Chicago
Jan. 20, 1868
Dear Brother & Sister,
I suppose that ere this you have given up of hearing from me
again. Well, it is the busiest job that
I have to begin to write a few lines that I have, for almost every day that I
think will, I start that I will write
that day sure, but something turns up that I don’t.
And now that I have taken this pencil to write a few lines to
you I hope that you will excuse me when I come to tell you that all of my
family has not scarcely seen a well day for two months. Hattie on the twenty day of November came
home from school and had the measles, and of course Frances had it too, but
Winnie she didn’t have it. After Hattie
began to feel herself again she was taken down again with the measles and she
was very sick indeed, and Frances she was not well at all and is still feeble,
and Winnie she is not well. As for myself
I have been very well considering all I had besides to take care of them and
also attend to my business every day besides.
But here a few days ago I catched an awful cold and could not speak
hardly at all, but today I am somewhat better but have got some cough yet. And so in all we have had a very severe time
of it this winter. Richard has been
very well this winter and is not boarding with us. He is renting but three blocks from here and
pays $__ per week for his board.
Business never was so dull in Chicago for a good many years
as it is now, although we have had our share of it so far and am in hopes it
will continue to favor us for some time to come. We cleared three thousand seven hundred dollars
since we commenced here although we might have done better perhaps if we hadn’t
had so much opposition to contend with, and I think that now that we have got the
business started that the next six months to come we shall do a great deal
better, for the first three months we had a good deal to contend with, that is
the machining was very much random and was constantly needing repairing and of
course we spent a good deal of time for no pay.
My resawing machine that I built Is the best thing of its
kind that you ever saw and it is a good success. I had some trouble getting the right speed
on it. My idea was that the saw being
made in such a way that it would stand a greater speed than an ordinary saw. It is four gage at the center, being straight
for eight inches and then it tapers for 8 to 11 gage, and edge with 36 teeth
inserted so that I can take them out any time and put new ones in. And of course they have so much less metal at
the edge of the saw than in an ordinary made saw. Of course, I thought it would stand a greater
speed, but it worked to the contrary (vice versa) and so I reduced the speed
one half and now it works splendidly.
There is some change going to be in our firm soon. Mr. David Goodwillie is going to take his son
out of our concern and probably will take on another man in his place for it
requires a good sharp business man to look after it. Our business amounted to seven thousand
dollars for the month of December, the profit of which was thirteen hundred
dollars and of course it is a good deal of money to handle and have everything
come out right. And young Goodwillie has
not had much experience in money matters.
You must rite soon and let us hear from you. Hoping that this may find you all well. Frances unites with me in love to you all.
Edwin
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