John Benjamin was born in England in 1823. In 1849, at the age of 26, he immigrated to America with the goal of seeking opportunities in the new world and improving the life of his family. During his immigration and eventual settlement in Hutchinson, Minnesota, John saved many personal letters that were written by and to him. These letters, the subject of this web site, bring to life his immigration and the life of others during this courageous adventure. The most recent letters posted on this sight are on this front page. To see all the earlier letters, keep pressing the “Older Posts” button on the bottom of this page. The earliest letter recorded here is June 20, 1849. The letters…………









Feb. 27, 1870 Edwin Benjamin-1833 to John Benjamin-1823

Chicago, Feb. 27th, 1870
Dear Brother & Sister,
I received your letter in due time but have not had the opportunity to answer it until now, for I can assure you that I have been very busy for the past two weeks and I have been about half sick with a cold in my head and the children the same and Winnie is very bad with it yet. 
I have not been able to go see about your saw mill as yet, but will in a day or two, and it would be of no use for me to even talk of such an arrangement as you proposed in your letter for I have got all I can attend to at present, and the prospect is that I will have more this summer.  I have just completed another large sawing machine for to cut box lumber.  I think by the middle of the week I shall have it in operation.  And I have got two or three other machines in contemplation which I am bound to put through this spring.  And I also have my house to finish which will be worth about three thousand dollars, perhaps more.  And so you see that I have room for you all.  The morning that I can command for some time although I may be one of the lucky ones and have fortune ___ me some of those dogs.  If I do, I will let you know but as it is now I can’t do anything for you.  But it seems to me that you might advertise in one of the papers here under the heading of Business Chances for someone to take hold of such an enterprise, and I think if the inducements are what you represent them to be, you would have no trouble in getting a person that would be all right to take hold with you.
Whenever you get ready to get a mill you will let me know and I will get you one of these new saws with inverted teeth which are far superior to all others to saw all kinds of hard timber.  And also you had better run a double mill, that is one saw above another.  Say the bottom saw 52 or 54 in. and the upper saw 30 or 32 in. and you will cut any log you will be able to get in the mill and do better work with it.  And by all means have a bull wheel to turn over the logs for it saves a great deal of hard labor.  And in regard to the water wheel you can get them here that are all right, which will give you plenty of power.  And if you want them let me know and I will see the parties about them.  And in the meantime I am going over this week and perhaps they can send you some circulars with all the information required. 
I must close for the present in love to you all, hoping that this may find you all well as this leaves us all with a bad cold. 
Yours truly,
Edwin


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