grow the wheat and corn, and a steam reaper to cut it
down, and last of all a steam thrasher.
I don’t think I should want any steam to start it up, but I am afraid that
such would be the case if I was to farm it for a living. Consequently, it would be a losing game all around.
I suppose that you receive papers from the office every
week. If you don’t, you must let me know
for I subscribed for the Chicago Journal tri weekly for three months and the expiration
of which I shall send it to you again. I
also sent you a new paper just started here and if you like that you can have
that longer. It is called the Spirit of
the West. That will come for one
month. If they don’t come, let me know
for they are paid for. I take the daily Journal
and I thought it could be belter to send the other to you.
I had no need to write you any news for you will get it in
those papers. I don’t see what is going
to become of us with those copperheads in Chicago and, in fact, New York and a
good many other places just the same.
I have been sending this to you all week but I have been so
busy that I don’t have time to go to the office until today. _________________ write soon.
Edwin
The Copperheads were a vocal group of Democrats located in the Northern United States of the Union who opposed the American Civil War, wanting an immediate peace settlement with the Confederates. Republicans started calling antiwar Democrats "Copperheads", likening them to the venomous snake. The Peace Democrats accepted the label, reinterpreting the copper "head" as the likeness of Liberty, which they cut from copper pennies and proudly wore as badges.
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