Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 6 (1889-1890)

Lt 3a, 1890

Dunlap, Brother

South Lancaster, Massachusetts

October 28, 1890

Previously unpublished.

Dear Brother Dunlap,

I received your letter yesterday and will reply without delay. You state that your bill is fifty dollars. I wrote you November 30, 1889, that I would rent you the place for one hundred seventy-five dollars, and as I have heard nothing further from you about it, I supposed you had accepted of my offer. In your letter you say that Brother Thomas pays fifty dollars for his rent on the place and that [the] money will help build [a] fence round the orchard, which would cost seventy-five dollars. After your labor is taken out for what you have done, there would be yet seventy-five dollars, my due, which you do not mention. I would ask you to please give me the particulars of this matter. I do not understand it. Will you specify more clearly that I may understand the matter? 6LtMs, Lt 3a, 1890, par. 1

Cannot there be a fence without so much outlay of means? Cannot there be posts set and a wire fence for the present? I have had no income for the last two years from the sale of my books and I am in a most disagreeable, cramped position, having to hire the means which I use and pay 7 percent. If I cannot have the rent money of the place to pay interest on the money invested, I must continue to hire. I am not so situated as to lay out more money on the place. If the place could now be sold without delay, I would sell for twenty-eight hundred. Cannot the twenty acres that joins Brother Hagar be sold for fifteen hundred? Geo. Hutchings said he was offered fifteen hundred for it. I much need the money that is invested in that, and it is considered the best land in the valley. 6LtMs, Lt 3a, 1890, par. 2

Will you talk with Mr. Paddock in regard to the fence? I esteem his judgment [to be] good. 6LtMs, Lt 3a, 1890, par. 3

Was my hay an entire loss? These things worry me. Was this last year’s crop a volunteer crop? 6LtMs, Lt 3a, 1890, par. 4

If anyone wants to hire the place for one hundred and seventy-five dollars, they can have it. I want no more renting it on shares, as before, and I pay for baling hay, for cover for the hay, expense [of] about fifty dollars, and not a cent income to me. I think someone in the valley might have looked out for my interest. Certainly Geo. Hutchings was not the man to do it, and Joe Hutchings has not done it. I thought I would see how I came out the last year. I am in want of money. I do not want the place on my hands and I get nothing in return for it. Please tell me what I can do. I am in perplexity to know what to do. 6LtMs, Lt 3a, 1890, par. 5

I have just read a copy of the letter I wrote you, saying that I would rent the place for one hundred and seventy-five dollars, and that I would hire Brother Dunlap to set the trees and care for them, which would bring back money to him according to the amount of work done. You have not told me how much land you have put into fruit, how many trees you have put out. Have you put into orchard both of the twenties? Is the fencing to be on both twenties? Will not the tree you spoke of make the posts and a wire fence secure the trees at less cost to me? 6LtMs, Lt 3a, 1890, par. 6

You see, the interest on three thousand at 7 percent would be $210.00. I certainly ought to have the interest on the money invested, but I shall not get it at one hundred and seventy-five dollars. 6LtMs, Lt 3a, 1890, par. 7