Oct. 9, 1871 Asa Hutchinson to John Benjamin-1823

Biddeford, ME

Oct. 9^th, 1871

Dear Dr. Benjamin, Hutchinson Minn

Your letters of 17^th & 29^th inst are before me and I have found in the whirl of this whirling life a few moments that I propose to devote to the answer of each and make some suggestions & inquiry.

1^st I’m sorry to disappoint Mr. Case in his pay, but I had not the money then and I am disappointed that Mr. Rass and others did not pay up promptly.  Glad you hired the boys and let Frank manage about the house while they run the two plows.  Twas lucky Kate was retained.  She’ll certainly prove a good investment yet perhaps. 

Pity that we can get no grain ground in Hutchinson.  The river it seems has given out.  A steam grist mill will be a good thing.  The store keepers of Hutchinson have been kind in granting you orders to pay our farm help.  Hope you will soon settle with them.  Mr. Adams has to come to your rescue in a loan of $25. 

Glad to hear the church is nearly completed -  that political matters are brightening & best of all our friend Adius Chance looks good to be the nominee & the representative elect by & by.  Do the Democrats or Republicans lay W.J. Bonnwell on the shelf?

In answer to No. 2 of yours of 17^th inst - would say that we are trying to find a customer that will be glad to accommodate you with $500 or $600 for 5 years at low rate of interest.  We hope to make a favorable report on our return to M.  I have the requisitions successfully made, shouting for it hard.  I know your securities would be ample and your inquiry shall receive full attention. 

I had a real worry a week ago about our farm buildings being burned.  Some Hutchinson had lost buildings in the west, so the papers said, & I did not know but we were burnt out, but your letter of 29^th relieved me, but send again.   We are worried for telegrams from St. Paul last Saturday saying that prairie fires were raging from Litchfield to the Minnesota River burning at Glencoe and running everywhere burning fences, haystacks, barns, houses & cattle.  I can only hope that the good providences have saved us from the general conflagration.  There’s a terrible fire^[1] raging in Chicago as I write.  Millions of property lost.

Your letter of the 29^th flies before me .  I am glad you do not wait for my letters but write regularly yourself – do give me one a week regularly at least.

Our business is extensive and we have no agent.  The work devolves upon me largely & I cannot write as regularly as I would wish for this very over-driven cares we have going hither & thither singing for this charity & that.  I’m glad you have the good boys beside Frank the faithful.  Glad you got Mr. Pew to help a few days right up the boathouse, etc. 

So the oxen all sold for $125?  I’m glad of it and under the circumstances I think you got a good price for beef has fallen some . It will be nice to have the two teams plow up all the grains needed before the freeze comes.  Can’t you have a few acres put down to grass this fall and the balance in the spring? 

Mr. Ross must pay up his note at once.  I felt blue to think we had to buy grain the third year of our farming and that a bill was run up at Mr. Belden’s store.  Cut off the expenses, Doctor, at every side.  Open up clear accounts and keep an exact recording of ___ and expenses.  Enclosed I send you a draft for $50, and as you get in a surplus from sale of hogs and other products deposit it in State National Bank Minneapolis  .   Take receipt of every person you settle with in full.  I don’t want to see a bushel of grain of any kind.   Please give Frank orders to feed light except to the horses when working.   Where will be the profit of my favor this year?   What is done with the milk now?

Sorry to hear that the butter that Mrs. Case made is hurt.  I believe we had better hold on to it till cold weather.  It may improve.  Don’t sell it but have it put into ___ or some other good cellar that is clean & sweet.  It may grow better.  I wish you would impress it upon rank and the other boys to be very careful about fires and caution them about ashes, lighted lamps & getting too much heat over the stove in cooking . 

We shall turn our faces westward in early November and hope you will keep everything straight till we come.  Continue to write weekly to the care of Dr. John H. Shuman , Lynn Mass till further orders. 

I hope Mr. Christian will settle up his dues for that land before he leaves. We can pay you and that will do you giving him a receipt and Mr. David Adams can cancel the mortgage. 

I wish, Doctor you could send me a statement of receipts and expenses thus far and keep an open account.  I want to make some permanent arrangements with you when we come home to take the oversight of all my business in Hutchinson while we are away again.  I want your advice about matters pertaining to the farm.   You are right there and can see what is wanted every week. 

Caution the boys every now and then about fires.  Don’t let them set any fires anywhere on the premises.  My discouragements farming being away may necessitate me to sell all out and leave the country, but if I can barely keep square I want to hold on & keep things going. 

 

We are all delighted with the house in Hassan Valley , but we cannot afford to travel to pay the expenses of a farm that won’t yield any returns.  I would like to take account of stock when we return & have you oversee & try once more if we can agree.  I think we had better not make any arrangements with Mr. & Mrs. Taylor for the present.  Keep Frank along and an extra hand if necessary till we come and then we will make some permanent arrangement with somebody.  Get this present help do the best they can till the ground freezes.  Then Frank the faithful can burrough and take care of the stock at least, and watch the premises.  Don’t let the farm be left an hour, Doctor.  There is great danger from fires & thieves.  Please to have the other boys go to mill & Frank to remain.  Advise them about cleanliness etc. and particularly about ashes and watching fires in & out of the house. 

Have a fatherly care till I come & write particulars every week & I will recompense you fully on our return .

Truly yours,

Asa B. Hutchinson

PS – Kind regards to your family.

^[1]The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned from Sunday, October 8, to early Tuesday, October 10, 1871, killing hundreds and destroying about 3.3 square miles (9 km²) in Chicago, Illinois.^[1] Though the fire was one of the largest U.S. disasters of the 19th century, Chicago was rebuilt and continued to grow as one of the most populous and economically important American cities.  The fire began the same day as several other fires destroyed towns and forests in Wisconsin and Michigan.